YORK City Knights are scheduled to return to the field on March 21.

Betfred Championship and League 1 have "targeted" that date for clubs to feature in the first round of the Coral Challenge Cup.

The Championship’s 13 UK clubs and three sides from League 1 will all feature in the first round of the competition before the second round takes place the following weekend.

The four prevailing clubs will earn a spot in the third round, when all 12 Betfred Super League clubs enter on April 10-11, and an AB Sundecks 1895 Cup semi-place place.

The Championship season then begins on April 2-4. Clubs have agreed that each team will play nine of the other 13 teams twice, and the other four once, with a decision on whether to continue with the Summer Bash to be made in the coming weeks.

The season will culminate in a top-six play-off series in September and October.

At present, elite sport is taking place behind closed doors and, should this remain the case come late March, then matches will be streamed through the RFL's Our League platform on a pay-per-view basis. Season- ticket holders will be given free access to the streams.

The promotion and relegation mechanisms will be finalised "early next month", say the RFL, after a meeting of clubs, ahead of the publication of the fixture lists.

Toulouse will not compete in the Challenge Cup, while Barrow Raiders, Keighley Cougars and West Wales are the three League 1 clubs who have chosen to enter.

The draw for the first two rounds will be "announced shortly".