A dual registration system is to be set up in Cumbria rugby league involving the community/amateur clubs and the professionals.

The amateur clubs were asked to vote on a dual registration plan this week which went through after previous attempts to bring in the system had failed.

Clubs from both the Cumbria Men’s League and the Iggesund Cumberland Amateur Rugby League were involved in the vote by e-mail.

A full discussion on how the finer points of the system will work top the agenda at a league meeting, to be held at Wath Brow on January 16.

As it stands, the only players involved or eligible for dual registration will be those signed by professional clubs over the last 12 months, and they can only return to the amateur clubs they signed from.

Professional clubs – Whitehaven, Workington Town and Barrow - will be asked to give their 19-strong squads for the weekend to a community administrator after training on a Thursday night with the names of players who are available for dual registration.

The format will be repeated annually, again just involving newly-signed players, while the ones from the previous year become professionals or go back to their community clubs as ex-pros.

Both Whitehaven and Workington Town have been particularly active this winter in signing players from amateur clubs and both have supported some form of dual registration system for a while now.

Whitehaven chairman Tommy Todd said: “We are all for it because I think it has benefits for both ourselves and the amateur clubs involved.

“From our point of view, with no A teams or Under-23s, there will be times when fringe players are short of game time and going back to their former amateur club is a good option.

“The clubs are under no pressure to take their lads back but you would think that going back for games after being involved in professional training, and being in a pro-environment, would have benefits for the amateurs.”

Les Ashe, Workington Town’s director of rugby, said: “We are delighted that the clubs have agreed to dual registration. It was a close vote and I appreciate how some clubs might be wary.

“But rugby league in west Cumbria is in a critical condition and we have to try whatever we can to try and reverse what might be a slow and lingering death.

“All the various stake-holders met to discuss the situation last month and, now that the clubs have taken the vote to introduce dual registration, I hope we can take it forward to the benefit of both amateurs and professionals.”