Our local clubs need help and clarity from the top of the game IT’S HARD TO SAY, BUT THIS SPORT I LOVE ISN’T IN A GREAT PLACE AT THE MOMENT
AT my club Winnington Park, our first team will not have played a match for six weeks by the time they face Old Crossleyans in the Papa John’s Community Cup this weekend.
The grassroots men’s game underwent a restructure ahead of this season, with the introduction of this new cup competition at the end of the league campaign.
The aim, according to the RFU, was to ‘reboot and reenergise community rugby’.
But it is crucial for clubs such as Winnington Park that we play games.
We received a bye in the last round, but the structure of the new competition means teams can face long journeys, and that forces sides to pull-out.
Teams have either jacked it in following the end of the league season or are down to a skeleton squad as players have called it a day because they have gone weeks without a match.
For me, it is just shambolic. These amateur clubs are the linchpin of this great game of ours and the RFU need to take another look at this.
But to be frank, the RFU have a lot to take a look at! With just weeks left until the end of the season, we still don’t know what is happening with the Gallagher Premiership and the Championship next season in terms of the number of teams and fixtures.
It is simply not good enough. Amateur clubs are continuing to struggle. At Winnington, we may find it difficult to put out a third team next year, something we have always done.
We have a massive juniors set-up, both boys and girls, that is vibrant which is great to see – but at times they are struggling for games as other clubs aren’t able to field sides.
And like all of us, clubs are being hit in the pocket by the cost-of-living crisis.
The coach to take the players to our last round Pocklington RFC before they called it off would have cost north of £1,000. Papa Johns is putting some travel expenses into the competition, but that is still a lot of money to find.
Every club is in the same boat. Some have had to cut back to just one senior side.
But there is no quick fix, and I can’t see how we are going to get out of this.
The people at the head of the RFU who are making these decisions are on a lot of money, but they need to start looking after the little guy.
They need to start looking after the fans who want to come to Twickenham but can’t afford it because the ticket prices are too expensive.
And they need to start looking after these clubs who are the heartbeat of rugby.
It annoys me that these local supporters who follow clubs such as Winnington Park are left without any rugby to watch for six weeks. Members pay their fees, and they want to come down and watch some rugby.
Something has to be done to help our clubs. People can see the Premiership imploding with clubs going out of business at the top of the game, but also problems throughout the pyramid down to grassroots level. That shows something is wrong - and it just seems to be getting worse.
There are a host of great clubs, some big names of rugby around the country, really struggling and that is hard to see.
I love this game, it has given me everything, and it is sad to see it in this state.
We need leadership from the RFU, we need clarity from the top and a real plan.
I have been commentating on Championship games this season. They are streaming 10 games live, they should be streaming 20! That is the real hotbed of the game. The fact Championship sides don’t know when next season starts and how many games, they are playing next season is making it impossible for clubs to plan ahead, to sell season tickets, to sell hospitality packages, to even work out how many players they need.
It is a great competition. It is where refs learn to ref, it is where young players cut their teeth before moving on to the Premiership and international rugby.
Bill Sweeney and those at the RFU are paid fortunes to make decisions about our game, and we need better.
What we all need is clarity from the top about where the game is heading.
What we don’t need is a cup competition at the end of the season which leaves clubs with six-week gaps between matches.
I am all for change, but change for good, and with this restructure at grassroots level they just haven’t thought it through.
We have the World Cup coming up, that will hopefully spark interest in rugby, and it is a great opportunity to grow the game.
But people will be put off if they see the sport isn’t organised properly from the top. It is sad to say our rugby isn’t in a great place at the moment.
PS...IF we win Saturday and then the semi-final, the final falls on the date of the Kings Coronation and also the first round of the County Cup! You couldn’t make this up.
■ Dewi Morris is Honorary President of Wooden Spoon Manchester and Cheshire, The Children’s Charity of Rugby.