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 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. |
RFU support for clubs regarding New Tiers announced yesterday
We hope that you are well, safe and looking forward to the festive period no matter where you are.
With the speed that the tiers are changing, we would hope that you could share the following with your clubs so that they are fully aware of the guidance around their tiers, and to help you with any queries that you might have in the coming days and weeks.
· With areas entering new tiers, we would like to make sure everyone is aware of the guidance around what can and can’t be done.
· You can find this on our Club Hub Support page (https://www.englandrugby.com/participation/running-your-club/club-support-centre/helpdesk-faqs )
and the Coronavirus Hub (https://www.englandrugby.com/participation/running-your-club/coronavirus/coronavirus-resources )
· In relation to tier 4, we issued the following advice on the RFU website and Government guidance can be found here.
· If you are unsure on what tier you are currently in or will be going in, you can find it here using the Government website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/full-list-of-local-restriction-tiers-by-area#tier-4-stay-at-home
· Given the latest news is that the new strain of the virus is 70% more transmissible we recommend that if you are in a Tier 4 area, clubs should cancel any upcoming training/fixture. However, this does mean rugby activity can continue for U18s.
As a reminder here guidance around travel and match play around the tiers:
· Adult players living in Tier 1 or Tier 2 can travel within and between Tier 1 and Tier 2 areas to train or play.
· Adult players living in Tier 1 or Tier 2 cannot travel into a Tier 3 area to train or play.
· Adult players living in Tier 3 can travel within their own specific Tier 3 area to train or play.
· Adult players living in Tier 3 cannot travel into another Tier 3 area, nor into a Tier 1 or Tier 2 area, to train or play.
· Adult rugby is not permitted in Tier 4
· Age grade players may, due to Government exemptions for U18s, travel across tiers 1-3 to train or play. However, to protect all involved, we strongly recommend that wherever possible training and match play follows adult guidelines.
· Age grade players from Tiers 1 or 2 can be accompanied by one parent or carer from, or into, a Tier 3 area to train or play.
· Age grade players in Tier 4 may only travel within their specific Tier 4 area to train or play and may only be accompanied by one parent or carer.
· Volunteers (including coaches and match officials) may travel across Tiers 1-3, where necessary, to enable participation to take place. However, to protect all involved, we strongly recommend this is kept to an absolute minimum.
· Volunteers (including coaches and match officials) living in Tier 4 may only travel within their specific Tier 4 area to enable participation to take place for U18s ONLY.
· Additional exemptions are in place for people with a disability.
Naturally, as we understand and hear more from Government we will update accordingly
We hope that everyone has an enjoyable time and stays safe in the hope that we can return to rugby as soon as possible.
Cornwall to move to Tier 2 on Boxing Day
In Tier 2, Clubhouses must close unless they operate as if they were a restaurant. This means serving substantial meals, like a main lunchtime or evening meal. They may only serve alcohol as part of such a meal and all food and drink to be ordered and consumed at the table. Tables can only be same household and takeaway must be eaten or drunk off the club premises.
Return To Play & Off Field Activity Guidance 2 December 2020
We have today shared further guidance for community rugby in England, after The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport [DCMS] issued updated guidelines on the return to recreational team sport from Wednesday 2 December.
This includes all friendly fixtures and training for males and females, Age Grade and adult, for all contact and non-contact rugby below the Greene King IPA Championship and Allianz Premier 15s. This includes Education institutions however the ultimate decision remains at the discretion of the individual institution.
Organised outdoor rugby activity with approved adaptations for both match play and training is permitted across all three tiers from Wednesday 2 December.
However, it is extremely important that clubs, players, coaches, match officials, volunteers, parents, carers and facility providers continue to strictly follow both the UK Government’s latest COVID-19 guidance and RFU guidance to ensure we can continue our phased return to play. Clubs should limit the time spent congregating at a venue before and after rugby activity, so please consider having strict meeting times or staggering start times.
Changing rooms and showers
• Changing rooms and showers can be used across all tiers.
• Clubs must identify a maximum capacity for each changing room based on its size and the requirement to manage usage to ensure social distancing is achieved at all times.
• The amount of time each person spends in a changing room must be kept to a minimum and restricted solely to changing (no team talks or celebrations etc).
• Good hygiene must be promoted and facilitated and enhanced cleaning practices must be in place in all changing rooms.
• Participants should still be encouraged to arrive changed, and shower at home where possible.
Travel to participate in rugby activity
• Adult players living in Tier 1 or Tier 2 can travel within and between Tier 1 and Tier 2 areas to train or play.
• Adult players living in Tier 1 or Tier 2 cannot travel into a Tier 3 area to train or play.
• Adult players living in Tier 3 can travel within their own specific Tier 3 area to train or play.
• Adult players living in Tier 3 cannot travel into another Tier 3 area, nor into a Tier 1 or Tier 2 area, to train or play.
• Age Grade players may, due to Government exemptions for U18s, travel across all tiers to train or play. However, to protect all involved, we strongly recommend that wherever possible training and match play follows adult guidelines.
• Age Grade players can be accompanied by one parent or carer from, or into, a Tier 3 area to train or play.
• Volunteers (including coaches and match officials) may travel across all tiers where necessary to enable participation to take place. However, to protect all involved, we strongly recommend this is kept to an absolute minimum.
• Additional exemptions are in place for people with disabilities. To read these and the rest of the Guidance click on the link – PDF
Covid Support – Business Grant Scheme & VAT Reclaims
On Tuesday evening a number of Clubs (& CB’s) across the country joined the webinar – Exploring the funding & club support opportunities through Covid-19 restrictions which was promoted through the Community Game Update.
We had 230 people in attendance and feedback has been incredibly positive from both Clubs and CBs.
To follow this up, please find attached further information on two specific avenues of financial support, which CBs and Clubs can benefit from, Business Grant Scheme and VAT Reclaims. See links below.
The webinar is also now available on demand:
* Web-link: https://zoom.us/rec/share/tkWW_SM3Er9IBobIEHXPJqqVjSJvtBgtPqcADf6JWgj3S50tNxVM5XjZUmlveVPK.LnMxM3lEs26Pnb_Z
* Passcode: C%3Lm?#d
If I could encourage you to share with your Club contacts and CB Treasurer that would be most appreciated.
There will be further information through the Community Game Update, highlighting future webinars planned in partnership with Club Matters between now and January 2021.
RFU Coronavirus Update 24th November
| Coronavirus (Covid-19) update |
| This week’s headlines include the Government Winter Sport Package funding and positive news that grassroots sport, including a format of rugby, will be allowed to resume from Wednesday 2 December across all levels, although there will be some restrictions across the tiers. Both topics are discussed in more detail in our video below with RFU Rugby Development Director Steve Grainger. You can also read a summary below. However, as we are awaiting confirmation from Government on tier, travel and contact implications, we will provide a more detailed update to the game later this week. In today’s edition, we also bring you news on how immigration could affect rugby clubs, an update on the latest #GetYourShirtOn virtual rugby sessions and share a message from England players on why they love seeing your club shirts at Twickenham in #ShowYourShirt. Can you spot your club shirt in the gallery below? Finally, there are reminders about our Club Support Centre during Covid, and how your friends and family can support your club by watching England for free on Amazon Prime Video. Please remember that until Wednesday 2 December we remain at Stage A on the Return to Community Rugby Roadmap, meaning no competitive or formal rugby activities can be undertaken, including club age grade and adult rugby activities below Championship and Premier 15s.  Steve Grainger Video To access the full update click on the link |
RFU Coronavirus Update 17th November
| Coronavirus (Covid-19) update In this week’s edition, we bring you an update on how to #ShowYourShirts with 310 shirts received to date, a look back at week one of #GetYourShirtOn with Ugo Monye handing over to Nolli Waterman this Sunday, and update on the Revised Covid-19 Academy Under 18 match schedule 2020/21, extra curriculum activity and information on Legionella. With England in national lockdown, we are at Stage A on the Return to Community Rugby Roadmap. This means that no competitive or formal rugby activities can be undertaken until at least Thursday 3 December, including club age grade and adult rugby activities below Championship and Premier 15s. To read the rest of the update click on the link. |
CRFU to launch local 1st Aid & Safeguarding courses- Updated
The CRFU are looking to address the urgent need for local courses highlighted from recent cluster meetings with our clubs that have taken place.
This initiative can only work with the co-operation of you, our clubs, so please respond to help us, to help you.
Due to Lockdown these courses have been put on hold until the New Year.
