With the new campaign on the horizon, Widnes RUFC have finalised their plans as they prepare for the start of the season. TO

This coming Saturday (9^th August), the club are hosting a tick n’ pass competition from 2pm involving teams from Liverpool St Helens, Collegiate as well as representatives from all of the Club’s senior and Colts teams. 

On 23^rd August, the club will play a pre-season friendly away at Ruskin Park, before travelling to face Leigh in the first round of the Lancashire Trophy on 30th.  They have another friendly at home to Vale of Lune on 6^th September, before their first league game away at Wigan the week after.

It has been a busy few weeks at Widnes RUFC, as the wind of change continues to blow at Heath Road.   

Following on from the arrival of new club President Mark Cross and Andy O’Neill as first team captain, the club has also welcomed Ian Thompson as club Secretary and Martin Kerr as Chairman.  Both men have served the junior section for many years and are now making the step up to more senior roles within the club. 

Change seems to be everywhere at the club just at the moment – even on the first team pitch where a brand new set of rugby posts have just been erected.  The pitch is looking in great condition following extensive work on it over the pre-season period. 

For those who enjoy watching their sport as well as playing it, the club have also added the Setanta Sports channel in the club to complement Sky Sports. 

On the playing side, coach Lee McDermott is delighted with the response from his players following their return to pre-season training.   

“The influence of the younger lads - Tom Farmer, Andy Riley and Justin Winstanley -has been outstanding and this is having a really positive effect on everyone” said the coach. 

Back in the fold are Rob Critchley following a shoulder injury, whilst Wids old boy Gareth Davies brings a wealth of experience back to the club following spells with Waterloo, Birkenhead Park, West Park and Warrington Wolves.  Forwards Tim Hewlett and Mark Wilcox have also both returned to the club following spells with Liverpool St Helens and Collegiate.    

The club are continuing with plans to create an occasional fourth team next season, and club-stalwart George Street has offered to take up the role of team manager. 

“The fourth team will be very much a social rugby team, with the emphasis on players enjoying a game and then having a few beers afterwards” said George. “We want to attract new players up to the club along with any ex-players who are looking to re-kindle their interest in the game,” he added. 

Training for the third/fourth players began last week and there was a great turnout for the first session.  All newcomers are welcome – the training sessions take place every Wednesday evening at 7.30pm over at Prescot Road.

 WIDNES RUFC SEAL NEW KIT DEAL.

 11/06/2008

Widnes RUFC have signed a three year agreement with Preston based sportswear company Kukri Sports Ltd, to be their “Official Kit Supplier”.

 The deal will see all the Wids teams wearing the same style kit when the new season begins and will offer the club a wide range of free additional merchandise, as well as generous discounts against a wide range of Kukri products. 

The deal represents another building block in Widnes RUFC’s efforts to get back to where they want to be amongst the games elite clubs. 

Sponsorship Secretary Ivor Lewis who helped broker the deal said “We have long had ambitions to get all of our teams from Junior to Senior wearing the same style kit, and this deal with Kukri allows us to do just that.”  

He added, “Our club colours of red and black hoops are an instantly recognisable brand amongst clubs around the locality, and we hope that this kit deal will further enhance our reputation as a very ambitious club”.

 Review of the season

Widnes Coach Lee McDermott can look back with much satisfaction following his side's performances this season. 

Last year, with a very young team, they finished sixth in the table, but this season they have finished in fifth place in what has been a very competitive league this season. 

Either way, it represents sure, but steady progress for a team who have had plenty of up and downs since the introduction of the professional era. Over the last two years though, however, McDermott has overseen a quiet revolution at the club. 

Following on from an earlier, but very important decision not to pay players, McDermott set about the task of constructing and developing a side built around youth with a sprinkling of experience in key positions. 

That policy paid handsome dividends last season arresting the decline of previous years, but, with the introduction of experienced players such as Mark Sibson along the youthful exuberance of players such as 'points machine' Kevin Leadbetter, Kevin Farrow and Tom Farmer, the club have raised the barrier yet again this year. 

Along with some of the best club facilities around, there is no doubt that Widnes RUFC is the place to be at the present time, particularly as other clubs continue to chase the holy grail, which, realistically, for most clubs, is out of their reach. 

And, before anyone suggests that this is just a one-off, consider some of the other many positive vibes emanating from the club at present. 

Not only have the first team been performing well, the Second and Third teams have both made their mark in the Miller Homes Leagues. Not only have they fulfilled all of their fixtures, they have both progressed well in the their respective Halbro Cup competitions, and now there is even talk of introducing a fourth team next season such is the strength in depth of players looking for a game. All this is a far cry from just a few years ago, when being able to put out just one team was considered an achievement. 

