Last season was a very successful one with the 1st XV finishing 3rd in National League 2 North. For a good part of the season we were either in, or challenging hard for 2nd place and the playoff positions for promotion to National League 1.
It became clear during the final days of the season that there was a possibility of Macclesfield being allocated to play in National League 2 West for the coming season 2026-27. In January 2026 we took part in a meeting led by the RFU to consider a restructure to National 2 to resolve issues with clubs being placed in regional leagues that made no sense geographically. During this process the only clubs who backed the proposed restructure were the 3 Cheshire clubs that are the only ones directly affected. In February the Chairman NLR John Inverdale visited the club and our feelings on the matter were expressed in depth to him again. At the end of the season the club wrote to both the RFU and National Leagues again to outline the reasons why we did not wish to do so, with little or no response to our concerns. On June 1st we were advised that we were indeed allocated to National League 2 West together with Lymm Rugby, with Chester transferring the other way, from the west to the north. We naturally reiterated our concerns and made it plain we did not wish to play in the West League. As you will be aware, there is a “Cheshire Roundabout” with the 3 Cheshire clubs; Macclesfield, Chester and Lymm being allocated to the West League on a rota basis. We consider this to be unfair on those clubs as it implies a huge amount of travel that not only affects player availability and welfare, but extremely high travel and accommodation costs.
On June 4th we were told of an initiative to consider the creation of a 16 club league in the North, compared to the standard number of 14 teams. This proposal came with a number of conditions and requirements, including limiting the season to 26 matches rather than the 30 you would expect with 16 clubs playing each other home and away. On a zoom call with representatives from all 16 northern clubs on Monday June 8th there was discussion of the proposal and an attempt to achieve unanimity on how it would operate. The RFU insisted that all 16 clubs must be in agreement to a 26 game season only or the original league allocations would stand. The 16 clubs were unable to reach consensus, despite there being a very high level of good will and support to both Lymm and Macclesfield. The clubs were then given until 5pm yesterday 10th June to reach agreement. Despite a huge amount of work between all the clubs led and coordinated by Matt Coleridge (DoR) and Rhys Davies for Macclesfield and representatives from Lymm, the clubs were again unable to agree a consensus that included the requirements imposed by the RFU.
Immediately before the deadline I wrote to the RFU to say that Macclesfield did not wish to play in National League 2 West for next season and declined the league allocation. The principal reason for doing so is the high costs to the club of playing in that league that would put the club in danger of becoming financially unsustainable. As a result Macclesfield have been obliged to accept relegation to Regional 1 North West.
This is a bitter pill for us as a club to swallow. After a highly successful season our reward is relegation, not because we failed on the field, but because we are in Cheshire and are geographically in the wrong place and were obliged to travel huge distances. In fact, 8 of the 13 away games would have been either in Bristol or further south. I realize this will come as a real disappointment to everyone, but I hope you will continue to support your club, on the field as well as off it as we face new challenges.
The RFU and National Leagues intend to look at restructuring the National Leagues to create a better and fairer structure that does not rely exclusively on the “Cheshire Roundabout” to make it work. They attempted to do so this season but were unable to find a suitable format. We look forward to see what progress is made this coming season.
We are massively frustrated by the actions of the NLR and RFU as being relegated for your performance and points tally is one thing, but for being allocated to a league in which it directly affects your ability to compete due to travel time and cost of travel and accommodation is devastating.
This coming season will be an opportunity for the club to rebuild and renew and return to challenge for a return to the National Leagues in due course. The club has held discussion with the Head Coach and DoR of the club to plot a plan to return to the national leagues as a priority for our 1st XV at the earliest opportunity.
Bob Cooke
Chairman
Macclesfield RUFC
