THE future of rugby union in Cumbria stands at a crossroads following a decision by the Rugby Football Union to restructure the North-West Leagues just two months before the 2018/19 season kicks off.

That is the view of those involved with the teams in South Cumbria, who have found themselves placed in two county-based leagues for the coming campaign, after 19 clubs from Lancashire resigned from the structure en-masse, in part owing to concerns about having to travel to Cumbria.

Having originally been set to play in a separate Lancashire competition outside the RFU league pyramid, a compromise has now been reached which will see those clubs join a combined Cheshire and Lancashire structure from level seven to nine.

“Historical issues leading to 19 Lancashire clubs resigning from RFU Leagues and recent appeals submitted to the RFU head of discipline have centred on either travel distance, disparity in playing standards or both,” wrote Paul O’Leary, RFU competitions manger – development, in a statement to affected clubs.

“The overwhelming feedback from Lancashire and Cheshire clubs is an unwillingness to travel to Cumbria.

"In order to develop a league structure ready for the start of the 2018/19 season we must accept this feedback is the primary obstacle to overcome.”

In turn, this has seen the 15 Cumbrian clubs placed in an eight-team Cumbria One division at level seven and a seven-team Cumbria Two division at level eight, leading to a feeling of isolation and fears about the sustainability of the 15-man code in the county.

“To be honest, what's happening with the restructure is there are just not enough rugby union teams in Cumbria, and by isolating Cumbria it is going to be a real struggle to get enough fixtures, retain players and all of those sort of issues,” said Hawcoat Park chairman John Horne, whose side have been placed in Cumbria One – the only team from the south of the county in that division.

“We're disappointed at what the RFU have come up with at late stage, because we're coming up to the start of the season and there is an uncertainty with what is going on.

"At the moment, they've stripped us away from Lancashire and put us in this eight-team Cumbria League which is no good to anybody.”

Hawcoat are one of four Cumbrian teams, along with Keswick, Aspatria and Wigton, who formed the North Lancashire/Cumbria League last season, and they have lodged an appeal with the RFU over the restructure, as have promoted Cumbria League champions Upper Eden.

Their concerns centre around not having enough fixtures to make a competition sustainable or create enough revenue for clubs, along with worries about being able to recruit, retain and develop players.

The irony for Hawcoat is that their A-team are still set to play in the North-West Intermediate League Division Three North this season, which includes clubs from the Greater Manchester area and as far south as Merseyside outfit Crosby St Mary's.

And Horne, who represented Lancashire Colts in his playing days and is part of the generation of Barrovians from the pre-county boundary reorganisation who consider themselves Lancastrian, believes the restructure is particularly harsh on the Furness clubs like Hawcoat.

“As far as we're aware, the Lancashire clubs we've talked to – now they've improved the A590 – don't seem to mind South Cumbria,” said Horne. “It's the regular ones up to Whitehaven twice, with Whitehaven and St Benedicts, and the ones in the north of the county.

“So it is a fair trek for them, but I think we're unique in that we're South Cumbria and teams say they don't mind travelling to us. Lads are going to get disillusioned with just playing Cumbria and then there is not enough revenue coming across the bar with only eight teams in the league, so it's just a disaster all around.

“The whole idea of rugby at our level is the social thing and we have got a lot of friends at the Lancashire clubs who we enjoy having a chat to and a catch-up with.

“To play somebody three times a season would just be ridiculous and it's not what competitive rugby is about from our viewpoint, to be honest.”

It will almost be a case of as you were for Furness, Millom and Windermere, as those clubs were already playing in a county competition.

However, the big difference is a reduction in fixtures due to Whitehaven and Cockermouth being promoted, along with Upper Eden, reducing the division from 10 teams to seven.

Mere club chairman Tim Wragg played for the Dawes Meadow outfit during the pre-league days when their traditional fixture list featured games against the likes of Blackpool and Preston Grasshoppers, plus Greater Manchester sides and those further north in Cumbria.

There were occasions when Windermere were able to put out three teams as well, although these days they would be happy to get a second XV back out on the pitch, and the feeling is a small county competition is stifling those plans.

“Our goal is to develop and retain enough players so we get back to having a second team,” said Wragg. “At the moment, this situation isn't satisfactory and the RFU have said it is just for one year, but Cumbria seems to be stuck on a limb.

“I can understand if you live in the southern part of Lancashire, you see that as a daunting, long journey, but from Windermere's point-of-view we seem to be trapped.

“As a club, we know Lancashire sides like coming to Windermere because we have the advantage of having Bowness and things like that, so it's a night out and a late bus, so we've always done well. But once the leagues started and now we're trapped in this league, it's a challenge.”

At present, the structure in the North West is set to be reviewed by the RFU ahead of the 2019/20 season to find a better way forward for all clubs across the region.

However, the worry is the governing body will simply decide to keep things as they are both at the upcoming appeal and from next year onwards, leaving rugby union in Cumbria facing a potentially bleak future.

“You've got to take them at your word you would review it, but I'd be very sceptical that there will be any change after that,” said Horne. “You've got to fight your corner this year, but taking on the RFU you've not got much chance, in all honesty.

“But if we stick together and make our appeal, and make our position clear, we're airing our views and that's the best we can do. We just feel the RFU are almost toasting Cumbria by stripping us out this way.”