But, not only have the senior sides been performing well, the junior section continues to go from strength to strength. From the mini's right through to the Colts, progress is being made at every level within the Club.  

The Junior Colts U17's have had a magnificent season.  Despite starting the season with less than a full squad, they have conquered all before them - winning their respective league title and qualifying for both the Lancashire Cup Final, and the Halbro Colts League Bowl Final.   

Not to be outdone, the Senior Colts Under 19's have performed brilliantly under the tutelage of coach Paul Newall.  They also began with less than a full squad, but finished by qualifying for the final of the Lancashire Cup. 

The Demand For Fourteen Team Leagues below National Level

They are the most unlikely group of revolutionaries but there is mounting anger and frustration amongst junior clubs, those below the National Leagues, throughout the north of England over the apparent lack of concern and understanding by the RFU  Tournaments and Competitions Director Terry Burwell over the number of games played by clubs from North One down.

The group spearheaded by former Liverpool St.Helens President John Robertson and Millers Homes League Chairman Fred Swarbick from Vale of Lune believes that the RFU are dragging their feet over over the issue.

"The structured season is 35 weeks long but from level five (North One) downwards the RFU provide just 22 league fixtures, yet National One has 28 with Two and Three enjoying 26. Why is there this difference?" Roberston questions.

Robertson does have a point.  Even including a cup game, and fifty percent of sides go out in the first round, that would give a maximum of 12 home games per season, hardly a successful receipe for running a rugby club who rely to a large extent on bar takings and the sponsorship of matches to survive and, at a time when rumours are strong that the RFU is considering cutting funding, the lack of anything positive emanating from RFU is nothing short of a disgrace.

In a letter from the RFU to the group  Burwell states: "when we have sorted out the top end of the game we'll then look at levels 5 and below but until then you will just have to be patient."

Patronising if nothing else!

"The RFU Competitions Committee seems unable to act on behalf of the community game it is supposed to represent without hiding behind the excuse of what is taking place in the Premiership and the National Leagues over which they virtually have no control whatsoever, " Robertson added.

In a survey carried out throughout the north by the Action Group who contacted club secretaries directly, there was wholesale demand for more matches and, supported by Lancashire RFU., this was forwarded to the North Divsional Committee yet this committee's representative to the RFU claimed that there was no wish for more matches. This is not the first time this has happened with regional and county representatives voting against the directives of their own constituent bodies they are supposed to be representing.

With the fixture list as it is and even accounting for cup competitions, only 8 clubs were still involved after the first week in December, there remain 12 free Saturdays, far more than necessary to meet postponements.

"All this is surely a shocking waste of playing time as well as club house usage," Robertson pointed out. "No matches on a regular basis and players drift to other pursuits, spectators lose interest and bar takings suffer and the RFU appear to be so intent on the top end of the game at the expense of the grass roots."

If the RFU acted now there could be an increase in the size of the leagues for next season. If they don't act then the danger is that the grass roots will wither which in the end will effect the top end of the game but by then it may well be too late.

Reproduced by kind permission of Geoff Lightfoot (Liverpool Daily Post)  
   

Double Honour at Widnes RUFC.

A double honour has been bestowed upon Widnes RUFC recently with the selection of both Paul McLindon and Chris Schofield for representative honours. 

Both players began their rugby careers with the Wids Kids aged 5, and both have overcome serious injury to get where they are today. 

Paul recovered from a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury, and now at just 16 years of age has been selected for the Lancashire Under 18 squad. He has also been given a rugby scholarship through England RFU and Sale Sharks to attend Myerscough College, as well as being selected for Sale Sharks Rugby Academy and their elite player development squad.  

Chris, who also has a very impressive rugby CV, recovered from a badly broken leg and has been selected for Lancashire Under 16’s to play against Cumbria, Yorkshire, Durham and Cheshire.  He has also been selected for the England RFU elite player development programme “Schools of Rugby”.  

Junior Colts Head Coach Martin Kerr said “This is a fantastic honour for both boys as well as the Club.  Paul and Chris have both shown tremendous character, commitment and dedication to recover from serious injury to come back and claim places in their respective County squads”  

He went on “Their return to form and fitness has been a huge positive particularly for the Junior Colts and will give them the impetus for the remainder of the season”.  

Their selection for representative honours adds to the already impressive long list of previous players selected by the County, and acknowledges the hard work of all the coaches at the club

Chris Schofield and Paul McLindon

 Click photo to enlarge