Summer all the way-Training in warm weather, fans and families watching, better handling.....it goes on and on

I do suport the move to summer BUT, there will need to be a big drive on match official recruitment. The pro game (at all levels) will use the better ones. I can see some pretty big games at amateur level being officiated by some of more <ahem> senior officials or young lads with relatively little experience. I know that the only way to get experience is to do the games, but it's whether people have the patience to cope with this whilst its happening

Anybody know when the announcement regarding which tems will be in leagues together will be announced?

As mmp says that's always cited as a concern but having played summer for a couple of years we've not had any issues or any games cancelled due to the pitch being too hard. Some of us older fellas might moan about our knees but it's not that bad.



I love it. Training in great conditions for as long as we like, more people watching, more enthusiasm, picking up players from RU/football/colleges/universities, more kids wanting to get involved (and their parents)...



The only issue has been losing players to summer holidays, music festivals, etc, but for me that far outweighs the frustrations of cancelling around 8 games a season due to weather as has happened every year since we formed.



I'm missing my tri-weekly fix but it'll be back before we know it.

We've only ever played in summer in the deep south, and often on pitches used by union clubs through the soggiest of winters, with the local council's unenthusiastic parks department as groundstaff. Never had any problems that a bit of vas on the knees didn't solve.



Taking my lad to the local union club for the first time this last couple of months, and honestly I don't know why anyone ever played rugby in winter. It's horrible, I'd forgotten how much so.

I can't believe it's even been suggested as a reason not to play. Try playing on the fields in Brisbane during the drought! The parking lot surfaces were more forgiving than some of those grounds I played on...

About time someone has realised this. There's been a big push this year (around 200 new match officials signing up) but there still won't be enough to satisfy the demand. The RFL have already selected a group of officials who are not to be involved in the amateur game at all which of course means less experienced/able match officials may be forced into doing bigger games.

I play in the Pennine League set up (still playing throughout the Winter), and so far we've had two games called off due to the weather. Last year, we had atleast seven or eight games called off.



One game did go ahead on what I can only describe as an ice rink. It had snowed a couple of days earlier, and it had hardened and become icy. The ref's 'test' to see whether the game should go ahead was to see if his car key would go through the layer of ice! Ridiculous. My legs were cut to ribbons.



Our training sessions are either held on a small patch of our home pitch (we only have two floodlights), or on the local park where we have to avoid the dog mess. Its bitterly cold, wet, dark and the numbers we get to training can get very low.



As someone said earlier in the thread, the positives to moving to Summer far outweigh the negatives. It's a pity my club are part of a league setup run by a bunch of flatcap wearing morons.

My only concern with the move is that a lot of clubs feel pushed into changing seasons, the RFL seem to have rode rough shod over BARLA instead of working with them. A lot of clubs were quiet happy with the way we were but there seems to have been a concerted effort to push summer rugby at the expense of established leagues not realy wanting it. Only time will tell what the right descision is.

WTF are you talking about? Clubs have the option to remain in winter if they wish. I don't understand why any of them would want to, because playing in winter is absolutely stupid from every perspective. If club officials are too short-sighted to realise that, then they should be pushed. Thankfully the vast majority were not, hence they voted for the switch. As for BARLA, they are a bunch of dinosaurs that haven't been relevant since the mid 90's, I don't know how you think the RFL should have 'worked with them' but the fact that that organization still exists is a joke TBH.

As a spectator there's nothing I enjoy more than a game of amateur R.L on a winter afternoon, long may it continue. I have the same concern as Beverley Red that the RFL are acting in a discriminatory manner towards certain sections of the Rugby League playing community, and this from a governing body that purports to be such an "inclusive" organisation. I think they're acting in a very arrogant and heavy handed way.

sorry, but is a club's decision what it does not 'its league' or BARLA.



the RFL provided information with which clubs could consider their options and make a decision. i really really resent the whole idea that BARLA or any league makes decisions on my clubs behalf. I also resent the idea that clubs themselves are not capable of weighing up the options and coming to an informed decision. there's been lots of references to 'being pushed' but i speak with those club officials and they are quite clear - they'd do whatever was in their (and the games) best interest - certainly not bullied into it. if parts of the game want to stay winter, then so be it - but to claim the RFL were discriminatory by giving clubs a CHOICE is just daft.



the arrogance that exists is in a small group of people who seem to have self-appointed themselves the 'voice' of the amateur game when they simply are not representative (any more at least) of those they claim to represent.