| Rugby Union to go ahead this weekend GAME UPDATE: The official guidance we have received from Government is that there can be respectful continuation of sport at all levels this weekend. The overwhelming opinions shared so far within the game, are that teams and supporters want to come together to honour Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to be united in our grief as we express sorrow at her passing. Rugby, at its heart, is about community and bringing people together, in good times and in sad. Rugby clubs are a source of strength and support during times of uncertainty, and we hope that by enabling games and other rugby activity to go ahead this weekend, with families and friends congregating it will help us all to unite at this time of national mourning. We strongly encourage all those playing sport this weekend to respectfully pay tribute to Her Majesty The Queen by holding a minute’s silence ahead of all fixtures this weekend. This an opportunity for teams from different areas to join together in honouring and celebrating her life. For clubs who have outdoor screens or for clubhouse televisions, graphics will be available to display via englandrugby.com/resources later today. Postponements While for many in the game, matches this weekend will be an opportunity to come together and celebrate the life of Queen Elizabeth II, there may be some clubs who will find it more appropriate to postpone their fixture, such as those with closer connections to the Royal Family or those with large numbers of players in the military or emergency services who may be called away to work on official duties as a result. If that is the case, both clubs may agree to postpone their fixture this weekend without penalty – in that case they must inform their Organising Committee at least four hours before kick-off. Revised fixture dates would be arranged according to the relevant competition regulations. We trust the rugby community will respect the wishes of those clubs who wish to postpone because of the sad news and what is needed following it. Guidance for matches and rugby activity for the remainder of the National Mourning Period will follow as early as possible next week. Our thanks to Her Majesty The Queen We are deeply grateful for Her Majesty’s support of our sport over many years, including serving as the RFU’s Patron for 64 years, helping the Union to celebrate its centenary in 1971, her reception at Buckingham Palace after England won the Rugby World Cup in 2003, and honours bestowed on many of those who have served the game. Her Majesty earned the respect and affection of generations of rugby players and supporters here in England and around the world. On behalf of the rugby union community in England, we offer our condolences to the whole Royal Family at this time. The St George’s Flag has been lowered to half-mast at Twickenham Stadium. |
First Aid Courses – Postponed
In the absence (at time of writing) of any firm guidance from RFU, after taking a straw poll of RugbySafe leads and following discussions with course provider, I have taken the decision to postpone both of this weekends first aid courses.
It is an emotive subject and an emotional time for us all and the last thing I would wish is that any individual feels obliged to attend or that any decision to proceed is perceived as being disrespectful or inappropriate, especially as Prince Phillip was a past Patron of Cornwall RFU.
This decision mirrors the guidance provide by Scottish RFU last night and echoes actions taken by other sports out of respect for the life and contribution of Her Majesty and her family to the nations sporting life – I am sure you understand.
Bob Hubble
RugbySafe Lead
HM Queen Elizabeth II
The President of the Cornwall RFU and Officers are saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty the Queen and wish to convey their deepest sympathies, thoughts and prayers to the Royal Family.
Community Game Update 6 September
| Community Game Update Please pay particular attention to the Age Grade section of this update. Approval forms for playing 17 year-olds into open age rugby have been updated and are now in electronic format. With the season underway for both adult and age grade rugby, we would like to remind clubs of some important information including Rugby Safe, Activate, HEADCASE and the suspected concussion tool on Electronic Match Cards. Click read online to find player welfare resources.Read Online |
| 1. ACTION REQUIRED 2022 GMS Club Safeguarding Audit is now live Any club offering Age Grade rugby or wishing to have 17-year-olds playing adult rugby, will need to complete a club safeguarding audit by Saturday 31 December. You can find out how and where to complete the audit in this section. 2. ACTION IF OF INTEREST Game On – Every Game Matters Game On provides teams with a flexibility of options to play matches even if they don’t have a full 15. Hear from Old Grammarians RFC who benefitted from using the Game On framework and find out how you could make it work for you. GMS Update and Technical Support On Sunday 4 September, the Game Management System (GMS) experienced significant performance issues and we apologise for the inconvenience this caused. We are working with our third-party provider First Sport International (FSI) to understand the root cause. We have included a reminder of the technical support available to clubs during the week and at weekends. #GrassrootsBeauts – Your tries on national television! #GrassrootsBeauts is returning this season on the ITV highlights show. If you have a great try from your games, post it on twitter, tag in @RFU and @premrugby using #GrassrootsBeauts and you might see it on TV! You can see last year’s montage online The Community Rugby Injury Surveillance & Prevention (CRISP) Project As we continue our advancements in player welfare, we are looking for teams, both adult and age grade, to take part in the 2022/2023 CRISP project. You can discover more information on how to take part in this section. 