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. 

Forthcoming Events

Beer Festival 8th 9th & 10th May  Click for details

Annual Club Dinner Friday May 16th

Real Ale fans enjoy the delights of last year's Beer Festival

Below is a picture of Dave Glynn who suffered a broken leg during Saturday's game at Leigh. (19/4/08)

We all send Dave our best wishes  and hope that he makes a quick and full recovery as soon as possible.

See Sponsors News page for news of Colts new kit sponsor Rowland Homes.

In a re-arranged Mller Homes League 2 fixture on Wednesday evening, Widnes 2nds went down by 14 - 0 against Wigan 2nds.

Proud day for Widnes RUFC

Sunday April 6th will go down in club folklore, as the day two Colts teams reach Lancashire Cup Finals.

The Junior Colts ( u 17s) beat LSH 17 - 10 followed by the Senior Colts  (u 19s) who defeated Leigh 19 - 10

Congratulations to both teams.

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)  
   

WIDNES RUFC BEER FESTIVAL

Real ale fans might like to make a note in their diaries, that the Third Widnes RUFC Beer Festival has been confirmed for 8/9/10 May at Heath Road. 

The festival has been a rip-roaring success in previous years, with real ale fans from all over the North West flocking to the event. 

For this year's festival, we are  being assisted by members of  Halton's branch of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), which  promises to make it even bigger and better than before ! 

Further details regarding the selection of beers on offer and ticket sales will be announced shortly, but live music has been confirmed and will be provided by Dixie Hicks, and The Chimps who brought the house down with their performance last year.

NEW SIGNING IS A ‘PRIORITY’ FOR WIDNES !

Representatives of Widnes RUFC unveiled their new star ‘signing’ last week when Jonathan Davies returned to the town where he made his name as a rugby league legend. 

Dual international Davies, was the main attraction as guest speaker at the official launch of Priority Sites new £6million mixed development scheme at Turnstone Business Park which has transformed the Widnes Waterfront.

Priority Sites, who invited Jonathan as guest speaker to launch the event, are also the main sponsor of Widnes RUFC this season, and Club President Ivor Lewis, Lancashire President Dave Herriman, and club Press Officer Steve Clark, took the opportunity to chat with the Welsh superstar before a question and answer session in front of an invited audience.  

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

WIDNES RUFC IS TOP PRIORITY FOR URBAN REGENERATION SPECIALIST

The company, which is realising a £50 million investment programme for the North West region, will sponsor the club for the next two seasons. 

Priority Sites’ development director, John Boanas and area development manager Murray Carr, joined Club president Ivor Lewis to spur the team on at their first home game of the season on Saturday. 

John Boanas, commented: “We’re delighted to become the main sponsor of Widnes RUFC. We recognise the important role that Rugby plays in the community and we wanted to support a solid team that so many local people hold in high regard.”

Ivor Lewis, club president added: “We are thrilled to have the support of a company of the stature of Priority Sites, and on behalf of Widnes RUFC I would like to say a very big thank you for their very generous offer of support for the forthcoming season. Such help and assistance is invaluable to us as a club, and for that we are extremely grateful”.  

PPPriority Sites is working in partnership with Halton Borough Council to develop the high quality office and hybrid accommodation at Turnstone Business Park. When completed, it is anticipated the scheme will create 180 jobs for the local area. 

Priority Sites, a commercial development joint venture owned by The Royal Bank of Scotland and English Partnerships, is one of England’s most active developers with a new building contract now starting on average every four weeks. Its success is due to the fact that it provides quality business premises that fit the needs of the companies that regional and local enterprise agencies want to attract, bringing new, long-term jobs to parts of England that need them the most.  Unlike many commercial developers, building is done mainly speculatively, allowing companies to either rent or buy.

The company has recently celebrated reaching 3 million square feet of Commercial development. Since the joint venture was established in 1997, the company has invested £25 million into the North West region and brought forward over 250,000 sq ft of commercial floor space, largely on former brownfield land.  The national developer is currently realising a further £25 million investment programme for the North West region.

 For further information visit the website www.prioritysites.co.uk.