BRADFORD Bulls and Keighley Cougars have been told to pause their pre-season training for the next two weeks on the advice of the RFL.

The governing body has urged all clubs in the Championship and League One to suspend their preparations because of the COVID crisis and latest lockdown.

The 2021 campaign is scheduled to start on the weekend of February 27 and 28 and fixtures were due to be published in the middle of this month.

The RFL say the fortnight’s hold-up to preseason training will allow time for detailed discussions with clubs.

The fixtures will now be delayed, as will the draw for the first two rounds of the Challenge Cup, until a further announcement later this month.

Both teams had been looking to arrange friendlies in the next few weeks, so it is not yet clear whether those prospective games will have to be put on hold for the time being or not.

Any academy and scholarship programmes will also be suspended immediately.

Meanwhile, Cougars Ladies have been forced to cancel this Sunday's training session and open age trials due to the national lockdown.

The session was due to go ahead from 11:30am and last for an hour, but will have to be rescheduled for a later date.

Both teams are looking to arrange friendlies in the next few weeks it is not yet clear whether games will have to be put on hold for the time being or not.