RFU plans for rugby return with Newark and Southwell placed in covid-secure Nottinghamshire 1 group

Plans of a cluster league January restart have been welcomed by Newark and Southwell rugby clubs.

Tim Barker, of Newark Rugby Club, said the RFU’s proposed New Year restart would be welcomed by rugby clubs across the county.

Andrew Smith, chairman of Southwell Rugby Club, also praised the proposals, but was aware of the difficulties it could continue to present clubs with.

The plans would see the return of 15-a-side contact rugby with some adaptations to the usual laws.

The rules, which are still be confirmed, would prevent scrums and mauls from taking place, with the game restarted with a free kick instead.

Requirements would also see a minimum of five, and a maximum of seven players, from each team form a line-out.

The proposals would see Newark and Southwell both placed into a Nottinghamshire-based covid-secure cluster group consisting of East Retford, Mansfield, Mellish, Paviors, West Bridgford and Notts Medics.

It would mean the return of competitive rugby for the first time since March, when the country went into its first national lockdown.

Due to the ongoing restrictions over travel and training in Tier 3 areas, dates are provisional, but plans by the Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire Rugby Football Unions are in place.

It would not only benefit the first teams of Newark and Southwell, as Pennant fixtures for second teams and third teams were also comfirmed.

All fixtures are scheduled to begin in mid-January.

Barker said it had given everybody at the club something to look forward to.

“It is great news,” he said: “We have secured a level of certainty with this, and that has always been the tricky bit.

“When the league was cancelled, it was always going to be friendly fixtures.

“Normally, we would have to travel into Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire and, at the moment, you can’t do that because of the tier system.

“So the objective was to try to find something that we had a level of certainty around.

“Of course, the tier systems can change but as we stand, it was just a case of trying to follow through with a way of going out and playing rugby in the new year.

“It is the best we can hope for so let’s see what happens over Christmas.

“They (the players) are really keen to get some normality back into their routine, and that’s playing on a Saturday, travelling to watch rugby, and getting rugby back.”

Smith highlighted rugby’s return as a huge boost, but said the lack of spectators was a dampener on the news.

“Of course, we are very pleased with it, especially for the welfare of the players,” said Smith.

“But it is governed by what tier we are in in reality.

“While we are in Tier 3, the guys can play, but that is it. We can’t open the clubhouse.

“Personally, I have mixed views on it depending on what the tiers are because even Tier 2 is limited.

“As we stand, there won’t be spectators in Tier 3, and we are a very family-orientated club.

“The nature of playing the game in the first place also means parents, friends and children being in the clubhouse at the same time.

“Newark will be the same, and a massive part of the income each season is through activities surrounding the game.

“So it is positive news, but we are still in very difficult times.”

Barker also said the lack of spectators would be a dampener on the potential return.

“There is enough space around a rugby pitch to space out, and with a bit of common sense it could certainly be put into place.”

Further details are still to be announced on the cluster divisions.