YORK Lokomotive ARLC are gearing up for their new season confident that the National Conference League’s forthcoming switch from winter to summer will not unduly affect them.

The NCL, the amateur game’s flagship league, which includes York’s leading amateur clubs, York Acorn and Heworth, have voted to play summer rugby from 2012 onwards.

The Lokos – the first amateur outfit from the city to play in the hot season after joining the RL Summer Conference in 2008 – have generally taken some players from the likes of Acorn and Heworth, as well as other British Amateur Rugby League Association clubs, once the winter season ends, so it remains to be seen how future playing numbers will be affected.

However, the club’s aim, after being formed via a groundbreaking venture between the former York Groves rugby league team and the York Railway Institute sporting club, was always to get more people playing rugby league, rather than relying on players doubling up over the winter and summer.

And, with training already in full swing ahead of the Summer Conference kick-off next month, coach Paul McDermott reckons they will go well not only this year but also in future seasons.

The former York RLC star said: “We haven’t relied heavily on BARLA players so the NCL’s switch is no threat to us.

“We are looking forward to the NCL teams moving over to playing in the summer. We only see that the great game of rugby league will benefit by more players playing and training in good light and weather.”

Lokos training takes place on Wednesday nights, from 6.45pm to 8pm, at their York RI home, off Hamilton Drive in Acomb. All new and old players are welcome.

The first game of the season – the Lokos will again be in the Yorkshire division of the RL Conference – is set for May 7 at home to Barnsley Broncos, but the opening date is to be reviewed due to the backlog of fixtures in the winter leagues following the bad weather from December to February.

McDermott, whose side reached the Yorkshire regional grand final in their inaugural season and were play-off contenders in 2009 only to endure a difficult 2010 campaign, said of their pre-season: “Training is going really well and we are looking forward to a challenging season playing against new teams in the competition.

“We are excited to see if the new defensive system will work. If it does it should enable us to play a more adventurous game knowing that we can defend our mistakes.”