Administrators across the sporting world have been working to plot a course out of the coronavirus shutdown.
Here, the PA news agency looks at what sports fans can expect to see in the coming weeks and months.
Football
The Premier League's ambition is to complete all of our remaining fixtures this season home and away, where possible We are working with clubs to ensure risks are assessed and minimised, while co-operating with local and national police Full statement: https://t.co/SzH3y0ZQw6 pic.twitter.com/28XJxF9KQ8 — Premier League Communications (@PLComms) May 29, 2020
The Premier League is aiming for a June 17 resumption, pending Government approval, with a view to completing the remaining 92 matches of the 2019-20 season.
The first matches back are slated to be Aston Villa v Sheffield United and Manchester City v Arsenal, which would complete the 29th round of fixtures. A full set of fixtures would then take place across the weekend of June 19-21.
All games are due to be behind closed doors and televised, thanks to a new broadcast agreement, while police have requested a handful of matches, including any in which Liverpool could secure the title, be held at neutral venues.
The FA Cup quarter-finals have been provisionally rearranged for the weekend of June 27-28, with the semi-finals on July 17-18 and the Wembley final set for August 1.
A return for the Championship is anticipated but League One and League Two look set to go the way of Scottish football, with early curtailments.
Cricket
The England and Wales Cricket Board has devoted much time and planning to plans for 'bio-secure' environments in a bid to get the 2020 international calendar up and running.
Plans have been drawn up to hold the delayed Test series against the West Indies in July, with matches starting on July 8, 16 and 24. The Ageas Bowl and Emirates Old Trafford have been identified as the safest venues for hosting given their on-site hotels. The Cricket West Indies board has been considering ECB proposals and will look to arrive on these shores via a charter flight four weeks before the first Test.
The county season has been pushed back to August 1 at the earliest with various options for a shortened season, including regionalised competitions in red and white ball cricket, under consideration.
Rugby Union
🏉 – Tony Rowe, CEO and Chairman of @ExeterChiefs says there is a 'real desire' for the club to return to @premrugby and @ChampionsCup action soon ⬇️https://t.co/IWhIo78bXo pic.twitter.com/ii1VD2Jgf0 — Exeter Chiefs at 🏡 (@ExeterChiefs) May 27, 2020
There is no date for a return at present, but the Premiership hopes to be back under way at some stage in July. The competition will be adopting the rule changes recommended by World Rugby to lower the risk of viral transmission.
The paused Six Nations is due to resume in October and conclude on the 31st, with the autumn internationals still on the slate for November.
Rugby league
Super League clubs have worked up three different models to get the season going again, all of which feature an August 16 start date. The versions make room for 22, 24 or 28 rounds of fixtures to be completed, culminating in grand finals in November, December or January.
Golf
We're delighted to announce plans for the resumption of the 2020 European Tour season.#GolfForGood — The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) May 28, 2020
The PGA tour is preparing to end its three-month hiatus on June 11 with the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth. The European Tour has announced plans for a six-tournament 'UK Swing' behind closed doors, starting on July 22 with the British Masters and continuing through to the UK Championship at the end of August. The US Open at Winged Foot is listed for September 17-20 but the following week's Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits remains shrouded in doubt.
Tennis
Jamie Murray has helped organise a six-day tournament called 'Schroders Battle of the Brits' to fill the gap left by the suspension of the both the ATP and PTA tours. Starting on June 23 and featuring Murray's brother Andy as the headline attraction alongside the likes of Kyle Edmund and Dan Evans, the event will crown singles and doubles champions and be streamed via Amazon Prime as a charitable venture in aid of the NHS.
The Lawn Tennis Association will run a 'British Tour' of four events from July 3-26 and organisers at Roland Garros hold out hope of the French Open taking place in front of some form of live crowd between September 20 and October 4.
Formula One
Drivers are due back on the grid with the Austrian Grand Prix on July 5, the first of a projected eight races in Europe. Current plans include Silverstone but the UK quarantine situation – currently 14 days for any overseas arrivals – could be a deal-breaker and the blueprint is contingent on any second coronavirus spike.
Horse racing
Action begins on June 1 on the flats at Newcastle, with no owners in attendance, strict health checks and masks for jockeys and stable staff. The 1000 and 2000 Guineas at Newmarket follow on June 5-6, with five days and 36 races of Royal Ascot from June 16.
Cycling
🗓2020 UCI International Road Calendar | Update 👉Men's and Women's races for the following classes: UCI ProSeries, Class 1, Class 2, UCI Nations' Cup, Under-23, Junior categories, and criteriums. More info 🔗 https://t.co/bCsP6HG1v2 pic.twitter.com/BT1OhNNFD7 — UCI (@UCI_cycling) May 19, 2020
A revised schedule for the UCI World Tour takes place from August 1, with 25 events planned. The Tour de France will take place with an altered route starting on August 29 and concluding on September 20, while the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana will overlap in October.
