I play in the Pennine League set up (still playing throughout the Winter), and so far we've had two games called off due to the weather. Last year, we had atleast seven or eight games called off.



One game did go ahead on what I can only describe as an ice rink. It had snowed a couple of days earlier, and it had hardened and become icy. The ref's 'test' to see whether the game should go ahead was to see if his car key would go through the layer of ice! Ridiculous. My legs were cut to ribbons.



Our training sessions are either held on a small patch of our home pitch (we only have two floodlights), or on the local park where we have to avoid the dog mess. Its bitterly cold, wet, dark and the numbers we get to training can get very low.



As someone said earlier in the thread, the positives to moving to Summer far outweigh the negatives. It's a pity my club are part of a league setup run by a bunch of flatcap wearing morons.

My only concern with the move is that a lot of clubs feel pushed into changing seasons, the RFL seem to have rode rough shod over BARLA instead of working with them. A lot of clubs were quiet happy with the way we were but there seems to have been a concerted effort to push summer rugby at the expense of established leagues not realy wanting it. Only time will tell what the right descision is.

WTF are you talking about? Clubs have the option to remain in winter if they wish. I don't understand why any of them would want to, because playing in winter is absolutely stupid from every perspective. If club officials are too short-sighted to realise that, then they should be pushed. Thankfully the vast majority were not, hence they voted for the switch. As for BARLA, they are a bunch of dinosaurs that haven't been relevant since the mid 90's, I don't know how you think the RFL should have 'worked with them' but the fact that that organization still exists is a joke TBH.

As a spectator there's nothing I enjoy more than a game of amateur R.L on a winter afternoon, long may it continue. I have the same concern as Beverley Red that the RFL are acting in a discriminatory manner towards certain sections of the Rugby League playing community, and this from a governing body that purports to be such an "inclusive" organisation. I think they're acting in a very arrogant and heavy handed way.

sorry, but is a club's decision what it does not 'its league' or BARLA.



the RFL provided information with which clubs could consider their options and make a decision. i really really resent the whole idea that BARLA or any league makes decisions on my clubs behalf. I also resent the idea that clubs themselves are not capable of weighing up the options and coming to an informed decision. there's been lots of references to 'being pushed' but i speak with those club officials and they are quite clear - they'd do whatever was in their (and the games) best interest - certainly not bullied into it. if parts of the game want to stay winter, then so be it - but to claim the RFL were discriminatory by giving clubs a CHOICE is just daft.



the arrogance that exists is in a small group of people who seem to have self-appointed themselves the 'voice' of the amateur game when they simply are not representative (any more at least) of those they claim to represent.

In what way have the RFL been arrogant and heavy handed? And which clubs have been excluded?











The moral of this story is - don't believe everything in Phil Hodgson's bullsht League Express column.

spot on

The club I used to be involved in had no choice but to stay in winter as they have no ground in summer due to it also being a cricket club, what has happened is that the choice of who they can play or how they progress though has now altered to the point of wondering if they can carry on. As for the dinosaurs of the amature clubs they are the people that saved the game for the likes of you to watch & play as they kept the game growing when the pro clubs had no interest & the RFL gave no help at all (even being hostile when financial help was asked for). A lesson you should learn is that those who drink at the well should remember those who dug it (& in this case why it was dug).

I will watch with interest the first summer leagues as I think (from talking with a couple of clubs) they are going to sruggle with getting enough players to turn out. I do hope I am proved totaly wrong & it is a huge succsess but not every club wanted or even asked for this appart from at junior level where young kids are better off in summer.

I'm sure there are numerous football or RU fields that could be used rather than a cricket club. As for the rest of your post, BARLA and the winter administrators had absolutely nothing to do with the expansion of the game at amateur level. That was entirely the work of the people behind the RLC. AFAIK, virtually no amateur none-heartlands teams have ever played in winter as part of the BARLA structures. Trying to claim that they have had something to do with the expansion of the game is just absolute BS.



As for the lack of player numbers, are you serious? How could you possibly suggest that players would be willing to turn out to play on icy mudbaths with the majority of games being called off, train on poorly lit corners of fields or local parks in the freezing cold, and that they would stop in the summer? Player numbers will double. Within 18 months we'll be able to look back and laugh at posts like yours, and the idea of playing in winter will seem ridiculous.

Completely agree. Just to throw some stats in there from my own club:



In total we have 52 lads signed on, running two teams.



We started pre-season training at the end of July. The sessions were brilliant, and we'd often train for approx 90mins then have a game at the end. At that time, we had probably 35+ lads attending, often split into four groups, each with it's own coach.



Comparing that to our most recent training session on Tuesday (Thursday got called off). We had 13 lads attending. We had to use a small patch of land roughly from the goal line to the 20m line and not much further accross - that's all our lights will light up*. It was freezing cold, we trained for around 40mins, then had a 'game' of touch & pass on the tiny patch of land.



Quite how someone thinks that playing in Summer will see numbers dwindle is baffling.



*We are in the process of saving for some more lights / generators - a cost that could be spent much better elsewhere.

You show an absolute lack of knowlage of our game. BARLA kept the amatuer game alive as it was dying on its feet, the RFL had no interest in anything outside the pro game, it went from strenght to strength under the leadership of BARLA with national cup,county games & international tours. That enabled people outside the games roots to start up the summer conferance. Your slant on history seems to start 10 to 15 years ago the roots of BARLA go back over 40 years & you would dismiss that as nothing.

As for winter Rugby it has not been a problem getting & keeping players for 120 years or more why have the latest genaration suddenly turned into wimps?

You also suggest that my club who owns the land & a very good club house move out or do you suggest we throw out the criketers?

I do wish the new competition goes well but it is not to the taste of every club & supporter.

So in summary, as I said in my original post, BARLA hasn't been relevant since the mid 90's. Glad you agree.



I never suggested that clubs were incapable of attracting players in winter, just that it's far, far more difficult and that numbers will dramatically increase when the game moves to summer. You were the one who made the baffling and completely inexplicable suggestion that numbers would decrease in summer.

If the club owns the facility and it's a choice between folding the club and throwing out the cricketers, then yes, tell the cricketers to find somewhere else to play. I don't think it takes a genuis to work that out





If you want to continue to see your club having the majority of matches in the season called off, struggling for numbers and facilities at training, playing in mudbaths where the games barely resemble RL and generally continuing to operate as if it's the 19th century, then you have the option to carry on doing that. The rest of us can move on.