WBU Membership

[Administrator (Tony)]

I read - in the Scottish Bridge Union magazine - that WBU membership has halved over the course of the pandemic. I don't know if that report is accurate. Our competitive programme depends on our having a sufficiently large pool of players. Can we be told how many members have signed up for the 2022/23 season - ideally broken down by club? It would be helpful to have accurate figures before the AGM on 10th July. 

Gwynn Davis

[Neville Richards]

The SBU May monthly Newsletter actually says that the WBU has lost nearly two thirds of its membership. Where did they glean that information from as it would appear not to be common knowledge in Wales. If the situation is as bad as portrayed, has the MC a strategy to deal with the problem?

[Coch Draig]

Has the possibility of a Celtic Bridge Union ever been discussed.  All Celtic nations keep their own national identity but the WBU, SBU, CBAI and NIBU become areas of the Celtic Union governing body.  The advantages would be pooling knowledge, resources, training, events, competitions etc.  Sorry if it is slightly off topic but have been thinking about this for a while.

Mark Roderick

[gwynndavis]

Certainly not off topic Mark, but are other home nations experiencing the same decline in membership and competitive interest? A merger of any kind may hold less appeal for them - although the EBU would doubtless be prepared to swallow us. Online bridge has no boundaries, but the face to face game needs a viable core of competitive players and, let us not forget, of administrators - all within reasonable geographical proximity. Without that, our claim to separate NBO status rests on very shaky foundations.

[Alan Screen]

WBU Members 2020-21 = 2,200 (approx)

              21-22 = 1,400 (approx) 

Celtic Alliance has existed, to some extent, via the Celtic Sims (twice a year on Ecats) - it could be developed

[Coch Draig]

I would be surprised if this worrying decline was merely a WBU phenomenon but I may well be proved completely wrong.  My point is though, if the Celtic unions are to compete with the EBU financially, competitively and internationally the chances of that happening would be significantly greater if we work together.  Yes of course the distance between the Celtic nations is not ideal but in this world of internet the world and indeed the UK seems much smaller.  As you correctly said though Gwynn it would require innovative administrators from each Celtic nation to think outside the box and try something new to arrest the decline.  Yes not everyone would welcome the idea but it is a case of better to try something rather than sit back and watch the inevitable happen.