Group 4 Rugby League will abandon the rest of the 2020 season and concentrate on helping club prepare for a successful return in 2021.

The Group 4 Rugby League Board has agonised over a possible return but in the end found the COVID-19 Pandemic had placed not just a health risk on the clubs, players, supporters and communities but a heavy financial burden on the clubs.

The board has therefore unanimously voted to abort the 2020 season.

Group Four also had unconfirmed player numbers and are still awaiting permission to train and play on council-owned grounds and have concerns the Group 4 Referees Association might not have enough numbers to facilitate games.

The financial aspect for the clubs is also unknown, with no guarantee of how many spectators are allowed at games.

During the downtime of this season cancellation, it hoped clubs can plan and prepare for bumper 2021 season.