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RFU Community Game Update July
| Tuesday 11 July Stay up to date with news about the community game by following @RFU on Twitter here. |
| Community Game Update Read Online |
| 1. ACTION REQUIRED Make the most of RWC 2023! The countdown to the Rugby World Cup 2023 is on and the excitement is building! To help you make the most of this opportunity, check out the RFU RWC Activation guides to help you use the tournament to recruit new players, retain existing squad members, and boost revenue. Age Grade Registration 2023/24 is now open Age Grade Registration for 2023/24 opened on 3rd July. Register Age Grade Players at your club and win tickets to England v Wales! Tickets to England v Fiji are also up for grabs for U17s and U18s players from 2022/23 and U18s players from 2020/21 and 2021/22 as they take control of their rugby record. Find out more in this piece. Have you visited the RFU’s Tackle Height Hub yet? To support players, coaches, referees, volunteers and CBs with tackle height changes ahead of the 2023/24 season, a comprehensive range of resources are being produced. Find out about the latest updates on the Tackle Height Hub in this section. Age Grade Summer Framework & Regulations – July 2023 We are pleased to confirm the permitted activity for July 2023, as per the Summer Activity Guide. Check it out in this section. 2. ACTION IF OF INTEREST Training Courses 2023/24 Season – Book now Approximately 20,000 places are available for coaches and referees on Kids First Tag Rugby, Kids First Contact Rugby, England Rugby Coaching and Refereeing Awards and Principles of Scrummaging. Find out how to book in this section. Women and Girls Toolkits Over the coming months, we will be providing brand new resources covering different health and welfare issues impacting female rugby athletes. The first of these Women and Girls toolkits; Menstrual Health was launched on 3rd July and can be found in this piece. U12 Girls Club Start-Up Scheme 2023/23 As part of the RWC 2025 Impact programme, we are about to launch the second year of the U12 Girls Club Start-Up Scheme as we head into the 2023/24 season that gives clubs a kit package and £500 to support or start their team. Applications are now live and close on 31st July 2023. The Community Rugby Injury Surveillance & Prevention Programme (CRISP) needs you The CRISP Project is critical to gaining better understanding and providing data in order to compare and assess trends in injury risk across different playing populations and levels of the game. We need clubs and teams from across the game to get involved and help improve the welfare of players. Be part of the UNIon – opportunity for female University students In partnership with Neal Training, as part of RWC25 Impact, the RFU are delivering a Female Leadership Academy programme under the name of UNIon. University students between the ages of 18-25 will develop their leadership skills and empower them in the rugby landscape. Honda Volunteer Hospitality registrations for Summer Series Club volunteers can register for up to four tickets each for pre-match hospitality in the British Airways Fan Village at Twickenham as part of the Honda Volunteer Recognition Programme. This programme recognises the thousands of volunteers who are an integral part of the sport. Find out how to register for your tickets in this section. 3. FOR AWARENESS Travel Funding Policy The Community Game Board (CGB) have reviewed travel grants ahead of the 2023-24 season. Read more about the policy in this piece. Managing Rugby Pitches In Drought Conditions Good club/facility management is essential during dry weather periods. Find out how to support, educate and communicate with your members as your club or organisation pulls together to help reduce the impacts of restricted water availability. Read Online |
Community Game Update 13th June
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| 1. ACTION REQUIRED RFU 2023 Hybrid Annual General Meeting (AGM) The RFU will hold its 2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday 16 June 2023 at 18:00. Find out how to attend and vote in this piece. GMS Updates: Changes, Support & More Find out about updates to GMS, the season switch-over, support trainers, the GMS pre-season checklist and upcoming GMS webinars. Age Grade Registration 2023/24 – Opens 3rd July From Monday 3 July, parents, players and clubs will be able to start registering age grade players for the new season. Find out more information and support available in this section. Age Grade Regulations 2023/24 & Summer Framework 2023 View the permitted activity for June 2023, as per the Summer Activity Guide, as well as the new Age Grade Regulation 15. Have you visited the RFU’s Tackle Height Hub yet? To support players, coaches, referees, volunteers and CBs with tackle height changes ahead of the 2023/24 season, a comprehensive range of resources are being produced. Find out about the latest updates on the Tackle Height Hub in this section. 