5:21pm Tuesday 16th April 2013
By Alan Feldberg
MARLOW RFC’s head coach John Brodley believes south Bucks has too many rugby clubs to be successful at Level Six.
He believes the plight this season of his own team, High Wycombe and Beaconsfield proves that there isn’t the talent pool in the area to support three teams at that level.
He said: “Three clubs at Level Six is not sustainable. If you look at the Marlow-Wycombe-Beaconsfield triangle, the players just don’t exist.
“This season one club is already going down and the other two both need to win on the final day to stay up.”
Brodley thinks to have any chance of success, two of the three would have to fold or the best players at each would have to all flock to one.
He said: “For two clubs, the solution is not palatable.
“Maybe the players should vote with their feet and all go to one club. They’re amateurs, they can go where they want. It’s something for them to think about.”
Brodley raised the issue just days before Marlow’s final home game of the season.
They host Swanage & Wareham on Saturday and only a win will do, with Newbury Blues and Cheltenham Blues still just about within striking distance.
Brodley said: “We need to win. If we do we’re safe and can’t start planning for next season. If we don’t we’re looking around us.
“We beat them by 40 points away so we go into the game with confidence, but there mustn’t be any complacency.”
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