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PiffPaff 
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Joined: 30 Oct 2014 Location: Manchester Status: Offline Points: 1126 |
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 Posted: 27 Jul 2021 at 14:24 |
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Apparently the "Implementation Group" is meeting this week - via Zoom or Teams
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Crouch, Bind, Tweet!
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Camquin
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Joined: 01 Jun 2007 Location: Cambridge Status: Offline Points: 11116 |
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Posted: 27 Jul 2021 at 15:33 |
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Well better late than never I suppose.
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Sweeney Delenda Est
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Raider999
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Joined: 18 Jan 2013 Location: Crawley Status: Offline Points: 4428 |
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Posted: 27 Jul 2021 at 16:43 |
Probably half on Teams and half on Zoom 
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RAID ON
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PiffPaff
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Joined: 30 Oct 2014 Location: Manchester Status: Offline Points: 1126 |
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Posted: 27 Jul 2021 at 18:08 |
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raider, LOL
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Camquin
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Joined: 01 Jun 2007 Location: Cambridge Status: Offline Points: 11116 |
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Posted: 11 Jan 2022 at 15:51 |
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Sorry to come back to this - has anyone seen any further updates on the structure below level 5.
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Sweeney Delenda Est
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PiffPaff
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Joined: 30 Oct 2014 Location: Manchester Status: Offline Points: 1126 |
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Posted: 11 Jan 2022 at 18:13 |
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Apparently the RFU sent out another missive to drum up support for the Lower XV entry last week.
it will be at least a month before they've collated the views, some CBs are arranging meetings with the Clubs despite doing so over a year ago about the same topic. If the RFU bothered to read the room they'd realise that the North is against it, the Midlands also is, the South west already has it in a limited form but it would become open season on those 1 Team clubs when National League 2nd XVs start to move up the leagues and frankly not sure what LSE clubs think but given there are decent Merit tables in and around the South East why tinker?
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Camquin
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Joined: 01 Jun 2007 Location: Cambridge Status: Offline Points: 11116 |
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Posted: 11 Jan 2022 at 20:07 |
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It would be ridiculous if a Championship or Nat 1 2nd XV played at level 7 - but it might make sense for the third and fourth teams to be in the pyramid at that level. |
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Jasper99
First XV regular 
Joined: 11 Apr 2016 Location: Cornwall Status: Offline Points: 98 |
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Posted: 11 Jan 2022 at 22:05 |
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From an LSE perspective I'm guessing the old Zoo League fits the bill perfectly and if not, given the amount of Nat 1 and Nat 2 teams locally reciprocal fixtures can be arranged pre-season.
That isn't the case in the SW. Cornwall have their Kernow League whilst Devon have their Merit League, both of which are a mile away from Level 3 or 4 rugby for aspiring players Clifton have gone out of county to Gloucester to provide 2nd team fixtures at level 8. Played 10, won 10. Taunton appear to have struggled to get fixtures after pre-season and appear to be playing the same clubs more than twice a season just to get some rugby. The whole setup in the SW is a shambles.
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Halliford
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Joined: 17 Feb 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 4142 |
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Posted: 12 Jan 2022 at 08:21 |
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One of the problems for Lower XVs is how steeply the quality of rugby declines below Level 5. Esher have expressed interest, not for our 2nd XV which already plays higher than Level 7 through the Zoo League, but for our 3rd XV which would be comfortable, we expect, at Level 8.
I won’t rehehazelnut the other problems with this but it is an area that needs more input than it i# getting. Good Clubs need lower teams and they need fixture lists for those teams that suit their players. For some that means strong competition to get into the 1st XV, for others it means local social rugby. Not an easy circle to square!
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French Connection
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Joined: 16 May 2017 Location: France Status: Offline Points: 652 |
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Posted: 12 Jan 2022 at 11:49 |
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I wonder just how many clubs actually turn out 3rd and 4th teams regularly now.
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Camquin
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Posted: 12 Jan 2022 at 12:40 |
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If you look at the merit table section of the RFU website there seem to be plenty. And i am not sure all the merit table competitions are listed. For example, I cannot see the league Royston II play in. In my view, the big problems with travel are at levels 7 and 8 - and they are the levels where this review has done least to change the structure. I think this should have been fixed first, and from there you work out how many leagues you need above it. Above level 7, clubs have proved they are ambitious - and therefore players are more willing to travel. I am not saying anyone enjoys a coach from Tynedale to Redruth. - but the lure of the Championship makes you put up with it. And for all the wailing and gnashing of teeth - it seems to be so much rearranging deckchairs on the titanic.
