last nights NCL meeting

Re: last nights NCL meeting : Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:26 am

More of an update from NWC:

Clubs were simply asked to express what it was likely they would do. IT WAS NOT A VOTE ON NWC SWITCHING. The NWC committee has already decided they will continue offering winter rugby to those clubs who want it.

There are NCL clubs with teams in the NWC of course so when clubs were asked the committee member tried not to read their names out (as they're deciding through other routes) but she did read a few out (Eccles for example) and hence, the results were a little confused (as were some attendees at the end!).

My numbers were:

12 summer (I tried not to count any NCL club)
13 undecided
23 winter
with at least 10 not present

the numbers read out at the end were something like:

18 summer (but that definately included some NCL clubs whose names were read out!)
13 undecided
22 winter

The split was pretty much as expected - the traditional teams (and those higher up the structure) saying winter in the main and those choosing summer being mainly newer clubs (Accrington, Bury, Chorley etc.). The North Lancs district had the most wanting a switch - I didn't record every answer but for Manchester it was 2 summer, 3 winter, one undecided. For other areas some seemed solidly winter. There were some notable exceptions to those patterns so it will be interesting to see what happens. I imagine some undecided clubs will go each way.

A few reps in the room were asking questions about the summer structure - i was pretty surprised that they hadn't already looked into the proposals!

But there you have it - we'll get a smaller NWC (3 divisions less at least I reckon), and others switching to summer. Over the next few years I think more will drift out of winter as youngsters (who must go to summer surely!) filter into the open age ranks.