Normal service is resumed on the blog page, it's been a while so there's plenty to talk about, especially surrounding the RFU introducing new rules to reduce concussions. I also take a brief look at what 2022 was like for me, give my usual update on all things Fylde, and talk about what's on the horizon in 2023...
Hello everyone, welcome back to the blog page, although I'm sure if you've been keeping up to date with my podcast, last one released on the Friday just gone, this won't be the first time you've heard from me this year.
But it's 2023 now, and we've already almost made it through to the end of January, soon be getting the Christmas decorations out again before we know it, and each year brings a chance to start fresh, try new things and make sure that it's better than the one that's just gone by.
It's like that Green Day song though isn't it? But instead of Wake Me Up When September ends it's wake me up when January ends, because a lot of people don't like this month because they have the blues or just because it feels like the month never ends.
The first thing I want to do in this piece is take a look back at 2022, even though I feel like this could well turn into too much of a year recap here if I'm not careful, a bit like one of those end of season reviews you see flying around once the Premier League is over with, but I haven't had chance to properly reflect on 2022 just yet so, we can squeeze in a little whistle stop tour.
There's always that mix I feel when it comes to memories though, you have the ones that stay in your head really well and then the others that slip away, a bit like Manchester United's title challenge this season...sorry United fans.
For instance, I certainly can't forget the day that Constitution Hill announced himself to the world that he was going to be Horse Racing's next superstar.
That day at Cheltenham he sauntered up alongside Jonbon, took a quick look at him, laughed, and went on his way up the hill to put down a massive marker on the Champion Hurdle division for 2023.
Premier League final day as well, because there's tense and then there was that which was just something else entirely.
Watching as a neutral must have been great, and I technically was in someway, of course Wolves were involved but they were only ever there to try and spoil a party, and for a long period in that game I felt that was going to be the case.
But my eyes had drifted away from that game as soon as Aston Villa took the lead, and then made it two, because it seemed then that it was all written in the stars for Liverpool to fight back and take the title.
They came back to win comfortably in the end, but City came up with a comeback of their own and snatched the title back from Liverpool's clutches.
A moment that managed to capture just how competitive the Premier League is, all in the space of that 90 minutes over the course of both games, because quite simply, anything can happen, and that day it did.
Whether it was England's test cricketers taking up a whole new approach to their game, 'Bazball' as its been called, or Michael Smith winning the Darts World Championship this year if we're being factually correct but, it was obviously mainly played back in 2022 so, shhhh, sport threw up plenty of headlines as always.
From a journalism perspective I think that the best stories that happen are those that you don't quite see coming or anticipate.
That's what is so good about sport though, because there's so many stories that will be written this year as well, but no-one knows what they're going to be, unless your a time traveller of course, which if you are, I could do with some help with my Cheltenham selections soon.
My 2022 was an unbelievably busy one though, probably my busiest yet.
If I wasn't doing university work and assignments and lectures and all of that I was refereeing, and when I wasn't refereeing I was training, and when I wasn't training I ended up travelling abroad for the first time.
I'll set the scene, as someone who doesn't like heights, and just has a genuine fear of travelling by aeroplane, it didn't seem like one of my better ideas I'll be honest.
Fast forward from booking the trip to Rome to the bit at the airport where your just waiting for this nightmare to become a reality, where you realise that you may actually have made a very severe mistake but at this point it's too late to turn back because your already on your way through the boarding gate.
I've had nerves before, presentations in school or in front of people, exams, stuff like that, but I cannot stress enough how this was an entirely different ball game.
The more I think that you try to convince yourself that it's going to be alright I think the more panic it causes.
Heart rate increases, the sweats get worse, and then to top it off all you can think about is whether you will make it there safely.
Am I exaggerating a little? Yes of course I am, I actually didn't find it that bad at all once we had taken off after a long delay and had a great time and I managed to tick something else off the bucket list in facing my fears of flying.
