Newcastle

[Haven 123]

Hensingham U18s Win National Cup no representation from Cumbrian representative not even a good luck txt. 
Hensingham won 18s CARLA league leaders last week at Wath Brow, no representative there or no Awards. 
Games & Finals on same days As England Community Lions games so lads have to choose. Could go on & on the Cumbria Lancashire and Yorkshire concept at 14s 16s & 18s don’t happen anymore apparently due to cost People mention the resurgence of the 18s league absolute tosh, think it started with 8 teams and now down to 3 with teams scrapping teams together. 
For me there needs to be a public meeting were anyone can attend and ask the people at the top what’s going on, there’s a lot of talented Kids/Coaches being let down big time.. 

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

1 hour ago, Haven 123 said:

Hensingham U18s Win National Cup no representation from Cumbrian representative not even a good luck txt. 
Hensingham won 18s CARLA league leaders last week at Wath Brow, no representative there or no Awards. 
Games & Finals on same days As England Community Lions games so lads have to choose. Could go on & on the Cumbria Lancashire and Yorkshire concept at 14s 16s & 18s don’t happen anymore apparently due to cost People mention the resurgence of the 18s league absolute tosh, think it started with 8 teams and now down to 3 with teams scrapping teams together. 
For me there needs to be a public meeting were anyone can attend and ask the people at the top what’s going on, there’s a lot of talented Kids/Coaches being let down big time.. 

I don’t disagree with some of what you’re saying, but a public meeting calling out the league management won’t solve anything. These people are volunteers, fresh faces with new ideas are badly needed, but doing this in isolation doesn’t work.

we all think we know what works and what doesn't in the local game, but they are in most cases based on individual experiences and might not be the norm.

It needs a complete and thorough review with ALL partners contributing and that’s includes the pro clubs

[Marrafan]

20 minutes ago, Death to the Rah Rah's said:

I don’t disagree with some of what you’re saying, but a public meeting calling out the league management won’t solve anything. These people are volunteers, fresh faces with new ideas are badly needed, but doing this in isolation doesn’t work.

we all think we know what works and what doesn't in the local game, but they are in most cases based on individual experiences and might not be the norm.

It needs a complete and thorough review with ALL partners contributing and that’s includes the pro clubs

Everyone should be concerned, especially the pro clubs. You make some good points and I agree with you. All clubs/leagues etc need to start working together for the benefit of the game at all levels.

[JMB]

7 hours ago, Hate the rec said:

Good post , isn't Daisy (sorry forgot his name ) still employed by the RFL as a development officer for this area or has that post gone ?

No Cumbria hasn't got any development officers, but Daisy is on all the youth and open-age leagues committees in Cumbria. 

 

[Neutralfan7]

It's a tough one to work out why the youth has somewhat took a decline in recent years but as for the 18s league, I'm not too surprised some teams are struggling, by all accounts (happy to be corrected if someone knows) it seems they train for open age on Tuesday and Thursdays, have 18s matches on Wednesdays and then open age game if picked on a Saturday... It's no wonder some are struggling for a side! 

Side note, was pleasing to see Haven training with the Hensingham 18s before their national cup triumph, would like to see this happen more for youth teams

[JMB]

1 hour ago, Haven 123 said:

Hensingham U18s Win National Cup no representation from Cumbrian representative not even a good luck txt. 
Hensingham won 18s CARLA league leaders last week at Wath Brow, no representative there or no Awards. 
Games & Finals on same days As England Community Lions games so lads have to choose. Could go on & on the Cumbria Lancashire and Yorkshire concept at 14s 16s & 18s don’t happen anymore apparently due to cost People mention the resurgence of the 18s league absolute tosh, think it started with 8 teams and now down to 3 with teams scrapping teams together. 
For me there needs to be a public meeting were anyone can attend and ask the people at the top what’s going on, there’s a lot of talented Kids/Coaches being let down big time.. 

The biggest problem is the lack of volunteers to join the different management groups, so we have the same few individuals trying to run things, and it is not an easy job. 

Maybe time to look at something different like joining both youth and open age together, running under one umbrella, this could encourage more volunteers to step forward. 

[Town utd]

There was nothing wrong with the way rugby league was run years ago,rfl look after the pro game,Barlaston look after amuture game,pro clubs should have 1st and A team, Barlaston look after youth and amuture leagues.

[Town utd]

Barla

[town4me]

Only way forward is a joint club in west cumbria with an academy. Cumbria is heavily scouted by SL clubs who pick off the talent. Just a personal opinion.

[donald]

1 hour ago, town4me said:

Only way forward is a joint club in west cumbria with an academy. Cumbria is heavily scouted by SL clubs who pick off the talent. Just a personal opinion.

And call it cumberland lakers or summit play a couple of games at Carlisle the IMG points would sky rocket up

[Town utd]

Rubbish, every young player should want to drive to play for town,haven or barrow in cumbria, if happy to play amuture so be it,but super league academy an scholarship as picked so many in the area,let barla,run the youth game and young players play for there local clubs until  there ready to play pro.

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

3 hours ago, Town utd said:

Rubbish, every young player should want to drive to play for town,haven or barrow in cumbria, if happy to play amuture so be it,but super league academy an scholarship as picked so many in the area,let barla,run the youth game and young players play for there local clubs until  there ready to play pro.

