THE future of West Cumbrian rugby league does not involve merging fierce rivals Whitehaven and Workington Town.

That is the view of Olympic swimmer Alan Rapley, who has produced a far-reaching report into the sport locally on behalf of the Rugby Football League.

The 77-page document, which was released today (Wednesday), did highlight a need for the two powerhouses to work together to improve the sport locally.

The Rapley Report also stated more must be done to improve declining attendances, including improving existing stadia – especially as 14,000 fans crammed into Workington’s Zebra Claims stadium as West Cumbria hosted two matches of the 2013 RL World Cup.

The document has received mixed reviews with Haven releasing a statement saying they were pleased “no overt recommendation of a merger” was suggested.

See The Whitehaven News for the full story.