Can't be a good thing for lads with young families and responsibilities to move into summer rugby surely?
Away games could mean you travelling afar, missing most of the day, and also money for travelling etc has got to play a part. These pitches arnt even grass at some clubs, just hard mud. injuries especially in the forwards will be high, meaning individuals missing games, clubs with small squads just wont be able to complete every game in a season, meaning more annoying 18-0's each week!!!

summer rugby is a bad bad move in my opinion!! i am the only one gutted?

You haven't been listening have you? When we play in the summer more people are going to want to join and so your squad will be boosted to take account of people unavailable due to holidays, work, family, stag-dos, weddings, music festivals etc. It really isn't going to be a problem.

And hard pitches don't hurt as much in the sunshine as they do in the cold, apparently.

It will all be fine, the RFL say so!

Have any rules or guidelines with regards the condition of pitches been dsicussed or proposed yet?

The reason I ask is that I have a player who has missed virtually all of the NWC season through an infected graze/cut picked up from last years merit league, the infection spread to the joint and took ages to heal. The pitch we played on was hard, rutted and in places a grass free dust bowl and if it was January the game wouldn't have even been considered as playable.

Incidentally there's a rumour going round that the NWC are about to do a u-turn on their stance with summer rugby, anyone else herad the same?

Latest is that NWC will offer both - at least to start off with.

Where has that come from Milly as I haven't seen anything from Ron to say that?

Our oa coach told us that there will be both a winter and summer competition. I think it was confirmed to him at the NWC meeting.

position at NWC meeting was that NWC would operate a winter league. the summer league would be established seperately.

However, rumours are flying round that the current NWC officers may take up a role with the summer comp too...

Looks like Bank Quay are staying with the winter league now due to the lack of viable competion from other teams wanting to migrate to summer.

summer league is a terrible move i am gutted that it will destroy the NWC i think sadly. i dont know how teams could want it. say a group of friends like from our team go away together. thats like possibley 5 or 6 lads missing at once. im gutted

It works well in Devon

Well...after one session back training I'm very happy. We had 3-4 new lads join us towards the end of winter, and another 3-4 new lads down on Wednesday night, as well as 2-3 who've drifted away who are keen to play again. I know we harp on about it but in a non-RL area those sort of numbers are key to our survival and growth.

We also had about a dozen youngsters of similar age turn up for out first ever junior sessions - also key to growth.

Yes, the ground was hard even with fairly lush grass - but guess what, it's rained for the last 2 days and more is due over the next few days. British summers are never that dry, though there will be dry patches (just as there are frozen patches over winter). The difference is, everyone is keen to train and play, we can have great sessions on grass in daylight and we all look great training in vests!

As for game days - our families, gfs, wives, kids and friends (and a few fans!) love nothing more than coming down in nice weather and watching the boys playing. That is also great for growth as more people are attracted to the club.

I can fully understand people's reservations, and clubs that have been around 20-30 years have justified concerns. Each club needs to do what's best for them. Winter RL might shrink but I can't see it dying, we'll just end up with summer and winter played side-by-side, overlapping a little.