Blackpool will again host rugby league’s Summer Bash in 2020

Six matches will be staged at Bloomfield Road on the weekend of May 30-31, with the emphasis on derbies.

It begins with Batley versus Dewsbury on Saturday May 30, and also includes Featherstone versus Bradford and Swinton versus Oldham, before culminating in Leigh meeting Widnes; a repeat of the most-watched fixture of 2019’s Bash weekend.

Whitehaven, who will return to the Betfred Championship next season after securing promotion from Betfred League 1 with Oldham, will face Mark Aston’s Sheffield Eagles in the second match of the Sunday programme.

Mark Foster, the RFL’s chief commercial officer, said: “The 2019 Betfred Championship Summer Bash weekend was one of the best yet, and it’s great for us to be able to confirm that we’re going back to Blackpool in 2020.

“It’s an exciting programme of fixtures with a couple of old favourites in the Batley-Dewsbury derby to kick things off on the Saturday, and Leigh versus Widnes to complete the action on Sunday evening.

“There’s a fresh new look to the remaining four games, with Oldham and Whitehaven involved again after their promotion from Betfred League 1, and Featherstone Rovers to take their old rivalry with Bradford to Blackpool for the first time in the climax of our Saturday programme – which means Halifax will also have new opposition in York City Knights.”

Summer Bash fixtures are:

Saturday, May 30: Batley v Dewsbury (3pm); Halifax v York (5.15pm); Featherstone v Bradford (7.30pm).

Sunday, May 31: Swinton v Oldham (1pm); Sheffield Eagles v Whitehaven (3.15pm); Leigh Centurions v Widnes Vikings (5.30pm).