| Return to Rugby We hope you are all enjoying having rugby and outdoor hospitality back up and running at your clubs. The Community Game Update will move to fortnightly editions to space out communications unless there is important information to share, such as government guidance or financial support. This edition includes: 1. Return to Play – Stage D2 guidance 2. 14 days left for RUWSF Asset Improvement Loan applications 3. Training Course calendar 2020 – 2021 4. Mitsubishi Motors Volunteer of the Year – six days to go 5. Webinars and on-demand videos 6. Red Roses help create a Warrior buzz 7. 2021 RFU AGM notice Return to Play – Another step closer  Yesterday we saw the move to Stage D2, which now means contact fixtures with adapted laws can be played and is another step in the right direction. We have updated resources on the Return to Rugby page below, including stage D2 Guidance and a Stage D2 Law variations video. This move to Stage D2 also applies to age grade rugby until the 31 May, when the season will finish and the Summer Activity Framework will come into effect. Information to help you prepare can be found below. Age Grade Changes Summer Activity Guide Summer Activity Overview Stage D2 Age Grade Match Guidance The next #AskAgeGrade session on @AgeGradeRugby will be hosted on Monday 3 May. Current off-field guidance Off-field guidance is available via our Help Desk FAQs below, in line with steps reached on the government’s roadmap. Helpdesk FAQs Return To Rugby To read the rest of the update please click on the link |
RFU Community Game Update 1st April
| Content: 1. Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund Asset Improvement Loan Prospectus 2. RFU Transgender Policy Proposal – External Consultation 3. 2021 Women’s Six Nations kicks off this weekend Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund Asset Improvement Loan Prospectus  We are delighted to launch our full prospectus for the Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund Asset Improvement Loans programme. This is a partnership programme enabling government loans to be made available, via the RFU, to help clubs invest in their assets to enable them to reboot and become more financially resilient into the future. It has been designed and developed in conjunction with Sport England who continue to provide oversight. At the time of writing, government have confirmed that the programme is open to all incorporated clubs and we are continuing dialogue with them to look at ways by which this can be extended to unincorporated clubs. We hope to have this resolved next week but wanted to publish the prospectus today to enable clubs to have as much time as possible to consider the detail of the scheme and discuss their appetite to apply. Loan funding is available between £20,000 and £150,000 for facility projects that will help clubs to survive, diversify revenue, reduce operating costs and protect and grow their membership. This prospectus outlines the applications process and key facts about the three funding “buckets” available, as well as repayment terms, example costs and RFU support available relating to each eligible project category. We aim to open the application process next week, at which point detailed FAQs will be available to consult alongside the prospectus to enable clubs to determine whether to make an application, to select the most suitable project for your club and to calculate loan repayment terms. Further information will be published on our loans page next week. Loans Prospectus RFU Transgender Policy Proposal – External Consultation The RFU is conducting a review of its transgender policy which sets out the eligibility criteria for playing contact rugby union in England. As part of the review process, the external consultation for the proposed policy is now open. The consultation period will run until 5pm on Friday 16 April and we welcome your feedback. We encourage anyone who wishes to engage in the external consultation to read the proposed policy in full and watch the video before completing the survey. You can find all of this information, including the survey link and background video, via the button below. As the national governing body for rugby union in England, it is the responsibility of the RFU to regulate participation in order to promote the safe and equitable treatment of all taking part. Rugby Union is a sport for all and the RFU seeks to promote equal opportunities to ensure that anyone who wishes to play the game should be able to do so without prejudice. It’s important to consider the individuals involved and the sense of community and acceptance that our transgender players tell us rugby provides for them. As a contact sport, player welfare is paramount and the proposed policy seeks to strike a balance between inclusion, fairness and safe participation. Transgender Policy 2021 Women’s Six Nations kicks off this weekend The Red Roses’ opener against Scotland will be live on BBC iPlayer this Saturday, kick off 3pm. The full match day squad, captained by Emily Scarratt, is listed below. You can also watch the team’s preparations in O2 Inside Line: Red Roses, Season 2, Episode 1. Full Squad O2 Inside Line |
RFU Community Game Update 30th March
| Return to Rugby This edition includes: 1. Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund – Loans prospectus 2. Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund – Grant update from Steve Grainger 3. Car Sharing – Updated guidance 4. First Aid – Updated guidance 5. Return to Rugby On-field guidance 6. Return to Rugby Off-field guidance 7. Warrior Camps to return in May – sign up now! 8. Government Restart Grants 9. Webinars and On demand videos Send photos and videos to @EnglandRugby of you gearing up for rugby; cleaning your boots, preparing the pitch and getting your kit ready with #ReturnToRugby. Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund Loans update  We hope that clubs have found the advance prospectus helpful and that they can continue to think about how they may wish to use the asset loan. In the video below, Ted Mitchell, tells us what they can be used for and details the terms attached to each loan. Both the video and advance prospectus can be found below. This can also be found on our loans page, with the application period set to open in early April. Advance Prospectus Prospectus Video Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund – Grant update from Steve Grainger Over the last few weeks we have been notifying clubs who have been awarded grants from the rugby Union Winter Survival fund, which will continue over the next few weeks. We are aware that some clubs are querying the amounts awarded. The video below explains how they have been calculated. Watch Video To read the rest of the update click on the link |
D1 Day is here
The Government Roadmap has moved to Step One – from today Monday 29 March
• Adult and age grade community rugby (including schools and colleges) may resume at Stage D1.
