Major changes to regional programmes proposed.

The recommendations of the Regional Programme Review have now been published - and there are some major changes planned, especially for the juniors.

From next season the U18s will mirror the senior programme - ie. there will be no tournament at Rugby School, but instead three regional matches with the top four qualifying for a final and third place play-off. This may mean that regional U18 trails move to December

U15s will remain as they are, with two warm-up fixtures and the tournament.

This would inevitably mean that - instead of the two junior squads working together, sharing physio support, etc. - they will now be largely independent entities. It maybe that the U18s will have the same fixture and training programme as the seniors - that is not confirmed.

Then from 2008/9 the U18s drop down to the eight RFU regions (so East become London North, gaining Middlesex, while East Midlands remains probably unchanged) BUT the U15s gain an extra region and will therefore run on a completely separate 12-team regional system. In practice the 12-team format borders will be the same for us - the main areas of confusion will be in the new North East & Yorkshire, South, and South West regions which will "split" at U15 level while being "combined" at U18 and Senior.

Other reforms will be a nationally standardised trial procedure for closed trials, including a nationally agreed criteria for "wild cards".

Finally the regional programme will now be officially considered a "Talent Development" programme while the County Programme will be charges with promoting "Participation". What this means in practice - if anything - (and how it will be adminstered) is, at this stage, unclear.