Yorkshire Rugby

COPIED FROM A FB POST ELSEWHERE IN ENGLAND



What's really going on with clubs struggling to field teams..? Just in the past 24 hours, I've seen multiple clubs, and even representative sides unable to put out a team. That's not normal... Thats not a club chickening out of a tough game, or one of those weeks. Something deeper is happening across grassroots rugby, and it's starting to show in real time.

A few forces seem to be colliding at once, and it might just be the start of something far worse than we could ever have imagined... Operational costs are exploding. Running a rugby club isn't cheap, although I can only run the numbers I know about, as a player and long time member of Woodbridge rugby club. Pitches, insurance, travel, kit, utilities, medical cover, everything has gone up. Clubs that were already operating on tight margins are now being squeezed to breaking point. When budgets get stretched, recruitment, retention, and player welfare inevitably take a hit. Volunteer burnout is real

Grassroots rugby runs on volunteers. Coaches, managers, first aiders, committee members, fixtures secretaries, all giving up evenings and weekends.
But after years of doing more with less, many are simply exhausted. When the off field engine slows down, the on field product suffers. Another thing to note is that volumteers are obviously unpaid, and in an ever rising cost of living crisis, can they even afford to volunteer?

Player availability is becoming unpredictable. Modern life is busier, more expensive, and more demanding.
Shift work, family commitments, travel costs, and injuries all stack up. Clubs that once had 30–40 regulars now struggle to guarantee 18 on a Saturday.

The post COVID participation dip hasn't fully recovered, some players never came back after the pandemic. Others returned but drifted away. Youth pathways in some areas are thinner, meaning fewer players feeding into senior squads.

Clubs are being asked to do more with fewer resources, such as safeguarding, compliance, facility upkeep, fundraising... the admin load has ballooned. Smaller clubs simply can't keep up, and the cracks show first in team selection.

This isn't isolated, it's systemic, when you see Mistley, Beccles, Suffolk rep sides and others all struggling in the same window, it's not coincidence. It's a sign of a wider grassroots ecosystem under pressure. If this trend continues, we'll see more cancellations, more merged teams, and more clubs quietly folding.

But the flip side is that awareness is the first step. The more openly we talk about it, the more chance we have of getting support, funding, and fresh volunteers back into the game.

Well said BRB very succinctly put. Teams unwillingness to travel far from home has crippled our second team this season, with thus far onlly played once at home with six merit games being cancelloed. This along with, as you stated, ballooning costs means that our finances are going backwards this season despite the club from a playing point of view being in pretty good shape. We do have three teams out these next two weeks with Yarnbury and Ripon visiting us. Yarnbury on a bus and hopefully Ripon the same next week. It is extremely difficult retaining fringe players when they can only get a game every other week and most of them away. Twickenham really do need to have a long hard look at the grassroots game as it is slowly dying on its feet.
I am told even Terry Burwell is warming to 14 team leagues to give 2 more home games to everyone instead of play-offs that, at the zoom meeting I was part of, Not one club thought was a good idea to include teams as low down as fifth. As usual they didnt listen and simply imposed their will yet again. By the time they wake up and smell the coffee it may be too late for several long standing clubs which, if it happens,  will be a crying shame brought about with constant tinkering of the league system.

Just for clarification Flaggy - that's not my own words. I've copied a FB post I happened across.

To reinforce one of the points in the OP. Y4 south at the weekend.
All pretty much local derbies.

I don't think formal league structures are totally to blame, but have contributed. It could be argued that the issues highlighted in the Facebook post are more significant contributors to the fall in participation. However, I would argue that, at grassroots level, the focus on league games and league position has alienated many players who although they were never 1st XV regulars were often club stalwarts. The number of club's that are now only able to field one team has certainly increased the number of HWOs AWOs. If you only field one team and have players injured or working where do the replacements come from?
Duncan Gawthorpe, a former Barnsley player, coach and Chairman, and I researched the period from 1987 to 2022 and the impact of leagues, Covid and societal changes on participation in Yorkshire rugby. We wrote about what we found in 'Changing Times'

https://www.dropkickbooks.com/books/post.php?permalink=changing-times

There do seem to be certain clubs that regularly drop out of fixtures, usually the away leg and often unreasonably late. Should there be some form of sanction for the club if this keeps happening like there would for the first team?

Occasionally cancelling a fixture is unavoidable but it would be nice for the thirds of Selby, Ribb, Yarnbury and Ripon* to not play each other four times a season as they are some of the few clubs who can be relied upon to fulfil fixtures.

*not a comprehensive list of reliable clubs...

Focusing purely on number of teams/players doesn't reflect the whole picture of the health of rugby union. The game at our level used to be just the rugby match, but now it's about the rugby occasion. I remember, albeit in the last century, when Saturday games were played by teams with no shirt sponsors or touchline advertising, in front of a handful of spectators, and with no pre-match lunches. There may be fewer players, though the RFU might dispute that, but the number of 'rugby people' who connect with the game every Saturday and Sunday has grown exponentially.

