THE funding boost was necessitated by falling participation rates and, encouragingly, there are signs of that freefall bottoming out this season.

For the first time in the last decade, the number of entries has not fallen year-on-year. The total of 9,816 entries for this season, may only be a marginal increase of 16 on the previous season, but it is an increase nonetheless, and more importantly it does offer hope that the decline has come to an end.