PLAYER participation was high on the agenda during a productive meeting of the committees of Latchford Albion and Latchford Giants ARFLC ahead of the 2017 season.
Welcoming Albion’s New Director of Rugby and Giants Community Ambassador Mike Cooper the clubs are amending their structures both on and off the field.
The main topic of the agenda was ensuring the clubs were working in unison to ensure players of all age groups were offered a full and continued pathway, which is envisaged will enhance their development.
With Mike Cooper and another Latchford junior Lee Mitchell from the Warrington Wolves, on board they are keen to offer their knowledge to the clubs to ensure that all Latchford Giants players are offered the support and encouragement for them to continue in the game from Cubs to Open Age.
Albion Chairman Mike Byron said: “We are not a club who sits idle and awaits something to happen.
“We have noticed a recent trend in recent years where for one reason or another players were lost to the game, this we discovered was a rugby league problem and not just Latchford Albion one. So we have taken steps to put a solid infrastructure in place to ensure we can offer a clear and concise pathway whatever age they are and want to make the transition from junior to senior as simple as possible whilst still receiving full guidance and support.”
Giants Secretary Andrew Mallows Wood added: “For the Giants and Albion to work together and form ever closer links is a vital step and I hope one that will lead to a much more closer relationship in the future, it is important to us that the players we coach enjoy their rugby and can develop as people and players and can have an outlet to play open age in the future.
“I would like to thank the input of Mike Cooper, Lee Mitchell, Lee Birchall and Phil Jones for helping to cement this relationship and I am sure going forward in the future there will be a closer merging process.
“I would like to encourage all of you to get down to Victoria Park, this season whether on a Saturday afternoon to watch a fest of rugby on the Victoria Park Arena or on a Sunday morning to see the future Latchford stars enjoy their sport in a what are two great days of sport for all the community.”
