The traditional Easter double-header this year could be the last time fans get to experience one of the highlights of the Super League calendar amid a player-led push to improve welfare.
The Rugby League Players Association, which represents professional rugby league players in the UK, has held talks with the Rugby Football League to bring an end to periods such as Easter – during which many Super League players endure two games in 72 hours and three in as few as nine days – from as early as next season.
Garreth Carvell, the former Great Britain prop who heads the union, said removal of congested fixture periods such as the schedule this weekend is common sense when it comes to prioritising player welfare, adding that more or less every player he has consulted is of the belief that double‑header weekends must now be a thing of the past.
“We are happy to have this discussion on behalf of the players now,” Carvell told the Guardian. “We’ve spoke with the RFL and we’ll also speak with the clubs. It’s the clubs that hold the power but the RFL’s main strategy for 2022 was about player feedback, and acting on behalf of what the players want. With issues like this, we’ll see whether those words have meaning.”
The Guardian understands that while the RFL would be receptive to removing double-header weekends, there may be less warmth to the idea from clubs, who generate significant revenue over Easter in comparison with normal weekends, with the bank holiday bump in crowds providing a much-needed financial boost.
The RLPA wants to ensure that minimum periods of five days between all fixtures are introduced to guarantee players can recover adequately between games and reduce the risk of injury.
Carvell said: “I’ve had the discussion with the players and they just want to be able to play as much as they can, but with proper rest.
“I understand that might not be 100% possible if the broadcasters decide you’re playing on a Thursday evening after a Sunday fixture, but we speak a lot about player welfare in rugby league and from the players’ point of view throwing them into three games in nine days isn’t safe. It just isn’t. If we’re serious and not just ticking boxes, that’s going to have to change.”
Easter is often one of the most anticipated periods of the domestic rugby league season, with every club playing twice in a matter of days. After four Thursday night matches, Good Friday has two of the biggest derbies in the game, with sell-out crowds in attendance for Hull Kingston Rovers’ meeting with Hull FC, before St Helens host Wigan later in the afternoon.
All clubs will play again on Easter Monday before a full round of fixtures the following weekend. “It’s that third game, when the players have been through so much already, when things begin to suffer,” Carvell said. “The players just want one game a weekend and adequate recovery periods.
“I know the clubs will have a lot to say about it, as they see it as a good way to earn money, but this is about improving the game and the welfare of players long term.”
The RFL has been approached for comment.
