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I don't normally get angry but the most important age to retain players and you play 9 or 11 a side?

 

Great for keeping them playing but when all said and done Rugby League is a 13 a side game above the age of 12, if we loose that then we loose the game.

 

When will they wake up and see the damage the scholarship's, and the signing or 16 year old kids,are doing to this game :rtfm:

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Clearly Youth RL is thriving in Yorkshire under the March - November season....................

 

This is what is has been reduced too.................

 

The YJ League took the decision to run under 14, 15 & 16’s in groups of six teams to complete the games by the July six week holidays break, and come back in September for a second competition. 

 

This will hopefully increase the completion rate for games after the six week holiday.  The age groups will now have more divisions, so some teams will think they have been relegate - but they haven’t it’s the number of divisions which have been increased.  I have also tried to included promotions and relegations were possible.

Under 18’s – We have had 12 teams at this age group registered, so it’s two divisions of 6. With a second competition in September & October.

Under 17’s – We have had 20 teams at this age group registered, so it’s two divisions of 10.

Under 16’s – We have re-structured this age group so we can accommodate scholarship games in the league programme.  When teams come back in September we will be running a 9 or 11 a side competition at 16’s.  This is to keep the teams playing with a reduced amount of players for the players who haven’t signed for the Academy team.

     

Under 14’s & 15’s will be full 13 aside for the second half of the season competition.

Funny now the under 18s is on the website only 7 teams, 3 matches each week, 1 called off already, I know of 2 u16 fixtures already canceled, 1 u15 involving Hull clubs and there are others and that's before the weekend

Well I suppose it's still winter it must be that's to blame

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Would this help the youth game in the Hull area . 

1- Hull and district spend some money to spread the positive things pl;aying rugby does for youths and young men (and ladies)

2- Make it straight forward to sign on and play for a team , not just some teams !

3 - Sort the joke that is Academy rugby

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Doomed we are all doomed. Nothing more sums up This forum then the two threads on the cross code forum. One says RU is in trouble as its a rigid game and has lost all flair. Tell that to the 8 million that watched Eng v Wales.

Then we have this. The question I would like to ask is where would we be without summer rugby. I dont know. I do know that winter rugby at shedding was bloody cold.

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I think that the summer v winter issue has clouded a more critical malaise in the way amateur clubs are supported and maintained by the game as a whole.

 

Having experienced "winter" and "summer" seasons at junior level I actually think that having 2 "seasons" in a calendar year is an option that should be seriously considered.

 

I would have March - mid-July incorporating cups and some performance activity but dropping "scholarships" altogether at U15 and below. I would then re-start the leagues and have another 10 game season from September - November.  This would be an opportunity to trial a 6 month "age year" to iron out the differences between players born Sep-Jan and those born afterwards (look at the stats). This avoids the really cold months and also the summer holidays. 

 

I think the adult season has very different issues and it's hard to separate the general decline in participation (alternative attractions, more focus on families etc.) from the specific playing season issues.

 

Volunteering and maintaining enthusiasm within amateur RL is getting harder and harder. Our chairman is a chuffing saint - he is driving all sorts of initiatives to raise playing numbers and it's not really happening.  We, as a club, are having to find the funding for a lot of this work - compared to other sports within our demographic we really can't get the level of funding that we deperately need over 5-10 years to consolidate in the traditional regions and establish new, solid. foundations in expansion areas.

 

I actually don't care if it's BARLA or someone at the RFL but somebody needs to stand up and stop this downward trend somehow.

"I am the avenging angel; I come with wings unfurled, I come with claws extended from halfway round the world. I am the God Almighty, I am the howling wind. I care not for your family; I care not for your kin. I come in search of terror, though terror is my own; I come in search of vengeance for crimes and crimes unknown. I care not for your children, I care not for your wives, I care not for your country, I care not for your lives." - (c) Jim Boyes - "The Avenging Angel"

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I think Tim2 is correct in his assessment of the gaming needing the right levels of investment at the right age levels. Everybody who knows anything about ARL knows that you need to get players at a young age.

 

Everyone recognises this is the only way to grow the game   ........expect the two main bodies who control the funding ......the RFL and Sport England who seem to think they know best!

 

At some point, someone will start to listen to the community clubs, and take their points on board to revitalise the community game!

