Super League clubs have voted against readmitting Toronto Wolfpack into the competition for the 2021 season.
Toronto withdrew from their debut season in the top flight in July owing to financial difficulties, shortly before the league was scheduled to resume following the lengthy stoppage amid the coronavirus outbreak.
The Canadian club's results up to that point were expunged and the competition resumed with an 11-team format.
Those 11 clubs, plus the Rugby Football League (RFL) and Super League, were asked to vote at a meeting on Monday as to whether the Wolfpack should be reinstated next year.
It is reported eight of those votes went against their proposal, with four votes for and one abstention.
A statement on Toronto's website confirmed the news and added: "We will now take some time to consider our position and consult further with the current ownership group, led by David Argyle."
The Super League board will hold a meeting on Tuesday to discuss whether the 2021 season should go ahead with 11 teams or 12.
The competition's executive chairman Robert Elstone said in a statement: "Every opportunity has been given to Toronto Wolfpack to provide the assurances our clubs need.
"However, our review of the club's recent submission identified a number of areas of concern, particularly regarding the aggressive revenue targets on which the financial forecasts are based.
"As part of our comprehensive investigation into this whole subject, Super League appointed an independent committee of sports industry experts, with representation from the RFL, to examine commercial opportunities for rugby league in Canada.
"Its findings were unanimous - that operating a team in a fiercely competitive North American sports market was non-strategic and added no material incremental revenue to Super League in the short or medium term.
"Separately, it was also apparent that no assessment of the scale and accessibility of the commercial growth that might accrue to the sport from entering the Canadian market was ever completed prior to the club's first entry into the sport."
