MORE National Conference League clubs have added their thoughts to those who expressed concern, in last week’s League Express, over plans by the Rugby Football League to regionalise the competition below the top two divisions.

The RFL intend to launch the new format, which would involve NCL clubs in the bottom two sections effectively reverting to regional leagues, in March.

A deadline of Friday, November 28 has been set for club registrations, although the NCL, who held a delegates’ meeting last Thursday, have not advised League Express, at the time of going to press, as to the outcome of a gathering at which a ballot was held on the management group’s proposal that the RFL’s proposals be vetoed.

However, League Express understands that 25 clubs were in favour of the veto and eleven against. Three abstained and seven did not vote. 

Clive Senior of Dewsbury Celtic said: “The RFL are acting as dictators and are demanding that clubs do as they say without consultation, or a democratic vote on what those clubs actually want, the prime example of this being the results of the club survey sent out by the RFL at the beginning of October without the knowledge of the NCL.

“Mike Denning, the chair of the National Conference League, told clubs to complete this anyway, so that the results could be known, the upshot (then) being 34 of the 46 clubs wanted to stay national (meaning nation, not this new-fangled national-regional). I fail to see how you can have both, you are either national or regional.”

He continued: “Based on the original results returned, the NCL came up with three divisions, which encompasses all clubs’ playing wishes. This was put to the RFL and was immediately declined because it did not suit what they wanted.

“Surely the most important part of this is what clubs and players want, and not the RFL within their dictatorial regime.

“Since the original return of the survey two further clubs admitted to not quite understanding the meaning of ‘regional conference’ and have changed their opinion. They now want to go fully national, therefore there are now 36 clubs making three divisions of twelve playing NCL rugby – to which the RFL say no.”

Senior stated: “The RFL say adult rugby is in decline regarding numbers. We all know the reason why. The professional clubs, who do not give two hoots about the community game, are ruining young players’ desire for the game by giving false hope that they are all going to be the next Reece Walsh.

“When they don’t achieve that, they leave the game totally disillusioned, never to return, which is why the adult game suffers.

“Clubs who have stressed a desire to play nationally should be allowed to do as they have stated – they are happy to travel and play at the highest community level their players can.”

He insisted: “As for Cumbria, the RFL have admitted they do not have the answer with its geographical nature, but the clubs within it are not being consulted, just told like the rest of us, like it or lump it.

“We need to tell the RFL to lump it because there is also I believe an ulterior motive here, regarding funding for the game.

“With all leagues under the leaky umbrella of the RFL, Sport England will possibly fund more. I believe the RFL have been told that to gain such funding they need to have entire control over the leagues who are running themselves and doing a better job than the RFL could in any form.”

Senior queried: “How can a governing body that have had two chief executives in a year and numerous board changes be fit for purpose? The game is in serious trouble with the current people running it.”

Beverley secretary Nick Robinson had said, in early October: “The proposals do seem to have come out of the blue. We as a club have heard very little about them, or indeed what form such a regionalisation would take.

“I think at a time when there is rightly concern about fixture fulfilment, it seems strange to tamper with the most successful part of our community game.

“Generally the four-division NCL competition has 100 percent fixture fulfilment and few games are rearranged. This is not the case in the regional leagues. In the NCL, fixture lists are more varied and interesting and teams from Cumbria add more variety.”

He also stated: “Speaking for ourselves, we came at the bottom of Division Three, yet it was very competitive with sides near the top losing a significant number of games.

“We lost a number of matches by narrow margins and did not suffer any ‘blowout’ scorelines.

“The overall format is attractive for spectators and sponsors. NCL outfits who generally have their own clubhouses and facilities need the continuity and profile that the league provides.

“We have seen fellow clubs drop out of the NCL voluntarily into regional competitions. Less regular fixtures have probably lowered their profile and accelerated their decline.”

In the light of the statement by the NCL’s management, Robinson added: “Joining everything up with promotion and relegation to the NCL is a good idea, giving regional clubs something to strive for and creating a pyramid structure that exists in other sports.

“However, expecting Divisions Two and Three to accept forced relegation to the Yorkshire or North West Leagues seems unfair.

“There is a certain kudos attached to NCL membership and option four, retaining three divisions of the NCL, does seem to be the ‘least damage’ option.”

The secretary of another club – who requested anonymity – said: “We think regional is the way forward as we are struggling for numbers due to work and social commitments.

“Unfortunately we have several older players retiring. Some have said they are willing to help out locally if we are struggling, but they are not willing to travel every other weekend.

“Escalating travel costs are also a factor for us to consider although that is only a part of the overall picture.

“We see this as purely a stepping stone to set our goals to strengthen and increase player participation, thus allowing us to put in place structures to allow us to grow our playing numbers.

“This would allow us to hopefully be in a position to once again be strong enough to push our ambitions forward.”

Another club put 19 questions to League Express for onward transmission to RFL community board chair Martin Coyd, who said: “A meeting was held at which questions were answered.

“The Rugby Football League’s staff are very capable and committed and have a duty to the whole sport, which is what the National Community Rugby League is very much about, with the creation of a pyramid system that can allow clubs to progress.”

Meanwhile, League Express understands that the NCL’s management has given the RFL a seven-day deadline to arrange a top-level meeting.