16 replies to this topic

[chinaman]

The lack of cohesion betrween the two governing bodies will ruin the game.Many clubs, players, and supporterss already very unhappy and losing interest or becoming fed up with the structure.
Quality of game falling and teams struggling to raise teams. The summer experiment not exactly a roaring success but could work if there are some discussuion re possible mid summer (July/August) break.
Players in their droves (in particular in the lower divisions) going back to winter and may not come back but most importantly severe blows to club incomes.Start of next season could be pretty chaotic. Remember these lads are amateur and can play when and where they want if they are enjoying playing winter rugby and up for winning something they will not rush back to their NCL clubs.
Are the deluded management prepared to discuss and get real before its too late????

[gillmeister]

What two governing bodies? There seems to be more than two bodies having massive influence over the amateur game at the minute!!

[impartial]

The lack of cohesion betrween the two governing bodies will ruin the game.Many clubs, players, and supporterss already very unhappy and losing interest or becoming fed up with the structure.
Quality of game falling and teams struggling to raise teams. The summer experiment not exactly a roaring success but could work if there are some discussuion re possible mid summer (July/August) break.
Players in their droves (in particular in the lower divisions) going back to winter and may not come back but most importantly severe blows to club incomes.Start of next season could be pretty chaotic. Remember these lads are amateur and can play when and where they want if they are enjoying playing winter rugby and up for winning something they will not rush back to their NCL clubs.
Are the deluded management prepared to discuss and get real before its too late????

why have a break in july august when a break in december january was flatly turned down my point is a break in july august for a handful of people cannot compare with losing game after game for frozen pitches

[maxwel]

why have a break in july august when a break in december january was flatly turned down my point is a break in july august for a handful of people cannot compare with losing game after game for frozen pitches

The lack of cohesion betrween the two governing bodies will ruin the game.Many clubs, players, and supporterss already very unhappy and losing interest or becoming fed up with the structure.
Quality of game falling and teams struggling to raise teams. The summer experiment not exactly a roaring success but could work if there are some discussuion re possible mid summer (July/August) break.
Players in their droves (in particular in the lower divisions) going back to winter and may not come back but most importantly severe blows to club incomes.Start of next season could be pretty chaotic. Remember these lads are amateur and can play when and where they want if they are enjoying playing winter rugby and up for winning something they will not rush back to their NCL clubs.
Are the deluded management prepared to discuss and get real before its too late????

Its in the wording summer rugby so why have a break in July & August when the weather is supposedly good. As for players playing in winter if they don't rush back i feel certain the game will survive and will eventually be the norm.

[Spidey]

Never ceases to amaze me some of the ###### being flown about. Mid season break is not the answer, regular rugby will keep lads going

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

They had a mid season break this summer in the Cumberland League and from what I know of it it wasn't exactly a roaring success. I don't think they plan on having it next year

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

I would think very very carefully before having a midsummer break, as Cumbrian Fanatic has said, we had it in Cumbria this year and missed out all July and August, only playing two finals in July and the fixture backlog from the first half of the season, pretty much leaving August free.
In a nutshell, it didn't work and had a serious impact on the second half of the season. The clubs who were struggling for numbers but who were fulfilling fixtures up until July basically dropped out of the league as they had nothing to play for, as they couldn't get players back into the fold once they had left for the break, this then had a knock on effect on the rest of the league.
The break was put in for all the right reasons to take into account music festivals, holidays etc., but once we got into it the players were up in arms as all they wanted was a steady weekly fixture programme. That said, I think it would be impossible to play week in week out during those months, but I do think a reduced fixture programme would work a little better, which would give clubs a little bit of flexibility in rearranging fixtures if they were really stuck due to holidays etc, but as for a midsummer break - don't do it as it will ruin you league.

[TaxiEgg]

So why do people think the long winter break will work ? In our local paper this week the sports pages are wall to wall kick and clap and will be for the winter great advert for the union brigade .

