Grassroots rugby has always had a complicated relationship with the British weather.
Too much rain and pitches are waterlogged. Too little rain and they're rock hard.
This summer, the RFU delayed the start of England's competitive community rugby season after prolonged dry weather left pitches unsuitable for safe full-contact rugby. It wasn't just a case of a few dusty pitches either — more than 70% of England was officially in drought at the time.
And then comes winter.
Flooded pitches. Mud. Frozen ground. Cancelled fixtures. Training sessions called off.
Steve Grainger, the RFU's director of rugby development, summed up the problem pretty well:
“We are a winter sport. Winters are getting tough and summers are getting tougher.”
The RFU is now looking at whether the traditional community rugby calendar needs to change. That doesn't necessarily mean turning rugby union into a summer sport. A midwinter break, different season structures and regional variations are all being considered.
But perhaps there is a bigger question.
Should grassroots rugby still be played in the same way, at the same time of year, as it always has been?
Because this isn't just about whether players fancy playing in the sunshine.
For clubs, an unplayable pitch can mean lost fixtures, lost bar takings and weeks of disruption. A UK Government report found that 36 community rugby clubs collectively lost around £1.1 million in revenue following their worst flooding events.
And while a wet pitch is nothing new, the other side of the problem is becoming harder to ignore.
Martin O'Keefe, chair of Birkenhead Park Rugby Club, described his club's pitch during this summer's drought as “like playing on concrete”, adding that maintaining it without professional irrigation was simply not realistic.
So would moving more rugby into the summer actually solve anything?
Maybe.
There would certainly be some obvious benefits: fewer waterlogged pitches, potentially better playing conditions and perhaps a more appealing environment for families and spectators.
But then we're back to the same problem.
What happens when summer becomes too hot and too dry?
World Rugby has already warned that changing weather patterns and extreme climate events are creating challenges for rugby at all levels, including player health, pitch conditions and the wider ability to play the game.
Perhaps the answer isn't a completely new season at all.
Maybe it's a winter break. Maybe it's better drainage and irrigation. Maybe more artificial or hybrid pitches. Maybe different parts of the country need different solutions.
The RFU itself has acknowledged that a “one size fits all” approach may not work, with Grainger pointing to the very different weather and participation challenges faced by clubs across England.
But if we're reaching the point where September can bring rock-hard pitches and January can bring waterlogged ones, grassroots rugby seems to be stuck between a rock and a hard place.
So what actually works?
Does anyone have the answer?
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