The RFL have put forward proposals to restructure the championship and championship one. Article here: www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... ml&BID=480 To me sounds good, moving South Wales, Doncaster etc up a grade and then giving clubs like Nottingham Outlaws and Valley Cougars a chance to play in Championship One. - The right type of expansion, from the grass roots up not top heavy like PSG etc..

The RFL have put forward proposals to restructure the championship and championship one. Article here: www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... ml&BID=480 To me sounds good, moving South Wales, Doncaster etc up a grade and then giving clubs like Nottingham Outlaws and Valley Cougars a chance to play in Championship One. - The right type of expansion, from the grass roots up not top heavy like PSG etc..

The idea behind National League 3 was to always promote the winners in time, but only when the majority of clubs were ready. Its taken nearly ten years but that vision looks to become a reality. As for increasing the Championship, that's good news. If those 11 clubs really do get a pittance from Sky TV money then more home games will boost gate receipts.

Agree with everything you've said there. Also think incorporating the Nothern Rail Cup into the season more instead of a sort of "warm up" to the season is good idea too & may boost attendances in the long run.

"The RFL say that, although central funding will continue, under the new proposals the size of hand-outs will be more performance-related to factors such as a club's contribution to the sport and its business management."

Would be interesting to know which clubs would get less funding under this proposal. In the past, you had clubs like Huyton who took the central funding and used it to pay coach & players - and didn't have much other income, or much other activity. With Blackpool gone, it's not obvious that there are any other "non-contributing" clubs.

The proposed structure looks very sensible - provided they can find at least 4 current amateur clubs to make the step up.

Northern Rail Cup would presumably go to a straight knock-out format, if championship clubs get 6 extra league games.

therfl.co.uk/news/article/20862 the RFL statement

therfl.co.uk/news/article/20862 the RFL statement

On first viewing , this bit grabs my attention



I'd like a better defination of this , as for the rest lots of fancy words but little real explanations of what they actually intend

Not if they aren't competitive games they wont

Are there any NL 3 clubs anywhere near ready apart from Bramley ?

you never disappoint.

“It is right and proper that clubs which consistently make positive contributions to their communities, who have clearly defined and recognised player development pathways and are run on sound business principles are rewarded,” added Rimmer.

I'd say that the above quote from the paragraph below the one you quoted in the same article states what would be considered making a positive contribution to the sport.

Personally I think the proposed structure is a good idea as it allows the larger championship clubs to push ahead and increase their spending where possible to build towards SL applications (if they so wish) without being as constrained by smaller clubs with more limited ambitions who are desperately trying to keep up. The expansion clubs that already exist and any new entrants will also be in a competition where potentially half of the clubs (maybe slightly more than half) in it are in the same boat as them so will (likely) be facing fewer complete hidings and should have a better chance of competing than the likes of Skolars, Gateshead and Blackpool did. Also the minimum standards needed for promotion should hopefully stop as many clubs overspending on a one season shot at glory as Blackpool (and countless others) did as the clubs will have to have their house in order to go up even should they win the competition (Champ 1) so this should hopefully see clubs look to stabilise and improve the whole club rather than just the first 17 (just as Widnes have done in the last 3 years).

Which means what exactly ? , in English ?

In English, it means "consistently make positive contributions to their communities, who have clearly defined and recognised player development pathways"

So you dont know either ?

It means what it says. You asking what it means is like me asking what "So you dont know either ?" means.