IF the Rugby Football League’s National Community Rugby League initiative means anything, it’s that ambitious clubs, no matter where they may be situated geographically, can rise to the very pinnacle of the amateur game.
For the first time, sides in what most of us think of as the Southern Conference (although, as Bristol All Golds’ Lionel Hurst pointed out to me, its correct title is now National Conference Southern) are fully aware that, within twelve months, they could be operating in the National League First Division and, just a year after that, in the Premier Division.
It was with that general prospect – and a future article for RL World magazine – in mind that I emailed southern sides in an effort to establish their respective views on what is achievable for each and every one of them.
And it was no surprise to hear back, very quickly, from that great visionary – Hurst himself – with the point that the new pyramid system is pretty much what he proposed when he was chairman of the Southern Conference back in 1996.
Hurst is, most understandably, all for the new structure. In fact he perhaps feels that it doesn’t go quite far enough – there should, in his view, be automatic promotion between the National Leagues and the Betfred Championship.
That’s a whole other issue of course. There is, after all, a world of difference between amateur outfits, often with junior structures, and professional clubs, where the focus is very much on the success or otherwise of the (very often) one and only first team.
What is striking is that, in terms of responses by National Conference Southern clubs, Hurst turns out to be pretty much a lone voice in his enthusiasm.
Of the eight teams involved, only four others got back to me, one of whom spoke very much off the record.
Those, while happy enough in principle, had serious doubts about the benefits for their own respective clubs of the new system whereby the top two sides in the National Conference Southern will enter Cross-Conference play-offs with their counterparts in Cumbria, the North West and Yorkshire with a view to earning a place in National Division One next year.
A recurring theme was travel costs, including potentially when the play-offs arrive, and certainly in the National League, which contain mainly northern sides.
Then there’s the impact on players, who will be faced with long journeys every fortnight. More than one club reflected that this year’s play-offs will make it a very long season for some lads, the implication being that such players might not want to bother.
It’s my strong belief that all amateur clubs should be run by strong committees but, for all that, I’m acutely conscious from hard experience that players’ wishes should not – in fact sometimes cannot – be ignored.
I’ve heard that one club’s players have simply refused to be elevated from the London League into the National Conference Southern.
There was a time when I’d have said, “make them go up”, but I’ve learnt that that’s an ivory-tower approach. In fact when I was involved in running a club I had, at the players’ behest following a heated meeting, to go cap in hand to our league with a request that we remain in the second tier rather than bask in the top flight.
That was hard – made harder when we then lost a county cup semi-final by a single point (we’d have reached the decider if a last-gasp touchline conversion attempt hadn’t drifted narrowly wide) – but the experience does make me empathise with the bloke whose dreams of a pyramid system have perhaps been given something of a wake-up call by his own lads. The old adage “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink” comes to mind.
What will happen towards the close of the season, when the Cross-Conference play-offs begin, will be more than interesting, I think.
If only the spirit that still permeates the former players of Queens could be bottled!
Those lads will be turning out this Saturday at Bus Vale, in north Leeds, to help raise funds for Charlotte Child, a mother of four who, sadly, has cancer.
The game, at one of amateur Rugby League’s most famous venues, is against Jonny Morgan’s charity side, the Silverbacks. It’s only a fiver to get in – moneys going to Charlotte, of course – and it will without doubt be a tremendous occasion.
Further down the line, the Fire Service hope to run a Rugby League team again.
Would-be players should get in touch with the organisers with a view to enjoying forthcoming trials. I’d love to see the Fire Service taking on such as the Police, the Prison Service and the Civil Service, as used to happen back in the day.
On the very near horizon, meanwhile, Cardiff and Swansea go head-to-head this Wednesday in the Welsh Varsity match.
The game promises to be a thriller, especially as Cardiff (who are hosting the game because Swansea’s facilities are being upgraded) are being touted as favourites against visitors who are seeking to make it three wins out of three in the series.
It’s an early start (11.00am) although not quite at the silly-o’clock time I vaguely recall from a couple of years back, but I strongly recommend that anyone in the area should get along.
On Saturday week, meanwhile, the Scottish League will swing into action, amidst some very good news.
Six teams will be taking part (Border Barbarians and Tayside Silverbacks are the new kids on the block) and with that in mind, league administrators have arranged a match officials’ course for this weekend.
The season promises to be the most exciting for a number of years and anticipation is already high.