Toulouse set for Super League

Quote: hula89 "Workington and Whitehaven would work well geographically but Barrow could never really be included due to them being over an hours drive away from Whitehaven. I think a "Cumbria" side somewhere in the middle of the three would be brilliant for expansion but I don't imagine you would find any fans (except maybe at Workington as they're in Championsip 1) that would be willing to allow it. Imagine if someone told Widnes and Warrington they were to merge to form "Cheshire" or if Leeds and Bradford were asked to merge too. It would feel pretty bad for those fans tbh. I love the idea though the Lake District would make a nice long weekend for the Rugby. Somewhere near Windermere Ambleside perhaps ha. I think the only way a merger will happen is if one of the teams is going under and need it to survive.'"

A club in the middle of the three is a complete non starter for a few reasons. I have lived and worked near Windermere and Ambleside so have seen the area you suggest first hand.

There are no large population centres in these areas, they are filled with small towns (not much larger than villages in some cases) with small populations and villages and the size of these is restricted by the landscape so there is not a large potential audience to draw fans of this cumbria club from.

Fans would have to come from this area though in the main as it takes as long to get from Whitehaven and Workington to the Ambleside area as it does to get from Wigan, Warrington or St Helens to Ambleside and is an awkward journey. Fans from Whitehaven and Workington would not want the hassle of travelling miles to support a club they have little affinity with as even if they lost their semi pro clubs there are still many amateur clubs in the area that they could more easily see. Similarly why would the fans of Barrow want to travel into the middle of the Lake District or put up with the RFL disbanding their club (in the league since 1900) in favour of creating one miles away that is harder to get to for away fans with a smaller population rather than helping them get the stadium up to scratch. They would be alienated.

The area you suggest also has the problem of being within a National Park and so is subject to strict regulations regarding planning, building and alteration. Even if there were a site large enough to allow for a stadium of SL standard along with all the necessary infrastructure it is unlikely that it would recieve planning permission. There is a RU club in Ambleside but they play on what is basically a field with rugby posts at either end.

The only way cumbria will get a club that meets the standards is if Barrow can get a new stadium and then meet the other criteria and enter as Barrow or if a new club was started in Carlisle leaving the other three as they are in CC and CC1. A merged club won't happen and would fail anyway within 18 months you would have a white elephant stadium in the middle of nowhere and three phoenix clubs in Barrow, Whitehaven and Workington.