2020/21 Leagues Announced

Camquin wrote: Three - Rosslyn Park, Blackheath and Old Elthamians. Cambridge, Bishop Stortford and Tonbridge are in L&SE Division but outside London. London and SE is the most populous of the four divisions - so it is unsurprising it has more clubs.

As the late, great Chalky White when South West RDO pointed out - the South West stretches to within 10 miles of Twickenham (Berkshire) and 15 miles from the centre of Birmingham (Oxfordshire), oh, and also to Penzance!!

Because Hampshire is on London and South Western and the train goes to Waterloo - you know it make sense.

Well of course they should all be in the North.

Raider999 wrote: Camquin wrote: Well of course they should all be in the North. But when the leagues were first set up the North was over represented in the upper national divisions. So as the numbers equalise and indeed we move to having slightly more L&SE clubs in the National leagues. L&SE has a population of ~24m North of 15m and Midlands of 10m with 8m in SW. But the only way to reduce the numbers of Northern clubs at level 3 is if one is transferred South and relegated.  So currently there are too many Northern and Midland clubs at level 4.  Which means two Midlands clubs get to play in Nat 2 S. As Nat2 S is dominated by London clubs - the South Eastern clubs Leicestershire are the ones that tend to be transferred South.  If they were to split level 4 into three the current L&SE is already more than 1/3 the population. So you would possibly want to move Hampshire into SW division and split the Midlands between North and SW. But I am not sure if that helps with travel. It would for teams in LSE. Obviously the big problem is Devon & Cornwall which are significantly isolated in any National League scenario other than splitting a level into 4 rather than the proposed 3 or cypurrent 2.

It will be interesting for any club travelling by train taking 30 players and Assorted staff will be an issue with social distancing they will take over half the train unless a vaccine is found. Already a number of coach firms have gone out of business so it will be difficult to hire in the short term. I do not believe we will get any meaningful rugby until the second half of the season. One of the problems is with players deciding to retire and those who travel to training, especially if they live in another country, Wales, Scotland Northern Ireland have to cross boarders. I think until clubs return to some sort of training the full consequences of the epidemic will not become apparent and there may be some big issues within leagues.

maire23 wrote: I am completely confused how three clubs in the same county (Hinckley, Lions and Loughborough) have two teams in the South section and one in the North?!

Kimbo wrote: Halliford wrote: ...and 15 miles from the centre of Birmingham (Oxfordshire) When did they move Brum (or was it Oxon?). You can double that!

It's more than that from the southern boundary of Brum. 25-30 miles, probably.  But the SW region extends quite a long way north.  Mickleton in Gloucestershire is less than 10 miles from Stratford upon Avon.

Seems pointless players isolating to and from a game, when 8 of them spend a fair bit of the game snuggled up in a scrum for 80 minutes.

cheshire exile wrote: Have you ever been to Redruth?