2020 Betfred Super League

COVID-19 Affected Season

In Round 7, Leeds Rhinos refused to travel to Spain for their game against Catalans Dragons as one of their players had COVID-19 symptoms. Shortly afterwards, the RFL announced a 3-week suspension of the game at all levels, with play due to resume on the 2nd of April. However, the effects of the pandemic quickly worsened in the United Kingdom, and no more games were played until August 2020.

When the competition was finally able to resume in August, a number of protocols were put in place to mitigate the risks of teams being affected by COVID-19. Scrums were also replaced by a change of possession for the remainder of the season. All games were played at empty venues, with the exception of Catalans Dragons' last 3 home games, when the French government permitted crowds of up to 5,000 to attend.

In November 2020, Salford was docked 3 wins from their percentage calculation due to financial matters in the 2013 season. Hull KR also pulled out for the remainder of the year, which forced the competition to be brought to its conclusion early. A top 6 finals system replaced the usual 8 team format.

Toronto Wolfpack

During the pause, the Toronto Wolfpack were forced to withdraw for season 2020. The results of their matches up to round 6 were nullified, however the player records obtained in those games would be kept. Due to the imbalance in matches played by each team, the rules were adjusted so teams were ranked by win percentage. After the competition resumed, clubs were given the opportunity to vote on the whether Toronto's bid to participate in the 2021 competition should be accepted. The majority (seven out of the 11) rejected the application, and the Toronto consortium announced it would cease operations.