talk of summer Rugby for Junior and Youth

[rs]

LEAGUE TO COMPLETE SUMMER SWITCH
 

Rugby league could complete a move away from winter by next season after officials claimed there was a groundswell of support for summer rugby.

Super League led the way with a switch to summer in 1996 and was followed by the semi-professional Championship and the pioneering Rugby League Conference, leaving the rest of the amateur game and the junior and schools competitions ploughing a lone furrow in the winter.

David Gent, the Rugby Football League's director of participation and strategic partnerships, is leading a consultation exercise with amateur governing bodies and youth organisations to assess the mood of the game and have an April 30 deadline to gauge support for the move.

RFL national development manager Andy Harland said: "There has been some very positive debate and I am sensing that the youth and junior clubs are the ones most keen to switch.

"There is no reason why it could not happen in time for next season. I haven't heard anybody who is against it."

Armed with a £29.4million windfall from Sport England, the RFL have set out an ambitious strategy to increase playing numbers by the end of 2012, when the grant is due for renewal.

Gent said the League have realistic plans to create 5,000 more teams and increase the number of adults playing the game from under 60,000 to more than 92,000 in the next two years.

Organisers also aim to increase the number of women and girls playing rugby league from just under 4,000 to 20,000 by 2012

[eddietheviking]

i think its a good idea, however im not sure how well the players who are also parents will take it, im sure they would rather be spending time with their kids during the summer weekends

[AB]

I think the ideal summer season would be start march/april finishing about october with 4 weeks off in july/august

[John S]

Many clubs already have a squad problem and find it hard to field 13 never mind 17.  Throw in the summer holidays/Whit, August Bank holidays and it will be chaos

There is a thought that with better weather then more kids will be attracted to the sport thus solving this problem.  That is a possibility.  Also training sessions will be more enjoyable and skills will improve.

What winter rugby does is get kids out of the house when quite often they stay inside nd therefore during the winter they would virtually hibernate thesedays, get little activity and not build up their natural resistance to germs.

The jury is out for me on this one but I suppose its a case of we should try it to see if it does have a positive affect on the sport.

[AB]

like i said start march/april (after easter) end october with 4 weeks in either july or august for holidays

[leagueconvert]

I think there are a lot more questions to be answered before this goes ahead.....for example, the ground in the summer months can be rock solid (not many amateur clubs have the luxury of sprinkler systems !!) so will therefore be unsafe for kids to play on due to the number of injuries that would be substained... add to that the fact that a lot of the kids play other sports in the summer so would then have to make a choice....sadly I dont see rugby league benefitting from this at all.

[mr dunne]

the ground in the summer can be as hard as when its frozen in the winter

[John S]

the ground in the summer can be as hard as when its frozen in the winter

How do they cope in the South of France and Australia then?

I think there are a lot more questions to be answered before this goes ahead.....for example, the ground in the summer months can be rock solid (not many amateur clubs have the luxury of sprinkler systems !!) so will therefore be unsafe for kids to play on due to the number of injuries that would be substained... add to that the fact that a lot of the kids play other sports in the summer so would then have to make a choice....sadly I dont see rugby league benefitting from this at all.

Must be a lot of rich amateur clubs in France and Oz then.  The number of extra injuries argument also fits into the same category--or are they tougher in other parts of the world?

Other sports in summer--cricket?--dont see too many lads playing cricket and that leaves tennis (courts only full for a short period each year).  Dont see other sports getting in the way.

Whilst I remain to be convinced by the summer argument it should not be dismissed by negative comments which have not been fully thought out.

[cjl]

The question has also been put to O/A teams in the last few days.

David Gent says "I haven't heard anyone whose against it"............there seems to be quite a few on here.

The options set out by the RFL are:

(A)   August 1 to May 31  with break for Challenge Cup final, and winter break from mid-December to mid February.
(B)   Sept 1 to June 30 with winter break from mid Dec to mid-February
(C)   March 1 to November 1 with break for Challenge Cup final only
(D)   September to May as we are now

My major issue is the size of the breaks there suggesting, we would loose lads to play union IMO

[DJP09]

Option b I'd say. I have enjoyed summer the last 2 seasons but in a few years my knees will be shot. Changing to summer won't benefit the amateur game. I'd say we would lose more players than we'd gain.

[mr dunne]

but isnt an 8 week lay off a bit much??

[DJP09]

but isnt an 8 week lay off a bit much??

some teams had that with the weather this year anyway.  to be honest if it gives the pitches a break to recover, then id rather play every week with a natural break than play sept, oct, twice in nov, once in dec, once in jan etc etc.

[simms X]

well i know what time of the year id rather play rugby..with the sun on me back(thats if we get any).. just think traveling up 2 barrow in the hail & snow? or the sun & a light breeze!..summer all the way. & plus i might even turn up training a few nights as well.haha

[mr dunne]

some teams had that with the weather this year anyway.  to be honest if it gives the pitches a break to recover, then id rather play every week with a natural break than play sept, oct, twice in nov, once in dec, once in jan etc etc.

true. BUT....how many lads would train knowing that there`s no game for another 2 months??

which is then not fair on the lads who want to train and keep fit

[LeedsViking]

Are the NCL running a summer competition again this year?