2. ACTION IF OF INTEREST Honda Volunteer Hospitality registrations for Summer Series As part of the Honda Volunteer Recognition Programme, club volunteers who have match tickets to one of England Men’s Summer Series home fixtures can register for up to four tickets each for pre-match hospitality. Review your waste collection costs One particular area that has seen price hikes in recent months is waste collection. To support clubs in keeping their costs as low as possible, we’ve teamed up with a procurement group to help combat financial pressures. Find out more in this piece. 3. FOR AWARENESS 2023/24 League Structures and fixtures update The Men’s RFU Leagues have been finalised and the Women’s RFU Leagues are going through the final checks and will be published soon. The fixtures for the Men’s leagues for 2023/24 have now been published and can be viewed on the England Rugby website and on GMS. 2023 GMS Club Safeguarding Audit will go live on 3rd July The Safeguarding Audit is an annual, mandatory requirement for all clubs who offer Age Grade activities, or who wish to have 17-year olds playing up into the adult game (Reg 21.1.6). Find out more in this section. Community club recipes for success As part of our #PlayTogetherStayTogether campaign, we’ve created a number of resources to help clubs who may be thinking about providing some form of Touch Rugby, from one-off events to regular sessions, over the summer. #GrassrootsBeauts There have been some brilliant efforts submitted for the #GrassrootsBeauts segment on ITV’s Premiership Highlights show this season, check out some of the best in this compilation. Read Online |
RFU Community Game Update 16 May
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| 1. ACTION REQUIRED Deadline to upload fixtures – just a few days left! The deadline for uploading club arranged fixtures via the Team Management module on the Game Management System is nearly upon us. Only fixtures uploaded by 26 May 2023 can be attributed towards a club’s new international ticket entitlement. Have you visited the RFU’s Tackle Height Hub yet? A comprehensive range of online resources, guidance documents, training videos and face-to-face training opportunities are being created by the RFU and can be found on the RFU Tackle Height Hub. Age Grade Regulations 23/24 & Summer Framework 2023 Find out more about Regulation 15 for 2023/24 and the Summer Age Grade Framework for 2023 in this piece. Regulation 9 – Pitch-side Emergency First Aid and Immediate Care Standards Following on from the implementation of the pitch-side emergency first aid and immediate care standards in the age grade game in the 2022-23 season, these standards will now be introduced across the adult community game from the start of the 2023/24 season. 2. ACTION IF OF INTEREST Join our nationwide network of Tackle Champions Tackle Champions will play a key role in developing a community of coaches able to inspire a culture of the highest quality tackle technique and decision making in players. Find out more in this piece. Platform 4 Rugby User Groups – register your interest Platform 4 Rugby’s user groups for the upcoming season are the perfect opportunity for collaborative working to help shape our Game Management System and other digital platforms. We are looking for volunteers with different levels of knowledge and experience. Find out how to register your interest in getting involved. National Volunteers’ Week – 1-7 June Volunteers’ Week is being celebrated between Wednesday 1st and Tuesday 7th June. It provides a great opportunity to recognise the contribution volunteers make and to say thank you! 3. FOR AWARENESS Papa Johns Community Cup Round Up The Papa Johns Community Cup came to a close on 7th May, with 29 thrilling finals having taken place over two weekends at Twickenham, StoneX Stadium, Sixways Stadium and The Darlington Arena. Read about the finals and watch some of the brilliant stories from the teams in this piece. UK Concussion Guidelines for Grassroots Sport The RFU welcomes the launch of the Government’s UK Concussion Guidelines for Grassroots Sport; guidelines the RFU has been involved in developing. Read more about the guidelines in this article. Community club recipes for success In July 2022, a study was undertaken to establish what has contributed to operating successful community clubs. Read about the findings in this piece. Game Management System (GMS) maintenance In preparation for the start of the 23/24 season, the Game Management System (GMS) will be taken offline in mid-June to allow for a short period for system maintenance to be conducted. Read Online |
RFU Community Game Update 18th April
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| 1. ACTION REQUIRED Deadline to upload fixtures is fast approaching The deadline for uploading fixtures via the Team Management module is approaching fast. For all matches to be included, data must be entered by 26 May 2023. Find out more information in this piece. 