Minutes of Committee Meeting - 3rd December 2024
NORTH WEST INTERMEDIATE RUGBY UNION LEAGUESNORTH WEST INTERMEDIATE RUGBY UNION LEAGUESSPONSORED BY HALBRO
Minutes of the Committee Meeting via Teams
7pm Tuesday 3rd December 2024
Committee Present: Fred Swarbrick, John Powell, Paul Riordan, Craig Hine, Tommy Hughes, Ian Cosens, Greg King, Mark Ashley, Sara Shackleton, Chris Farmiloe
Apologies : Andy Thompson, Peter Rhodes
Matters Arising: Nothing to be discussed from last meeting
Finance: Greg King reports we paid £1000 from the benevolent fund to the family on the Colne and Nelson player who passed away. Current account balance is in a healthy position. Credit balance with Halbro is £3,467.10. Benevolent fund balance is £9641.59
League Performance Figures:
John Powell reports all postponed games have been rearranged. 86% of matches have been played. All leagues haves increased %age of games played so far this year with the exception of 2N (down from 96% to 77%) and 4W. 5E and 5W have a lot of agreed postponements, which is OK as long as they get played. The opportunities for double-headers now passed.
Ian Cosens asked if Aaron Howarth could suggest a way to avoid losing fixtures when teams drop out of the leagues.
Craig Hine asked about double-headers being played at the home ground of the non-offending team which is the case except where teams agree differently.
Group consensus - some teams will not be as accommodating as others and that loading still and issue.
John Powell – 8 instances from 4 clubs of the new rule being used where only 2 points are awarded to the winning team after a senior team concedes.Teams of concern are Preston GH5, Widnes3, Chester3, Rochdale2, Orrell 2 (not sure I got all these right)
Sponsorship:
Ian Cosens reports a new sponsor to replace Halbro (didn’t catch who this is) and a new one in the pipeline – a drinks company. Halbro to leave at the end of this season, so need a new main sponsor.
Time to look for next cup final venues.Ian Cosen suggested using sponsorship money to buy kit for teams in cup finals
Halbro sponsor £3,600 in goods as didn’t want to give cash, but new sponsor can give money.Mark Ashley mentioned he may know of a potential new sponsor, TBC
AOB:
Injury to a lad called Jamie from Wallasey in 5W, self employed electrician likely to be out for 6 months. Circumstances / Insurance cover unknown so Craig Hine to investigate and revert re potential BF donation.
Cup Final Venues Fred Swarbrick has been in contact with this years’ cup final venues, waiting to hear back from New Brighton and Macclesfield and visit will be arranged after next round of the cup on 25/1/25, potentially w/c 3/2/25. Mark Ashley requested being present also.
John Powell report on meeting with RFU / Aaron Howarth. Main points of discussion were:- Participation - Match Cards; will be compulsory from next season. Our stance is it’s an RFU directive and down to them to introduce / administer- Why so many first teams in our leagues as RFU wants first teams in their leagues.
Final discussion around how to mitigate teams entering the leagues when they don’t feasibly have the numbers and whether to allow Furness to join the leagues, which was a unanimous decision to decline based on geography.
Greg King to come back re dates for a get together at Last Drop Village.
Meeting ended at 8.20pm