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Rain, Rain

Since the weekend before Christmas over 200 games have been postponed due to the weather, some more than once.

The Western part of the South West Leagues has been worst affected and there are now 31 games scheduled for Easter Saturday, seven for Easter Monday and 14 on the last Saturday in April. Any further postponements involving clubs already playing on those days could well mean midweek fixtures being required.

In addition the South West MAY have to prioritise fixtures and schedule those involving promotion and relegation ahead of other matches.

Clubs who have been affected by the weather are encouraged to look at their remaining fixtures and see if any can be played midweek to free up Saturday dates for matches that involve more travelling for either team. If a game is to be moved to a midweek date, both clubs should email their agreement to the Admin Office and the details will be updated.

 

07 Feb 16

RFU Cups - squad sizes

Teams playing in the RFU Cup competitions have to have FIVE players capable of playing in the front row in a match squad of 22 players. Three in the starting XV and two others that might be called on should any of the original front row get injured or require to be replaced.

We appreciate that the match result card supplied by the RFU has only space for four replacements, the names of the other three replacements can be included elsewhere on the card.

30 Dec 15

Mike Gee presented with his BEM

Accompanied by family and friends, South West League Co-ordinating Secretary Mike Gee has been presented with his British Empire Medal in a ceremony in Truro.

Mike was one of six from Cornwall who received their awards from the Lord-Lieutenant of the county Colonel Edward Bolitho OBE, himself a keen supporter of the Cornish Pirates.

In the citation read out prior to Mike receiving his medal, his contribution to rugby for over half a century at club, county, regional and national level was outlined and met with warm applause.

As well as receiving the award, Mike and his wife Louise, will attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace next summer.

06 Sep 15

Cheltenham North

Cheltenham North have successfully applied to return to the South West Leagues from the start of Season 2016-2017.

In accordance with the South West’s policy of giving a full season’s notice, we are writing to inform you that an extra relegation may be required at some, or all, levels from Level 7 down, at the end of the 2015/16 season.

Cheltenham North currently play at Level 8 in the Midlands. Subsequently, ,they will come across to Level 8 into the South West, should they not finish in a promotion or relegation position at the end of this season

However, should they achieve promotion in 2015/16, they will play at Level 7 or, if they are relegated, they will come in at Level 9.

It is not possible at this stage to be more specific.

 

19 Aug 15

Student Pass

The RFU has been working to develop ways to make it easier for students to play for local rugby clubs and is introducing the Student Pass this season 2015-16 as a trial period.

The Student Pass is intended to encourage students to play more rugby more regularly by introducing greater flexibility with the registration of players. This will enable genuine students to play for their home club and the club local to their higher/further education institution by undergoing a simplified and less onerous player registration process.

Full details of the conditions are here.

Full details of the registration process are here.

16 Aug 15

Result Cards

A supply of result cards and, where appropriate, a list of registered players have been sent to all clubs for the new season.

Where the nominated league contact is responsible for more than one team within a club please take care when distributing the cards.  Take note of which team features on the envelope as different leagues use different cards

Newsletter 2 has also been published - see under Newsletters & Forms above.

14 Aug 15

Mike Gee honoured for lifetime devotion to the game

Long serving South West League Co-ordinating Secretary Mike Gee has been honoured in the Queens Birthday Honours List published this morning.

Mike's more than 50 years involvement with rugby union as a player and administrator has been recognised with the award of the British Empire Medal (BEM). 

Cornwall born and bred, Mike played around 600 games for St Ives over 13 seasons and scored nearly 200 tries, including 45 in one season.  After hanging up his boots he has held various administrative posts.  He served on the Cornwall RFU Committee in the 1970s and with the start of the Leagues in 1987 he became one of the first league secretaries.  Following the retirement of founder League Co-ordinating Secretary Jack Wooldridge in 1995 he took over the role and has overseen the running of the competition in the South West for the last 20 years.

He has also contributed to the wider running of the game as a member of the RFU's Competition Committee, where he is the longest serving member.

Mike, who will be 71 in a few weeks, said "I'm delighted and deeply honoured but I could not have achieved this award without the support of all the League Officials in the South West, past and present."

13 Jun 15

 

Fixtures 2015-2016

Work is starting on the fixtures for next season.

We are still awaiting details of the structure of some leagues but it is hoped that the fixtures will be issued before the bank holiday at the end of May.

As a guide we hope to offer local fixtures where possible during the opening round of the Rugby World Cup so that away teams can get home before the 8pm kick off. There will be no games planned on the weekend of the final - 31st October.

14 club leagues will start on the 5th September.

06 May 15

End of season playoffs

With all league games in the South West completed on schedule, we can now confirm the promotion playoffs

Exmouth v Barnes
Newent v Kingsbridge
Salisbury v Aylesbury
Towcestrians v Ivybridge
Veor v Plymstock Albion Oaks
Winscombe v Whitehall

Matches to be played on the 25th/26th April. The venues have been decided under the regulations regarding Best Playing Record - ie the number of points gained as a percentage of the number possible in the club's league.
Clubs involved have been posted a match card.

19 Apr 15

Exeter University lose appeal

An RFU Disciplinary Panel has upheld the South West’s decision to deduct 50 points from Exeter University for a series of breaches of the conditions applicable to their participation in the English Clubs Championship.

The panel, chaired by High Court Judge Sir James Dingemans, heard the club had agreed to conditions when it joined the leagues in 2011 that it would not use players who had played in the BUCS League in the same season. At the start of this season the club had applied to have these removed but had been turned down. The club acknowledged it had then breached the conditions rather than challenge them further.

The panel noted the League Secretary’s decision to deduct the club on the basis of five points per game rather than five points per player was designed to punish the University but not relegate them.

The South West and the University will discuss what conditions, if any, should apply to the team for Season 2015-2016.

24 Mar 15

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