tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23345682.post3465728755132002008..comments2023-07-07T15:58:42.003+01:00Comments on Letchworth Girls' Rugby: Maybe it was the National Cup after all...John Birchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062999762082583258noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23345682.post-12287667183914770842010-05-17T08:57:22.101+01:002010-05-17T08:57:22.101+01:00The main concern John mentions about the remaining...The main concern John mentions about the remaining girls is very true from our point of view. Having gone from having 18 odd girls across the two age groups regularly training at our club the lack of games in the region due to other clubs reluctance to work together has lead to a number of players being invited to get game time elsewhere (and much further afield) and then the reminding girls drift off. You don't need an event to exclude / discourage players it happens way back down the 'food-chain' and sadly rebuilding after that is just about impossible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23345682.post-45092822256514948102010-05-16T21:21:04.946+01:002010-05-16T21:21:04.946+01:00I did try to word things so that I was not saying ...I did try to word things so that I was not saying that all clubs were artificial Superteam - Worcester being the "thumb" I was thinking of. Actually I often find myself cheering for Worcester in tournaments as not only are they are a great club but they carry it well. Even though they have stuffed Letchworth a fair few times, there has never been any of the friction and unsportsmanlike behaviour that one of two other teams tend to be guilty of.John Birchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15062999762082583258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23345682.post-19541286033688214342010-05-16T18:13:30.492+01:002010-05-16T18:13:30.492+01:00Whilst I totally agree that the current set up is ...Whilst I totally agree that the current set up is detrimental to the girls game as a whole, and does tend to target super-clustered teams, I think perhaps you are being a little harsh with generalising all of the teams that take part in this competition.<br /><br />I am (predictably, given my argument) an ex-Worcester player and played in 4 of their National Finals, winning 3 of them. I can vouch for our club by saying that we most definately did not borrow players for the purpose of fielding a National Cup side. Our players had always played for Worcester all season. The only time we did borrow was when we had a few players from another local side, all of whom had been playing for less than a year, just to cover for injuries and make sure we went with a full squad.<br /><br />Similarly, I believe recent winners Reading are, for the most part, a group of girls that has at least spent the season playing together? <br /><br />I guess I'm trying to say that whilst many of these super-clustered sides appear to be dominating the game, there are a number of decent club sides who have been very successful in this competition for a number of years. It was always the highlight of my season along with the regional finals day, and I am very sad to see it go.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23345682.post-2950210195954925682010-05-15T10:15:39.219+01:002010-05-15T10:15:39.219+01:00"What the main concern should be is what has ..."What the main concern should be is what has happened to the girls who have been pushed aside to bring in these other girls."<br /><br />Many will have stopped playing. Forever. Looking back on Letchworth's one excursion into the National Cup - when we clustered with Sudbury - it lost us players. Several girls who did not make the combined NC squad stopped playing - it is the major reason why we never entered the NC again.<br /><br />And the fact is that RFUW do not care. Not a jot. They are only interested in elite players who might one day play for England. That is all.John Birchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15062999762082583258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23345682.post-22383076125915129132010-05-15T09:40:38.375+01:002010-05-15T09:40:38.375+01:00Most clubs are concerned about the proposed league...Most clubs are concerned about the proposed leagues and the potential for mismatches.The lack of information from the rfuw about who clubs could be possibly be playing in there league, if it is 10s or 13s for u/15s etc is also not helping.The win at all costs by some clubs who bring in TDG girls and try to bring in england u/20players is not right. But as long as they are allowed to get away with it nothing will change.What the main concern should be is what has happened to the girls who have been pushed aside to bring in these other girls .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com