2. ACTION IF OF INTEREST Sport England Governance and Business Transformation support for rugby clubs Following the success of the initial phase of the Club Health Check, the programme is now being widened to include all voting member clubs. Find out more about the programme and how to get involved. Honda volunteer hospitality at Red Roses v France, 29 April As part of the Honda Volunteer Recognition Programme, club volunteers who have match tickets to the Red Roses match on 29th April can register for up to four tickets each for pre-match hospitality. Women coaches and referees wanted! The Rugby World Cup 2025 Impact programme will provide training and development opportunities for female coaches and match officials, which may include bursaries, kit, equipment and mentoring – find out more and sign up in this piece. GMS technical support drop in sessions Having received feedback about how useful the recently trialled GMS Technical Support Session was in answering users’ questions about the Game Management System, we will now run these sessions on a monthly basis. Check out the dates and register in this article. Know someone who would like to join the National Youth Council? The RFU’s National Youth Council is helping to grow rugby and is currently recruiting new volunteers. This is an opportunity for someone between 18-24 to influence the future development of rugby and to gain valuable skills by becoming part of the National Youth Council. Get involved in the world’s longest try! Rugby union clubs nationwide will be able to take part in a charity relay in support of the MND Association, Gloucester Rugby Foundation in the club’s support of Ed Slater, and Wasps Legends Charitable Foundation in their support of former England and Wasps FC player Paul Rendall. Submit your community stories We’re keen to share your amazing community rugby stories with media, on the England Rugby website and social media channels. Find out how to submit them in this section. 3. FOR AWARENESS Draw for next round of the Papa Johns Men’s Community Cup After another great weekend of closely fought encounters in the Papa Johns Community Cup, check out the draw for the next round in this piece. Good luck to all teams competing in knockout rounds this weekend. New and improved Community Rugby help centre Following an in-depth review from leading customer service experts, a number of recommendations were identified to enhance our online support, giving the community game a single place to find the information they need in a convenient and intuitive way, whilst also being able to ask questions and receive answers direct from a qualified agent. Find out more about the improvements in this section. Team entry to leagues in 2023/24 season Using data from electronic matchcards in RFU leagues, we have produced guidance that shows the average number of players used and the average number of matches per player at various levels in the men’s and women’s game. This data may help clubs decide their league entries for next season. Find it in this piece. Congratulations to the 5 winners of our age grade affiliation prize draw We are really pleased to announce the winners of our prize draw to thank clubs for their efforts around Age Grade Affiliation. Find out the winners in this piece. Read Online |
RFU Tackle Height consultation
| The RFU would like to thank everyone who has participated in providing valuable feedback in our consultation on reducing the tackle height in the community game. We have listened to thousands of players, volunteers and match officials to understand how we as a game can come together to best define and implement a reduction in the tackle height. We have heard a wide range of views and gathered thoughts and ideas from 8,500 people through an online open survey, met with over 1000 people during 25 in-person and virtual forums across 13 locations and met 270 coaches, players, match officials, disciplinary officers, Club chairs and CBs, parents and teachers through 22 focus groups and online panels. Everything you have told us is now being independently analysed by the research company YouGov. This independently verified feedback, will be presented to the RFU Council ensuring your views are directly heard. Once the RFU Council have fully reviewed your feedback, decisions will be taken on the proposed law variation and game regulations. Further updates will be provided towards the end of April and we will then provide a range of materials including virtual and in person training and education tools to enable the tackle height reduction to be implemented as smoothly as possible. These materials are being developed using the views, ideas and needs you have shared with us. We learned a lot from this process and are determined to maintain this two way dialogue so we can keep improving our support for the game. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and to all of you who make rugby the game we know and love. Nigel Gillingham RFU President |
Community Game Update 14 March
