Canterbury want no part in 15-game season plan
CANTERBURY chairman Giles Hilton says promotion and relegation plans for a 15-game season are ‘nonsense’ and that his side will not be travelling to far flung places.
The RFU announced last week that third and fourthtier rugby would not take place in September as Covid-19 continues to impact live sport.
While clubs are planning for a November start, the new campaign could be forced back to January, with places decided over 15 games rather than 30.
But Hilton, chairman of National 2 South side Canterbury, is staunchly against this proposal.
He told TRP: “There’s no point having a 15-game season that holds promotion relegation – that simply can’t happen, it’s just nonsense. There has to be a plan B and the sooner we see it, the better.”
Canterbury travelled the country last season before suffering relegation from National League 1, but the Kent side would not be willing to travel again in a 15-game season.
Hilton added: “When the fixture list was announced, I said ‘that’s fine but please remove us from the fixture list if it falls that we’re away to Guernsey, Redruth and Barnstaple – we’re not going’.”
Hilton suggests a regionalised, friendly league would be the best option for the 2020/21 campaign.
He said: “Why don’t we just take the view of a county cricket season where you arrange your own games on a local basis?
“Why can’t we do Cantering bury, Tonbridge Juddians, Blackheath, Old Elthamians, Bishops’s Stortford, Rochford Hundred and possibly Worthing?
“Keep it local, cut out the overnight stays, cut out the travel. It could enhance the spectator numbers as it’s not as far to travel, which would be good for gate money and increase bar sales.”
The RFU also announced last week they were cutting more than 100 jobs, includand
community coaches and rugby development officers in response to short-term revenue losses of £107m.
Hilton warns this could have a damning impact on the third and fourth-tier game.
“The way I look at it is that the community game is the game – it starts at Level 14,” he added.
“They’ve got to give these guys as much assistance as they can. Don’t forget your roots. If you forget your roots, you lose your culture, you lose your structure. Any business will tell you that.
“With an uninvested community game, I don’t see how you will get the progression and this could set us back five or ten years in the game.
“There’ll be issues with players not coming forward and other sports being chosen and – dare I say it – clubs possibly going out of business, player pathways gone.
“It pushes responsibility back on the clubs at a time when they are hanging on for their own survival. It’s a very unpleasant circle.”
Moving forward Hilton wants the entire community game to be regionalised.
“Clubs will fight but I do see a different shape coming out of all of this,” he said.
“You have to allow for progression but outside of National 1 I see no reason why Level 4 should not be regionalised.
“There’ll be pressure on players and pressure on their employers to get time away from work.
“The whole business climate is changing dramatically and the sporting environment has to change with it. If we don’t, we’ll lose people.”
JOHN Inverdale, chairman of the National Clubs Association, yesterday welcomed the RFU’s plan for a shake-up of the National Leagues.
The proposals, unveiled on Friday for Level 3 (National One) down, include:
■ More leagues, but smaller legue sizes
■ Dedicated week breaks in the fixture schedule
■ A two-week break at Christmas
■ Promotion and relegation still based on finishing league position
■ A national champions cup and other cup competitions.
Inverdale, who was a member of the discussion group set up by the RFU Community Game Board, said: “We all want to see rugby reinvigorated and sustainable.
“The object is to arrest the decline in playing numbers, and two factors are key – player welfare and a reduction in travel.”
It is believed more regionslisation of the leagues will help cut travel and provide more potentially enticing derby games.
Level 3 becomes 14 clubs, down from 16; Level 4 is expanded to three leagues from two with 14 clubs not 16; Level 5 has six leagues, from four, and Level 6, 12 leagues from eight. Both Levels 5 and 6 have 12 clubs from 14.
The plans are published on the RFU website and comments are welcomed from all clubs.
The final proposal will be put before the RFU Council on October 2 and if agreed will allow for changes to be implemented in the 2021/22 season.
Stephen Pearson, RFU board member and chair of the Future Competition Structure group said: “The plan aims to meet the needs of current and future players by balancing quality of experience and player welfare needs with less travel, while protecting the sustainability of clubs.
“Over the last ten years, Rugby Union has generally bucked the downward participation trend seen in some team sports, however, there is an accepted view that it is female and age grade sectors of the that are supporting this.
“In the male game the playing pool continues to grow, however, players are playing less often and have different wants and needs due to changing life pressures such as work, travel and family life demanding more of their time. Meanwhile, there has been relatively little change in the way competitive rugby is delivered.
“Today more players are required to fulfil a 1st XV league season which can have a corresponding negative effect on Lower XVs in clubs.
“While different levels of the community game and regions have different challenges and opportunities, the general question as to whether the competitive structure we have is the best one to ensure the future health of the game, has been raised in club and constituent body forums throughout the last few years and we are looking for solutions that can work across the whole game.”
“The principles that the plan is based on are to be player centric and look after player welfare; to provide appropriate travel time and distances; to offer a quality player experience through the quality of competition and club sustainability.
“Research from the last three seasons shows players are choosing to play 15 league games on average per season.
“However, the majority of leagues require teams to play far in excess of this number. Among other issues this leads to player burn-out, more players being required to complete a first XV season and pressure placed on lower XV’s.
“Studies have shown the appetite in the game for meaningful cup and knockout rugby is strong.
“We will continue to consult with the game and are open to make further changes in response to feedback we continue to receive. However, we believe these proposals will provide a better player experience to increase participation and enjoyment to provide more sustainable outcomes for clubs.”