 

How much experience has been lost to the game by people who have walked away because of the frustration of watching the game slowly die while the people who are running the game keep coming up with badly thought out schemes to waste more money through the so-called professional clubs! rather than investing in the community game!

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Funny now the under 18s is on the website only 7 teams, 3 matches each week, 1 called off already, I know of 2 u16 fixtures already canceled, 1 u15 involving Hull clubs and there are others and that's before the weekend

Well I suppose it's still winter it must be that's to blame

I'd merge the U17s and U18s. Still need to address or scrap the U16s scholarship though. You can't blame summer for March games though that's ludicrous
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Some interesting money going to the National Governing Body since 2009 (last money paid April 2014) from Lottery Awards and the Exchequer

£33,278,000 off the Lottery

£  7,774,000 off the Exchequer

 

I also ask why was £56,000 spent on the Hard Rock Cafe?

 

Did a new club in Scotland not recently advertise for second hand kit

 

Why is the amateur game falling to bits?? The RFL did pledge a lot of money to increase participation

Red Hall, Salford Quays, Nigel Wood, David Gent

 

As I keep asking where is it being spent and who by

 

 

 

Copy of exchequer_awards_apr_2009_to_dec_2014 2.pdf

Copy of lottery_awards_apr_2009_to_dec_2014 2.pdf

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I'd merge the U17s and U18s. Still need to address or scrap the U16s scholarship though. You can't blame summer for March games though that's ludicrous

 

"Switch to summer to Increase Participation"

 

Merge 17-18?

In Hull no U16 league anymore

In Hull 14-15 merged into one (THey listened to you there)

No under 15 NWC Premier fixtures last week

YJ only 2 x U18s games going ahead no team from Hull, first time ever

5 U16s postponed already

7 U15s postponed already with others to follow

7 U7s postponed already, is this not the saviour of the game with the great new format

6-7 year olds had the best retention rates out of any age group 80% so the RFL thought they would mess with it

55% of all 16 years and 38% of all 17-19 drop out of RL why are the RFL not doing anything about this.

Sorry they are, the RFL are setting up a Focus Group to interview people that have dropped out of Primary RL, one club lost 61 12-18 year olds in a season but we won't bother with these.

In the past teams looked forward to the start of the season, starting in good weather in September you could get 14 games in before christmas and the start of the bad weather, now they must be waiting for the better weather before they play or the RFU off season

Think all the development officers are cutting the grass at Red Hall after looking at the above (And I dont want that to be seen as a slur if people are made redundant, RFL meeting last week to discuss possible reduction in funding)

I am sure David Gent will keep his job, was it him that flew a powered balloon/Drone? at an RFL meeting, think that points to him having his head in the clouds

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Looking at the various websites, the Oldham area seems to be struggling, St. Anne's fill the criteria with two open age teams plus u-18s while other local sides have no A team and no u-18s. How do they comply?

 

Biggest Issue the RFL don't think anybody is struggling so until they admit there may be an issue it won't get resolved.

The RFL seem to be heading down the route of the strong will survive (I club in Oldham) but what they don't realise clubs cannot run more and more teams they can't afford it or have the resources.

In my view less teams means less players means less cream to come to the surface

When it comes to answering your question, the rules are so relaxed most teams don't comply but "blind eye" springs to mind

ONly 5 U18 teams in Yorkshire run by NCL clubs (7 in total), none from Hull, they deemed U18 more important than A team but what seems to be happening the u18s are making up the bulk of the A team to get a team on the park.

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In 2009/10 the Yorkshire Combination 16-17-18 finished the season with 98 teams (On the website)

 

In 2015 the Yorkshire Juniors 16-17-18 started the season with 67 teams (On the website)

 

A 31% reduction I think teams have dropped out of this figure already

 

When is somebody going to do something??

