Yorkshire Rugby

Is it time the RFU/ Yorkshire RFU removed Knottingley from the Counties leagues ?

Last season they gave away 8 Walkovers and this season have given 9 out of 17 most of which have being away games.

I'm all for seeing as many teams as possible playing in the Yorkshire leagues rather than the merit leagues, and I know occasionally you may have to concede a walkover if you're a small club and don't have the player depth but when you're doing it week in week out and for numerous seasons in a row surely the league has to do something about it ?

It's never nice seeing a club leave the leagues and unfortunately over the past 20 years too many teams have done but I think it's time the RFU do something about it. Dropping in to the merit leagues for a few years to regroup and start a rebuild has done wonders for other clubs so maybe they should consider it.
I don't know the club or anyone involved so I don't know the reasoning or the situation the club is in but I think after this season they should consider the merit leagues.

What are other people's thoughts ?

YRFU have already booted out teams from the merit leagues while others are on final warnings. How long do Knottingley last in a merit league anyway? I don't know how many players they have left and how committed they are to playing regular fixtures so 'regrouping' in the merit leagues may not work either. Knottingley have been on a downward spiral for 5 years now, unless they can find some players I don't know what the solution is.

That's very sad to read....

By the same logic that sees teams that award walkovers removed and placed in the merit league should a side who honour their fixtures in the merit leagues be allowed fair passage into the league structure?

Quote from: Master_Knowledge on Mar 10, 2026, 10:30 PMBy the same logic that sees teams that award walkovers removed and placed in the merit league should a side who honour their fixtures in the merit leagues be allowed fair passage into the league structure?

I don't  fully know what the conditions are but clubs in the merit leagues can apply to join the Counties leagues, Hallamshire, Withernsea, Maltby, Wortley have all joined from the merit leagues in last few seasons. I just think if a team is handing out walkovers all the time it does the league no good.

Quote from: gateprop on Mar 10, 2026, 06:21 PMYRFU have already booted out teams from the merit leagues while others are on final warnings. How long do Knottingley last in a merit league anyway? I don't know how many players they have left and how committed they are to playing regular fixtures so 'regrouping' in the merit leagues may not work either. Knottingley have been on a downward spiral for 5 years now, unless they can find some players I don't know what the solution is.

It's a Shame because they have plenty of history and hopefully they can turn it around, but they're in that part of the county with plenty of other teams in a 10-15 mile radius so trying to attract players with always be tough.

I'm not involved and dont have any first hand knowledge but I believe they may have experienced some vandalism to either the clubhouse or the pitches - that might be part of their problem but probably not the full story.

I'd be interested to know which clubs have been kicked out of the merit leagues and what the criteria is for doing so. There are numerous clubs who have called off 6 games plus and still seem to feature. Equally, the merit leagues tables are very mis leading, in that the number of games ' played ' seems to include walk overs, so clubs might actually only have physically played 6 games, yet the table shows they have played 10.

Frankly, there are only a handful of clubs who regularly field a second XV. I really dont know how clubs who no longer field a second XV of any nature, survive in terms of players for their first team and financially.
 
 

Ex player here now living across the pond Canada, I'll try and throw my two pence in for what it's worth. I still speak regularly with lots of people from down at the club, and my dad used to be the president and chairman for quite some time too and it's sad to see the club struggling to even commit to fixtures home or away. This is the culmination of about 10 years of struggling to field a first team from week to week, I can't really put my finger on one thing specifically that's led to the demise of the first team, kids playing PS5 instead, going to the gym rather than playing a sport I suppose there's alot you could try and put it down to but mainly a lot of the old crop of players I played with in Yorkshire 1, 2 and 3 have either all retired or retired through injury with no production line of young ens coming through, or not enough anyway.
Unfortunately, we managed for so long due to the crop of players we did have being good capable union players who could get results without any subs some weeks, and that team probably stuck together for about 10 years papering over the cracks, but now they're all gone this is the result. Like one poster just said we're also in a very close proximity to lots of other Union clubs like Castleford, Pontefract, Hemsworth, Selby, Goole to name a few and that's before you even consider the rugby league clubs taking most youngsters that are even interested in rugby too. My mate started a great junior setup a few years back out of the club to try and funnel more juniors back in to the union first team when they get older but a lot seem to prefer playing league. Hopefully there could be a change in fortunes at some point in the future, because no doubt the talent is there!

It looks like they have being kicked out or pulled out. No where to be seen on the league table now

Sad to see. Always enjoyed an afternoon out at Knottingley. A hard fought encounter on the pitch and proper hospitality afterwards. Hopefully a resurgence at some time before too long.

Always an experience playing there. Hostile to say the least

I was trying to be diplomatic! Also really miss the highly entertaining banter on here from the likes of Beachy, Bez, Chez and the immortal Hoodie.

There's some names from the past!!

It used to be like World War 3 on the Yorkshire 3 forum during the Knottlingley v Castleford game weeks! Very entertaining.

Gateprop,
           it appears that Pythons are still in the merit league despite (this Saturday against us) giving at least four walkovers. I know Knottingley are struggling along with several other clubs due a multitude of problems. If you think that they should be "De-Merited" for want of better terminology. Just wait until the big clubs get their way and get second XVs into the league system and some of the following clubs (just a snapshot imho) future will be in jeopardy due to their proximity to (larger clubs.) . Knottingley(Pontefract)  will be merely the tip of the Iceberg with clubs like. Rowntrees, York RI, (York) Hornsea, Withernsea (Ionians/Brid) Hemsworth (Ponte), Stocksbridge, Barnsley ,Sheffield Oaks, (Sheffield/Tigers). Skipton. (Wharfedale/Ribb/Keighley) Burley, Aireborough, Modernians, Corinthians, (Morley/Yarnbury/Moortown) Rodillians, Ossett (Sandal), Pythons, Knaresborough, (Harrogate) To name but a few. Could be in peril.
I know that the post is a bit muddled but if we really DO NOT care about the aforementioned clubs (not in brackets) potentially folding then we have tunnel vision as, what has gone around has until now generally come around and clubs success or otherwise tended to be cyclical depending on personnel etc.
I know my feelings on what the RFU think of it all. BUT do WE want to be the catalysts to the shrinking of our game and see a further demise in our member clubs as has happened in Yorkshire these last Forty years when clubs like Wakefield ,Roundhay, Headingley, Yorkshire Copperworks, Adwick le street. Leeds CSSA, Leeds YMCA, and many colliery teams and others have been lost forever.
I personally feel sad that strong clubs are Jockeying for position to deliver a fatal blow to some long established clubs.
I know that clubs mentioned above may or may not share my concern about their future, ,either positively or negatively one way or the other and it is only my opinion, but in these uncertain times I just wanted to voice my concerns for some of the lower clubs survival.