As a spectator there's nothing I enjoy more than a game of amateur R.L on a winter afternoon, long may it continue. I have the same concern as Beverley Red that the RFL are acting in a discriminatory manner towards certain sections of the Rugby League playing community, and this from a governing body that purports to be such an "inclusive" organisation. I think they're acting in a very arrogant and heavy handed way.

sorry, but is a club's decision what it does not 'its league' or BARLA.

the RFL provided information with which clubs could consider their options and make a decision. i really really resent the whole idea that BARLA or any league makes decisions on my clubs behalf. I also resent the idea that clubs themselves are not capable of weighing up the options and coming to an informed decision. there's been lots of references to 'being pushed' but i speak with those club officials and they are quite clear - they'd do whatever was in their (and the games) best interest - certainly not bullied into it. if parts of the game want to stay winter, then so be it - but to claim the RFL were discriminatory by giving clubs a CHOICE is just daft.

the arrogance that exists is in a small group of people who seem to have self-appointed themselves the 'voice' of the amateur game when they simply are not representative (any more at least) of those they claim to represent.

In what way have the RFL been arrogant and heavy handed? And which clubs have been excluded?




The moral of this story is - don't believe everything in Phil Hodgson's bullsht League Express column.

spot on

The club I used to be involved in had no choice but to stay in winter as they have no ground in summer due to it also being a cricket club, what has happened is that the choice of who they can play or how they progress though has now altered to the point of wondering if they can carry on. As for the dinosaurs of the amature clubs they are the people that saved the game for the likes of you to watch & play as they kept the game growing when the pro clubs had no interest & the RFL gave no help at all (even being hostile when financial help was asked for). A lesson you should learn is that those who drink at the well should remember those who dug it (& in this case why it was dug).
I will watch with interest the first summer leagues as I think (from talking with a couple of clubs) they are going to sruggle with getting enough players to turn out. I do hope I am proved totaly wrong & it is a huge succsess but not every club wanted or even asked for this appart from at junior level where young kids are better off in summer.

I'm sure there are numerous football or RU fields that could be used rather than a cricket club. As for the rest of your post, BARLA and the winter administrators had absolutely nothing to do with the expansion of the game at amateur level. That was entirely the work of the people behind the RLC. AFAIK, virtually no amateur none-heartlands teams have ever played in winter as part of the BARLA structures. Trying to claim that they have had something to do with the expansion of the game is just absolute BS.

As for the lack of player numbers, are you serious? How could you possibly suggest that players would be willing to turn out to play on icy mudbaths with the majority of games being called off, train on poorly lit corners of fields or local parks in the freezing cold, and that they would stop in the summer? Player numbers will double. Within 18 months we'll be able to look back and laugh at posts like yours, and the idea of playing in winter will seem ridiculous.

Completely agree. Just to throw some stats in there from my own club:

In total we have 52 lads signed on, running two teams.

We started pre-season training at the end of July. The sessions were brilliant, and we'd often train for approx 90mins then have a game at the end. At that time, we had probably 35+ lads attending, often split into four groups, each with it's own coach.

Comparing that to our most recent training session on Tuesday (Thursday got called off). We had 13 lads attending. We had to use a small patch of land roughly from the goal line to the 20m line and not much further accross - that's all our lights will light up*. It was freezing cold, we trained for around 40mins, then had a 'game' of touch & pass on the tiny patch of land.

Quite how someone thinks that playing in Summer will see numbers dwindle is baffling.

*We are in the process of saving for some more lights / generators - a cost that could be spent much better elsewhere.

You show an absolute lack of knowlage of our game. BARLA kept the amatuer game alive as it was dying on its feet, the RFL had no interest in anything outside the pro game, it went from strenght to strength under the leadership of BARLA with national cup,county games & international tours. That enabled people outside the games roots to start up the summer conferance. Your slant on history seems to start 10 to 15 years ago the roots of BARLA go back over 40 years & you would dismiss that as nothing.
As for winter Rugby it has not been a problem getting & keeping players for 120 years or more why have the latest genaration suddenly turned into wimps?
You also suggest that my club who owns the land & a very good club house move out or do you suggest we throw out the criketers?
I do wish the new competition goes well but it is not to the taste of every club & supporter.

So in summary, as I said in my original post, BARLA hasn't been relevant since the mid 90's. Glad you agree.

I never suggested that clubs were incapable of attracting players in winter, just that it's far, far more difficult and that numbers will dramatically increase when the game moves to summer. You were the one who made the baffling and completely inexplicable suggestion that numbers would decrease in summer.
If the club owns the facility and it's a choice between folding the club and throwing out the cricketers, then yes, tell the cricketers to find somewhere else to play. I don't think it takes a genuis to work that out

If you want to continue to see your club having the majority of matches in the season called off, struggling for numbers and facilities at training, playing in mudbaths where the games barely resemble RL and generally continuing to operate as if it's the 19th century, then you have the option to carry on doing that. The rest of us can move on.

Although it is not the case for most clubs, my amateur club would probably cease to exist if forced to do the summer switch, as there is no pitch available in the summer, we still get decent numbers despite the cold and have done for years, but with the council owned pitch which they give away to other sports over the summer, and the cricket pitch at the front, we would be without a place to play, which while although summer is the way forward for a lot, especially rhe youth game, I still feel we need winter rugby, as is apparant by the number of clubs who opted not to switch to summer and continue in the current format, looking at north west counties divisions we still have premier and divisions 1-4 so obviously there is still enough drive to keep winter, but hey if we get summer and winter itd mean we wouldnt need to stop playing so even more benefits imo.

I think that's the point...different clubs have different circumstances - my angst was against the suggestion clubs were being 'pushed'. for some, winter is better, for some, summer is better - that's why it wasnt up to any other organisation other than clubs to choose what they should do. but the point is that clubs needed the information to make a decision based on their circumstances and the earlier that was available the more time to plan.

for some clubs, winter is where they want to play. they might have invested a lot in having facilities etc. suitable for winter and have risen up the leagues on that basis and fair play to them, It's true that some will have to adapt facilities wise (our council in Bury close all pitches for 6 weeks mid-summer for maintenance, not that they ever allowed us to use one anyway!) but that is something we've adapted to. it doesnt mean anyone is being 'pushed'.

BARLA won't be around in the next few years according to my mate who works for the RFL. Everything is being taken under control by the RFL which seems a good idea; after all they are the governing body

The Cumberland League are switching to summer this coming season (a good move IMO given the number of games called off in the previous 2 full seasons) but are strangely having a mid season break in June/July or July/August!

Thank Christ. As long as the same people aren't involved as before and the RFL gets more forward thinking people in control of the leagues and disciplinary then hopefully things might start to change.

From what I've been told, the RFL will pretty much take control of the amateur and semi-pro leagues. The RFL regional managers will be in control but the league will run themselves.