| The government has announced a framework for the return of recreational team sport which is applicable from Saturday 11 July. This is a welcomed development and a positive step towards the return of some form of competitive rugby. The framework was developed following discussions with other team sports, Sport England and the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The next step is for the RFU to develop it’s own rugby action plan, based on the framework, specifically considering the Coronavirus transmission risk and demonstrating mitigations and any adaptations to the game that are required. This will need to be agreed to by government, PHE and HSE before it can be implemented within clubs. Due to the intrinsic nature of rugby and the proximity of participants, it is recognised that there is the potential for an increased risk of droplet transmission. Working with expert medical advice and applying the activity exposure framework to various formats of rugby, we will update following our discussions with government. In the short term, it is likely that the format of rugby the community game is able to play will be a modified version, not the full 15-a-side game. We will update the game as to when it can move to the next stage of the Return to Community Rugby Roadmap in the coming weeks. For now we remain at Stage B of the roadmap. Under previously announced guidance, Premiership Rugby clubs moved to Stage 2: Elite Sport Return to Training Guidance on Monday 6 July, which allows for the resumption of close contact training. This involves a detailed set of protocols and includes a COVID-19 testing programme. Championship and Premier 15s clubs are eligible to return under the elite guidance should they chose to do so, or can follow the community return to rugby roadmap. We will continue to provide updates to the game throughout the process. Please click below to remind yourself of the RFU’s Return to Community Rugby Roadmap and read the latest framework for the return of recreational team sport announced by the government. Roadmap  Framework |
Latest RFU Community Game Update Friday 12th June
| Coronavirus (Covid-19) Update Please find below the twenty-fourth edition of our Coronavirus (Covid-19) update. Bill Sweeney has given an update on the revised international ticketing allocation process for the 2020/21 season. We’ve also provided an update on the Adult Male Competition Future Structure webinars and there’s new guidelines and a webinar on demand available to support coaching teams during Stage B of the Return to Community Rugby Roadmap. In addition, there’s information about the Rugby Groundsmen Connected webinar taking place next Thursday. Please visit our dedicated web portal on the England Rugby website to access coronavirus information and updates here. Past editions of these twice-weekly updates can be found on this part of the website. Click here if you need to find a previous edition. To access the remainder of the update click on the link |
Community Game Update 9th June.
| Coronavirus (Covid-19) Update |
| Please find below the twenty-third edition of our Coronavirus (Covid-19) update. We’ve provided a Coaching Risk Assessment Template to support clubs with their return to play and information regarding the RFU virtual AGM which is taking place on Friday 12 June. In addition, there’s news about the Disclosure and Barring Service application process recommencing on Wednesday 1 July, as well as the new Eddie Jones Coaching Podcast. Please visit our dedicated web portal on the England Rugby website to access coronavirus information and updates here. Access the rest of the briefing in the link |
RFU return to community rugby roadmap
This roadmap consists of six stages, Stage A relating to individual training with one other person, moving through to Stage F when there can be a return to competitive matches against other teams. We are currently at Stage B following the government’s announcement of 28 May.…to read the rest of the communique click on the link
Latest Community Update from RFU
Latest edition of RFU Community Game Update sent out to all clubs.
This edition includes an update to the rugby activity guidelines issued last Friday, which now reflect the phased return to sport and recreation guidance issued by the government on Sunday 31 May.
Link to update 2nd June
Please find below recent updates from 19th May onwards;
Covid 19 Business Support Grant Funding
Rugby clubs need to check to see if they are eligible, we would urge all clubs to check to see if they meet the criteria to receive this support.
County Hon. Sec Terry Williams has today written to all Club Secretaries advising them to check their club’s eligibility.
If your facilities have a ratable value, and you do not as a club pay any rates due to Small Business Rate Relief, you may well find that you are entitled to claim .
Do checkout the following link to see if your club can claim.