 

Pied Piper (David Gent) seems to spring to mind

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It didn't help matters that the Yorkshire Youth combination decided to stick with winter which led to the disastrous 2013/4 season. U17s has seen a massive increase in playing numbers since then, from memory only 8 teams entered U17s for the last winter season and only 5 finished the season (I use the term finish lightly as the league packed in early). So next season U18s should see a big boost as players start to come through and the summer benefit starts to shine. The second season of U17s playing summer sees four times as many teams playing as were left at the end of the last winter season. That can only be a good thing for the future

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Bowes as per the norm you totally miss the point

 

I know better than most regarding the issue with the YC as my team was one of the Under 17, we still have a number playing today

Alot of teams had decided to play summer so at the time there were 2 seasons

The YC did finish early when Alan Boot asked for help from BARLA and none came, he gave up similar to what is happening with the Pennine

YC finished the last full winter with 25 under 18s, 31 under 17s, 42 under 16s

YJ started the 2015 season with 7 under 18s (-72%) 20 under 17s (-35%) 40 under 16 (-4%)

Please bare in mind the started and finished bit

No Under 18 from Hull, 2 Under 17, no under 16 league in Hull

There is no winter youth to cause conflict

"Change to summer and increase participation"

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The biggest problem is the RFL our NGB look at the community game pure and simple as a cash cow .

They are only bothered in reality about the professional game I know for fact the countless number of community administrators have sent numurous emails to RFL personnel raising concerns and asking pertinent questions only to be ignored now that for me is ignorant and what do we have in place to challenge these people nothing it's a closed shop it's their way or no way .

That's not healthy for any sport when the volunteers spend countless hours on RFL projects trying to make sense of them in a professional and informative way only to be dismissed with sweeping statements without quantifying then it's no wonder we have problems .

The RFL produce reviews highlight problems ignore their own findings and move onto the next whim and when passionate hard working volunteers challenge them they close ranks tow the party line and set about undermining the volunteers .

Summer Rugby , scholarships and now the mini and modified games program have all got the RFL stamp on them and look at the damage this is causing to the grassroots .

But who are the RFL board and it's foot soldiers accountable to ?

I fear for the game as for me despite what is stirring the RFL in their face they carry on regardless .

They take a lot out but what are they putting back in ?

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http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/mar/06/rfl-chief-executive-nigel-wood-rugby-league-world-cup-2017-england

 

Please see a statement from Nigel Wood, again I ask who are these people accountable too??

 

  • Increase watching of RL by 700,000
  • Have a rise in crowds from 2.3 million to 3 million
  • Turnover in the game from £118 million to £146 million
  • Increase Participation from 46,636 (Did Sports England not say 32,000) to 66,000
  • If professional clubs use all allowances and win trophies the salary cap can go from £1.85 to £2.5 million
  • In 2012 the RFL advertised 100,00 participants
  • I forgot to add England will win the world cup in 2017

Attached is the last Community Game Stratergy 2010-12

  • By 2012 the RFL say 92,722 plus 29,570 participants = 122,292

All I am saying is the RFL appear to be able to say what they want and take the money and are not accountable to anyone

Community Game Strategy 2010-12.pdf

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The RFL are accountable to Sports England for any money given by them.

They are accountable to any sponsors on any promises made.

 

Do you want Nigel Wood to come out and slam the sport?  It's his job to polish every ######!  And get as much press and sponsors as he can.  It's not his job to talk down the game.

With the best, thats a good bit of PR, though I would say the Bedford team, theres, like, you know, 13 blokes who can get together at the weekend to have a game together, which doesnt point to expansion of the game. Point, yeah go on!

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The RFL are accountable to Sports England for any money given by them.

They are accountable to any sponsors on any promises made.

 

Do you want Nigel Wood to come out and slam the sport?  It's his job to polish every ######!  And get as much press and sponsors as he can.  It's not his job to talk down the game.

It is his job to talk up the game but false promises, when they agreed the 2010-12 stratergy they came short, OH yes funding was reduced but he still has a job.

The community game is struggling, who is accountable?

This years figures show another reduction in participation, so there may be another spend reduction, bet Nigel Wood and David Gent don't lose their jobs.

The RFL have recieved £40 million since 2009 are you not interested where it has been spent?

 

I forgot to add England will win the world cup in 2017

 

I would hope all of this becomes true

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There's so many issues to raise - where on earth do you start?

 

Everything needs structured into a list based on priority needs

 

for example:

 

1. The community game is declining year on year in both playing standards, numbers and volunteers - why is that and how do you go about reversing it?

 

2. There are fewer juniors playing the game, why is that and how do you go about reversing it?

 

3. facilities have improved beyond recognition in the last 20 years, so again, why are numbers still falling?