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

Long winter break won't work either, one of the main reasons the Cumberland league switched to the lighter months was because of the fall-off in numbers after the clocks altered, then this problem increases tenfold after the christmas break as players drift away. In our last full winter season Cockermouth went about 12-14 weeks without a game due to the break and unfit pitches. We only have Wath Brow, Ellenborough and Egremont with floodlights so playing catch up midweek isn't an option until the clocks alter again, then clubs complain about having to play 3 games every 7 days to get caught up!
No easy answer to the problem, and it's a question of finding the best compromise rather than a solution as there isn't one.
Our clubs have pretty much all said that numbers at training were up on a winter season and fairly consistent up until the break then it all went a bit #### up.
Our club secretary said an end of season questionnaire has been emailed out by the league with meeting called for early December to discuss it. The league management have a difficult job, but they are trying to find a way of reinvigorating the local game, but some things will work and be successful, other things won't work, but at least someone is having the gumtion to have a go rather than stick their heads in the sand and wait until the ship has left the port before doing something about it

[deluded pom?]

I would think very very carefully before having a midsummer break, as Cumbrian Fanatic has said, we had it in Cumbria this year and missed out all July and August, only playing two finals in July and the fixture backlog from the first half of the season, pretty much leaving August free.
In a nutshell, it didn't work and had a serious impact on the second half of the season. The clubs who were struggling for numbers but who were fulfilling fixtures up until July basically dropped out of the league as they had nothing to play for, as they couldn't get players back into the fold once they had left for the break, this then had a knock on effect on the rest of the league.
The break was put in for all the right reasons to take into account music festivals, holidays etc., but once we got into it the players were up in arms as all they wanted was a steady weekly fixture programme. That said, I think it would be impossible to play week in week out during those months, but I do think a reduced fixture programme would work a little better, which would give clubs a little bit of flexibility in rearranging fixtures if they were really stuck due to holidays etc, but as for a midsummer break - don't do it as it will ruin you league.

At least the CRL have tried the mid season break even if it didn't work for them, As for a reduced fixture list why not give clubs a couple of opportunities to postpone fixtures if they require them due to a high number of players being unavailable. Once a club had exercised their two chances then it would be a case of play the fixture or lose the points. Obviously plenty of notice would be required for the opposition club and a new date would have to be mutually acceptable or the NCL would have to rule on when the postponed fixture was to be played.

[Marauder]

At least the CRL have tried the mid season break even if it didn't work for them, As for a reduced fixture list why not give clubs a couple of opportunities to postpone fixtures if they require them due to a high number of players being unavailable. Once a club had exercised their two chances then it would be a case of play the fixture or lose the points. Obviously plenty of notice would be required for the opposition club and a new date would have to be mutually acceptable or the NCL would have to rule on when the postponed fixture was to be played.

Regional leagues have this rule already.

Wasn't part of the criteria of the NCL to have teams that could fulfil fixtures on the dates arranged, if after 20ish years teams are having problems which coincide with the switch then surely the switch is the problem.

[Back In The Good Old Days]

From my experience as a coach the summer switch is a huge problem during the traditional holiday period of june july and august and at one point during this period this season we had 13 first choice players unavailable due to them being on holiday.
You may well say get your second team lads to step into the breach. Well they did and we lost by sixty points!!! & this dod the second team lads no good with regards to their development as players. At the return fixture with everyone avaiable we won the fixture by twelve points.
My point being here is that games should be competetive and meaningful and unless the rfl the ncl and the regional leagues iron out the problems that have obviously been highlighted with the switch to summer its just gonna be the same old same old next season and if that happens i honestly fear for the amatuer game.
Action is needed now before the fixtures are formulated for next season first and foremost.
I dont pretend to have the answers but those people in authority need to listen to the genuine concerns of the players coaches and club officials whom freely give up there time for the better of our great game cause if they dont we definately run the risk of losing players to soccer and rugby union (i overheard this mentioned at training only this week).

Come on fellas get round the table and get it sorted before its too late.

[TaxiEgg]

Personally i do not like these surveys but here goes http://www.therfl.co..._players_survey

[Back In The Good Old Days]

I have already completed the survey and to be honest i thought the questions they asked were a little limited to say the least.
Perhaps in an attempt to get limited answers.

[TaxiEgg]

Or the answers they want like every survey they produce .

[once a ref always a ref]

Poor survey but my answers will probably be binned.

[Marauder]

Selective survey to fuel their own needs like the player survey was.