as in the only 20+ stone good looking 6 in the merit



the meeting last night was OK, RB has sent out some notes.

Im after help on Sunday the 22nd if you can m8 (or anyone)

Im running the 1st FIJI UK rep game against a Rochdale select (town team and Hornets U23s)

I have the Fijians but not the volunteers.

The game is played at spotland stadium.

good chance i can make it - girlfiend is at a wedding in france that weekend so I'm free. not avilabale until after 12 though as we're starting Sunday morning sessions for juniors that day.

already offered to lend our sub-suits in response to RB's email.

If you want it videoing give me a shout. Sounds like a good idea

May make it for the Fijian game too, the wife grew up in Fiji and it's about as close as we'll be getting to another visit there for a while...

TOWN TEAM VS FIJI UK MATCH PREVIEW

Spotland Stadium will have an international feel to it tomorrow as ‘The UK Fijians RL’ have their first ever run out against the established and now ever impressive Rochdale Town Team (kick off 1pm).

The game will be seen as a warm up to the 2013 RL world cup in which Rochdale Council along with Link4Life, The Spotland Stadium Company and Rochdale Hornets successfully brought to the borough.

Rochdale has a long history with Fiji, with a number of natives signing for Rochdale Hornets in the 1960s and settling down in the town. Now Rochdale boasts the highest Fijian population in the UK outside of London, with players turning out for community teams Rochdale Mayfield and Rochdale Cobras.

The Town Team will see this as their chance to showcase themselves on the big stage after a close run game against Hornets in the Christmas period, which saw the amateurs lose out by just one score.

Aidan Gleeson (Rochdale Mayfield) captains the Town team with Tabua Cakacaka(Gateshead Thunder) taking the helm for the Fijians in a game everyone will expect to be a cracker.

Leon Ashworth, Town Team coach, commented ‘The Fijians will no doubt be a massive test for us. They will be strong, quick and big from 1 to 13 and will test us physically. We have had a good group of players who have been attending the prep sessions at Heywood over the last 10 days and we are in good shape to compete with them’

The coaching team of Ashworth (Mayfield) alongside Dave Ramsbottom (Cobras/Hornets) and Adam Browne (Littleborough) will have a difficult decision to make come selection, as over 20 players have made themselves available for the fixture from the boroughs 4 clubs. Duffy, West and Moores are available for selection again following recent performances for Hornets u23s.

Seven local players who normally play for local clubs and the Town Team are set to feature for the Fijians, testing club loyalties and friendships to the core. Fijian captain, Tabua Cakacaka, is hopeful of some high profile players to take there place alongside the Rochdale based Fijians. Interest has come from League and Union players in the professional and community ranks from Stoke, Catterick and Edinburgh amongst other places.

The main match sponsor is Jeff Stott and the official grog ritual and Fijian party will be at associate sponsor Flying Horse Hotel from 4pm.
All monies raised from the game will go back into Rugby League Development within the borough, with a donation made to a cause of chosen by Fiji UK.

Rochdale Town Team Vs Fiji UK
Spotland Stadium
Sunday 22nd January
13:00 Kick Off
Adults £3
Concessions £1

Gutted I can't watch, it's sure to be an absolute belter - I'm darn sarf for an extended family birthday.




I believe Cobras may have been put in the top division. Personally, I've no doubts they can compete at a high level even if they may not challenge for honours. BooBoo will correct me if I'm wrong but as far as I know their main issue isn't talent, it's consistency, and keeping the same lads turning out week in, week out.

Fortunately their Fijians like summer rugby.

Very snazzy website. Take a look at who's playing Summer or Winter - I believe the NW Men's League hasn't been updated with the latest to switch though. Apparently 84% of teams (at all ages) have switched to summer.

[url=http://www.abrighterleague.com/#whoA Brighter League[/url

ppppfffftttt.......WTF!!!!


We only wanted to go in the premiership after winning last seasons regional GF we watched the premiership GF which looked a very doable level and going off the summer 2011 season we would automatically go up the top with promotion.

What we never (and no-one) knew was the high level of teams coming over from NWCs!!, believe me i Love or young little club but also know our limits (at this time).

The question do we stubbornly stick to the prem? we never said the prem we said put us with Hindley because although better than us we have competed with em in most games (im sure they will back this) and we thought they would would be top dog (going off last summer summer league) so we would be mid table. I now know the prem.....and were not ready for that.....YET!!!!

Thanks for the comments Cronus but even with our Fijian army thats a step too far!!!

How come they put Cobras in premier even though it meant leaving out some NWCL Premier sides? Cobras are better than their old league of division 4 but not to the extent Hindley are. Probably would have been suited to a premier of the clubs from the interim league though I agree.

pass...its will be sorted...........soon

The remaining winter sides:

Dalton
Walney Central
Wigan Bulldogs
Shevington Sharks
Bold Miners
Albert Park
Widnes Tigers
West Bank Swans
Rylands
Westhoughton
Irlam Hornets
Langworthy
Hollinwood
Higginshaw.

Rylands, Blackpool scorpions, fitton hill and Leigh east 3rd team have stayed winter aswell

Forgot Rylands but didn't know about Leigh East B. They're having a crisis meeting to see if it is worth carrying on the league at all apparently.

Surprised to see shevvy haven't made the switch, there's not much in the way of opposition for um if the winter season does carry on.

Have you seen our results this year?



To be honest we've just left it to the powers that be make the decision. Personally, I'm not fussed.

Some of u seem to know what league ur in, I can't see anything on the NW men's site or the abrighterleague one.....can anyone help?

We have had an email asking which league we would like to be in but that's it. I didn't think anything would be finalised till the Feb meeting.

Seems a hard question as you may ask to go in say division 2 but hard to know what that means unless you see the lineup. Guess they're more looking for which clubs want fast tracking and which want to drop back and rebuild so they can work from there. Guess they can't really start til they know the outcome of tomorrow's NWCL emergency meeting.

I agree they asked what division you wanted to go in before the deadline so at that point you didn't know how many teams or which teams would make the move to summer.

Anyone what date the meeting is in Feb?

Has playing at the college got anything to do with not switching? maybe the facilities can't be used in the summer when it is closed

Think it was 21st at Hindley

Ah, could be. I guess we'll find out more at training tonight.

Ah, could be. I guess we'll find out more at training tonight.

5 of the 17 have gone summer leaving 12 winter sides apparently. Westhoughton is the only name I know that's gone summer out of the 5.