http://www.totalrl.com/game-set-for-...-2015-say-rfl/
The RFL's assertion doesn't seem to add up when looking at this:
http://www.sportengland.org/research...port/by-sport/
Participation in 16+ RL has dropped from 53500 to 32500...
http://www.totalrl.com/game-set-for-...-2015-say-rfl/
The RFL's assertion doesn't seem to add up when looking at this:
http://www.sportengland.org/research...port/by-sport/
Participation in 16+ RL has dropped from 53500 to 32500...
According to Radio Merseyside last night , the RFL`s figures are registered players , and SportEngland is a small survey interpolated for the whole country . just goes to show you can prove anything with figures
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I'll throw in the counter argument that maybe it is the RFL's figures that are wrong perhaps? They may have players registered but it doesn't mean they are actually participating in the sport. The Pennine League OA Premier Division seems to have virtually collapsed this winter for example...
One thing for certain is that the RFL are looking at another reduction in Sport England funding, which isn't good for development of the sport.
Sport England are using this...
http://www.sportengland.org/research...people-survey/
They say it includes 500+ people from each local authority, so it will be patchy.
I guess the real worry for us is that it shows a reduction from figures gathered in the past by the same methods.
For me when we cast the the second tier clubs to one side to fend for themselves it led to a dramatic decline in support and ultimately the local RL teams in those area's.
I am talking the Cumbrian clubs, and clubs like Rochdale, York, Swinton etc. These clubs formerly looked forward to playing the big clubs and it brought in better crowds. Sad to see a lot of these clubs now with just 3 figure gates. The strong have got stronger but at the expense of these bedrock RL area's.
Keeping the game in the entrenched mindset of staying in the NW is part of the reason for this.
Also sports that constantly perform badly at international level tend to get funding cut by sport England.
AS the RFL's answer to it is this for our children, it's not going to help. NWC have voted against this 100% and still they persist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-IW...ature=youtu.be
What's the problem with the above?
Logistics for a start - if you have 30 under 7s and they want you to play 5 a side, that's 6 concurrent games, you need a crb checked adult overseeing each one, you need enough space to hold them all at the same time, whilst the clubs have age groups 8-18s to find space for. They want to roll it out another agegroup every year, so 7s this year, 7s and 8s the year after and 7s, 8s and 9s the year after that. No tackling is a big issue with the coaches and the very large majority of the kids, and if it runs up to 9s in 3 years you'll have 10 and 11 year old kids, who have played tag for 3 years suddenly having to learn to tackle. For every club and the league itself to vote against it shows how strongly they all feel it's a non starter
Well there's some valid points you bring up. Have to say though IMO we lose loads of kids because kids are not given enough help in tackling at times.
Number of time you hear the adage of a kid will tackle or won't is ridiculous. We give up far to early on kids of 6, 7, 8 on this.
The switch to summer seems to have decimated the open age game. The NW Counties league which had around 12 divisions at one point is now defunct. The number of walkover scores published each week is a joke. Somebody ought to be shot over the way the amateur game has been destroyed. Many of the clubs in town ran 2 of 3 teams and seem to sruggle to field one sometimes and numerous clubs have disappeared altogether. All in all extremely sad.
All the RFL seem to be interested in is in having the largest geographical spread. Peterlee Pumas were in what is supposed to be the flagship amateur league and they were getting stuffed by 3 figure scorelines!! May look good on paper but the reality is something different. It is hard to see a way back.
Last edited by Div; 31st January 2015 at 20:34.
Some fair points raised however at the same timer there are some good points in the video. I'm not saying the video is perfect by the way but there are some massive pluses which can be used.
I've been involved in coaching both codes and RU is miles ahead of RL in most departments.
I hear a lot of league teams and coaches go on about tackling v tag and yes whilst some kids love contact from an early age some others and are lost to the game before they have really been given the chance as they don't like the contact part. Whilst we are in a contact sport that is only a small part of it, at an early age it would be more beneficial to work on skills such as agility, speed, ball handling and passing then tackle as the child develops and understands more.
How many teams have 30 under 7s playing each week? Not many, the vidoe just shows an example, I think the main aim is to show coachs and teams that its more important for the kids to rub round and be involved more than anything else.
Google England first and look through it, there is a huge amount of information which the RU have done into mini and junior rugby which makes for interesting reading