Must be approaching 20 years since Barla ran the community game. It all had to go under the RFL as Sport England wouldn’t recognise 2 governing bodies, so the community clubs would have lost access to grant funding.

the problem today is that nobody really runs the community game, the RFL oversee it and collect insurance money etc, but it’s the local leagues that pretty much self govern after that in exactly the same way it’s been ran since the 70s.

in fact the only area which has changed will be with communication as with emails, what’s app, social media etc, it’s a lot quicker and easier to contact clubs and get instant decisions 

[Town utd]

And the game as gone down hill since.

[Death to the Rah Rah's]

1 hour ago, Town utd said:

And the game as gone down hill since.

It started to go down under BARLA’S watch, the boom times for community RL were the 80s and very early 90s, the game has been in a slow decline since and even if the RFL had the will to want change they no longer have the financial resources to do anything unless sport England could be persuaded to fund development, but the chances of that are pretty slim as sport England would be more inclined to fund women’s and disabled sport these days 

[CowHouse]

I don't think all areas of the amateur are as bad a people are suggesting - Semi Pro is a different story! Primary RL in West Cumbria has record numbers. All clubs and management involved should be applauded. In comparison to youth Rugby Union, it is miles ahead.

I get that a lot of the management involved with RL are volunteers, but they can still be open to suggestions. I do think though that those who are paid need to do more. Or at least show that they are trying to do something with new ideas.

If you have a gifted 13/14-year-old player what plans or pathways are in place? As it stands you have to hope that when/if they are watched by a SL team, they play well enough to be invited down for trials. They then hope they have supportive parents who can commit to driving up and down the M6 for months. I feel sorry for these players.  

As mentioned, some kind of West Cumbria academy / teams would be brilliant and wouldn’t take too long for the Semi Pro teams to reap the rewards.

I don’t think it will even take that much money. A sponsor for kits could be found and I am sure that amateur clubs would happily share facilities to help with training.

The biggest barrier will be getting people together to coordinate this – ideally this is where Daisy and the RFL could help. All sports need effective pathways for the sport to flourish this is the major issue holding back Town and Haven.

[Town utd]

Stop scolerships at youth level taking young lads away from there amuture clubs,let them develop through the age groups at local level,then play open  age,the amuture game will get more  players playing.Then the pro teams start the A teams again, so when lads sign they have a game every week.but sign them when there ready to play at that level.

[JMB]

15 hours ago, Town utd said:

Rubbish, every young player should want to drive to play for town,haven or barrow in cumbria, if happy to play amuture so be it,but super league academy an scholarship as picked so many in the area,let barla,run the youth game and young players play for there local clubs until  there ready to play pro.

No disrespect but I'm not sure you are aware of how the local amateur leagues are run, youth and open age. BARLA is a waste of space and is only interested in the Yorkshire leagues, or supporting the RFL at the community board meetings.

Sadly over the years neither Town nor Whitehaven have had the resources or finances to run a successful scholarship or academy. 

In my view, I feel it is time that we have one strong management committee that can oversee both youth and open age in West Cumbria, a management group with members drawn from both Copeland and Allerdale, people who have been involved in the game, and who seen the problems both the teams and leagues go through.  

[old un]

There are some good suggestions on this topic, but they need to be sent to the rugby league for consideration.  Get the editor of the Rugby League Express to include a discussion article in the paper otherwise it is just a waste of words.

[Route66]

Would be great for young lads and girls in the area if the local clubs could look at the 2 football development organisations in the area ie reds in the community and the Cumbria football academy to see how they are run, which appears to be mainly self financing by the parents and how a similar set up could work within rugby league. Know quite a few parents of kids at both of these ,main positives are the better coaching and playing at a higher standard but also able to still play with their community teams at the same time. Whatever happens a long term strategy needs brought in

[dkw]

Theres are some great things being done by clubs in the area, Maryport are a brilliant example, they have teams at all ages, and vets teams also. Theres absolutely loads of kids at the club now, its a great initiative by those involved.

This isnt only there though, the youth leagues are doing really well round here, the hard bit, as others have already said, is giving them a path to open age and keeping them interested.

[homeandawayer]

Why didn't the joint Crusaders project work? I haven't followed the amateur scene since I finished .

[JMB]

On 11/07/2024 at 14:48, old un said:

There are some good suggestions on this topic, but they need to be sent to the rugby league for consideration.  Get the editor of the Rugby League Express to include a discussion article in the paper otherwise it is just a waste of words.

The rfl has no interest in either semi-pro or the amateur game in Cumbria, it has to be the clubs to sort this out, just like the NWC leagues, they have a good set up giving the kids plenty of pathway opportunities.  

[old un]

Super league has a lot of interest in West Cumbria, they are prepared to steal our best local youth talent.  Our youth talent should be expected to learn their trade with our own senior clubs. If then good enough could be sold on to a higher league for a club fee and personal fee.  This would help the bottom clubs finances.

[JMB]

7 hours ago, old un said:

Super league has a lot of interest in West Cumbria, they are prepared to steal our best local youth talent.  Our youth talent should be expected to learn their trade with our own senior clubs. If then good enough could be sold on to a higher league for a club fee and personal fee.  This would help the bottom clubs finances.

But it is just like the big football clubs, would rather sign them so other clubs can't, and if they don't work out for the club, just get rid of them. Look at the number of kids picked up by Super League clubs on scholarships, and how many make the grade.