How can Cumbrian rugby come together and improve the future of rugby union in Cumbria after some worrying trends in the season just coming to an end?
Certainly one of the disappointments has been the lack of apparent interest in the Papa John’s Cup after the league season ended.
Several Cumbrian clubs have been let down by the decision from out-of-county opposition to pull out.
Ironically Papa John’s Cup defections have helped Cumbria fit in its County Cup final after it had looked dead and buried and the trophy decided when Carlisle conceded.
Penrith were badly affected by the Papa John’s cry-offs, losing three games, so the county saw a chance to resurrect the final and happily the holders and Carlisle agreed to meet up on April 20 on the field.
But generally the question is being asked are players/clubs interested in the Papa John’s Cup, the County Cup or for some the County Championship after the league season ends?
At the moment league rugby sees the Cumbrian clubs split as follows:
- Level 5 Regional 1 N W Kendal and Penrith.
- Level 6 Regional 2 N – Aspatria, Keswick, Upper Eden, Kirkby Lonsdale and Cockermouth (relegated).
- Counties Cumbria Level 7 – Carlisle (Promoted), Wigton, Egremont, St Benedict’s, Whitehaven, Hawcoat Park, Penrith 2s, Millom, Keswick 2s, Creighton, Aspatria 2s, Windermere and Workington.
- Other 2nd team league rugby: Kendal 2s, Kirkby Lonsdale 2s and Upper Eden 2s.
Three other clubs saw Ambleside play friendlies but no League games while Furness and Silloth played no games at all.
So out of 20 Cumbrian clubs, only six play second team League rugby and of those six only three play second team league rugby in a Cumbrian league.
Only 14 friendlies were played all season, which generally meant that if there were no league games there was no rugby.
From the 20 clubs only six play Under-18s league rugby and all of them are in out-of-Cumbria leagues – Penrith, Wigton, Carlisle, Kirkby Lonsdale, Kendal and Cockermouth.
In addition four clubs play Under-17s out of county league rugby.
There’s lots of food for thought from those figures and several seasoned rugby union stalwarts have expressed their concerns, including one who has been involved in the game for over 60 years.
A number of questions are to be asked over the summer break about how the county and the clubs go forward to revive and strengthen the sport in Cumbria – for example:
- How do clubs develop the next generation of first teams?
- Where are future players for senior rugby in this county coming from?
- How do clubs with just one team keep their players involved/ interested?
- How do the clubs generate funds to keep them alive without games?
- What could the RFU do to help Cumbria change and improve next season?
- Is there a clash between U18 players needed to create a 2nd team and for playing U18 games on Sundays?
- What can Cumbria RU do to improve from this season?
For the good of the game in Cumbria there has to be a response, and a positive, pro-active one to get rugby union flourishing again – or the future will, indeed, be grim.
There was, in fact, a friendly planned tomorrow between Wigton and Carlisle – giving practice for both sides ahead of their big Cup dates this month but the Warwick Road side cried-off.
Now Wigton are planning to stage a game among themselves, roughly the town-based lads against the outlying farming players as they have 30 available to take part.
There are two Papa John’s Cup games in the county: Kendal v Stockport which has Cumbria Society Level 5 Referee Andy Shaw in charge with Norman Laycock as performance reviewer.
The other tie in the west of the county sees St Benedict’s v Sunderland with a team of three officials in referee Martin Denvir and touch line duo Martin Maughan and Alistair Jones.
Creighton are also involved in Papa John’s action, but they have to travel out of the county to play Bolton.
There is an Under-18s NE Counties league game Wigton v Houghton on Saturday at Lowmoor Road (ko 1pm) with Mike Firby in the middle.
Alan Jenkinson will be there, but more importantly using the Under-18s game to work from the sidelines with hopefully a potential new referee from Wigton.
On Sunday there are three age grade games – two of them in the cup at Penrith and Kirkby Lonsdale with a league game at Penrith when the combined Upper Eden/ Penrith team play league leaders Billingham.
