Kendal Rugby Union Football Club supporters will have to wait until October for the club’s first home league match of the 2026/27 season at Mint Bridge. The fixture against Leek has been rearranged for Saturday 10 October after the Rugby Football Union delayed the start of competitive Community Rugby because of hard ground and drought conditions.
The change affects the opening weeks of Kendal’s campaign. Instead of starting its league programme at home, Kendal’s first league match will now be an away trip to Stockport on 26 September. Macclesfield are scheduled to visit Mint Bridge on Saturday 3 October, one week before Leek’s rearranged match.
The RFU’s decision was intended to prevent clubs with access to 3G training pitches gaining an advantage over teams dealing with difficult natural playing surfaces. It therefore delays Kendal’s home league programme rather than simply moving one fixture to a different date.
Kendal’s revised early-season fixtures
The club’s published schedule now includes five matches across late August and September before the rearranged home league fixture against Leek.
- North Ribblesdale at Mint Bridge — Friday 28 August, 7.15pm
- Kendal at Keswick in the Cumbria Cup — 5 September
- Kendal at Stockport — 26 September
- Macclesfield at Mint Bridge — 3 October
- Leek at Mint Bridge — 10 October
The RFU ruling has also affected the planned away match at Wharfedale, which had been scheduled for Saturday 22 August. That fixture has been cancelled.
Further amendments have been made to Kendal’s programme. The original trip to Rochdale and the home fixture against Leek have both been rearranged. Leek will now travel to Mint Bridge on 10 October, while Kendal are due to visit Rochdale on 19 December. A further Rochdale match is listed at Kendal on 10 April.
Division line-up remains unsettled
The make-up of Kendal’s division is still being shaped by changes involving Macclesfield. After finishing third in National League 2 North, Macclesfield were reallocated to National League 2 West. Kendal said that move would have created lengthy journeys, while proposals to place Macclesfield and Lymm in an expanded 16-team North League did not secure agreement.
Macclesfield later chose to return to regional rugby and were included in Regional 1 North West. Loughborough Students replaced them in National Two West, while Burton moved from Regional 1 North West to Regional 1 Midlands.
Kendal assessed Macclesfield as a possible league favourite or top-three play-off contender, although that assessment remained provisional while the RFU finalised the league composition. Further changes were expected to involve Dronfield and Sandal, but those arrangements remained speculation pending a final RFU decision.
The fixture listed for Dronfield on 7 November appeared to have been switched to an away match, with another home meeting scheduled for 20 February. Kendal suggested the change might be linked to the Kendal Fireworks event at Mint Bridge, but made clear that this was only a guess.
Coaching team unchanged as players move on
Kendal’s coaching team remains in place after guiding the first team to seventh place last season. Dan Bowman continues as head coach, supported by Chris Park, Ian Voortman and Reece Tomlinson.
Alex Ryder is leaving for newly promoted Vale of Lune. Ryder did not play for Kendal’s First XV during the previous season, but was described as an important member of the title-winning Second XV. He made his debut against Glossop in December 2021, went on to make 69 appearances and scored three tries.
Former Kendal player Tadhg Butler is also joining Vale of Lune. Butler made 26 appearances for the club and scored one try. He made his debut in the 2022 Cup match at Upper Eden and later played for Ambleside.
Promotion and relegation results have also helped shape the likely division. Harrogate defeated Anselmians 41-40 before beating Rossendale 21-14 to return to the National Leagues. Vale of Lune beat Manchester 16-13, while York defeated Pocklington 25-21.
Other results recorded by the club included Harrogate’s 45-35 win at Alnwick, Anselmians’ 31-25 victory over Stockport and Vale of Lune’s 55-51 win at West Bridgford.
Supporters have been advised to check for further updates as the RFU’s arrangements develop. Kendal said the relevant fixtures would be published once confirmed.
