The Pennine League are not against the BARLA conference and the winter seems to get along just fine during the siberian winter weather, and there is a lot more than just struggling clubs looking to switch back.

All the RFL propaganda of training and playing in better weather etc was sold via the rugby league media, what it failed to see was families go on holidays, weekends away, weddings so on and so on.

Also sold the sun will bring in better bar takings, again it failed to see that not only players go away but supporters do as well.

The Pennine League are releasing press releases saying they're the best league for Lancashire and Yorkshire clubs that want winter.

East 3rds played through the last winter season and will continue to be a winter based squad, no problem on numbers.

Where is your source on this statement - I know clubs are applying but I've not seen any advertising.

pennineleague.co.uk/story.php?basket=2&story=266

Stresses that they're a league for Lancashire and Yorkshire

Apparently 50 sides committed to NWML next year. Assuming that just means full divisions presumably 15 teams are at least considering winter? Although the NCL have big expansion ambitions so unsure if the 50 includes clubs planning to step up?

As a player who is very much anti-summer and pro-winter rugby I would like a return to winter RL. I'll be honest, my club moving to summer wasn't what I wanted - therefore I left the sport. I was one of only a few who voted against the move. Was I asked why? No. Was I given chance to air my views? No. So I walked away. Call me old fashioned but I weirdly enjoyed winter. Slogging it out every Saturday, freezing cold and all that. Then when April/May hit - season over, summer arrived, time to get my weekends in the beer garden and Blackpool back! What you gonna do at the end of summer season? Freeze in the beer garden? No thankyou.

Now I have purely selfish reasons - working all week and come the weekend when the suns out, it's warm and the lads are down the boozer having a day sesh, going camping somewhere, having a day out somewhere etc etc what am I going to choose? Run around a rugby field for 80mins? Or enjoy summer? Go on holiday? Go away for the weekend?

No brainer for me.

I understand the reasons why amateur RL went summer, perfectly understandable. However, I won't be playing in summer. I might pop down to the local club and watch a few but I'll be otherwise enjoying my summer weekends doing what I want to do.

Is there any start date for winter and has the leagues been set up with what teams are playing winter.
Been looking on the web and cant see anything.
Winter Season normally starts in Sept is that the case this year ?

8th Sept, NWML finishes 13th Oct

Was there not an email saying the start had been put back to the 22nd Sept?
We got some backlog fixtures for the NWML division 3 yesterday and we dont finish now until 27th October and there was a couple of teams who have fixtures for 10th November.