1 reply to this topic

[MidlandsRugbyLeague]

http://www.midlandsr...review-and.html

Northampton Demons Welcome Championship Review and Proposals

Northampton Demons, the reigning Co-Operative Rugby League Conference Regional Champions, have welcomed the RFL’s Championship Review and Proposals with great interest.

The club, which has ambitions of establishing a semi-professional side in the city, has steadily grown in its four year existence to field two mens teams and six boys teams, winning numerous local and national awards, including the RLC title in 2009 and 2010. The growth has been built on firm foundations, with a part time Community Rugby League Coach having been in place for some time, a position that was made full time in partnership with the RFL.

“The growth of the club has been phenomenal” explains Club Chairperson Andrew Quirke. “However, we have always ensured that our growth has been manageable each season, ensuring that we have the correct infrastructure in place to support all areas of the club.”

The club has also unearthed a number of talented players during its short existence, with three former players signed to Super League club Academies and a number of juniors attending Club Scholarships and the Midlands Regional Player Development Centre.

A working group of club members and advisors has been formed and will be meeting shortly with members of the RFL’s Midlands Regional Development Team.

“Northamptonshire has a strong pedigree in Rugby Union, but we are finding that players from the area are trying Rugby League, making it their first choice sport and going on to excel in the game” Quirke continues.

“The next step is to look at how we can offer these gifted and talented players an outlet to play Rugby League in the area at semi-professional level. The proposals released by the RFL last week demonstrate a clear desire to expand the game beyond the traditional heartlands of the game and we intend to work closely with them to explore all the opportunities that these proposals offer.”

[bowes]

Good to hear. Assume the Southern Conference will be first step there? In a few years would be good to see 3 midlands clubs up Championship 1: Coventry, Nottingham and Northampton.

Certainly this review is causing a lot more interest in the Championships, the old format had gone stale.