THE 2025 season is upon us – and, with that, something of a bombshell!
Thirty-four amateur teams should have been embarking on the Wembley trail this weekend, when the first round of the Betfred Challenge Cup is taking place.
I say “should have been” as the distressing news came through late on Sunday afternoon that Wath Brow Hornets had conceded their tie at fellow National Conference League Premiers West Bowling.
Although the revelation was a real shock – the Cumbrians have long been giants of the grassroots game – the rationale behind the decision could have far-reaching repercussions for amateur clubs, at least those who are involved in the Challenge Cup.
Wath Brow are motivated by concerns regarding the welfare of their players, apparently citing a conflict between RFL rules – which stipulate a non-contact period for amateur clubs – and the fact that the early rounds of the Challenge Cup are taking place.
Crucially, in my view, West Bowling coach John Williams empathises with that stance, as I imagine do many others.
Williams added that the issue goes beyond this Saturday’s ‘walkover’, telling League Express: “(Wath Brow’s withdrawal) means that I have to take a team to play Championship club Sheffield Eagles away. That will be our first game of the season now.
“We’ve only just been allowed contact in training and I believe we’re not allowed pre-season games, but Sheffield are. We talk about player welfare and safety, but this isn’t safe for my players.”
He added: “The email from Wath Brow came from Ian Rooney, their head coach.
“Understandably, they are concerned about the player welfare risks resulting from the conflict between the RFL rules around the non-contact period for amateur clubs, and the scheduling of the Challenge Cup in the middle of this non-contact period.
“I can understand – and agree with – his concerns about the risk to the players.”
I suspect that the whole issue will be at the front of the RFL’s thinking early this week.
How the Challenge Cup’s opening stages will now progress remains to be seen. For now, though, all I know is that none of the amateur sides will make it through to the final at Wembley on Saturday, June 7 and that – on the assumption that games do go ahead – all will certainly enjoy the adventure of going as far as they can, with hopefully a professional scalp or two being picked up along the way.
Sticking (for the time being anyway) with my assumption, 16 of them will of course fall at the first hurdle and it’s by no means easy, looking at the forthcoming ties, to predict exactly which they will be.
Take, for example, the clash of Hammersmith Hills Hoists and Siddal on Saturday evening at Chiswick RUFC.
This match is as near as we’ve got to the dream of Southern Conference League aficionado Chris Wildish who expressed the hope, a few months ago in League Express, of a pre-season game between the SCL champions and their National Conference League counterparts.
The fixture doesn’t meet that description; not quite, anyway. Hammersmith are, of course, the SCL champs, having toppled Wests Warriors in last September’s final. Siddal were the NCL Grand Final runners-up to Hunslet ARLFC last October, but the Halifax outfit did scoop a piece of major silverware in the shape of the League Leaders’ Trophy and therefore, having topped the table through accruing most league points in a competition in which each side plays every other team once at home and once away, can make a legitimate claim to having been the National Conference League’s top dogs for the season as a whole.
The match will certainly be one to savour and while the casual observer might reckon that there is a gulf in standards between teams in London and top clubs in the north, the Hoists will in all probability beg to differ and can serve up as evidence victories in last year’s competition over such as West Bowling.
Wests Warriors, who are at Wildish’s club Eastern Rhinos in an all-SCL pairing on Sunday, also picked up notable wins last year, against Rochdale Mayfield especially, before slipping to Hammersmith in the third round; the winner of the tie in Colchester will take some stopping on the Challenge Cup trail.
Back to Hills Hoists and Siddal, though. This is a massive game, with the visitors’ cause not helped by the fact that it’s a 5.00pm kick-off (not that they’re complaining, that’s not in the nature of folk Chevin Edge way).
A reason for the late start is that it’s a double-header at Chiswick, with London Chargers facing Oulton Raiders, of the NCL’s First Division, at 2.00pm. What a day of high-quality grassroots Rugby League it promises to be, and Oulton will certainly be taking their task very seriously indeed. If they don’t, they could very well be facing the long journey home to Leeds with their collective tails between their legs.
I’m also intrigued by the tie between the British Army and the RAF, which is being staged at Aldershot, while the televised meeting of Waterhead Warriors and Leigh Miners Rangers is a must-watch.
What will happen, meanwhile, at Ince Rose Bridge, where Irish club Longhorns are scheduled to visit? It’s hard to say, on any level. Longhorns are an unknown quantity, it seems, both on and off the field.
My own (very personal) hope is that things run smoothly in terms of receiving match reports on Saturday and Sunday. Ties in which NCL clubs are involved, especially those in which they are at home, don’t present a problem, and I always tend to rely heavily on their PROs in games in which they are away to regional or other sides.
I do natter about matches that don’t involve National Conference outfits, though, and with that in mind I’ll be making my customary contact with all the involved teams this week in a bid to ensure – in addition to whether their ties are going ahead – that full reports can feature in next Monday’s League Express (and in the Rugby Football League’s Challenge Cup records).
After all, the bottom line is that the Challenge Cup is a major competition and failure to lodge details of scorers at a minimum amounts, I’d say, to disrespect. I’m confident, though, that I’m fretting needlessly.
Finally, and much more positively, hearty congratulations to several folk with strong Rugby League connections who have been recognised in the King’s New Year’s Honours list.
An OBE has been awarded to Lt Col David Groce, who is in his sixth year as Chair of Armed Forces Rugby League.
Groce, who was made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours of 2018, has received his most recent honour not just because of his very significant contribution to Rugby League, but also in recognition of his huge military and wider service to his country.
Two other members of the Army with links to Rugby League have been recognised with MBEs, namely Sgt Alan Boyle and Sgt Merini Sevakasiga.
Former England Women’s captain Andrea Dobson is also an MBE for her tremendous service to the sport, service that’s continuing through her position as a development officer with the Sheffield Eagles Foundation.
Hearty congratulations to all – and to Tony Martin, who I happen to know well.
Tony, who is renowned as a former Super League touch-judge, was one of the best referees I encountered when being involved in running an amateur club. I wasn’t the only person who thought so, either; Tony often seemed to be appointed to what you might term those ‘difficult’ games which perhaps few other referees were too inclined to accept.
A players’ official, he was (still is) very approachable and had (still has) a strong sense of humour which in my experience he always brought to bear; that’s a quality that I think is very important in a referee.
Tony Martin’s honour is richly deserved, as are the others. Massive congratulations to all.