• O2 Touch, Tag and Ready4Rugby training and matches are permitted within the club and against other clubs. We will confirm travel guidance when published by government.
• Contact training (excluding scrums and mauls) is permitted to introduce contact gradually and prepare players physically for the next stage on the Return to Rugby Roadmap. Our guidance strongly recommends a maximum of 20 minutes contact in total per session, with regular hand sanitising breaks during and after contact skills training and equipment should be cleaned after use. Players should avoid face-to-face exposure of more than three seconds and more than 15 minutes of exposure at less than one metre with another player.
RFU Community Game Update 16th March
| Return to Rugby This week’s headlines include: 1. Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund – Grants update 2. Monday 29 March – Return to Rugby Stage D guidance 3. Age Grade Summer Activity 4. Easter Camps guidance 5. Webinars and on-demand videos 6. Mako’s thumbs up 7. Inner Warrior return in May – Sign up now RUWSF Grants deadline – 5pm on Monday A reminder that we have been given a grace period for clubs that weren’t able to compile their financial documentation in time to meet the original Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund Grant application deadline. If you are a community club in Level 3 or below that needs financial support for survival and fulfil the criteria listed on the funding page below, please complete an application form by 5pm on Monday 22 March. You will also find the application form on the Funding page button below. Clubs who applied in the first window will be contacted by the end of March and should not apply again as their application will be discounted. We are in the process of issuing award letters to clubs who have been successful in their application for a RUWSF Grant. The process is expected to take a couple of weeks to complete. To read the rest of the update click on the link |
Return to Rugby Stage D Guidelines
RFU Community Game Covid Update 2nd March
| Coronavirus (Covid-19) update |
| This week’s headlines include: 1. Monday 29 March – Return to Rugby Update 2. School of Hard Knocks – helping people back into employment 3. VAT: Partial exemption for rugby clubs impacted by Covid-19 4. Lockdown rugby activity – back row focus and Red Roses home workout 5. Mental Wellbeing and Know Your Lease webinars 6. Share your ideas Return to Rugby Update  We are close to revising the rugby roadmap for both age grade and adult rugby ahead of an anticipated return to activity from Monday 29 March. We are optimistic that clubs should be also able to plan Ready4Rugby and limited contact training and Ready4Rugby matches from Monday 29 March, with amended law fixtures from week commencing Monday 26 April. We hope to make a more comprehensive announcement this Friday. Ready4Rugby To read the rest of the update click on the link |
RFU Covid Community Game Update 9th Feb
| Coronavirus (Covid-19) update This week’s headlines include: 1. Lockdown rugby activity – Ben Youngs Q&A 2. Player survey 3. #ShowYourShirt reaches 650 4. Itoje and clubs push for laptops at home 5. Webinars and on-demand videos 6. Share your ideas Webinars and on-demand videos  Despite rugby being on pause, we still have some fantastic webinars on-demand that you can catch up on by following the links below. Mental Health webinar – date update On Thursday 18 March we will be running a mental health webinar. We will be sharing the registration details in our CGU and across our social media channels before then. You can see all our previous Coaching, Refereeing, and Club webinars online. To read the rest of the update click on the link |
RFU Coronavirus Update, 26th Jan
| Coronavirus (Covid-19) update This week’s headlines include: 1. Lockdown rugby activity – digital engagement & England player Q&A 2. #ShowYourShirt – last call 3. GMS help portal 4. Webinars and on-demand videos 5. Birkenhead Park RC raises £75,000 via crowdfunding appeal 6. Share your ideas To read the complete update, click on the link |
RFU Coronavirus Update 19th Jan.
This week’s headlines include:
1. Lockdown rugby activity
2. Government financial support update
3. #ShowYourShirt
4. Guinness supporting club re-openings
5. Webinars and on-demand videos
6. Rosslyn Park Slingbacks support NHS workers
7. Share your ideas
| Lockdown rugby activity During the lockdown period we have a range of activities to keep people engaged, some of which can be accessed below. Coming up over the next few weeks there will be player and club challenges, activity for age grade players and virtual Inner Warrior sessions, support for teachers and parents, webinars for volunteer engagement and club development and regular content for schools, colleges and universities. We will continue to post these across our social media channels so please keep an eye out. In our on-demand videos, we also have a link to the Youth Sport Trust after school activities with Nolli Waterman. For now, we have our #GetYourShirtOn videos and the School of Ruck from the World Rugby Museum to help support parents’ home-schooling by providing physical activities and also interesting trivia, reading, and spelling challenges. Online Training Sessions School of Ruck Government financial support update  We are continuing dialogue with Government and Sport England around the eligibility criteria and application process for impacted clubs to access funding support from the Winter Sports Survival package that was announced by DCMS in November, 2020. No funds have been issued yet, either to clubs or the RFU, and hence please don’t think you have missed out on anything yet. The fund was established to help ease the impact of the loss of revenue due to no spectators in the period October 1st to March 31st and we will update as soon as an agreement on eligibility and distribution is reached. This is likely to be an application process and will be needs based, it is not an automatic grant. Sport England has also updated the Return to Play funding that was confirmed by Government last year. They have increased the available budget, as well as extending the deadline until Wednesday 30 June 2021. In September, we also mentioned Covid-19 Business Interruption Insurance. There has recently been an update from the FCA, and policyholders should expect to hear from their broker, insurance advisor or insurer in the coming days if this applies to them. Further info can be found on our funding page below. Funding Information To read the rest of the update click on the link. |