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Halliford
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Posted: 12 Jan 2022 at 18:31 |
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It's certainly fewer than it was. People of playing age today expect to be in a competition, unlike in my playing day when much of the enjoyment was regular matches with the same local Clubs and a few challenging games further away. Players then seem to prefer playing for the same team each week so don't enjoy moving up and down a structure of 4 or 5 teams. Even small Clubs start giving good stash and free drinks so that encourages players who don't become fixtures in a Level 3/4 1st XV to move to lower level Clubs where they can be the superstar. Those lower level Clubs want then to play competitive 1st XV Rugby so Leagues are set up to satisfy that requirement.
The issue is how long that model will last. Level 3/4 are moving to a 28 match season while lower levels are already at 22 League matches and a educing number of meaningless Cup matches. Is this the right model with which to rebuild rugby? One area to look at is the use of the pitches available. I'm surprised there isn't more ground-sharing already but I do think that could be a benefit for a lot of Clubs. Reeds Weybridge rent their ground but share it with two other Old Boys teams, both at a pretty low level. It seems to work yet when Esher raised the idea with Surrey Clubs during the lockdown season there was no real interest, even from Clubs struggling to fund Council-owned facilities. Surely there is a benefit to both parties in this?
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Raider999
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Posted: 12 Jan 2022 at 20:08 |
Actually level 3/4 are moving to a 26 game season - apart from that I agree with you entirely |
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RAID ON
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Camp Freddie
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Joined: 04 Jul 2018 Location: Lancs Status: Offline Points: 153 |
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Posted: 14 Apr 2022 at 21:35 |
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4 more clubs jump ship from the RFU Leauges at level 7 to the ADM Lancashire Leagues at North 2 West, perhaps the Twickenham based Competitions Department have misread the data from the surveys they have done recently. |
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The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.
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Camquin
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Joined: 01 Jun 2007 Location: Cambridge Status: Offline Points: 11116 |
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Posted: 14 Apr 2022 at 21:39 |
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Surely not, our benevolent lords and masters are omniscient, and everything will be for the best in the best of all possible league structures.
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Sweeney Delenda Est
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Count Ford
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Joined: 20 May 2017 Location: WA4 Status: Offline Points: 412 |
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Posted: 14 Apr 2022 at 21:45 |
Are there going to be enough teams left to make a viable league. If 4 are leaving and likely 3 or 4 will need to move up to fill the level 6 expansion. Also wouldn't surprise me if either or both of Orrell & De La Salle moved over to the Lancs leagues
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Camquin
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Posted: 14 Apr 2022 at 23:07 |
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Apparently, players want to play fewer games. In other news, Easter Counties just completed the tri-counties tournament, three midweek games between the three sub-counties. Cambridgeshire beat Norfolk, with Suffolk in third. The Cambridgeshire players were from levels 7 to 9 (St Ives, Cantabs, Saffron Walden and Cambridge Exiles) and all had Saturday matches. But I am sure they want fewer games.
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FHLH
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Cambridge Joined: 19 Apr 2009 Location: Cambridge Status: Offline Points: 5235 |
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Posted: 15 Apr 2022 at 02:43 |
I was brought up on 30+ game seasons - what else do you do on a Saturday afternoon and evening? Answers on a postcard.
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"My father told me big men fall just as quick as little ones, if you put a sword through their hearts."
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PiffPaff
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Joined: 30 Oct 2014 Location: Manchester Status: Offline Points: 1126 |
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Posted: 15 Apr 2022 at 07:06 |
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Count F, think they (RFU) have already crunched those numbers and I would expect the current top 4 in North 2 West to be "promoted",
That from the looks of it leaves, Warrington, Tarleton, De La Salle at Level 7 with Chester 2s. They can't promote Chester 2s and its unlikely they (RFU) will break their 12 Team League structure plan so somebody at Twickenham needs to come up with a viable alternative. Told at the club last night that one club from the Lancs Leagues had left to go back to the RFU. If so then that club is making the greatest strategic move or the dumbest. Talk about not reading the room.
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Camquin
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Posted: 15 Apr 2022 at 08:25 |
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I am not sure if they ever attempted to read the room. I think they had an agenda, came up with something that looked like it fitted it - and then closed their ears to criticism.
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PiffPaff wrote: