Workington Town vice-chairman Mark Fryer said the club is happy to work in collaboration with Whitehaven for the future of rugby league in West Cumbria.

Fryer’s comments come in the wake of the long-awaited Rapley Report which said that in order to grow the game in the area it is clear a change is required and all parties must agree on the outcome.

“When we were first approached by Whitehaven to look at how we could build on the huge success of the Rugby League World Cup we were very keen to work in partnership to develop the future of rugby in West Cumbria,” Fryer said.

“The Rapley Report, the first of its kind in rugby league, provided an independent platform for a wide-ranging discussion on the future of the game, especially for the professional clubs and the decline in their attendances and finances.

“It raises many issues and we need to continue to work in collaboration to protect the health and future wellbeing of the sport in the region.

“The appetite to address any change needs enthusiasm and vision from both clubs and we will continue to be proactive in progressing all tangible opportunities.

“The chance to seriously consider how to protect and grow this great game to a new, wider and younger market place in the future should never be far from our thoughts and the report clearly recognises and captures this.

“We would have welcomed the opportunity to explore in more detail the findings of the Rapley Report further, but for now we look forward to continuing the progress we are making as a club both on and off the pitch.”

Meanwhile, Whitehaven chairman Tommy Todd said: “It is pleasing to us as a board and as a club that there is no overt recommendation of a merger within the report and thus we can continue down the path we have recently started of long-term plans for the club, and recent and future investment will not be put in jeopardy.

“With the above in mind and the possibility of a merger no longer present, the distraction of the Rapley report can be put behind us and the club can move forward with its own plans for expansion and re-development at The Recreation Ground.”

Despite their stance against the merger, the club has made it clear they are happy to work alongside Workington in other ways.

“We are more than willing to co-operate with our neighbours Workington Town and or Barrow on joint projects, such as an under-23 team, the Academy and the likes of Sky Try.

“Should any opportunities arise in the future, such as representative games, we will work constructively with all concerned.”

The report was commissioned to give people a better understanding of the state of rugby league in the county and how the future might look for the sport.

It offers no conclusions on the best way forward for the two clubs but aims to bring key stakeholders together to discuss the issues.

However, the report does state: “An intervention is required to future proof the game of rugby league in West Cumbria, to regenerate interest amongst the younger generation and to develop a holistic rugby league network in the area.”

The report also says it is expected that the formation of a ‘super club’ would lead to “significant economies of scale, a higher standard of play, an improved talent pathway, enhanced stadium provision and increased support by forging a partnership within a focused local area”.

It also states that the interest in the game at a higher level would be transferred into the new club and young players and supporters would be enticed into the game.

The risk of a new club being formed would be that the existing fan bases of the two clubs do not transfer to the ‘super club’ and that spectator numbers would need to grow significantly to compete with Super League averages.

The report suggests that the next step for the clubs could involve drawing up a rugby league development plan for West Cumbria and a detailed and phased implementation plan.

The review into the sustainability of rugby league in West Cumbria was commissioned following the success of the Rugby League World Cup 2013, during which more than 14,000 people attended matches at Workington’s Zebra Claims Stadium.

Key stakeholders at Town and Haven as well as fans were consulted when the report was being compiled.

  • Town flyer: Monday, S Daniel, Distington, A1707; Tuesday, K Hall, Workington, E9968; Wednesday, B Fearon Workington, A0435; Thursday, D Proud, Harrington, C9505; Friday, K Hodgson, Dearham, C7239.