SUMMER IS COMING……….

Well, we know that winter hasn’t really started yet – but summer IS coming to us at Eccles when our game switches from the traditional “winter” league to the new “summer” league. Our game kicks off on the first weekend of March 2012 – and we’re almost ready!!

We anticipate growth in all areas of our game – especially participation! When this growth comes, we need to deal with it with increased numbers of volunteers.

Are YOU up for the challenge?

We are looking to recruit volunteers in all areas of our club activities – especially youth and junior coaches, assistants and administrators.    We need volunteers on match days – either Saturdays (for open age games) or Sundays (for youth and junior games).

No matter how small the contribution you think you might be able to make – it will still be important to us.

Contact us TODAY - while you feel in a volunteering mood - and let us know what YOU can do for our game!

Send your details to info@ecclesrugbyleague.co.uk.     We look forward to hearing from you.

Issued:  5th April 2011

The National Conference League make historic summer switch

The Hatton’s Solicitors National Conference League will be playing summer rugby league from March 2012.

That’s was the outcome of an historic meeting of the 38 clubs on Monday evening when they voted 28-10 to accept the Rugby Football League’s invitation to operate the Conference North division of Tier 3 of the new summer structure, under licence.

The NCL is the very highest echelon of amateur rugby league with all its clubs complying with strict membership criteria that encompass top line facilities, sound business and financial principles and a powerful playing set up that includes strong youth and junior set-ups.

The NCL is the first winter amateur league to opt to make the switch, and the Management Committee will now formulate a short winter season from September through to early November, before a short break and a start of the 2012 campaign on the first weekend in March 2012.

The Clubs vote widely reflected the findings of the recent survey carried out among players, coaches and administrators, which had indicated that almost 70% were in favour of a switch to a summer playing season. This figure had been challenged as not being representative by certain pro-winter campaigners, but the Monday night vote mirrored those findings.

“The vote on Monday night was to accept the Licence offer of the RFL,” explained NCL Chairman, Trevor Hunt. “Now those clubs who voted against the switch can reassess and decide whether they want to be part of this exciting new challenge or remain in winter.

“I know a number of clubs voted against the motion because they had specific ground or scheduling issues. But we will work with them and the RFL to iron out those difficulties in the hope that they can then feel comfortable in making the switch to the new season format.

“We want all the present clubs to move as one if possible and I will be speaking to them all personally to see how we can best achieve that goal. But we will fully respect the wishes of any club that feels their interests are best served by remaining in a winter competition.

“It was a momentous meeting not only for the NCL, but the sport of rugby league in general.

“However this is not the end of the process, but merely the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in the NCL’s history and that of rugby league.

“The NCL now has the opportunity to determine and drive forward the future of rugby league at grass roots level and this League will be working hard to ensure that we are as successful in that endeavour as we have been in raising standards within the amateur ranks for the past 25 years!”

NB: Tier 3 will sit directly under the Super League (Tier 1) and the Championship (Tier 2), and is a new and exciting challenge for the National Conference League clubs as they now look to take the game forward with a top flight amateur competition

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Issued:  29th March 2011

That National Conference League is set for its biggest day!

Next Monday (4th April) is set to be the biggest day in the 25 year history of the Hatton’s Solicitors National Conference League when the 38 clubs will be asked to vote on whether the competition switches to summer for 2012.

The NCL League Management have unanimously taken the decision to strongly recommend to the clubs that they accept the invitation of the Rugby Football League to play as the “The Conference League (North)” from March 2012 onwards.

“At the request of the NCL clubs, we have worked long and hard with the RFL through the Community Board, to come up with what the NCL Management feel is an attractive and workable summer competition for the clubs.” Stated NCL Chairman, Trevor Hunt. “And we are unanimously agreed that this is the way forward for the NCL clubs, the NCL League and the sport in general.

“It is a big decision to make, but we feel the arguments for a summer competition now massively outweighs those for remaining in winter. The NCL has a unique opportunity to shape its own destiny and forge forward to truly make Rugby League a sport for the 21st Century for participants outside of the professional game.

“It is now up to the clubs to decide if they are ready to take on that opportunity and that challenge!”

Under Licence to the RFL, the NCL Management Committee will administer the new 2012 summer competition to the same operational and competition rules as the ones they currently operate for their winter league.

Once the League is up and running, the RFL and NCL will work together to fine tune these operational rules over the 2013 and 2014 seasons to ensure the ongoing success of the Tier Three competition.

This Summer League will operate at Tier Three level in the new pyramidal structure and will sit directly under Super League, (which is Tier One), the Championship and Championship One, (which sit in Tier 2), and will provide a direct promotion opportunity into Tier 2 for any clubs with such ambitions.

It’s a momentous decision, but a third successive bad winter has left the clubs without fixtures for almost three-months in some cases and with a massive backlog to get the schedule of games completed in the League.

The NCL Committee met with the RFL representatives last week, and unanimously voted to recommend to the clubs that they accept a series of proposals that would take the NCL into a new level of competition.

With the National Youth League already playing in summer and Junior League’s seemingly set to follow, it would appear to only be a matter of time before the game would naturally progress to a summer competition as youngsters progressed through the ranks.

But instead of drifting towards that inevitability, the NCL now have the opportunity to be in charge of their own destiny.

Its a huge call, but the NCL have never shirked away from taking on new challenges, and with the same management, operational and competition rules, it should ensure that the clubs concerns over administration and management are suitably addressed.

The only change to what they do now, that the club’s players and administrators would see, is that they would play in summer rather than winter!

It’s now up to the clubs to make their decision !

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