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Many top-class rugby players tend to start their careers with the club they end up serving for a bulk of their time.

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The future of rugby from top to bottom is in doubt at the moment. Many clubs have expressed concerns about their ability to continue without income from matchdays.

Those at the very top of the sport are going to struggle if games are played behind closed doors, showing that it is impossible for any clubs from lower down the pyramid to do the same.

This means, we are unlikely to see rugby played at the lower levels for the next few months, and it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise in the world if we didn’t see any rugby until 2021. We are not sure when the next National 1 fixtures will take place.

The future at the moment is very uncertain, but one thing that each club knows for sure is that when rugby does come back around, people will want to go and watch their teams. That’s good, because now, more than ever before, your rugby club needs you.

The Covid 19 General Impact on Sport

The sporting world has come to a standstill pretty much over the past few months, and only now are things beginning to slowly emerge.

However, the fight hasn’t really started, let alone finished. There is a long way to go before sport can be described as something that is back to normality.

We are seeing events such as football and horse racing return behind closed doors and bookmakers such as those on the bookies offers website have reported turnover to be good. However, rugby is not yet part of them, something that may not happen until fans are allowed back into stadiums.

Those who do like a bet on rugby at any level will be hoping that the games are allowed to continue at some point so they can join football, horse racing and many other sports in enjoying a wager.

What Can Clubs Do to Survive?

Pretty much every club from the top tier down to the bottom is in survival mode right now, hoping to do whatever it takes to get to the other side of this.

Clubs are cutting costs everywhere and doing whatever they can to bring in tiny amounts of money. As things stand now, they don’t have their biggest source of income, which is ticket sales, and also don’t have another large source of income which is matchday food and drink sales.

The best thing that clubs can do is simply hold on. This isn’t the Premier League where millions are at stake, every penny counts in rugby at this level.

This virus will impact every club, the key is to make sure we don’t lose any along the way.

What Can You Do to Help?

So, what can fans do to help out? The first is to continue to show their support for teams and try to raise awareness of them, even at this time.

When we are allowed to attend rugby again, then is the time for people to turn up, watch games, enjoy what we’ve missed and if possible, support the club with matchday sales.

The more people that go, the more tickets are sold, and the more food and drink is sold. This is where awareness comes into play.

Therefore, if your club needs help on social media, it only takes a few seconds to retweet or share posts that will reach your friends.

If every fan can convince one friend to go to a game and support a local team then that will all turn into vital money that will help keep your club growing.

You are needed more than ever before, and together we can keep grassroots rugby alive.

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The coronavirus that has spread across the globe has halted normal activity all over the UK.

This has included all sport for the moment, with even the Barclays Premier League, one of the most profitable leagues in the world was stopped.

This was no different for rugby as all matches of rugby across the country were cancelled. The last games were played in early March before lockdown was introduced, and lockdown is still currently ongoing.

Slowly, society is starting to tick again, and sports are slowly returning as the Covid-19 virus is being controlled, so rugby fans will be keen to getting the season back on track.

The online

As all physical meetings were cancelled, everything was moved online and when sports were cancelled, something similar happened with sports players and fans. Football fans will turn to FIFA or football manager and rugby fans moved to their video game choices.

However, it turns out that there are no good rugby video games, so rugby fans have either moved to online discussions or forums, or they are just massively impatient for rugby to come back.

New government regulations

The government has recently brought in new measures to the lockdown that is being enforced to beat the Corona Virus, and non-contact small group training is now allowed.

Clubs are considering whether to restart training, but if some teams start training again then those who do not will be badly disadvantaged. Of course, the season is already over but many will be hoping for return to normal, and friendly games will be played if competitions are not reorganised.

Rugby Union

The Rugby Football Union took the decision to end the rugby season early following the spread of the pandemic, and the final league standings have been announced.

It is obviously an unprecedented situation for governing bodies to deal with, and fans, clubs and pundits were not universally going to be pleased with any decision that can be taken. A difficult situation has been dealt with as best as the RFU could, and this is a time where health had to be prioritised over rugby.

Continuing News

The general news is that though the lockdown rules are being relaxed slightly, there will be no solution to this problem any time soon. In a contact sport, a virus such as Covid-19 can spread very easily so despite how universally adored all sports are they should only be resumed when it is safe, and the bookmakers here have given no clear indication of when matches will be back.