3. FOR AWARENESS How to make the most of the national participation campaign and Pitch Up Take some time out to watch our social media webinar explaining how clubs can engage in the Play Together Stay Together campaign and grow numbers. A summary of content available to share with players is contained in this communication. Age Grade Rugby 2022-23 With Age Grade rugby now underway, here are the regulations and some guidance on, playing out of age grade, how to manage 17-year-olds playing adult rugby, girls age-banding, and affiliation of all age grade players. To find out more on each of these topics read on. Important notice if clubs are contacted about VAT on fuel and power We have been contacted by clubs regarding ‘Utility Consultants/Brokers’ who have suggested they have been paying too much VAT, which is unlikely. If you have any questions regarding this you can contact our club VAT advisor Russell Moore whose details are included online. Football Foundation announce investment in multi-sport facilities With the launch of the PitchPower app on 17/18 September, the Football Foundation has agreed to invest £92 million over the next three years into multi-sport projects, including rugby. To find out more about the announcement, read this story. Premier 15s enters next exciting stage of tender process The next stage of the tender process for the third cycle of the Premier 15s kicked off at the beginning of September. This stage invites all clubs who have formally expressed an interest in joining the league to respond. More details can be found online.Read Online |
Volunteer Leadership Network
With the season start upon us, we wanted to share with you some information on our upcoming Volunteer Leadership Network.
The Network provides the opportunity for rugby leaders to connect, exchange ideas, discuss hot topics and collectively develop clubs that are fit for the future. The programme includes leadership development modules, face to face training, virtual networking sessions, webinars, and virtual workshops.
To give you an idea of what you can gain from the programme, take a look at some of the words and comments from previous delegates;
· Confidence
· Catalyst for change
· Guidance
· Reassurance
· Self- belief
· Inspirational
· Saved me hours of time
· A voice to speak up with
There is a South West Network and also a National Women and Girls Game Network, applications are open for both until 10th October – don’t miss your opportunity to both develop yourself and the game further. APPLY HERE
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in contact.
Best,
Nicola
Nicola McCombe CB Relationship Manager South West Mobile: 07850 611057 Email: nicolamccombe@rfu.com
Local courses update
Please see below current courses booked to run in Cornwall. The table shows the number of candidates booked onto the courses, the number of places available and includes the booking link, which can be shared with clubs, Schools, Colleges and Universities.
I have been sharing the information via our social media channels and via CCC’s. Can I please ask you to promote these courses as much as possible with your clubs volunteers.
| Course Name | Start Date | Attendees Booked | Start Time | Spaces Available | Direct Url | Constituent Body |
| England Rugby Coaching Award- Hayle Academy | 02/10/2022 | 12 | 09:00 | 12 | https://bit.ly/3vYaUfs | Cornwall RFU (CB) |
| England Rugby Coaching Award- Callywith College | 09/10/2022 | 8 | 09:00 | 16 | https://bit.ly/3Qzt7YC | Cornwall RFU (CB) |
| England Rugby Referee Award- Hayle Academy | 16/10/2022 | 4 | 09:00 | 20 | https://bit.ly/3ChSfzt | Cornwall RFU (CB) |
| England Rugby Referee Award- Callywith College | 13/11/2022 | 1 | 09:00 | 23 | https://bit.ly/3zY76fE | Cornwall RFU (CB) |
| England Rugby Coaching Award- Launceston RFC | 27/11/2022 | 20 | 09:00 | 4 | https://bit.ly/3bKAsWM | Cornwall RFU (CB) |
In the meantime, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Wayne Reed
England Rugby Coach Developer
Community Game Update – Pitches
| Community Game Update UPDATED PROTOCOLS for dealing with matches and pitches in hot weather and drought conditions. As a reminder it has been agreed not to introduce a blanket delay to the start of the league season due to the current weather conditions. There are protocols in place should either team wish to request a postponement due to pitch condition and/or player preparation. Protocols have been updated and are included in the guidance on Pitch and Player Readiness link below. Updated Guidance |
RFU Community Game Update 17 August
| Community Game Update Important notice: Following a prolonged period of hot weather and monitoring of pitch conditions across the country it has been agreed not to introduce a blanket delay to the start of the league season and to continue to consider each individual case. This week’s Community Game Update is split into two sections. The Pitch Guidance link below will take you to information on pitch and player readiness in drought conditions. The second section includes remaining game updates. Pitch Guidance |
