3 replies to this topic

[clarky1975]

Allegedley the RFL are set to name 53 Strategically located Community Talent Development Clubs throughout the UK.

19 of the 53 set to recieve this status are said to be in the North West & Cumbria.

One NWC Club has recieved notification recently and Barrow Island were awarded this status earlier in the year.

http://www.pitchero....tus-535184.html


What sort of effect is this going to have on clubs that are awarded this status and those that are not?

Will it not just encourage all the more advanced players, such as Scholarship players to be attracted to one club in a particular area?

These clubs are allegedley going to be promoted and assisted in various ways by the RFL in order to produce a higher standard of youth player.

[bowes]

There's 6 in the midlands. From memory it's Coventry, Birmingham, Telford, Derby, Nottingham and Northampton though Tim or David can correct if wrong.

Derby are just juniors so think it's only focused on juniors not open age but probably will see a change with more coaching support etc. and knock on effects from that. Probably would eventually lead to greater open age support for those clubs so hope it's fairly decided.

[tim2]

It's definitely focused on juniors. We haven't got it yet but are looking at doing what we need to do to achieve it.

There is a good chance that SE funding will be reduced and therefore central support will be limited - it will have to focus on clubs that have a proven high quality infrastructure. You could argue that all clubs should get support, but that's not fair on the clubs who put more effort in to supporting their own infrastructure rather than waiting for someone else to do it for them.

[Marauder]

I can see problems here, the RFL tried to do something very similar just a few years back, they then tried to send all the service area kids to the same amateur club in the area.

1/ Would you like the RFL to collect the best kids from your club then send them to one central club.
2/ Would your club survive if the RFL collected your kids to send to the one of their choice.
3/ Would the kids who never made the grade come back to your club, go along to another club with the other kids who never made it or be lost from the game.

Sooner or later you will see why BARLA introduced certain rules to protect teams/clubs