Clubs are still advised to remain closed unless they believe they can reopen. The facilities need to be appropriate to be allowed to reopen and it will not happen if there is a chance it increasing the spread of the Corona Virus, but it does seem that the government allows the clubs to take the decision.

Rugby will not resume competitively any time soon, but the news is timidly good, with baby steps taken in the right decision. With the Six Nations unfinished, everyone wants rugby to return as soon as possible, but delaying it may save lives, and the choice there is clear.

The current campaign was brought to an abrupt end in National League 1 due to the coronavirus. So, attentions have already turned to next season, and which teams and players could impress. Today, we’re taking a look at the National League stars worth keeping an eye out for in the 2020/21 campaign.

Suffice to say that our insight to the following talented players could help anyone who takes the opportunity to study rugby betting strategies at BettingOnline.co.uk. In fact, there is no doubt these strategies are perfect if you are looking to sharpen your knowledge for the upcoming National League season and what teams stand the best chances of fulfilling their true potential.

Morgan Monks

We kick off our list with Birmingham Moseley back row Morgan Monks. Monks, who joined the club in September of last year, currently holds a dual registration with Worcester Warriors. Birmingham Moseley may have finished the current campaign in thirteenth place in the National League. Still, the nineteen-year-old managed to perform magnificently, picking up the prestigious NCA National 1: Young Player award. If he’s around next season, you can expect him to build on this and go from strength to strength.

Toby Saysell

Another back row enters the fray, and this time it’s Richmond’s Toby Saysell. The 25-year-old, who previously played for Harpenden, won’t be plying his trade in the National League next season as Richmond have won promotion. However, he’s a current National League 1 player to watch out for as his career progresses for sure.

Like Monks, Saysell picked up an award based on the 2019/20 season, this time it was the player of the campaign title. Combine the personal accolade with helping his team win promotion, and the future is bright for Saysell as he heads into the Greene King IPA Championship.

Dan Kelly

We head to the National League 2 North for our next player to watch, with Dan Kelly being a star in the making in our opinion. The centre, who represents Loughborough Students, has had an impressive season which culminated in his team finishing the campaign in fifth.

On a personal level, Kelly received the young player of the season award for his performances, immediately making him one to watch moving forwards. The former Sale Sharks trainee, who has represented Ireland at U20 level, is set to become a Leicester Tigers player ahead of the new season but could find himself back in the National League to gain further experience.

Ben Jones

Caldy romped home with the National League 2 North title this season, ending the campaign twenty-nine points ahead of their closest rivals Fylde. And, Ben Jones played a significant part in their success. So much so he’s the divisions player of the season.

The 27-year-old has made twenty-one appearances throughout the 2019/20 campaign, scoring fourteen tries and hitting twenty-one successful conversions. Jones has been with Caldy since joining in 2014, and this season is a fantastic platform for him to spring off with the National League 2 North Champions.

There are some fantastic players to look out for next season, whether they’re in the National League now, going to be playing in one of the divisions next season, or if they have enjoyed a fantastic campaign and are moving up. The four above are out pick of the bunch, however, with all of them capable of pushing on next term

The RFU has announced that all rugby activities have been suspended until 14 April at least. This includes all games, training and rugby education courses run by clubs around the country.

It was expected that this would happen, and the move plunges many clubs into a period of uncertainty moving forward. They are going to have to work out plans to remain afloat and keep outgoings down to a minimum, with no income to pay for them.

Rugby is its own sport and has a governing body to make decisions. Clubs will want to return to action when it is safe to do so, but will that decision be taken out of the RFU’s hands?

Football is the biggest sport in the UK and the Premier League is at the centre of everything. Will we see football laying down the rules for return, and everyone else following them?

Is it Possible for Sports to Return Ahead of Others?

As sports decided to cancel activities over a number of days, we saw some cancelling early while others played one last round of games before ending things. The RFU allowed games to take place last weekend before bringing in the suspension.

However, when we are talking about returning after the pandemic has passed, this is a completely different situation.

No one will want to come back too early and potentially put people in a position where they contract the virus while cases are on the way down.

It is for this reason that sports could work together to all come back at the same time, so that no one sport stands out as potentially doing something ahead of when they should be.

A move like this is likely to be orchestrated by the Premier League, who are making decisions for much of the wider footballing community.

Will This Season be Completed?

This is the million dollar question that is facing all fans right now, and it isn’t just a question being asked in rugby union. Many sports fans are asking the same about the leagues they follow.

