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Rugby league’s 2020 Americas Championship, a four-team tournament featuring Canada, the U.S., Chile and host Jamaica, has been postponed due to the global pandemic.
The tournament, which would have been the Canadian team’s highlight event this year, was slated to be played in November in Kingston, Jamaica.
The Rugby League European Federation, the umbrella body for rugby league across Europe and the Northern Hemisphere, cited the threat of COVID-19 infection and the inability of participating teams to prepare because of the impact of the virus on both play and funding.
“Making the decision now gives certainty for the nations for the remainder of this year and planning can begin in earnest for the 2021 Championship,” RLEF chair Maurice Watkins said in a statement.
The tournament has been rescheduled for May 2021 to coincide with the Americas 9s event. Jamaica, set to play in the 2021 Rugby League World Cup for the first time, will be given first option to host the 2022 competition.
“We choose to see this delay as a blessing as having the Championship in 2021 will help to kick-start our preparations for RLWC 2021,” said Adrian Hall, vice-chair of the Jamaica Rugby League Association.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2020.
The Canadian Press