 

4. The winter/summer argument, works for some leagues and not for others, so lets work on the positives of each season and see where compromises can be made

 

5. New coaches and retaining existing coaches - Coach Ed needs completely redesigned from scratch to take into account modern living and to incorporate new technology to allow coaches to plan sessions on tablets, and also to see the plays in 'real-time' live action. The courses should be modular so as your experience and confidence grows, so does your understanding of the game. This should run alongside regular assessments at training sessions by RFL personal or appointed coaching assessors - in other words MAKE IT INTERESTING SO COACHES WANT TO USE IT!

 

6. Youth rugby - needs more 6, 7, 8 and 9 years olds playing - it really is as simple as that!  - this is the area of the game that needs major investment with co-ordinated 'Rugby League Taster Weeks' ran nationally - culminating in local schools competitions. This could be ran annually and linked in with subsidised trips to Super League clubs to watch a live game. The professional clubs have to be big players in this, as well as the local community clubs to help give these kids the experience of playing rugby league, so a child by the age of 10 will have played in at least 4-5 school tournaments.

 

7. Scholarships - I have no argument against Scholarships, and every player should be afforded the opportunity to better themselves. What I would insist on, is that any area who wishes to have a Scholarship, must provide a development plan in getting more children playing at 6,7,8 and 9 which will eventually extend to 16 year olds as the players grow older.

This would be a condition of their admission to the league. At least that way, in time there would be a bigger pool of players to choose from, rather than the current system which has 2-3 quality players, with the remainder just filling shirts on a matchday!

 

8. Engage in dialogue with the community clubs! - the Community Board is a waste of time, the people on the board DO NOT represent the views of the community clubs - the one voice we do have in Sue Taylor is hopelessly outnumbered by about 10-1.

 

9. Restructure the NCL so that there are two leagues and send the remaining clubs back to their regional leagues. Do we really need the other divisions, and is the standard any higher than the regionals?

 

That's my two'penneth, please feel free to add or correct!

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There's so many issues to raise - where on earth do you start?

  • DTTRR you are correct

 

Everything needs structured into a list based on priority needs

 

for example:

 

1. The community game is declining year on year in both playing standards, numbers and volunteers - why is that and how do you go about reversing it?

  • Again I agree, figures do not lie, as I keep saying because of the Operational Rules Leagues and Clubs are now limited to what they can do, the RFL implemented the OR but if the RFL will not recognise a problem, how can they solve anything. Hard work from volunteers has never changed but getting new people involved is difficult, since the SKY money has been given the Pro clubs have been more active in schools, this is extra to the money off the lottery or the exchequer I refer to in earlier posts

2. There are fewer juniors playing the game, why is that and how do you go about reversing it?

  • Again until the RFL recognise this nothing will change, unfortunately I think their thoughts are "The strongest will survive", we all know the leading amateur clubs throughout the game if these clubs started to struggle I think things would change overnight

 

3. facilities have improved beyond recognition in the last 20 years, so again, why are numbers still falling?

  • Things in the main are better

 

 

4. The winter/summer argument, works for some leagues and not for others, so lets work on the positives of each season and see where compromises can be made

  • Again I agree, the problem is switching to summer was done to increase Participation, Revenue and Standards, we are now playing roughly the same months in the Heartlands as we did during the Traditional season when you take into consideration training, friendlies, Cup games, problem is where are all these new teams and clubs, out the Heartlands we seem to be playing less months with in the main less clubs, so what benefit has come from all the change and disrubtion?

 

5. New coaches and retaining existing coaches - Coach Ed needs completely redesigned from scratch to take into account modern living and to incorporate new technology to allow coaches to plan sessions on tablets, and also to see the plays in 'real-time' live action. The courses should be modular so as your experience and confidence grows, so does your understanding of the game. This should run alongside regular assessments at training sessions by RFL personal or appointed coaching assessors - in other words MAKE IT INTERESTING SO COACHES WANT TO USE IT!

  • You are again correct but the RFL have now introduced another tier in between level 1&2 and you cannot coach 7-11 without this certification, more money and time for the volunteers

 

6. Youth rugby - needs more 6, 7, 8 and 9 years olds playing - it really is as simple as that!  - this is the area of the game that needs major investment with co-ordinated 'Rugby League Taster Weeks' ran nationally - culminating in local schools competitions. This could be ran annually and linked in with subsidised trips to Super League clubs to watch a live game. The professional clubs have to be big players in this, as well as the local community clubs to help give these kids the experience of playing rugby league, so a child by the age of 10 will have played in at least 4-5 school tournaments.

