Summer rugby for me. Nice warm day, flowing rugby. Just more enjoyable for me personally. Not saying I didnt enjoy winter rugby Im just not a winter person.
As for playing rugby, as a kid i always remember them day when the pitch's were frozen and just making a tackle and your ear feels like its fallen off, can be discouraging as a kid or the other hand when the pitch's are just mud baths and 1 man drive rugby, yes rough and tough. But for me free flowing fast rugby for me anytime, but thats just me

The mad dash for summer has begun....in February there were just a dozen teams thinking of summer merit league this year. that number has ballooned to 26 playing in the North West!!! The tables are online: www.pitchero.com/clubs/burybroncos/

The mad dash for summer has begun....in February there were just a dozen teams thinking of summer merit league this year. that number has ballooned to 26 playing in the North West!!! The tables are online: www.pitchero.com/clubs/burybroncos/

I have watched my 14-y-o stepson play his last three games in what could be described, in the recent heatwave, as "summer conditions",

As a spectator it was hugely enjoyable but the state of the pitches, all RL only,has convinced me that it isn't viable. All three were like concrete with a multitude of bare patches prevalent.There were a couple of serious injuries and both serious cuts and grazes, which will not have time to heal playing continuously in such conditions.I suppose the kids could play in skateboarding equipment rather than traditional kits as I would presume the majority of clubs don't have facilities to water.

You certainly get the free flowing rugby earlier posters alluded to as the three scores in these u15 games testify, 48-46, 52-36 and 44-38.The downside being a paucity of tackling.

Will it help improve skill levels as many people claim, I have my doubts. It is the coaching that needs looking at.The most prominent shout at junior level remains"give it to the big lad"

I play in the Pennine League, which is a played September to April/May, on some awful pitches.

We have a 10-team league, so 18 games, throwing in afew cup games if we're lucky, over a period of 8 months (or 34ish weeks). That gives us around 12 empty weeks (3 months) during our season, most of which are needed due to games being called off due to water-logged/frozen pitches.

Something which isn't thought about much is the training. We train twice a week on Tuesday & Thursday evenings on a field. We have to take our own portable floodlights (which often stop working), or be forced to play on the local park, avoiding dog poo. Summer rugby would mean floodlights aren't needed, we can train on our pitches, in better light (the shadow off the floodlights makes it hard to catch!).

More lads turn up to training when it's warmer too, coupled with the better training conditions I mentioned above. You can do alot more with the ball, make it more intense etc.

The grass will get better as the season goes on and it gets time to grow a bit.

The high scores probably tell us it was the weather that kept scores down in the past, rather than good defence.

I'm in with the summer camp. The future of our sport is always in youth and it's easier to attract people to come and try the game when they're more likely to be outside in the first place. Think of the parents during this past winter who had to take their kids out midweek in the freezing cold. Think how many parents couldn't be d when their kids said no because it was cold. A parent and kid is more likely to be enticed outside when the weather is lighter and warmer. It's simple common sense. Move to summer! Teams can live without the odd player whenever they're on holiday because the likelihood is that there'll be better cover with more people involved. Think also of the revenue potential for clubs with summer BBQs, fayres, car boot sales etc., as well.