Community game return

[Mr Plow]

Anyone think it will return before the pro game? And want impact will Covid have on it?

[RugbyLeagueGeek]

7 minutes ago, Mr Plow said:

Anyone think it will return before the pro game?

Not a chance for mine. It's going to be way down the list of priorities for things starting back up again. I'm guessing until there's a vaccine or at least widespread testing, then any amateur team sports won't be restarting again.

7 minutes ago, Mr Plow said:

And want impact will Covid have on it?

Too early to tell, and probably depends how long this goes on for. I'm sure that there's still going to be a group of people who want to play rugby again, so it will continue in some form. Just a case of when.

[Hela Wigmen]

I suppose any self employed players and coaches, who have either had no work or less work during this period, may choose to work on a weekend rather than play/coach Rugby League. 

[Davo5]

[Toby Chopra]

On 20/04/2020 at 18:51, Mr Plow said:

Anyone think it will return before the pro game? And want impact will Covid have on it?

There's no chance it will return before the pro game. 

What people have to understand that some of the social distancing regulations in everyday life will have to remain in place to some extent for months, even after the worst of the lockdown is lifted. 

Workplaces - including pro sport - will at some point be cleared to breach the guidelines if its the only way they can function (and save jobs). 

But breaking social distancing for private recreation is way off - or at least certainly relaxing it enough for 30+ amateur rugby players to play full games is not going to happen any time soon. 

I'd expect the community game to be cancelled this summer - as the NCL chairman says, training, and at best local, smaller format games by the autumn is probably the best we can hope for. 

Although of course similar to the pros, if the summer is lost, the question of why not play through the winter should be asked. 

[Steve Slater]

Rugby League is a full contact sport, many other sports will be safe to return well before RL.

[Toby Chopra]

2 minutes ago, Steve Slater said:

Rugby League is a full contact sport, many other sports will be safe to return well before RL.

I think this is a key point that I haven't seen any firm scientific analysis of yet. I hope we get some soon. 

To the untrained eye it would seem obvious that playing full contact rugby was more of a risk of transmission than, say, cricket. But I'm not a scientist so I hope this gets made clear soon by the experts as it may or may not be the case. 

It's not always as straightforward. For instance at the start of the outbreak, scientists pointed out that the problems with stadiums wasn't having 50,000 people in them at the same time, it was the close contact with smaller groups getting to and from the stadium where the biggest risk was. 

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

https://www.rugby-league.com/leagues__competitions/national_conference_league/article/56730/a-message-from-the-ncl-chairman?fbclid=IwAR0lSWKtvFljq781gU4FI7orWrfg_jzSlIXoYK_I6rkrSxBjuDNLqoNWzSA

Egremont Chairman saying on Facebook that regional leagues are a suggestion and nothing has been decided yet - apparently there are other suggestions but he doesn't give any details.

For Cumbria the suggestion is an 8 team regional league with the possibility of quarter finals, semi finals and a final. Given there are 7 NCL teams in Cumbria I'm not sure on the eighth team, maybe invite Seaton, Ellenborough or Disington?

[Hela Wigmen]

19 minutes ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

https://www.rugby-league.com/leagues__competitions/national_conference_league/article/56730/a-message-from-the-ncl-chairman?fbclid=IwAR0lSWKtvFljq781gU4FI7orWrfg_jzSlIXoYK_I6rkrSxBjuDNLqoNWzSA

Egremont Chairman saying on Facebook that regional leagues are a suggestion and nothing has been decided yet - apparently there are other suggestions but he doesn't give any details.

For Cumbria the suggestion is an 8 team regional league with the possibility of quarter finals, semi finals and a final. Given there are 7 NCL teams in Cumbria I'm not sure on the eighth team, maybe invite Seaton, Ellenborough or Disington?

Doesn’t a regionalised division create an added problem of crowds? There’s decent appetite at NCL level for local derbies normally but after a pandemic where we’ve been starved of sport, is it not just going to draw a larger crowd than normal? And are crowds even going to be allowed, even at that level?

[Northern Eel]

What will happen when we do get back going will be decided largerly on when that will be. Following the RFL Community Club briefings last week, it was made clear that any extensions to the season would not be allowed to impact on World Cup year and thus, regional/local games will more likely be played, if we get going again this year,  in a different format than originally anticipated. This will include a mini-preseason to get us back going too. 
 

if we are back up and running in July, I would be surprised. 

[Toby Chopra]

14 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Doesn’t a regionalised division create an added problem of crowds? There’s decent appetite at NCL level for local derbies normally but after a pandemic where we’ve been starved of sport, is it not just going to draw a larger crowd than normal? And are crowds even going to be allowed, even at that level?

It'll be whatever the national guidelines say, regardless of the level of sport. I'd be surprised if we were allowed gatherings of more than 100 before September. Does that rule out most NCL teams? Do most NCL teams have a ground where they can control entry or are they open access to the public? 