  • My view slightly differs here, the game has been quite good at encouraging players into the 6-7-8 age group and must have been doing something right as this age group had the best retention rate of any age group at 80%. According to the RFL the best age group for players is under 13-14 (Playing Numbers) 55% of U16 and 38% of U17-19 drop out of the game, I think this is where the RFL should be concentrating and if you look at most youth league age groups are on the decline, this has not changed since the change to summer.

 

7. Scholarships - I have no argument against Scholarships, and every player should be afforded the opportunity to better themselves. What I would insist on, is that any area who wishes to have a Scholarship, must provide a development plan in getting more children playing at 6,7,8 and 9 which will eventually extend to 16 year olds as the players grow older.

This would be a condition of their admission to the league. At least that way, in time there would be a bigger pool of players to choose from, rather than the current system which has 2-3 quality players, with the remainder just filling shirts on a matchday!

  • Scholarship/Service Area are nothing new, the issue has always been you need to be at the top amateur clubs to get recognised, the local leagues tried to cap the amount of players at any one team but teams, clubs, parents managed to get more at every club, at a recent meeting a coach was trying to sign 2 more scholarship players, he already had 8, this is not the way forward, when this team reaches 16 it will fold, we have seen this year after year, every time a good player goes to a team, Joe average usually leaves the game. Come to my team I will get you on scholarship how many times have we heard that. We had a player who played under 16 scholarship, if I had not wrote to the league he would not have got a chance, not at a big club he was not on the list, got a few games and was handed a contract, he is now one of the younger under 19s and has been told he may not play this year as they are playing the older ones, he cannot play for his amateur team.

 

8. Engage in dialogue with the community clubs! - the Community Board is a waste of time, the people on the board DO NOT represent the views of the community clubs - the one voice we do have in Sue Taylor is hopelessly outnumbered by about 10-1.

  • On the 10-1 vote you are correct but unfortunately Barla's head appears turned since it started sitting on the board, the RFL do not dialogue with the community clubs they make rules and make sure they are inforced, sanctions if not

 

9. Restructure the NCL so that there are two leagues and send the remaining clubs back to their regional leagues. Do we really need the other divisions, and is the standard any higher than the regionals?

  • I would have to say the standard is higher now with the state of the Pennine and cannot say what the standard of the NWC is but agree is there any need for 4 divisions all we are doing is diluting the other leagues, where are all the new clubs flocking to play RL all we have in Yorkshire are teams either having a team in both seasons or teams moving to summer, don't forget change to summer it will increase participation, nothing of the sort has happened. In theory what should have happen, all the youth and junior should have shown an increase, RU and Footballers should have come to RL because they wanted to play the game in the better weather creating new teams and increasing participation leaving players to play both seasons without feeling the need to play both or under pressure to swap seasons, summer is nothing new when we had a proper winter game with all the clubs in the heartlands playing the same season why did not 100s of satalite clubs grow and make the game stronger, all we appear to have done is robbed Peter to keep the RFL happy with the same players, teams and clubs

 

That's my two'penneth, please feel free to add or correct!

  • As I keep saying why is it people like us, unpaid volunteers seem to have this view, RFL paid administrators have their view and will not seem to admit to any issues until they do nothing will change, as I keep asking the RFL have had £40 million over the last 5 years where has this been spent??
  • All business's have to keep accounts even the RFL it should not be difficult to account for this money.
     
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The RFL are accountable to Sports England for any money given by them.

They are accountable to any sponsors on any promises made.

 

Do you want Nigel Wood to come out and slam the sport?  It's his job to polish every ######!  And get as much press and sponsors as he can.  It's not his job to talk down the game.

 

Quote:  
David Gent, the Rugby Football League's director of participation and strategic partnerships, is leading a consultation exercise with amateur governing bodies and youth organisations to assess the mood of the game and have an April 30 deadline to gauge support for the move.

RFL national development manager Andy Harland said: "There has been some very positive debate and I am sensing that the youth and junior clubs are the ones most keen to switch.

"There is no reason why it could not happen in time for next season. I haven't heard anybody who is against it."

Armed with a £29.4million windfall from Sport England, the RFL have set out an ambitious strategy to increase playing numbers by the end of 2012, when the grant is due for renewal.