Application form to be completed on-line via Cornwall Council website in the link
Community game & covid-19 updates from the RFU
| Coronavirus (Covid-19) Update Please find below the fourth edition of our Coronavirus (Covid-19) update. We’ve launched a dedicated web portal on the England Rugby website, which you can find here, to help the rugby community access from one place the Coronavirus (Covid-19) information and updates available. This now includes a Club Support Guide. In addition, we’ve announced the final 2019/20 league positions and have obtained more information regarding the Sport England Community Emergency Fund. Eddie Jones has also sent a supportive message. More detailed information is available below. We will continue to provide regular updates to support our clubs through this communication. |
| RFU headlines Launch of Coronavirus (Covid-19) Website Portal Our dedicated Coronavirus (Covid-19) webpage will help the rugby community easily access all the information available during this period. Club Support Guide The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has already had a profound effect on our rugby community and, with great uncertainty as to how long the changes will last, the RFU has compiled a Club Support Guide. This includes tips and guidance on financial planning, how to mitigate any losses in revenue, accessing external funding, ideas to generate new income streams, mothballing facilities, communicating with members and volunteers and planning for the future when rugby opens once again. Final league tables Following the early end of the 2019-20 rugby season in England, we announced the decision reached regarding league positions for the professional and community game on Thursday 2 April 2020. The final league positions have been determined by awarding league points to a team’s remaining matches based on their home and away playing record in fixtures played up to the cancellation of the 2019-20 season (fixtures up to the 16 March). We have now published the final league positions for Men’s RFU Leagues (levels 3-12) and Women’s RFU Leagues (levels 2-5) and have provided a more detailed explanation of methodology used to conclude the season. Click here to read more. Emergency Loan Scheme Last week, we announced an emergency loan scheme for clubs. The online application process for the first round of loans will open on Monday and will be open until 30 April 2020. The scheme has been launched to support voting clubs impacted by Covid-19 in the immediate and short term (next few months) to ease cashflow and meet outstanding costs. Loans of between £2,000 and £10,000 are available to provide eligible clubs at league level 3 and below with financial support towards essential operational expenditure. These loans will be interest-free, repayable over a period of up to three years, with an opportunity to defer the first payment for up to six months. Please check the England Rugby website on Monday 6 April to access the online application portal and view supporting documents. Annual General Meetings Many clubs will have AGMs scheduled for the coming months, and some will already have sent out notices for those AGMs. The current government guidance on social distancing will mean that it is impossible to hold physical AGMs. To give some clarity to clubs, the RFU Regulations do not require clubs to hold AGMs by any particular date, or in any particular way. Any requirement to hold AGMs will be set out in a club’s constitution (their Articles of Association if the club is a company, or the club’s Rules if it is a Registered Society). Clubs may want to hold AGMs electronically, for example by conference call or video-conference. On Saturday 28 March, the government announced that there would be changes to legislation to give flexibility for companies required to hold AGMs by a certain date. It was stated that “this might include postponing or holding the AGM online, or by phone using only proxy voting”. If a club has not yet called its AGM, it may be appropriate to wait until this guidance is available before calling the AGM. Once further details of this legislation are known, further guidance can be given. Clubs may want to postpone their AGMs, although how this will impact on people’s appointment for specific time periods will depend on how the proposed legislation is drafted. Further guidance on the use of technology to hold AGMs will follow. If clubs have specific questions about holding AGMs until new guidance is available, they can contact the Legal Helpline on 0330 303 1877. |
| Other support packages Update on Sport England Community Emergency Fund Sport England announced earlier this week a £195 million package to help sport and physical activity through Coronavirus. This includes a new £20 million Community Emergency Fund which is open now for local club and community organisations to bid for grants between £300 and £10,000 – click here to read the article. We have now analysed what this could mean for rugby clubs – click here to find out more. |
| Clubs doing great things We continue to receive inspiring stories about the great work that is being undertaken to support local communities or to protect their own financial position. These will appear in weekly features on the England Rugby website. Many clubs are also staying connected with young players in a variety of ways. One has hosted a virtual tour, many are passing the ball digitally, or even the toilet roll, and one is running a short story competition for young members with the mayor reading the winners on local radio. Please email VeeMontebello@rfu.com or PatriciaMowbray@rfu.com to let us know about your club’s activities. |
| Other important updates Update on Payment of Player Declarations For clarity, please note that The Payment of Player declaration requires the declaration to be approved and minuted at a formal club meeting. For the purposes of the declaration, a formal club meeting can include a virtual/online meeting as well as a physical/in-person meeting. In relation to signing the declaration, a new system is in place for this season. Physical signatures are no longer required and all signatories can authorise the document online. Message from Eddie Jones “All the best to the rugby community for helping out. It’s a difficult time. “Obviously, the health of everyone is the most important thing but rugby is a game that has always espoused teamwork. One of the things we talk about with the England side is how to be a better team mate and I think now it’s how you become a better citizen.” Click here to listen to the full podcast. Message from Sarah Hunter to NHS Workers and the UK You can see Sarah Hunter’s message here. |
Available Government Schemes
CORONA VIRUS, COVID-19
There are various government schemes to assist with employment costs and the club’s accountancy firms should advise you of what those are. If you do not have that support then you may contact Georgina Finnegan, Chair of CRFU Finance and Governance Committee, and she will send you links to the HMRC website or assist you as she can.
Also, if you need advice regarding employment she can put you in touch with employment law specialists who usually give their first hour free of charge.
Her email address is: georgyfinn@hotmail.co.uk
