THE Rugby Football League are, League Express understands, seeking to facilitate a meeting between representatives of the North West Youth League and the Barrow and West Cumbria Youth Leagues.
The initiative follows concerns over an escalating drift of teams from the West Cumbria (primarily Whitehaven and Workington) and Barrow areas to the North West Youth competitions, which are mainly centred in Lancashire and Cheshire.
League administrators in Barrow and the rest of Cumbria are, while deeply concerned, generally hesitant to speak openly about the issue.
Meanwhile David O’Dowd, the North West Under 15/13 league secretary, told League Express: “We have had applications from a total of 17 teams, for age groups Under 13 to Under 16, which we’ve discussed at length with the current NWC membership due to the size of the influx. They were accepted at the relevant annual meetings.”
He continued: “We spoke with the Rugby Football League and representatives from the local area when it was mentioned that following the successes of (Cumbrian sides) Hindpool Tigers and Lowca in our cup competitions in 2024, other clubs wanted to join us.
“There were some discussions around very old BARLA rules through which teams and clubs were effectively rooted to geographical areas.
“However, as BARLA ceded running the game some 20 years ago, these (rules) have not applied and the RFL even admitted that teams could move freely.”
O’Dowd revealed: “We have discussed some form of gentlemen’s agreement with both Cumbrian Leagues and are awaiting a first meeting to try and see how both parties can work together.
“However, as some teams put it, the leagues at older (youth) ages are not viable, with four or five teams of wildly differing strengths, so a lot of clubs are not looking at the NWC for older-age competition.
“Boys in Scholarships also talk to each other, as you can guess, when at sessions with such as Wigan, Warrington and St Helens, and players are going back mentioning playing in the NWC because of it.
“It is a shame, but the clubs, teams and players do remain in Cumbria. They are just playing in a different League.”
Darren Hayes, vice-chair of the North West Youth Under 18/16 league, admitted: “It’s a shame because I would rather they stayed in their own area, but from what we were told there were too many one-sided games and not enough teams.
“I, personally, have always said we shouldn’t bring them in because of travelling distances and the burden of trying to find match officials when they struggle up there.
“But we cannot say no if clubs agree – and we don’t want to lose players from the game.”
The RFL have not made an official statement. However, emails forwarded to League Express highlight the struggles being experienced in Barrow and West Cumbria, one source stating: “The West Cumbria league continues to offer Under 6 to Under 11 Primary RL but this season we only have Under 12s at youth level, compared to the Under 14s and Under 16s we have previously run for a number of years.
“We do also have an Under 13 league, but this is played midweek and was initially brought in to give some players the option to play at their true age group, rather than having to play up to Under 14.
“Unfortunately, there is one train of thought that this has had a negative effect and possibly given teams, coaches and players the mentality that they want to play at their true age.
“Due to other clubs joining North West Youth and Junior leagues, again for a more suitable standard, the remaining clubs felt that they too had to go, because there weren’t enough teams left locally.
“In 2024 we ran an Under 18 league, again played midweek, which started with six teams but ended with three. With not enough clubs wanting to enter in 2025, this has also been lost.
“In both regions, teams are moving to NWY and J for their own valid reasons, but then those who weren’t looking to move had been forced to, otherwise they wouldn’t have enough teams for a suitable playing offer locally.
“Some work will need to be done in the regions, both in terms of player recruitment and competition structure and playing offers, but also for clubs to commit to their local league to help make them stronger and sustainable.”
Another source stated: “Barrow and District Youth continue to offer Under 6 to Under 10 Primary RL, plus Under 12 and Under 14.
“However, with only eight clubs within the region (one of which is rebuilding from the bottom up) we only have six Under 12 and five Under 14 teams.
“This is also affected by teams going to North West Youth and Junior league, due to more/different teams to play and/or being able to play at a more suitable standard.
“This is sometimes a better standard but could also be a lesser standard if the team were struggling locally.”
A further source stated: “League Express referred, last week, to the BARLA Cumbria Cup, which has been ran for the last 40-odd years by Joe Elliott.
“No one from BARLA has attended any of the youth cups for the last few years, and with potential fixture clashes with the NWC fixtures and the Lancashire Cup (which all NWC teams enter) it was felt the best outcome was to cancel the Under 14 and Under 16 Cumbria Cups as no teams are playing in a West Cumbria league and there was no room to fit it into the NWC playing calendar.”
