NRL to return May 28, but way through virus remains unclear

Australia's National Rugby League is set to return on May 28, but exactly how the competition will go ahead under coronavirus restrictions remains unclear, officials said Thursday.

A return of the NRL was announced in Sydney on Thursday afternoon, but the exact structure and detail of how the game will proceed during the pandemic were still being worked out, Australian Rugby League Commissioner Wayne Pearce said.

"The details of the competition structure, we haven't got to that as yet because the landscape is changing very, very quickly," Pearce told media.

The season was suspended on March 24 after just two rounds amid government shutdowns of all non-essential gatherings in a bid to stem the spread of coronavirus.

The cash-strapped league, considered part of Australia's social fabric, tried to continue its season without fans present.

But it suspended the competition after Queensland -- a major centre for the NRL along with New South Wales -- joined other states and New Zealand in ...