Angela Powers says summer is the way to go after the winter weather manages to maul rugby league.
Summer time is calling
We may have moved to summer, but winter weather is still managing to maul rugby league. The Super League season hasn't even kicked off yet, but it has already suffered its first weather-related cancellation. Unfortunately, the victim wasn't just one fixture, but the high profile, super duper, media launch of the 2009 season.
It was inevitable really. Everyone knows that extreme weather and British transport systems don't mix. So the chances of getting representatives of all 14 teams, plus a phalanx of press people, to Westminster after the heaviest snowfall in 18 years were virtually nil.
So the RFL did all they could do really and called it off.
I was on my way down to the capital when the call came through that it was cancelled and my first thoughts were 'Zut Alors'. It's not the first time this year that my attempts to get to interview the Catalans Dragons new coach Kevin Walters were thwarted by the weather.
The weekend before last I boarded a flight for France, excited at the prospect of watching the Dragons take on Toulouse in a pre-season friendly.
On the match day morning I woke to the sound of roof slates crashing to the ground and shutters slamming violently. Outside people were bent almost double as they battled to walk in the wind and rain. This was the worst storm the region had seen years.
The worst of the weather was in the Catalan region...and it was too dangerous for the Dragons to make the journey by coach to Toulouse. Game off.
We all know that summer doesn't necessarily guarantee cloudless skies and heat waves, but rain and floods aside, at least we have a better chance of knowing that the games won't be called off while we're en route.
But I have a little confession to make. A little bit of me was relieved when these events were cancelled. I love my job and I love the game, but there is nothing more unpleasant for 'fair-weather' sports fans than to stand on the sidelines, teeth chattering and body tensed against the cold, while toes go numb and dew drops form on the tips of frozen noses.
Moving the season to summer was the best decision the Rugby League ever made. Crowds are growing year on year and the game is opened up to a whole new audience.
So why don't we move all rugby league to summer? No more amateur games cancelled due to frozen pitches.
It would surely make the game far more attractive to juniors too, not to mention mums and dads who have to drive them to training sessions and stand about in the cold for an hour or so. Call me old fashioned, but I've been there and done that and it isn't nice.
Yes, you could argue that the audience would suffer for both the pro and amateur game as spectators are forced to choose which games they watch. But maybe the attractions of rugby in the sunshine might just help bring in new fans, and more importantly, help retain more juniors.
It's just a thought.
Showing their support
While on the subject of weather, I like nothing better than to while away the winter weekends at home, with the fire roaring and rugby league on the telly (not long now!).
Last Friday though, I put my coat on and dragged the family to the Willows for the Salford City Reds shirt presentation evening.
And I was overwhelmed by the number of families who had decided to do the same. The Willows big club room was packed with around 600 people who'd turned out to show their support for the squad as they prepare for Super League XIV.
The team had had a bit of a torrid time over in Florida on their pre-season training trip, with reports of players disciplined for minor incidents while away. The fans though showed that they were right behind the lads as they try to put all that behind them and move forward together.
Last season, they won all the silverware National League One had to offer and as Shaun McRae pointed out on the night, they learned how to win. It's a lesson that'll stand them in good stead as they face the challenges ahead, on and off the pitch.
And if the turn-out on Friday night is an indicator of the support to come, then the Reds have plenty to look forward to.
