New Ranking System Announced!
Exciting New Dimension To Popular TV Angling Contest
The 2013 Preston Innovations UK Angling Championships are set to get underway soon, and to spice up the sport a little this year, a new angler rankings system has been created by the organisers.
The system grades the anglers based on their performance in the last three years of the championships.
Well-known angler and event promoter Rob Hughes has plans for even bigger things with the aim of increasing awareness of angling, encouraging new blood into the sport and opening the door for “young pretenders” to step up to the oche and take on the big fellas of the game.
“The UK Champs are great” announced Hughes, “but the problem is, from the outside, angling appears boring. Canals, beards and wet Sunday mornings spring to mind. I’d like to lift the profile of the sport by "sexing it up” – to quote the former Government. It’s worked with carp fishing, which has grabbed national headlines in the mainstream press with the likes of Benson and the “my carp's as big as Kylie” stories, and it will hopefully do the same with match angling.”
The formation of a ranking system adds a new competitive element. Full computerised records only stretch back three years but just like the 1st Division turned into the Premier League, the same will happen with UK Champs. All records are currently being formulated into a ranking system that will show who is at the top of the tree and focus will be placed upon these in the top 10 at the start of each season.
This will add another edge of competition to the tournament as competitors aim to reach the higher echelons of the top slots.
This personalisation of the lead players in the competition is high on Rob’s agenda. The TV coverage will include angler profiles, so the viewer gets to know a little more about the competitors.
“Formula 1 is as much about the driver's skill and personality as the cars and I would like to bring the anglers forward a bit. Characteristics, achievements and even controversy, which in the past has been avoided, will add jeopardy and rivalry to the coverage.”
Marc Rodger, who was crowned 2012 champion, commented: “I think a ranking system is a great idea. Anything that brings more excitement to the competition can only be a good thing.
"As long as it is done fairly – which I am sure it will be – I can only see this being a really positive move.”
Former UK Champion, and Group Editor of Match and Pole Fishing Magazines, Jon Arthur, added: “This is a brilliant idea by Rob and the team, and sure to add an interesting extra dimension to the contest. The only slight disappointment is that they haven’t gone back further to make the rankings more comprehensive, but I’m not sure how the system works, or whether this would be possible.
"All in all, it’s a great move though – and other competitions should follow the example. Things like this can only be good for promoting fishing in the public eye.”
The 2013 Preston Innovations UK Angling Championships are set to get underway soon, and to spice up the sport a little this year, a new angler rankings system has been created by the organisers.
The system grades the anglers based on their performance in the last three years of the championships.
Well-known angler and event promoter Rob Hughes has plans for even bigger things with the aim of increasing awareness of angling, encouraging new blood into the sport and opening the door for “young pretenders” to step up to the oche and take on the big fellas of the game.
“The UK Champs are great” announced Hughes, “but the problem is, from the outside, angling appears boring. Canals, beards and wet Sunday mornings spring to mind. I’d like to lift the profile of the sport by "sexing it up” – to quote the former Government. It’s worked with carp fishing, which has grabbed national headlines in the mainstream press with the likes of Benson and the “my carp's as big as Kylie” stories, and it will hopefully do the same with match angling.”
The formation of a ranking system adds a new competitive element. Full computerised records only stretch back three years but just like the 1st Division turned into the Premier League, the same will happen with UK Champs. All records are currently being formulated into a ranking system that will show who is at the top of the tree and focus will be placed upon these in the top 10 at the start of each season.
This will add another edge of competition to the tournament as competitors aim to reach the higher echelons of the top slots.
This personalisation of the lead players in the competition is high on Rob’s agenda. The TV coverage will include angler profiles, so the viewer gets to know a little more about the competitors.
“Formula 1 is as much about the driver's skill and personality as the cars and I would like to bring the anglers forward a bit. Characteristics, achievements and even controversy, which in the past has been avoided, will add jeopardy and rivalry to the coverage.”
Marc Rodger, who was crowned 2012 champion, commented: “I think a ranking system is a great idea. Anything that brings more excitement to the competition can only be a good thing.
"As long as it is done fairly – which I am sure it will be – I can only see this being a really positive move.”
Former UK Champion, and Group Editor of Match and Pole Fishing Magazines, Jon Arthur, added: “This is a brilliant idea by Rob and the team, and sure to add an interesting extra dimension to the contest. The only slight disappointment is that they haven’t gone back further to make the rankings more comprehensive, but I’m not sure how the system works, or whether this would be possible.
"All in all, it’s a great move though – and other competitions should follow the example. Things like this can only be good for promoting fishing in the public eye.”
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