\n The RFL have done away with two National Conference leagues, meaning only the Premier and First Divisions survive – all other leagues throughout the country have been affected.\n<\/p>\n
\n What has caused massive concerns for Barrow and west Cumbria along with the National conference and North West Men\u2019s League is that they were not consulted until the structure was well in place.\n<\/p>\n
\n Meetings with RFL personnel including Martyn Coyd the Chair of the rugby football league\u2019s Community Board, and also an executive and a director of the RFL along with Cumbria have taken place over the past few days.\n<\/p>\n
\n And despite the clubs airing their views, they were told in no uncertain terms there is no going back.\n<\/p>\n
\n Millom and Barrow Island have been members of the Conference for several decades, while Askam also spent several years in the competition.\n<\/p>\n
\n Ulverston, Dalton, Hindpool, Roose Pioneers and Askam have all featured in the North West Men’s League along with Walney, who have not had a team for two years.\n<\/p>\n
\n These clubs will now go into a National Conference Cumbria league.\n<\/p>\n
\n The Cumbria Conference Division will be Millom, Barrow Island, Distington, Ellenborough, Hensingham, Maryport, Seaton, Dalton, Hindpool and Ulverston.\n<\/p>\n
\n The two leagues below will consist of mainly \u2018A\u2019 teams. Barrow area – Barrow Island A, Dalton A, Hindpool A, Millom A, Ulverston A\n<\/p>\n
\n The Cumbria Premier Division is Askam, Cockermouth, Flimby, Kells A, Lowca, Wath Brow A and Roose Pioneers, at the time of going to press.\n<\/p>\n
\n Hindpool coach Kev Kyte said: \u201cThe decision was to put to us at short notice, and we were then given a choice of which new league to play in namely North West or Cumbria to which we chose North West as we had played in the North West competitions for the past 25 years (South Lancashire clubs) and it was accepted, only for the RFL to take away our choice two days later.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cA meeting for all clubs was arranged with a top RFL board member to say nothing was finalised and email the appropriate people with reasoning to stay in the North West leagues which we did.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThen we were informed that the final decision is for us to play in a Cumbria League that catapults a depleted Hindpool club into a league of Premier and National teams.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cI think it’s an absolutely ridiculous idea.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Roose Pioneers coach Lee Edmondson also slammed the decision.\n<\/p>\n
\n He said: \u201cNot happy to be honest, the proposals had Barrow grouped with North West regions (South Lancashire) which we were happy with, and at the last minute placed us all in the Cumbria region leagues.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cI think Barrow is an afterthought and a headache for them if I am being honest, and we have been sacrificed in order to appease other areas.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Dalton coach Paul Armsrong said: \u201cDisappointed to be honest and I am struggling to understand the supposed benefits of a concentrated Cumbria Conference.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe at Dalton have worked really hard over the last few years to establish ourselves in the North West Men\u2019s League.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cOur main aim for 2026 was to cement our place in the Premier Division, and challenge for a top-four place having narrowly missed out last year in our debut season.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe have a fantastic youth section, and we picked up several trophies last year.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cDespite this feedback to both the NWC (North West Counties) and RFL we have nothing back other than a generic acknowledgement to our concerns along with a further reiteration that Cumbria Conference will remain as communicated.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe have had this thrust upon us in what feels like a hasty restructuring.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Ulverston coach Marc Storey. Said: \u201cMy view is that it’s been rushed, no one wants it to happen from around this area.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe will lose players over this and maybe some clubs, but the RFL will not listen they have made their minds up.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWhen this was first proposed by the RFL, we were in the North West Men\u2019s League then all of a sudden we are in a Cumbria League\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe have done this Cumbria league in the past and it didn\u2019t work then, and it won\u2019t work this time. All Barrow clubs should refuse the RFL proposals.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt\u2019s alright for Lancashire clubs all close to one and other, but Cumbria is a big county, it is much easier travelling wise to go to Wigan than go up the Coast\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Millom coach: Brad Crellin added: \u201cInitially our thoughts as a club were furious and to be honest still are.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThe way the RFL have gone about things seems like there is no reasoning for concerned clubs.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cMillom has been a part of the National Conference since the formation several years back and for the RFL to come in the way they have to drastically change things hasn\u2019t gone down well in Millom.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cFrom what we know there is to be no listening to all clubs, unfortunately the RFL are forcing everyone’s hands with their proposals.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cHowever, we have to be positive there is less travelling and it will be an extremely competitive division which should draw big crowds and I have my suspicions as to how long it will last after the first season.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Barrow Island club stalwart John Jefferson said: \u201cIt was not the Island\u2019s first option but following a NCL meeting on Wednesday it looks nailed on to be part of the Cumbria Conference.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThe way it has been conducted from the start has been atrocious with no thoughts of Cumbria clubs.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe will go into the new set up and do our best to get into the play offs and get back into the National Conference first division.\n<\/p>\n
\n Askam have a new coaching set up in former Barrow players Tom Wilkinson and Mike Wilson, recently appointed.\n<\/p>\n
\n Both agree they haven\u2019t had much time to digest what is going on.\n<\/p>\n
\n But Terry Barker, secretary of the Barrow league shared his thoughts. He said: \u201cOn behalf of the Barrow and district ARL the RFL have been discussing a new structure for\u00a012 months.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThey first approached us early September about\u00a0the new structure within\u00a0two\u00a0weeks they suggested that Dalton, Hindpool, Roose Pioneers and Ulverston stay in the NWCL.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cAt the beginning of November they changed their mind\u00a0and came\u00a0up with a Cumbria league with all teams allocated to the new Cumbria conference with the exception of Roose Pioneers in the league below.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWe suggested this could lead to clubs folding, they will not change their minds unless\u00a0other teams are found to replace them (There are not any).\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cWhen the proposal first came out there was an option to opt out, that no longer applies.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThe Barrow and District league which has been operating since the early 1900s is now defunct as is Carla (Cumberland League).\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The RFL have done away with two National Conference leagues, meaning only the Premier and First Divisions survive…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":320968,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[5903,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-320967","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-rugby","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=320967"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320967\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/320968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=320967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=320967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=320967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}