Reports about the Thames Valley league, however, seem to have been positive - not least, perhaps, because its main aim has always been to develop the game rather than simple "prove" who is "best". It is an inter-county "cluster" league, with one team from each of the region's counties bringing together girls from that county's clubs. Its been going two or three years now, with Saracens joining after the league's first year. And this season we will be "clustering" with them as a joint team.
Virtually the entire country is now covered with leagues, of one sort or another - we are probably one of the last clubs to join one. The "Surrey league", which Welwyn and Wimborne are in, seems to have swept up most of the south, while Basford are in a league covering Kent. The Nottingham-based league that started last season seems to have expanded across most of the midlands (Worcester will, I believe be in this next season). Not sure sure what is happening in the North East, but it seems that North West teams play in a "merit league".
Which leaves the South West. You may remember that this launched last year, and is based on a centrally planned series of mainly triangular fixtures - each club hosting two visiting clubs on a rotation each week for either three separate games, or a single game combining players if one club does not have enough.
Its a great plan - and worked brilliantly well in the first year - so much so that it is expanding this year from 9 to 14 clubs. The organisation of this league is an astonishing piece of work that even takes into account journey times when organising the fixtures.
But overall what is trully remarkable is the way this wonderful explosion of ideas - all these different ways of doing things - have emerged responding to local needs and circumstances. And all without any central direction, dictat, or control. What works is being allowed to work. There is a lesson there somewhere.
Sorry John, You seem to have forgotten that large piece of land to the East containing Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambs. whilst it remains true that they are still a fledgling area, those people that are committed to seeing Girls and Womens rubgy thrive here are not helped by the continual struggle to arrange fixtures against the more established clubs that will no doubt now have league fixtures as well as their festival commitments et al to contend with !
ReplyDeleteI had heard that Suffolk Sabres at least were looking at joining the Midlands league - and I agree that leagues do cause fixture problems. Without the cluster with Saracens, Letchworth would be in exactly that position.
ReplyDeletePersonally I don't like leagues - especially the hyper-competitive winner-takes-all type. However, the south-west pattern is a different matter and could work in East as well - if the region wanted it to.
alot of people have heard a lot of things about suffolk sabres but none of it seems to match?
ReplyDeletethe only constant thread is that no one seems to have a clue what is happening.