| 1. ACTION REQUIRED There are no immediate actions for clubs to take in this edition 2. ACTION IF OF INTEREST Pitch Up For Rugby and Social Media Support Webinar Let us know if your club is running a ‘Pitch Up For Rugby’ event via the link in this communication. Information is also included on a Social Media Support Webinar which will provide details on how your club can make the most of the upcoming player recruitment & retention campaign. Girls Age Banding Support You can find information in this article on Regulation 15, the rules of play and coach/referee support and training bursaries. Free Vouchers for England Rugby Coaching and Refereeing Award To help increase the number of women coaching and refereeing in the game we have a limited number of vouchers for women who want to get into these roles. Find out how to apply in this communication. Merit Leagues and Tables 2022/2023 Setup and performance grants are available for competition organisers of merit leagues for 2022/2023 with access to performance data and support. Discover how to access support and funding in this communication. Allianz Inner Warrior Camps return this autumn Women’s sporting success continues as we head towards the Rugby World Cup, and the next set of Allianz Inner Warrior Camps are just around the corner. If your club is looking to recruit, why not take up this opportunity to attract players? The Touch Union in Education The new academic year is only a few weeks away and we are introducing a new Squad Leader programme, supporting existing, or new, young leaders in a six-week block around The Touch Union. Read online to find out how they can sign up. Developing the Next Leaders The Rugby Leaders Network allows rugby leaders to connect, exchange ideas and collectively develop clubs that are fit for the future. We are looking for aspiring rugby leaders who can take their club to the next level. Find out how in this communication. 3. FOR AWARENESS Game Management System Support and Enhancements To support clubs and provide solutions to challenges, two improvements have been made based on clubs’ feedback. These are the addition of a button to note a suspected concussion on the Electronic Match Card and a new feature allowing individuals to cancel their course booking. Find out how to access these enhancements in this communication. Papa Johns become naming rights partner for new men’s and women’s Community Cup competitions The Papa Johns Community Cup will focus on providing a boost to adult community club rugby across England, ending with the ultimate prize of a showpiece finals day at an iconic venue. Read Online |
Social Media Alert
A recent incident at a club serves as a reminder of challenges to player welfare of opening unsolicited social media messages. Even if a message appears innocuous, unless the recipient definitely knows the identity of the sender, it should be ignored and deleted. Equally, when sending messages within groups, senders should be sensitive to the potential consequences of the content.
Bob Hubble
RugbySafe Lead
Changes to Cornwall Rugby Skills Programme – UPDATED
This season there are some changes to the CSP. It will now fall under the Exeter Chiefs DPP (Development Player Pathway) banner.
Players will now need to be nominated in order to be assessed and invited to take part in the programme (at either Callywith or Penryn DPP Centres for U.15’s or at Truro College for U.16’s).
These nomination forms will be live next week.
Nominations must come from club coach / teacher.
UPDATE Exeter Chiefs DPP – Cornwall
The main focus of the Exeter Chiefs Development Player Pathway is life long participation in the game. We aim to engage with as many players as possible to develop a large pool of players for the region (numbers have to be manageable with a good coach to player ratio).
I want to be clear that the DPP pathway is fluid, this means players can entre at any time during the season of u15’s and u16’s. If your son is not nominated / picked to be in the DPP in September, it does not mean he can’t be invited in at a later date. Players will also be invited in by Chiefs coaches during the season as they watch club & school fixtures.
Coaches & Teachers should nominate players who either possess are have the potential to learn the core skills of the game (catch/pass, tackle, contact skills, position specific skills, kicking), have a good understanding of the game or the willingness to learn and the intrinsic motivation to continually improve.
Please see below the nomination form for the Exeter Chiefs DPP 2022-2023 season. Coaches and teachers are invited to nominate players so they gain access to player development sessions on Monday evenings (U15’s) or Tuesday evenings (U16’s).
U15’s sessions are at Penryn college or Callywith College – Please choose your closest one.
U16’s sessions are at Truro College.
Please fill in the form accurately, making sure key information such as email addresses are spelt correctly, as that’s the main channel of contact. Coaches and teachers can nominate as many players as they want. Players will then be invited to two assessment evenings, and provided with feedback, weather successful or un-successful.
Any questions, please contact richardphillips@exeterchiefs.co.uk