The hope is that they can and there is certainly an appetite for that from lovers of the game and those who place a bet on rugby. With few sports to bet on at the moment, punters are waiting to see which leagues return and are played to a close.

This may mean games played through the summer, a traditional rest period for rugby union, but these are unprecedented times and punters would have to adapt their thinking if this happened.

When games do return, whether it is this season or next, punters will be able to claim a free bet from reputable bookmakers when they sign up with them.

There are some big decisions to be made in the coming weeks, hopefully we can conclude the season and have a bet on the games that are remaining.

When Will a Decision be Made?

This is another tough question to answer. If you believe that all sports will come back together as one then it is important to know that the Premier League and other football leagues have been given until 30 June to complete fixtures.

This means, if they and other sports wanted to, they could come back in June when things are hopefully better and complete the rest of the season.

That would be followed by a shorter than normal summer break before beginning again next season. Whether this is enough time for the virus to pass remains to be seen, it may not be and that would take us into a position of how to end the season if games cannot be played.

As the six nations tournament begins to heat up, there are a number of front runners looking to showcase their skills in the tournament. But with the recent announcement of cancellations due to the coronavirus outbreak, could this be the sign of the tournament potentially ending earlier than planned? In this article, we will be looking into some of the latest news from the six nations, as well as providing you insight into some of the players you should be looking out for.

What Do We Know From This Past Week?

In terms of news from the six nations this past week, there is plenty to talk about. One of the biggest achievements to consider is the powerhouse that is the French rugby side. As the only unbeaten side left in the championship at this time, the French side is looking like one of the favourites to win the competition. This comes as no surprise to many as Romain Ntamack has been named the six nations player of the round after his captivating display against Wales in Round 3. The young fly-half fought hard during what was potentially the game of the season so far as he took home player of the match. As the French side continue to show their strength, this could be their season this is evident in a number of the best sites to bet on Rugby begin to place the odds in favour of a victory for either the French or the English side.

In other news this past week, the rugby games between Ireland and Italy in Dublin on the 7^th and 8^th of March have been postponed due to concerns about the Corona Virus outbreak. This is one of the many major sporting events that have been affected by the outbreak. This also begs the question as to whether or not England will be playing Italy in the Six nations at their grounds in Rome on the 14^th of March. However, with a number of other sporting events taking a hit when it comes to the virus, there could be many more that are forced to cancel or be played behind closed doors.

Who Looks Like The Favourite To Win The Six Nations?

England

Despite their crushing defeat to France in the opening game of the six nations, the men in white and their strong team are one of the favourites to win the tournament this year. With a lot to prove since their loss against South Africa in the Ruby World cup, this England side is set to take the grand slam title.

France

Surprisingly for some, France is also one of the favourites to win the 2020 tournament. With new coach Fabien Galthie and a younger French side, they are looking ready to come out on top during this competition. As it stands at this time, the French side is the only side to remain undefeated in this competition, tipping the odds closer to them.

Wales

The final team that is in the top 3 favourites for the six nations is Wales. A Year on from their victory, they are looking to take on the competition and become six nations champions. With new Coach Wayne Pivac and a new team to lead the way, it is looking all too promising for the welsh side as the tournament continues.

Players To Look Out For In This Tournament

In addition to the teams that are looking promising within the 6 nations, there are a number of main players to look out for. Not only is there the likes of Romain Ntamack, but there are a number of players from all other major teams that are worth looking out for.

Louis Rees- Zammit

This young star has had a promising start with the welsh team in the Six Nations and is set to be a huge success in the not so distant future. The 19-year-old prodigy isn’t yet inline for a test debut against England. But with his name still in the ring when it comes to the line-up, this could be the beginning of an impressive career for this young star.

Ben Earl – England Up and Coming Star

Following yet another injury for England number eight Vunipola, it is Ben Earl that would step up to replace him in this new squad. For what the Former England under 25 lacks in carrying heft, he makes up for in defence and work-rate. This is set to be a huge advantage for the player as he makes his way on to the England team as he is set to make his mark and slot in with their line of defence.

With this mix-up of coaches and brand-new teams, this competition has never looked so promising. Not only are there are a new wave of young players looking to make their mark, but there are also a number of teams looking to take home the title as the competition continues to heat up. But as Coronavirus continues to cause disruption in the world of sport, could there be further cancellation for a number of games?