2021 fixtures

No point announcing fixtures until the promotion happens.

Also, they may be recalibrating plans one way or another based on some crowds being let back in.

Let's not forget they are promoting a L1 team too.

Barrow or Rochdale to come in.We need to get a full uninterupted season behind us after the chaos of 2019 and this season's write off.Gonna be tough but we must compete and be thereabouts,it is only second division rugby after all.As mentioned before, clubs who get by on much less support than ourselves manage to make a fist of it.Without wishing to look too far ahead the season after will be interesting with a SL team going down, probably the one that goes up for next year.How strong or otherwise might they be ? Will they have a parachute payment ?

No point announcing fixtures until the promotion happens. Also, they may be recalibrating plans one way or another based on some crowds being let back in. Let’s not forget they are promoting a L1 team too.

yes that’s what I meant by the replacement for the lucky team, assuming theRFL can get the 2 things together on the same announcement

reckon it will be Newcastle coming up

Been thinking about the league structure too, as it stands with no TWP, sl has 12 champ has 14 and league 1 will be 10

so league 1 have 18 fixtures plus a poss 2 cc games, not really enough for a 35 week season

that means either the 1895 cup, played in groups to give more matches or a new competition, remember back in the day we played 30 league games, Lancashire cup, John player trophy and challenge cup, and the top 8 playoff, ab motors cup too !
Off course we have the World Cup to fit in so that would mean a slightly shortened season but that won’t help league 1 clubs cashflow

Forgot about the BBc2 floodlight trophy

We could reinstate the county cups. But where would we find a club in Lancashire these days?

We could reinstate the county cups. But where would we find a club in Lancashire these days?

The historical area of Lancashire, as opposed to the administrative areas created in 1974, includes Widnes, Warrington; Wigan, St Helens, Salford, Leigh, Swinton, Oldham and Rochdale. I recollect that the three Cumbrian clubs, Barrow, Whitehaven and Workington played in the Lancashire Cup. Maybe a third team from London Broncos, Catalan, Toulouse, Newcastle, North Wales Crusaders, West Wales Raiders, Coventry could be thrown into the mix and possibly an Exiles team. A four team format could work, with each team playing each other once and the top two go into a final play-off.

1895 cup needs binning off.

snafu wrote:

We could reinstate the county cups. But where would we find a club in Lancashire these days?

The historical area of Lancashire, as opposed to the administrative areas created in 1974, includes Widnes, Warrington; Wigan, St Helens, Salford, Leigh, Swinton, Oldham and Rochdale. I recollect that the three Cumbrian clubs, Barrow, Whitehaven and Workington played in the Lancashire Cup. Maybe a third team from London Broncos, Catalan, Toulouse, Newcastle, North Wales Crusaders, West Wales Raiders, Coventry could be thrown into the mix and possibly an Exiles team. A four team format could work, with each team playing each other once and the top two go into a final play-off.

you forgot Blackpool and Hutton which made 14

the Yorkshire cup had 16

whilst I applaud the idea of the Lancashire cup I doubt any SL teams would want it

maybe the lower league teams play an east and west conference as years ago, based on groups and  knockout rounds to follow, this would give extra games to league 1 teams

I was thinking more on the lines of a State of Origin competition with a Lancashire, Yorkshire, Exiles (overseas players) and Barbarians (Players from other areas). The criteria for selection could be based on current UK players from the clubs in those areas; or location of first team they played their first senior rugby league game. There could be rules limiting the number of SL players or even excluding SL players.

snafu wrote:

We could reinstate the county cups. But where would we find a club in Lancashire these days?

The historical area of Lancashire, as opposed to the administrative areas created in 1974, includes Widnes, Warrington; Wigan, St Helens, Salford, Leigh, Swinton, Oldham and Rochdale. I recollect that the three Cumbrian clubs, Barrow, Whitehaven and Workington played in the Lancashire Cup. Maybe a third team from London Broncos, Catalan, Toulouse, Newcastle, North Wales Crusaders, West Wales Raiders, Coventry could be thrown into the mix and possibly an Exiles team. A four team format could work, with each team playing each other once and the top two go into a final play-off.

Barrow was in Lancashire, not Cumberland. IIRC

Paulie xx

There was some idea of splitting the lower leagues into East and West Conferences but it seems to have been rejected.

For me, the NRC was fine with a final at Blackpool in July, so rather than scrap the 1895, I'd revert to that.

It would be interesting to see how many of the current Widnesians were actually born when we were in Lancashire.

why stop at Lancashire though - perhaps we could have the Mercian Cup ?

It would be interesting to see how many of the current Widnesians were actually born when we were in Lancashire. why stop at Lancashire though – perhaps we could have the Mercian Cup ?

Interesting one this. In 1974, Widnes and Runcorn councils were abolished to form the Borough of Halton within the county of Cheshire. So, on that basis, unless we have any players aged 46, then none will have been born in the administrative county of Lancashire.

In 1998, Halton and Warrington became unitary authorities separate from the county of Cheshire. The administrative county of Cheshire was abolished in 2009. In 2009, Halton became part of the Liverpool city region.

So maybe we should change our name to Liverpool Vikings.

And as an aside, anyone born in the Kingdom of Mercia would now be 1141!!!

I am a proud Widnesian and Lancastrian.