Back over here in the UK though and away from the scorching temperatures of Italy, I had a busy summer still refereeing, and to be honest the weather was actually really warm, compared to what it is now, but that's climate change though isn't it?
Hopefully it'll start to warm up now though and we can start getting on with the rest of the jumps campaign in Horse Racing and get ready for the Rugby season.
As you all know, through the winter and spring I cover the match reports for Fylde, and it wouldn't be a blog piece without mentioning them.
The first season I covered them in 2021/2022 was one that showed plenty of promise, and up to Christmas it looked as though promotion was definitely in touching distance.
However, a few losses after the festive period meant that they were going to be spending the next season in the National League Division Two North, but they recruited very strongly during the summer, bringing in four players from Preston Grasshoppers to help strengthen the team and help them take that step towards promotion.
They've made an excellent start as well so far, only losing once to Sedgley, and do sit top of the table currently, with Sedgley in 2nd having played a game less.
What I like about Fylde's approach in particular though is the fact that they can play really expansive rugby and score tries through their pace, like with Tom Carleton, Adam Lanigan, Jordan Dorrington, Tom Grimes, but they can rely on the solid set of forwards to put them in the right positions to do this, and defend well when needed.
This was shown the most in their last home game against Hull Ionians. They spent a period of time in the second half at 15-15 where they were just pinned into the corner by the Ionians, but their defence managed to stand strong and hold them out.
They then won the ball back and counter attacked superbly to score the winning try with only three minutes to go, and keep their unbeaten home league record going.
Some tricky games are still on the horizon, Rotherham, Sedgley, Preston Grasshoppers have all still got to visit the Woodlands yet, and it should be a cracking end to the campaign.
Sticking with Rugby Union I just wanted to talk about the new rules that the RFU are going to be rolling out surrounding tackling.
The RFU announced last Thursday that from 1 July this year that players will only be allowed to tackle from the waist down in the community game.
This means it will impact Fylde as it is from the National League Division One downwards in the men's game, and from the Championship One and below in the women's game.
But there is obviously some clear issues that have already come out since this announcement, because it is designed to help reduce concussion, which does of course need to be addressed, but people are worried that this won't solve the problem.
What isn't clear is what they really mean by waist down, because do they mean that you can't tackle above the hips or do they mean that you can't tackle anyone above the middle part of your chest?
So I think that could be made clearer for starters, but with people tackling lower it could result in players still getting concussions with a knee to the head or something.
I understand that a majority of head knocks and concussions come from the fact that players are caught too high, and this will reduce concussions by what they are planning, but at what point is it going to force players away from playing the game and not what to be involved because it's not the game they want to play?
It's a tricky one, and we certainly haven't heard the end of it because the issue of concussion is being talked about widely across multiple sports.
Football are trying to reduce heading in training and school games for younger people playing the sport, there's been incidents in the NFL in recent weeks, and Rugby League have introduced measures in recent seasons to try and help with it, it'll just be interesting to see what happens next and whether the RFU might change anything about this.
To finish off the blog piece then, and sort of come full circle as you will, because we've reflected and discussed so now it's time to preview what 2023 could have in store.
As always everyone has goals coming into the New Year, those resolutions that you make to yourself that your going to try and do to make it a better year than the last.
For me I'm obviously going to keep on running, mainly because I want to run a 5K in under 20 minutes and going forward look towards doing a marathon.
It keeps me fit as well for refereeing and gives me something to do when I'm bored so, a perfect way to pass time if you ask me.
There's the rest of the university course to finish off as well in order to graduate in the summer, which will also be mixed in alongside the refereeing in the next few months, and before you know it we'll be back in September thinking where has that year gone to?
In the next few weeks my attention will turn towards doing my usual Cheltenham previews which is getting closer and closer by the day, and also staying firmly focused on Fylde and how they see out the rest of the season as well.
So it's all systems go as always, never time for a break, but it means I'm staying busy and focused, and that's all that matter really.
I hope you've enjoyed this quick chat and I'll see you all on Friday won't I for the podcast where I'll do the usual and look at the weekend ahead?
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