Gent said the League have realistic plans to create 5,000 more teams and increase the number of adults playing the game from under 60,000 to more than 92,000 in the next two years.

Organisers also aim to increase the number of women and girls playing rugby league from just under 4,000 to 20,000 by 2012

 
OOPS SOMETHING WENT SADLY WRONG WITH PROJECTIONS .
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Quote:

David Gent, the Rugby Football League's director of participation and strategic partnerships, is leading a consultation exercise with amateur governing bodies and youth organisations to assess the mood of the game and have an April 30 deadline to gauge support for the move.

RFL national development manager Andy Harland said: "There has been some very positive debate and I am sensing that the youth and junior clubs are the ones most keen to switch.

"There is no reason why it could not happen in time for next season. I haven't heard anybody who is against it."Armed with a £29.4million windfall from Sport England, the RFL have set out an ambitious strategy to increase playing numbers by the end of 2012, when the grant is due for renewal.

Gent said the League have realistic plans to create 5,000 more teams and increase the number of adults playing the game from under 60,000 to more than 92,000 in the next two years.

Organisers also aim to increase the number of women and girls playing rugby league from just under 4,000 to 20,000 by 2012

OOPS SOMETHIsNG WENT SADLY WRONG WITH PROJECTIONS .

As I keep saying why are these people not accountable, if they were paid on bonus they would be paying us, thing is if it had all materialised David Gent could have said

"You have that many players you dont know what to do with them"

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  • 2 weeks later...

So nothing learnt here then, lets carry on regardless

This week
            Yorkshire Juniors                                                                                                        NWC 16-18
Results                             Next week                            Fixtures Results                               Next Week Fixtures
U18 x 1                             U18 x 3                                            U17-18 x 9                                                        U17-18 x 13
U17 x 5                             U17 x 0                                            U16 x 6                                                              U16 x 15
U16 x 4                             U16 x 21 (Ours off already)
U15 x 12
Then a break for Easter, our 16s will have had 1 game in five weeks and no home game

If you take into consideration, NWC, Pennine, Hull, Yorkshire Men’s, NCL you have approximately 200 men’s teams, if all the youth played you have about
40 under 17-18 teams in Yorkshire and Lancashire, and about 70 under 16s teams, it is not sustainable, we already know the 16-18 has the worst drop off and I attach a review of the 2013 season which you all will have seen.
According to the RFL in their 2010-12 strategy plan

  • Community Teams ages 16+ 3,708 (Looking at this we are about 3,300 off)
  • 25% Reduction in the drop off of U18
  • 92,000 16+ registrations (About 60,000 off)
  • (All in the attached)

I am alright Jack (The RFL and Pro Game spring to mind) the strong will survive and just play each other, forget about the game of RL. We start a team out of the heartlands in Oxford, great news? Yorkshire Coach, Yorkshire players mainly off Heworth, funny Heworth can’t raise a competitive team this week

2013 Season Review Final.pdf

2014 Youth Season Review Paper V3.pdf

Community Game Strategy 2010-12.pdf

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Out of interest, does anyone know who advises the RFL and Sport England on the development and growth of rugby league - do these people know anything about the game and player trends?

 

Don't get me wrong, I am all for the expansion of the game, but it has to be structured expansion, and needs to be targeted one area at a time in highly populated areas in order to maximise participation.

 

I always liken the current expansion policy to trying to build a pyramid from the point upwards - ie; bloody impossible!

 

One area where rugby league could really help the development of the junior game would be to employ a team of 'trouble shooting' development officers.

 

For example we could use West Cumbria as an example where the junior game is dying a slow and painful death!

 

A team of 2 or 3 specialist development officers could be based in the area, with specific task of delivering a Primary and Secondary schools training and competitions and actively being involved in community club training sessions to work with the coaches and try to build up player numbers in the area. They could spend 2 to 3 days in Cumbria and combine it with a similar scheme in another area of the country.

 

This would have to be a 12 month programme to ensure it linked in with schools and a full junior season.

 

I'm sure the game would get a much higher return on its investment than any scheme it currently runs at a fraction of the cost.

 

3 development officers would probably cost £100,000 a year by the time company vehicles are factored in.

 

That's a fraction of the current Sport England grant even taking into account the recent reduction in funding

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