the problem with the winter break west bank is how many lads would turn up to train knowing that theres gunna be no game for at least 2 months. for us and im sure its the same at most clubs in the lower leagues, some lads cant be d training when they know theres a game on saturday let alone knowing that theres no game for 2 months. and that to me is not fair on the lads that want to train to keep fit and try tomake the team perform better on the field. so for me id rather keep it as it is and then lads who want to play winter and summer (like my good self) can have the choice to do that.

There's pro's and cons of all the options being put forward

Summer rugby has the weather on its side, better for training (light nights etc) but on the down side has the rock hard and badly managed pitches and also (especially with youth sides) the fact that there are school holidays and families going away during July/August and hence possibel issues with numbers.

The current setup with a two month gap in January/ February is also problematic as this can prove a distraction as kids lose focus. And you have once again the state of the picthes, frozen, rutted, waterlogged etc.

Having a continuous winter season can also be probelmatic, especially for the more successfull clubs who have extended cup runs.

Why not split the current league season into two halves with a gap mid season which is dedicated to cup competitions. Might it also be prudent to look at restructuring the size of the leagues to allow for the flexibility in case matches are cancelled.

Obviously the Super League summer model includes well looked after picthes, regularly watered etc. Maybe summer rugby is the answer but the compromise is that the RL must invest at grass roots level (no pun intended) in ensurimg pitches are of a certain standard. Many clubs can't afford this luxury and see summer as a time their pitches can recover.

Looks like it is a done deal anyway.

rlhttp://www.therfl.co.uk/home/news_item_top.php?id

So, what are the RFL going to do to help clubs whose council have said no to summer rugby?

Seeing as we have a lack of match officials in the overlap periods between summer and winter, where are we going to get all the necessary match officials from?

Apparently we can play mid-week to help with match officials etc. but will work allow that? I'm not sure that having been at work since 8.30am I would want to get home at 5.30pm and start preparing for a game at 6.30pm.

Have they got a glut of volunteers lined up to take the place of people who don't want to give up the whole of their summer and decide to leave the game?

If it is all about recruiting more players, we don't get masses training in pre-season as it is, so where are all these extra players going to come from when you now have to recruit in the winter?

Are they ignoring the summer teams that fold in order to sell the idea that summer rugby will save the game?

Will they accept the responsibility when it goes wrong, or it will be the club volunteers fault?

On the positive..........

.........I'm struggling!

without going into a great amount of detail I can say that I've played alot of Rugby in winter for a long time now (way too long) and quite honestly I wouldnt be unhappy to see the back of freezing cold and boggy pitches (saying this as it's now unloading the mother of all storms over Garswood). Winter Rugby games too often end up with stick it up yer jumper Rugby and I remember as a young ad being pretty damned bored stood out on the wing or in the centre's way too often ...

It's pretty clear there are going to be challenges but I think long term it will benefit the game if we go for summer Rugby or worst case a split season (and thats what I said when the RL rang me up and asked for my opinion as a player)

So in 2012 after finishing a winter season then would you be expected to play a summer season as well?