Castleford cup clash with Hull postponed following positive coronavirus tests

Hull FC’s Coral Challenge Cup sixth-round tie against Castleford, which was scheduled for Saturday week, has been postponed, the Rugby Football League has announced.

The news, which follows the postponement of the Black and Whites’ Super League game against Castleford on Saturday, is a result of the positive Covid-19 tests at the club.

Six players and two members of Hull’s coaching staff tested positive after the club’s league game against Salford at Headingley last Sunday.

Another player was sent for a retest and the results of all the latest tests are expected to be revealed on Saturday.

Super League was forced to redraw the fixture list for this weekend after the games involving both Hull and Salford were called off and the latest postponement is another blow for the famous Challenge Cup.

Hull’s original opponents, Sheffield Eagles, withdrew from the tournament after the Championship season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and the sixth round was redrawn, with six of the Super League clubs given byes into the quarter-finals.

The other sixth-round tie, between Catalans Dragons and Wakefield, will go ahead at Huddersfield’s John Smith’s Stadium but will have a new kick-off time of 2.30pm and be shown on BBC One.

That tie was originally due to kick off at 5pm as the second part of a double-header but the French club, who charter their own flights to England, agreed to the earlier start.

Mark Foster, the RFL’s chief commercial officer, said: “This has been a challenging week for everyone and we are really grateful to Catalans Dragons, Wakefield Trinity and our broadcast partners the BBC for ensuring we still have an attractive tie with which to relaunch the Coral Challenge Cup in the prime Saturday afternoon slot on BBC One.”

The RFL says details of the rearrangement of the Castleford-Hull tie will be announced as soon as possible.