Blackheath trip to open National League One campaign for Foresters
CINDERFORD will open the new National One season on September 4 with a trip to Blackheath.
The Foresters were eighth in the table on 84 points when the season ended in March 2020, and director of rugby Paul Morris says they will not be playing any games under the diluted format suggested by the RFU.
Training started at Cinderford RFC on April 1 and the squad will then break for May.
“Training will then re-commence every Thursday in June at Cinderford RFC,” Morris wrote on the club’s website.
“We should be allowed to do contact training in the tackle and ruck situation at this stage.
“If the easing of lockdown restrictions stays on schedule and the Government’s Stage 4 plan of easing all restrictions comes to fruition on June 21 then it should be all systems go.
“The RFU should then move the Roadmap to F and contact around the scrum and maul would also be allowed.
“This being the case we will then begin Tuesday training at St Peter’s School on Tuesday June 29 and continue Thursday training at Cinderford RFC.
“The 2021-2022 season should also be on schedule to start on September 4.
“The club are in the process of preparing a full list of pre-season fixtures for August and need to re-integrate the players to full rugby gradually, therefore will be looking at pre-season games on Saturday August 7, 14 and 21, plus two fixtures under the “new” lights at Cinderford RFC on Thursday 19 and 26.
“These fixtures should be revealed shortly and will involve large squads as we gradually build the players back up to 80-minute rugby fitness.”
Elsewhere, Leeds Tykes (formerly Yorkshire Carnegie) begin life in National One by hosting Taunton Titans, who clinched promotion to the third tier during the 2019/20 campaign.
The RFU Council has agreed changes for a new competition structure in the game from the National Leagues below.
The new measures will come into effect from the 2022/23 season and will see National One remain as one league whilst National Two will consist of three leagues.
The size of the leagues will also be capped at 14 teams (rather than the current 16) and all teams at a given level will be grouped together geographically to reduce travel times and distance.
The league season will be shortened to address concerns shared by players around the intensity of the current league structure as the RFU have highlighted player welfare as one of their core principles.
In addition, there will be a protected two-week break over the Christmas period and protected weekend breaks (at points to be determined through the season).
A rapid review of competition struc
tures will also take place every three years.
NCA chairman John Inverdale said: “In the wider context of the game, this is an improved structure that we hope everyone will get behind.
“It offers more clubs the opportunity to call themselves ‘National League clubs,’ but with that comes greater responsibilities of representing the sport at the semi-professional level.
“We hope National League clubs and players can continue to thrive as a result of this review.”
The member clubs of the NCA also voted at an extraordinary general meeting to rebrand levels 3 and 4 as National League Rugby.
A final decision on the change will be made at a full meeting of the RFU Council in June.
Chairman John Inverdale said it was an important statement as the sport awoke from the problems of the past year and it also presents an opportunity for us to boost the profile of our divisions.
“The NCA name was a throwback to a time before leagues were started in the 1980s,” Inverdale said.
“It’s an acronym that few people identified with and required constant explanation. The new rebranding requires no explanation.
“National League Rugby will represent the clubs that play in the National Leagues. It will also open up new marketing and sponsorship opportunities.”
Opening day fixtures for National One (September 4): Birmingham Moseley v Darlington Mowden Park, Blackheath v Cinderford, Caldy v Old Elthamians, Chinnor v Sale FC, Cambridge v Rams RFC, Tonbridge Juddians v Bishop’s Stortford, Plymouth Albion v Rosslyn Park, Leeds Tykes v Taunton