The RFU has confirmed that the start of the competitive community rugby season will be delayed until the week commencing Monday 21 September due to the continued hard and dry pitch conditions.

This means:
• No RFU Men’s League matches at Regional 1 and below before 21 September
• No RFU Women’s League matches below PWR level before 21 September
• Some age-grade competitions will also be postponed
• Friendly matches may still go ahead where pitch conditions and player safety allow
• Training can continue, with pitches assessed before every session

The decision has been made with player welfare, competition fairness and club planning in mind. We’ll continue to monitor the situation and share any further updates as soon as they are available.

We also await confirmation regarding the Staffordshire cup final against Burton on 5 September, which is due to be played on Stafford's artificial pitch.