They are the world’s oldest open rugby club but in 2018 they joined 23 others in breaking away from the RFU league systemRugby must wake up to slow strangling of grassroots game“I went along the terraces before a game,” says John Williams, press officer of
Liverpool St Helens, “and asked if anyone knew what league we were in. First time, no one knew. Second time, some said: ‘Oh, we’re in that breakaway league, aren’t we?’
“They don’t know, they don’t care. Some of the lads don’t. All that matters to any of us is that it’s a game of rugby.”