Call it off and stick with local friendlies – Hilton
NCA Rugby should “call off ” the 2020/21 season, according to Canterbury chairman Giles Hilton.
Third and fourth-tier rugby clubs found out last month they would have to wait until at least January 2021 for competitive rugby after the RFU confirmed the postponement over Covid19 concerns.
NCA Rugby chairman John Inverdale described it as a “difficult decision” as discussions for a 15 or 22game season continue.
But Hilton has called on the organisation to scrap any competitive plans for the 2020/21 campaign.
He told TRP: “In the current circumstances, I can’t see how we can get going. From my perspective, the next step now is to get the RFU to call the league season off.
“I’ve had a lot of communication and I believe I’m not a lone voice.
“We couldn’t have a meaningful half-league season, so the next question is: what is the point of having a season that’s only 15 games long that involves all the travelling and everything else? It just doesn’t seem to work.”
The Canterbury chairman has been a leading voice in the call for local friendlies this season.
And he continued to push this message, adding: “My plea is to call it all off and allow us to start organising some local fixtures that might involve mini mornings, doing games midweek.
“You could do an away game where there is a mini session in the morning for kids and then 1,000 people watching in the afternoon – it would be perfect.
“It gives people an opportunity to do things differently. Leave the league season off, back to normal in 2021/22 – and this season it’s all off.”
NCA clubs are currently on Stage D of the RFU’s return to community rugby roadmap, meaning preseason friendlies could be played in December.
Hilton suggests this should continue throughout the season. “Leave it with the clubs to organise local friendlies,” he said. “You can get some bloody good friendlies at third and fourth-tier.
“There’ll be plenty of people looking for games, whether that’s the Army, RAF or BUCS. There won’t be any problems finding games.”