I know a lot of clubs are resistent to it but I do think it will be better for the players.
I think 12 is too many...I would suggest 4 team leagues and playing the matches should be optional.
I think it's disgusting that people who have chosen their hobby as rugby should be allowed the option to play rugby on more than 6 Saturdays a year.
In fact wouldn't it make more sense to ban rugby from being played on any year ending in an odd number. So we can really look forward to the few games played every other year... imagine the anticipation.
If 4 games are so critically dangerous to players Dan, why not just scrap all cup matches?
Or better still just limit the number of matches that any player can play?? Then see how the players feel about being told they can't play in some games.
What a sad world that is developing...
I've said nowhere in my comments about reducing matches due to the danger of the game so the sarcasm in your response was not required.
When I first started playing senior rugby in early 2000s wasn't it 12 team leagues then? Perhaps my memory is failing.
There is absolutely nothing stopping clubs arranging friendly fixtures if they have enough players wanting to play on free weekends.
Have no issue with stopping the cups, they need serious rethink given the number of clubs pulling out.
It would potentially be better to pull league fixtures out of the hat in Sept to constitute the first round draw and games played as a double header.
Problem is, attitudes are changing to life/sport/relationships/free time/work. Rugby has to move with it. I can rattle off many good players from Old Grovians who have picked up a minor injury in the last 10 years and decided they don't want to play as they don't want to risk losing their job. And when I say minor I mean a black eye, a muscle strain, cut inside mouth to name a few.
I always found rugby injuries a great talking point with customers to break the ice and have a laugh about but each to their own.
Every club is different. From our point of view we make at least 5 changes every single week to the squad because so many of our lads work shifts, socialise, have holidays. A lot of them are late twenties so we are into stag dos and weddings and invariably, they are all away! Some weeks we can be changing 10 players. You can't criticise them, it is amateur rugby, the pressure it puts on the coaches who are also amateur to ring round and fill the team is excessive. We do it because we love it but in my view, the current structure is not sustainable.
Appreciate clubs who have been around for 50 plus years and have a host of facilities won't care about what is going on at newer, lesser clubs who play at a lower level.
