As a bit of background.

We currently have - Super League and the Championships in summer. We also have a series of RFL run summer amateur leagues but these play a condensed season in the North so as not to clash with the traditional amateur winter leagues.

In winter we have the National Conference League (3 divisions) and then a series of regional and local leagues - North West Counties, Barrow and District, Hull, Yorkshire, Pennine etc.. These have been traditionally aligned in some form with BARLA although I stress, they are independent leagues with their own committees and so on.

Following the coming together of the RFL and BARLA some years back under the structure of a Community Board, work has been underway to see what would be best for all of rugby league including the amateur levels. Although I say this is Community Board led, its pretty clear that the RFL have been in the lead in determining the options for a future structure.

The Community Board proposals are for tier 1 (Super League), tier 2 (Championship) and then for their to be a tier 3 level (top end amateurs) and tier 4 level (particpation amateur leagues) and for them all to play summer.

The NCL switch paves the way for those clubs to form that tier 3 level within the RFL plan. How that will integrate with the current Summer Conference top level is yet to be determined but logically they should integrate into a single structure.

However, BARLA have indicated that they will continue with a winter conference. So, the 10 clubs who voted against the switch might stick within winter and be joined by some other clubs from the top end of the North West Counties, Pennine, Yorkshire leagues etc. that operate currently in winter.

At tier 4 level, the plans are for there to be new summer leagues set up in March 2012 and to run to November. Effectively, amatuer leagues and clubs are being asked to decide are you a summer club (in which case, now is the time to make a switch) or do you want to stay in winter? The individual winter leagues are making their decisions, some saying they will continue offering winter competitions to clubs who want to remain in winter. The move of the NCL however is likely to encourage more switches to summer as NCL clubs often have 2nd teams (even 3rd teams) in the regional leagues.

Why this matters is that it might see some clubs fall over while it might see some new clubs emerge and some go from strength to strength while others get weaker. It will see the current summer leagues merged into new leagues with an influx of winter clubs. It might increase overall participation and it might encourage more kids (and higher skill levels amongst kids) as the junior leagues go through the same process...

but these are all 'mights' and 'maybes'. It's all a calculated risk. My view - it's the right thing to do. Some aspects could be better managed and i have a real concern that some clubs could disappear because their facilities will not be available to them under a summer structure and I think the RFL need to do more planning and support activity to anticipate this. They also need to ensure that there is a mini-comp from Sept. 2011 to December for tier 4 clubs or else they will lose their players.

Excellent post mmp mate, absolutely spot on.

I have two amateur clubs: Leeds Akkies (summer) and Heworth (winter).

I feel that the switch will help Leeds Akkies as they will find their right level of competition with more teams to play against. They won't lose many players (if any) as none of our players come from NCL clubs and we have great (if modest) facilities to use all Summer at Old Modernians.

As for Heworth, I believe it will help their junior ranks immensely by playing in the Summer. They own all their own great facilities and it will allow them to make more of an 'event' on a matchday with better weather. I just hope Heworths comittee really embrace and capitalise on the switch.

Could be great if amateur clubs have a whole day of rugby league: a couple of junior games and an open age game at the same venue, with stuff for the kids to do and food and drink. Would be a great source of revenue for the clubs.

Also a good move for clubs that don't have access to floodlit training facilities in the winter.

all of that is our situation in Bury. We were preparing for the possible summer switch so entered this season's NW Merit League at the same time as setting up our first junior initiatives. We have one winter game left, start Merit fixtures in May. The plan is to have junior training immediately before open age, and the same arrangement on a Saturday for games.

and facilities, esp. floodlit training has been the biggest issue (and cost!) we've had. Training in the light will save us considerable money and be much better for us.

Very minor point is this but very relevant still. Having played and coached on said rock hard dustbowls something needs to be done to ensure a new problem doesnt emerge. Ive seen all kinds of serious burns and abrasions that have gone hospital bound through contact with pitches devoid of grass!!

The last thing we want to do is simply swap barriers to participate like rain/mud and dark nights with another set of problems.

Not taking away from this great news in the slightest and i trust the powers than be have thought about all angles! We continue to move in the right direction

Great decision to move the NCL. Common sense in RL, who'd have thunk it?

I wasn't even thinking of grazes etc but a good point all the same - if games are postponed for frozen pitches then I'd hate to see a similar situation where the pitches are like playing on concrete. I'd like to think the grass issue will be solved in itself for clubs who use RL-only facilities as theoretically the pitches will be in good nick with little to no use during bad weather.

I must be missing these glorious red hot summers we keep having, rock hard pitches wont be an issue, ive played winter and summer, gimme summer every time.

Likewise you must have missed the amount of droughts we've had in the past few years.

Must be warmer over your side

Goes without saying.

The Rugby League Conference has been running in the summer (May-Aug) for over 10 yrs and whilst some concerns were initially raised over the playing surfaces, so long as the grass is left at a decent length it doesn't really cause any issues. Some games played at +75F are split into quarters (at referees discression) and gazebo/ shelters for subs is a good idea on some days too. Then again we've experienced some truely awful storms during these months too.

The benefit of the season alignment will strengthen the lower leagues of the game nationwide, and give a unified national structure.

wink all you want but i used to spend every day of the 6week holidays playing on waterhead park,home to waterhead ARLFC,...trust me it gets very hard during the summer...


what clubs could look at investing in is large rainwater tanks,i'm sure you can get grants for that kind of thing, and sprinklers systems.......that should work at waterhead & st annes....and saddleworth play next to a bloody canal....just stick a pump in water

Not sure of all the ins and outs for the NCL but the Cumbria league agreed to the summer switch a few weeks ago, their season intends for a break at the height of the summer holidays, which is a good idea IMO as along with hard pitches, the players on holiday argument is often used against summer rugby.

it was full,backpage news in the oldham chronicle......not sure holidays was mentioned??....hard pitches,obviously,and players having to choose between RL & cricket was though lol

As opposed to sludge or frozen pitches which result in numerous games being called off, and players having to choose between RL and the other far more popular sports which are played in winter.

I know why some people are concerned about the state of the ground, but this isn't a step into the unknown. We've been playing in summer down South for 14 years now, and it's entirely manageable. I'm not aware of more scratches and scrapes (I used to play in winter and got plenty of them then). The key is to be sensible. My general rule of thumb is that if my car thermometer hits 30 degrees or more, then I tell the captains I'm playing it in four quarters, and ensure that there's plenty of water taken on at scrums and whenever there's a stoppage for injury.

Also, sun cream. Very, very important for the follically challenged players and officials in summer....

It will be interesting to see if it impacts on support both for Amateur and pro , semi/pro clubs , will people be able to spend a whole weekend going watching RL ? , whereas at the moment they have the option all year round , in my own case the amateur game will get less of my money than it currently does via paying on the gate and over the bar

Not too sure on my local knowledge, but my interpretation is that the cricket issue is probably bigger in places like Saddleworth / Huddersfield / Bradford, where cricket seems to be a popular sport - certainly more noticeable than in Wigan, for example.

I dont think there'll be much impact, at present the start and end of seasons overlap. With the amaters playing in summer there is more flexibility over playing time (evening games etc). Planning is the key. If you pro club is kicking off at one time, make sure the amateur club kicks off at a diffrent time, simples

saddleworth is in oldham......better whisper that in case the white rose society come burn my house down...lol


lots of waterhead & st annes kids play cricket in the summer....i know i did

No Saddleworth is Yorkshire ( temporarily hiding in Oldham) HTH

Saddleworth people talk like Mancs but like Yorkshire type things like cricket and brass bands.

really pleased that we are going to summer from a junior coach`s prespective has the skills will improve massively training in better light and in more space with decent weather.

however i know from club meetings that their is great concern that clubs will almost have to shut down during the winter months which could cost clubs a hell of a lot of money,then their is the cost of making sure the pitches are safe to play on,i feel the phisios will have their work cut out if pitches arnt kept in good condition with all due respect to those who currently playing in summer saying it isnt a problem but ncl is played a much faster pace which is where the burns are going to far more severe.

im sure these problems can be overcome and clubs will make it work and im 100% behind giving it a go and hopefully we can start to close the gap on the aussies although it will take a full generation to see the results.

i'd like to confirm the suspicion you had about "local knowledge"


you do know all