The July 1 date poised to leave the Premiership finishing its stalled season with XVs looking very different

Gloucester chief executive Lance Bradley has suggested the Gallagher Premiership season could reach a conclusion with teams looking very different to how they looked when the campaign was suspended last month due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Players who are on the move for the 2020/21 season are due to fall out of contract on June 30 across the league and join their new clubs on July 1. On paper, it looks like a logistical nightmare if these changes take place and the 2019/20 season still hasn’t be completed. However, Bradley doesn’t see the fuss in players finishing out the current season with different clubs, claiming players just simply have to move on as contracted to do so. 

Such a scenario would see the likes of Saracens’ Jack Singleton see out this season with Gloucester, and title-chasing neighbours Bristol benefitting from having Kyle Sinckler, Ben Earl and Max Malins arriving at Ashton Gate on July 1. 

Speaking to gloucestershirelive.co.uk, Bradley said: “You can’t keep players on when their contract has expired and they have got another contract with another club.

“If we ended up playing this season beyond the end of June and we had three or four different players to what we have, I don’t see that being a huge problem in the context of what we’re trying to do.

“We’re no longer in the ideal scenario. When we’re looking at all the options, it’s no good looking at what it looked like two weeks ago because that’s gone.

“We’re into the new normal whatever that might be and if that means having a few more players than we had last season, then maybe one of our games we end up playing someone who was playing for us. If that’s how we get it done, that’s how we get it done.”

Aside from Singleton, Gloucester could have Ealing Trailfinders flanker Jordy Reid finishing out the season with them while they would lose Benetton-bound Callum Braley and Aaron Hinkley, who has been snapped up by Exeter.

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