Steve McNamara says Catalans will finish season despite France's sporting ban

When the French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that no professional sporting events would be permitted in France until September, my thoughts immediately went to Super League and the Catalans Dragons.

So what does this mean for the club and how will it impact the rest of the season when it does resume?

Two questions we still don't really know the answer to given the fluidity of the current situation, but one thing I can tell you, is that Catalans head coach Steve McNamara insists his team will be part of the competition when it does eventually resume.

"We are ready, we'll find a way. Whatever that season looks like, we will find a way to do that," McNamara said. "I'm talking purely from a coaches perspective, but we will find a way and the club will find a way to be there."

The Catalans Dragons remain in constant dialogue with the French government and are waiting on more information, but he expects the situation in France to continue to change.

"We obviously have to get more information on whether we can train or not train. But really the major point is the fixtures in France and it's a headline at the minute that it's September, but there are some possibilities that that could move."

There is plenty of talk surrounding the club relocating to the United Kingdom for the foreseeable future, but McNamara admits that financially it's not ideal and says the club will consider every possible option.

"Financially is the big one, because obviously it will be a very very expensive project, I've actually been speaking this morning to the New Zealand Warriors director, because they're in a similar position.

"Now I'm definitely not saying right now, that we are going to relocate to England, but it is one of the options that is available, but you've got to look at the English government rules.

"At the minute there is no quarantine period, so if it was now, as long as it was safe we could go backwards and forwards, if those rules change and we have to relocate to England, we might have to stay there for a lengthy period of time.

"But at least we know that September at the minute is the line in the sand, so we can start to think about what we can and cannot do at the moment."

When the lockdown period was extended McNamara decided to travel back to England to be with his family, but given the new developments, he will head back to Perpignan next week.

"I feel like it's the right time to head back and we obviously have lots of planning and organising."

So when Super League does resume, according to their coach, you can count on the Dragons being part of the competition.