Quote from: The Lurker on Jan 26, 2026, 04:31 PMThere do seem to be certain clubs that regularly drop out of fixtures, usually the away leg and often unreasonably late. Should there be some form of sanction for the club if this keeps happening like there would for the first team?

Occasionally cancelling a fixture is unavoidable but it would be nice for the thirds of Selby, Ribb, Yarnbury and Ripon* to not play each other four times a season as they are some of the few clubs who can be relied upon to fulfil fixtures.

*not a comprehensive list of reliable clubs...

There is one. However, it is a bit of a nuclear option. One that would possibly see the demise of a club if actioned.

Quote from: PercyR on Jan 27, 2026, 11:44 AMFocusing purely on number of teams/players doesn't reflect the whole picture of the health of rugby union. The game at our level used to be just the rugby match, but now it's about the rugby occasion. I remember, albeit in the last century, when Saturday games were played by teams with no shirt sponsors or touchline advertising, in front of a handful of spectators, and with no pre-match lunches. There may be fewer players, though the RFU might dispute that, but the number of 'rugby people' who connect with the game every Saturday and Sunday has grown exponentially.

Some excellent observations there - ones I hadn't considered before.

Quote from: The Lurker on Jan 26, 2026, 04:31 PMThere do seem to be certain clubs that regularly drop out of fixtures, usually the away leg and often unreasonably late. Should there be some form of sanction for the club if this keeps happening like there would for the first team?

Occasionally cancelling a fixture is unavoidable but it would be nice for the thirds of Selby, Ribb, Yarnbury and Ripon* to not play each other four times a season as they are some of the few clubs who can be relied upon to fulfil fixtures.

*not a comprehensive list of reliable clubs...

We might be better trying to understand why players will play at home and not away. In no order:

1) distance of travel (a fact of life in Yorkshire)

2) uneven fixtures - with a likely heavy loss not palatable.

3) longer day. Pressure from home or loss of working hours


Any others?

Quote from: Ribbflagman on Jan 26, 2026, 01:41 PMWell said BRB very succinctly put. Teams unwillingness to travel far from home has crippled our second team this season, with thus far onlly played once at home with six merit games being cancelloed. This along with, as you stated, ballooning costs means that our finances are going backwards this season despite the club from a playing point of view being in pretty good shape. We do have three teams out these next two weeks with Yarnbury and Ripon visiting us. Yarnbury on a bus and hopefully Ripon the same next week. It is extremely difficult retaining fringe players when they can only get a game every other week and most of them away. Twickenham really do need to have a long hard look at the grassroots game as it is slowly dying on its feet.
I am told even Terry Burwell is warming to 14 team leagues to give 2 more home games to everyone instead of play-offs that, at the zoom meeting I was part of, Not one club thought was a good idea to include teams as low down as fifth. As usual they didnt listen and simply imposed their will yet again. By the time they wake up and smell the coffee it may be too late for several long standing clubs which, if it happens,  will be a crying shame brought about with constant tinkering of the league system.

Flaggy
Seems the end of season play off's aren't as popular as Terry Burwell would have people believe.
The RFU are expecting quite a number of walk overs in them and they know many clubs are unhappy about them.

In the latest district minutes refering to YRFU I was disappointed to read this:

"14-team Leagues : clubs were recently asked to poll their players to determine support for 14-team leagues. Only 19 out of over 100 clubs in Yorkshire responded, and only eight supported the idea."

Shame more didn't respond, whatever their views.

I also thought the minutes regarding 2nd teams joining the league structure showed a particular bias from those who are strongly in favour of the move.
"There are many who see value in the proposed changes, and for lower teams entering leagues, but the RFU / CB rules require a greater level of involvement and agreement. YRFU will discuss again how this might be achieved"

The question regarding 14 team leagues was reported back with a quantitative response of "19 responses and 8 in favour" ( fair enough - a discussion for another day) however the 2nd team question was reported back with a very anecdotal/qualitative  "many who see value in the changes" Why or perhaps 'who' is so keen to push a particular agenda?

Although a few agendas have been pushed over the last 18 months.

Interesting......

If that's true about sub R1 that could have interesting consequences for lower teams in clubs.

I wonder what the reasoning behind it is? It seems to be a move that suits clubs with only one team??

Quote from: backrowbandit on Jan 31, 2026, 07:22 AMIf that's true about sub R1 that could have interesting consequences for lower teams in clubs.

I wonder what the reasoning behind it is? It seems to be a move that suits clubs with only one team??

It was being pushed by the NLD rep on the Competitions committee along with his mate Terry Burwell.
Seems the RFU are not keen on the idea.
Same with the ridiculous play offs. They are aware many clubs are against them. I asked the question and it was confirmed ther are  no sanctions for walkovers in the play offs and that the RFU are expecting quite a few.

They are also aware of clubs openly stating they don't want to move up to the National Leagues. So the only jeopardy introduced is clubs playing to avoid a play off spot.

The above suggests it may also be a financial loss to any home team. Contrary to what the Comp Committee say.