Amateurs reject unification

The British Amateur Rugby League Association runs the risk of losing its funding following the decision of its management board that it cannot accept the Rugby League's proposals for reunification.

Sport England, which at present supports BARLA to the tune of £130,000 a year, says it will only fund a single governing body in future, but the organisation's chief executive, Ian Cooper, said: "We have reached an impasse. There are fundamental issues which make it impossible for us to recommend reunification to the full meeting of BARLA next month.''

One of the major sticking points is that under RFL's terms, BARLA staff would in future be employed by them. "That would give us no sovereignty whatever,'' Cooper said.

The executive chairman of the RFL, Richard Lewis, is urging BARLA to think again.