has a coach i feel this is great news and can only inhance the skills and speed of players,if we are ever to match the southern emesphere then this was always the right move.like it or lump it has coaches its our job to give kids the skills to go on and enjoy the game and hopefully make a career out of playing, a career that will be played in summer trudging around in mud in the freezing cold in the dark isnt conducive to giving kids those skills required.

sure their are going to be broken bones,bangs on the head and burns on the knees but other than the burnt knees and elbows the others are injuries that ARE already happening in the winter months.i think a bit of responsable planning from clubs regarding looking after fields need to be put into practice to ensure we have the pitch in the best possible condition it can be.time will tell if its a good thing or bad but i dont see too many spectators that would like a return to winter rugby for the pros i certainly dont miss freezing my butt off on a dark misserable sunday afternoon.

games are called in winter due to weather .... great image for the tough sport of RL go home boys its to sunny.

these bodies are developing , the chairman seem to be in favour yet coaches with experience of coaching men - youth - boys seem dead set against one main concerns injuries . you seeming to forget little john will be going to grounds that will be reminiscent of concrete and a long walk away from any water mains in many many cases . im afraid once again a knee jerk reaction from last winters bad winter as seen a panic.

another one for your pot matey through summer teams host galas , i have in my time seen not only more injuries in these galas (legs snapped/ankles /players never play again in 1 case) but in some cases teams end up not showing because they can not field a team due to cricket/holidays and all the other things that a regular basis.

im sure time will time j' im just not very confident

have you ever seen an Aussie not take sport seriously ?

1 . they play in winter
2. they will condition their ground
3. they wont have to walk 1/3 mile to play on there pitch and many of the best run clubs due to sport funding unfortunately have to .

this has been on the agenda for the past 18 months mutts so no knee jerk reaction to last winter,their has been many processes where meetings and delegates of clubs coaches and club officials have gone through,from the meetings i sat in on it was mainly the coach`s that have pushed for this certainly at my club and all clubs and concerned parties were given ample opportunity to withdraw or vote against it.so i dont think its been rushed into if anything its been a process thats dragged its feet for too long.at the end of the day its each clubs vote that matters and some clubs have chose not to go down the summer route and will move to a league that remains in winter has a parent you after decide whats best for your own child.

it is worth try though as you don't know until you have given it a go, I would be tempted for the older players from the under 13s to do the summer leagues and below that do the normal winter league that way the older lads are tasting the game as we now know it and if they have an urge to play the game they are aware of what its like in summer, below under 13s would help to keep clubs running all year round and we know the ground will be softer

knowing how the C.P.s run their club im sure that one of the top priorities will be pitch upkeep and ive no doubt that it will be as playable as possible (its a 2 month bad patch im concerned about) . but look at stanley for instance under 10s very young bones some kids like me nipper blow away in a minor gale yet the pitches they already play on are poor due to circumstances beyond control although this was known at the time of the vote .

i don't buy into the better training hours neither as im 99% sure your a 12 month coach bray' you may prove me wrong but that's the vibe you generate that your heads always on the game n your players.

the mini seeding league is better than friendlies i suppose but FWIW i think 10/12 teams in the top tier of the 12s may devalue the league a bit i would of piped for 8/10 teams


however still looking foward to every game counting

yeah i know its been on the agenda but i know 1 club for sure that was going to vote no and move to the dark side winter if pushed 18/12 months ago but now have gone for yes.

fact is democracy ruled the yes have it , just not my cuppa at all

I have no concerns if its done properly and if pitches are in reasonable condition but having being around the grounds for years i find it hard to believe it will work, time will tell and i hope it works out.

Training areas should be ok but some of the pitches around here are SHOCKING.

dont know about other clubs but the council don't service our ground cut backs

wibsey springs to mind stanningley should be fine but will they put the effort in for juniors

I have 7 years coaching developing rugby players and physically developing players in the pro environment without blowing my own trumpet too loud I would consider myself an expert in this. All the pro coaches that I have been associated with have favoured this move for a long time.

As I said earlier the stats suggest instances of less major injuries on the harder pitches in the pro game. Grass routes sport is about developing skills aimed at moving into a pro environment. The pitches in winter are generally like concrete, I know as I still drag my aris round them most weeks, England is hardly a country blessed with drought conditions, I would anticipate the instance of hard pitches would be a very similar level. Coaches need to ensure footwear is correct for training and also games (trainers/moulded studs etc).


You take the right measures, for me this can only be a good move.

I've never been the biggest fan of summer rugby, and was always worried that if the junior game followed suit the pitches would just be too hard to play on. However, on a positive note, I do think the switch will help clubs keep going for the full season as I've seen first hand how many players stop going when the bad weather starts, so will hopefully keep more kids in the game. It may even attract those who had to pick between rugby and football and chose the latter.

just lets hope they dont pick the round ball