Ex-Fylde coach campaigns for rugby union's County Championship as next year's competition is cancelled

Having fallen victim to the coronavirus crisis in May, the 131-year-old, end-of-season competition is not to be played next year either, raising concerns over its future.

Until this year the County Championship had been contested every year outside wartime since 1889 and Lancashire boast the proudest record in its history with 25 wins.

Cornwall are the reigning champions but the Red Rose has been the dominant force this century, contesting 13 of the 16 Twickenham finals from 2003-18 and winning nine of them. As such it is fitting that the tournament has been renamed the Bill Beaumont County Championship.

Sir Bill’s former club Fylde, Lancashire’s highest-ranked club side, traditionally provides a core of players for the county team and regularly stages matches in the competition.

An obvious reason for next season’s abandonment is the expected extension of the club season into May following a late start.

However, former Fylde coach Nelson says “cost-cutting” is another factor after the Rugby Football Union this week confirmed a major redundancy programme because of huge revenue losses, with the warning that the game may need five years to recover.

Nelson told The Gazette: “The Rugby Football Union are making cuts across the board which will affect funding not only for the County Championship but for the Under-20s, the women’s game and the ‘aspirational pathway’.

“I’m campaigning to ensure the County Championship is reinstated the following year and looking at ways to maintain the interest throughout the year.”

Nelson acknowledges that a three-year gap between tournaments poses a challenge in maintaining the profile of the competition, with no guarantee of its return.

He added: “It isn’t a good situation and there is a concern for younger players in particular. It’s natural for them to feed into the County Championship as a way to play representative rugby and possibly to play at Twickenham.

“I am aiming massively to keep the interest in the county game high until it comes back, but once you cut something it becomes difficult to reinstate it and the RFU are saying they will take years to recover.

“But my view is that it’s imperative to keep this competition alive because it’s part of the core of the game.”