AS I type this, on Saturday evening, it’s only by looking down at my legs and seeing I’m wearing shorts rather than trousers that I’m absolutely certain we’re in August, not January.
Back before the advent of summer rugby, when most amateur Rugby League was played from August to May (so-called ‘winter’), matches could be postponed wholesale during the first month of the calendar year, generally because of frozen pitches.
How different is the grassroots game now, following the move to summer? Not so very different (although it’s sadly the case that the number of players in the men’s game has reduced significantly).
Games are still not taking place at certain times of the year. The Rugby Football League offers ‘blank weekends’ throughout the season, with the next one coming up on Saturday week, I believe.
And matches are still being postponed – the weekend’s sole National League Premier Division fixture between York Acorn and Wath Brow Hornets being the latest case in point – through pitches being too hard, although currently it’s ‘sunbaked’ (my word) that’s cited as the cause, rather than frozen.
Given climate change, and the predicted escalation of rising temperatures, I foresee a return to winter Rugby League in the next few years at amateur level. I’d certainly be surprised if the matter hasn’t been mentioned, even if only in passing at this stage, at the RFL.
It’s all very troubling, but it was uplifting to receive a preview of the Ireland Rugby League championship semi-finals, from the IRL treasurer Craig Best.
I’m sure readers will find the information he sent me more than illuminating, especially as his feet are very much on the ground and that his views are probably seen, by a number of folk over the Irish Sea, as a very welcome counterpoint to opinions put forward in League Express several weeks ago.
I’m sure that the Grand Final, on Saturday, August 15, will be an exhilarating event, whichever teams are involved, and an occasion to enjoy for so many long-serving stalwarts.
On which subject we have lost another great servant, in the north of England, who has sadly died far too young.
Graham Shaw, a real driving force behind Furness outfit Hindpool Tigers, passed away recently, at the age of 44, from cancer. He leaves a wife and two young sons.
Clearly, from the host of tributes sent to me by the renowned Barrow journalist Paddy McAteer, he will be sadly missed by very many Rugby League folk in the area. League Express extends its commiserations to Graham’s family and friends. I hope to be able to publish details of his funeral arrangements in next week’s issue.
On a much more upbeat note, the Brazilian Rugby League have sent a reminder that adventurous clubs and teams are welcome to visit next year, which I’m certain will interest quite a few folk.
And, on a fairly light-hearted theme, there’s always something new in this game.
There was a vivid illustration last week, when we reported that the two scheduled fixtures in the Scottish League had been postponed.
One was because of a hard pitch – not much of a shock there, really, given the lengthy spell we’ve had recently without any significant rain.
The other was for a more unusual reason – harvesting.
This was worth an investigatory follow-up and Scotland Rugby League’s operations and league director Barry McGuffog has explained: “Border Barbarians have a number of farmers or farm workers in their squad. The recent good weather has brought their harvesting period forward, meaning players aren’t available due to unforeseen work. Never in my 35 years of Rugby League have I encountered this particular issue.”
I’m not surprised. It’s a first for me, too, and I suspect for most if not all of our readers.
Finally, the BARLA National Cup is now at the semi-final stage. There was (to my mind anyway) something of a surprise on Saturday when Orrell St James, who have lifted the prestigious trophy in each of the last two years, were edged at Leigh Miners Rangers.
The Miners will now entertain Ince Rose Bridge – who eased past Skirlaugh in the weekend’s quarter-finals – on Saturday week.
Meanwhile West Hull cruised to a comfortable win at Crosfields, and Featherstone Lions enjoyed a similarly emphatic triumph over Woolston Rovers.
Featherstone Lions will travel to Wests in the other semi and what this means, of course, is that a Lancashire versus Yorkshire clash (inter-county games are what most neutrals seem to prefer) is guaranteed when the final takes place in, I think, late October.