SHOULD rugby union become a summer sport? It’s a question which has got Warriors fans talking following last week’s article in The Observer.
Some supporters have agreed with the comments made by Ryan Lamb and Craig Gillies, who are calling on rugby bosses to make the switch.
But others believe the league schedule should stay as it is as they think a change to the summer could cause more injuries.
Here is a sample of their answers featured on social media and on the club’s unofficial forum.
Patgadd
The only good thing about winter is rugby. Otherwise it’s cold and wet, with Christmas in the middle.
Let’s keep it where it belongs.
Schneiderlein
Why does rugby union need to become something other than what it already is?
Rugby union is a great winter-time game to go and watch in the UK. It is successful in its own place and time – which is not to say that it doesn’t need a few tweaks, here and there.
MSR- Worcester
I would prefer summer rugby. I think that the whole season could be like the last few rounds of the Premiership – running rugby and tries from everywhere.
A better product leads to more fans and more money in the game which can only be a good thing.
You only have to look at Super Rugby, which is played in the southern hemisphere summer, to see that it is a more entertaining brand of rugby and their national sides benefit from that.
TeflonTed
We have all seen matches played out in dreadful conditions, and watched as players modify their game to suit, and sometimes it can be fascinating to watch.
Sometimes it’s less interesting, but it’s always different.
I don’t want to watch The Harlem Globetrotters.
Faithful_City
A change to the summer certainly benefited rugby league and we would not be competing with soccer.
I can assure you from personal experience that playing on frozen ground in winter is a damn sight harder.
Getting a head or a knee cracked into a frozen quad muscle group is incredibly painful and trying to catch a ball when your hands are frozen to the bone and the ball breaking fingers is bloody painful.
So I would be in favour, most definitely.
My vote would be for summer rugby or September to November, break December, January, Feburary and then March to June with July off and August pre-season.
West Brom Warriors
If it became a summer sport I doubt I would make a game during the season. A lot of people make plans for the summer with weddings, parties and holidays not to mention other sports.
I would wonder how attendances would be affected by summer rugby.
Rugby League really struggle to get crowds in and the TV viewing figures are not that great.
Rugby union is a game played in all conditions for all people. The pitches would require a serious amount of watering as rock-hard pitches with 30 stone colliding into them would cause a spate of injuries as well. Would the running rugby mean we come unstuck on an international stage when we come up against a decent forwards team?
Not for me sorry.
warriorgibbo
Lots of positives, if you’d asked me. I’m all for it.
Asum Warrior
I wouldn’t commit to a season ticket if it became a summer sport.
neiljk
I hate the idea of summer rugby. Without even getting to the top tier, it wouldn’t work at any level below and can you even begin to imagine life without the Autumn Internationals or the end of winter emerging into the spring of the Six Nations?
Andy Frizzell (@Andy_Frizzell54)
Ridiculous notion. Rock-hard pitches would produce more injuries. We get that early and late-season already. They should stop wimping out, it’s a winter sport.
If they want to play summer rugby they should play rugby league