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

11 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Doesn’t a regionalised division create an added problem of crowds? There’s decent appetite at NCL level for local derbies normally but after a pandemic where we’ve been starved of sport, is it not just going to draw a larger crowd than normal? And are crowds even going to be allowed, even at that level?

I would imagine they are taking that into account as nothing has been agreed yet. The NCL Chairman's message states:

I am reliably informed that will not be the case. Early July is being eyed by professional sport as a potential start date, but only behind closed doors, and of course the permission to stage events that will attract more than 500 people will be further down the list. Those would possibly include NCL games. In essence it is unlikely that an NCL season could not recommence until late July or early August, and that needs the pandemic to be conquered first.

and

There has been much speculation on how the Regional Groupings will be determined and how many fixtures they will provide. That will very much depend on a fixture start date being provided by the RFL in agreement with HM Govt. Suffice to say we have a number of options that give a varying number of fixtures and which are flexible in the way they can be organised to give more or less games as the Pandemic events unfold.

So I can't see them going against government advice and these fixtures will only be played when the likely crowd sizes are permissable

[Pulga]

On 21/04/2020 at 04:00, RugbyLeagueGeek said:

I'm guessing until there's a vaccine or at least widespread testing, then any amateur team sports won't be restarting again.

I heard the quickest ever vaccine development was 4 years.

[newbe]

I think clubs that have a club house/ bar will be the last to open up. They will be put in the the bracket as pubs, clubs,and gyms. And as we all know its this revenue that keeps going. So cant see anything happening for a very long time.

[Mr Plow]

4 hours ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Doesn’t a regionalised division create an added problem of crowds? There’s decent appetite at NCL level for local derbies normally but after a pandemic where we’ve been starved of sport, is it not just going to draw a larger crowd than normal? And are crowds even going to be allowed, even at that level?

You’d think it’d be just players, staff and match officials allowed. Would be good if games were shown on ouRLeague just to give people some live sport to watch.

[Eddie]

5 hours ago, Toby Chopra said:

It'll be whatever the national guidelines say, regardless of the level of sport. I'd be surprised if we were allowed gatherings of more than 100 before September. Does that rule out most NCL teams? Do most NCL teams have a ground where they can control entry or are they open access to the public? 

Toulouse would be ok. 

[gazza77]

Suggestions today that it will be "difficult" for sports to be played this summer, other than at a professional level. I wouldn't like to say where that would leave the (mainly) part-time Championship & Championship 1, let alone the amateur game.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52431501

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

7 hours ago, Pulga said:

I heard the quickest ever vaccine development was 4 years.

The one rushed through (eg WHO prequalification approval occurred in 48hrs instead of the normal 8-12mths) for Ebola took 5 years from first trial on healthy volunteers to approval.

[Hullfan]

Amateur clubs have Zero outgoings if there not playing matches, so everything be OK. Simple 

[del capo]

18 hours ago, Hullfan said:

Amateur clubs have Zero outgoings if there not playing matches, so everything be OK. Simple 

If you play on a cows patch with no facilities , maybe.

Most clubs are a bit better than that now. Standing orders for gas , electricity ,insurance, pitch maintenance , telephone rentals and internet facilities  T V subscriptions before staff wages rates building update and cleaning.

Millom RFC for instance recently reported to the NCL they needed more than £900 per month just to remain closed........ a lot of clubs in a similar position

[Northern Eel]

There is a significant scheme for community clubs to bid into for funds if they can genuinely show they cannot sustain their expenditure whilst closed. 

 

[Northern Eel]

18 hours ago, Hullfan said:

Amateur clubs have Zero outgoings if there not playing matches, so everything be OK. Simple 

That just isn't true at all. The outgoings will vary dramatically, but they will be there at every club. (Unless you were being sarcastic and it went  straight over my head!)

[Hela Wigmen]

On 26/04/2020 at 12:26, newbe said:

I think clubs that have a club house/ bar will be the last to open up. They will be put in the the bracket as pubs, clubs,and gyms. And as we all know its this revenue that keeps going. So cant see anything happening for a very long time.

Why? The club house can remain closed and play could theoretically take place still. 

On 26/04/2020 at 16:23, Mr Plow said:

You’d think it’d be just players, staff and match officials allowed. Would be good if games were shown on ouRLeague just to give people some live sport to watch.

While that may be true, most of these NCL teams play in fields that people can access pretty easily, how do you prevent people turning up?

[Mr Plow]

56 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

While that may be true, most of these NCL teams play in fields that people can access pretty easily, how do you prevent people turning up?

True it would be difficult at some grounds, would rule out a return of community rugby below NCL

[newbe]

In theory every one will have to be tested, that is not going to happen  let's all be honest .