The Rugby Football League have said games being played this weekend will feature two 90-second hydration breaks “to aid players during the extreme weather”.<\/p>\n
The ongoing heatwave, which set the UK’s hottest June day on record on Wednesday<\/a> and could break that on Thursday, has led to school closures and train operators asking people not to travel.<\/p>\n Where appropriate, breaks of at least 90 seconds will be implemented at the 20 and 60-minute mark of matches across all levels of the game.<\/p>\n A decision on whether the temperature at a game merits hydration breaks will be taken by the match commissioner or match referee for games with no commissioner.<\/p>\n The first game of the Super League weekend takes place at Warrington on Thursday, where temperatures are forecast to be 30C when their game kicks off against Catalans at 20:00 BST.<\/p>\n “A break of at least 90 seconds will be implemented at an appropriate break in play around the 20-minute and 60-minute point,” the RFL said in a statement., external<\/a><\/p>\n “If a try has been scored or there has been a stoppage for injury management at around this time, the referee will extend the stoppage by a further 60 seconds and this will act as the break.<\/p>\n “Hydration opportunities will also be maximised during breaks in play and there will be increased access to water and electrolyte-based fluids before, during and after games.”<\/p>\n They added: “Depending on the severity of conditions, additional drinks breaks will be considered \u2013 an extra 90-second break at the half-hour mark and 70 minutes.”<\/p>\n Hydration breaks are being implemented in all games at this summer’s Fifa World Cup across Canada, Mexico and the United States.<\/p>\n