CUMBRIA team manager Roger Hackney has given his backing to the RFU decision to restrict non-British qualified players to three in the County Championship.

Hackney believes it will provide a more level playing field in the championship which is staged at the end of the current season.

"I think it will certainly benefit Cumbria because we don't have as many overseas players as other counties in the competition.

"The game against Lancashire last season was a case in point. If I'd worn my South African tie I would have been in the majority that day!

"Although we do have some good non-British players currently operating in the county I feel it would be a better championship if they were not allowed to take part.

"I would be in favour of none, not three,"says Hackney.

Having said that, Hackney will not let his personal feelings interfere with picking a Cumbria squad which will be as strong as allowed by the competition and by the availability of players.

Kendal supporters would put a strong case for Kiwi full back Simon Mulholland featuring in any short-list after his eye-catching displays, showing his ability to run the ball from deep with a rare sidestep that can bewilder defenders.

French full-back Stephane Helies, who joined Penrith this season from Driffield, is looking an exciting recruit to the Cumbrian scene.

Carlisle's former Australian Rules player Jason Lehman, now operating successfully on the wing with the Warwick Road club, and Aspatria's South African wing- forward Jacques Rowe are two others who are likely to figure in Cumbria's team plans next year.

Tommy Borthwick, now coaching at Tynedale, will again be involved in coaching the Cumbria side and the first squad session is likely to be announced in February.

"There are a number of very good players around at the moment and we are looking particularly strong in the backs.

"People like Gavin Young at Penrith, who is the North Lancs Cumbria League's top try scorer, and Martin Armstrong at Kendal, have been attracting a lot of attention so far," says the team manager.

For the first time in their history Cumbria are not involved in the County Championship's top tier.

Instead they will contest the County Shield which does have its final at Twickenham.

If Cumbria reach the final that will guarantee them playing in the top tier of the championship again in 2005/6.

Officials are disappointed to be in the second tier of county rugby, especially as it will be only eight years since they lifted the championship trophy at Twickenham by beating Somerset.

Not for the first time the RFU has revised the format for the County Championship for this coming season, and have split the competition into three sections.

Cumbria has been placed in the second tier to contest the County Shield, and have been given the number two seeded position, behind Durham.

The winner of the league will play against the winner of the Southern section at Twickenham for the County Shield, and will also be promoted to the County Championship for the following season.

The team finishing bottom of the league will be relegated to the County Plate. Oxfordshire have been seeded at three and North Midlands will be the fourth seed.

The fixtures are as follows: May 7 - Cumbria v North Midlands (venue to be arranged); May 14 - Cumbria v Oxfordshire (at Penrith RUFC) and May 21- Durham v Cumbria (venue to be arranged).

The teams in the Southern section of the County Shield are Sussex (seeded 1), Middlesex (2), Hertfordshire (3) and Berkshire (4).

Team manager Hackney also had words of sympathy for Kendal centre/winger Phil Graham, who has rrtired from the game after breaking his leg for a third time.

"It's a terrible shame for him after coming home to Cumbria and we were looking forward to welcoming him back into the county side," he said.

It was the third break of his career, which prompted the 28-year-old to hang-up his boots and concentrating on running his cycle business in Penrith.