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| 1. ACTION REQUIRED Tackle Height Survey The RFU has launched a series of initiatives, including face-to face and virtual forums and an online survey, to listen to and learn from people across the game by consulting on the process around implementation of a lower tackle height in the community game. Read more and take part in the survey in this piece. 2. ACTION IF OF INTEREST Volunteer Recruitment Project Applications are now open for a £500 grant to support the recruitment of more volunteers. Read more and apply via the link in this article. International Ticketing Allocations Following indicative allocations sent in the summer, we hope that club administrators have continued to enter all club fixtures via the Team Management module on GMS. Only fixtures uploaded by 26 May 2023 can be attributed towards a club’s new ticket entitlement. GMS Drop in Sessions Having recently trialled a GMS Technical Support Session designed to answer any questions users may have about the Game Management System, we will now run these sessions on a monthly basis. Find out when they are and sign up in this section. DBS Update Service The project to integrate the DBS Update Service is now nearing its conclusion. Read this piece for more information about how this service can reduce the administrative burden for volunteers. 3. FOR AWARENESS Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASC) – Latest from HMRC HMRC has issued a newsletter for all Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) which we’d recommend all clubs who are a CASC, or considering becoming a CASC, to read. Find it in this article. Age Grade Playing Calendar 2023-24 We are pleased to provide the National Playing Calendar for 2023-24 in this piece. This is the framework for national competitions and player pathway activity throughout the year. Read Online |
RFU Community Game Update 14 February
| Tuesday 14 February Stay up to date with news about the community game by following @RFU on Twitter here. |
| Community Game Update Read Online |
| 1. ACTION REQUIRED Update on end of season scheduling Exceptional weather conditions and unique circumstances have led to a considerable number of teams in RFU Leagues not playing as many matches as they usually would have at this stage of the season. The effect of this is that some teams need to play matches beyond the scheduled league completion date, ultimately also affecting the Papa John’s Community Cup and County Championships. Find out more information in this piece. Transfer Deadline Reminder for RFU Leagues With the end of the league season approaching, clubs are reminded about the registration transfer deadline. For men’s clubs playing in the National Leagues and below and women’s clubs at Championship 1 and below it falls on the 17 February 2023. For those playing above those levels it is 31 March 2023. 2. ACTION IF OF INTEREST Honda Volunteer of the Year 2023 nominations closing soon! The Honda Volunteer of The Year Awards 2023 nominations are open for the three categories: Game For All, Unsung Hero and Challenging Spirit. Nominate your amazing volunteers before Friday 24 February. Final call for claims: Community Rugby Support Fund 2022/23 The Community Rugby Support Fund for 2022/23 claim window closes on 19th February. As with last year, the purpose of this fund is to support voting member clubs, CBs and referee societies who are in greatest financial need. Energy saving tips for your clubhouse The RFU teamed up with Shaunagh Brown and Medway RFC to help your club reduce their energy bills. Watch the video in this piece and find more information online. England Rugby Advanced Coaching Workshop webinar 2023-24 The England Rugby Advanced Coaching Workshop webinar is now available to book until midday on Sunday 5 March. The webinar is a pre-requisite for those looking to book onto Part 1 of the England Rugby Advanced Coaching Award – Developing Advanced Coaching Practice. Find out more in this piece. Artificial Grass Pitches (AGP’s) – How to book Rugby 365 Artificial Grass Pitches (AGPs) are available for hire in many areas of the country all year round and available to rugby clubs at heavily subsidised rates. Find out more about them and where they are located in this article. Opportunity to join our new Women’s Competitions Advisory Group (WCAG) With the 2025 Rugby World Cup due to be held in England, there couldn’t be a better time to help shape the future of RFU Women’s Competitions. This is your opportunity to join a new group of volunteers involved in the women’s community game, who will act as an advisory body and will support game-led development of the competitions landscape. 3. FOR AWARENESS Every Game Matters For A Chance To Play At Twickenham As part of the RFU’s #PlayTogetherStayTogether campaign, every team participating in a men’s merit table/league or women’s national challenge league (including the Allianz Inner Warrior Series) now has the chance to play at Twickenham Stadium on Bank Holiday Monday, 1 May, 2023. More details can be found in this piece. Inclusion and Diversity Community Game Survey Last autumn, the third RFU Inclusion and Diversity Community Game survey took place. It remains an RFU strategic objective to drive rugby union in England to reflect the diversity of society, to improve diversity of all facets of our game and to continue to create an inclusive environment for all. Find out the results of the survey and the next steps in this piece. The County Championships 2023 The return of the Bill Beaumont, Gill Burns and Jason Leonard Men’s National U20 County Championships in the 2022/23 season will feature improved competition structures to enhance player experience. Find out more here. Thank you from the Safeguarding Team! We are really pleased to be able to report that all clubs to whom the Safeguarding Audit applied, submitted on time. We really appreciate the time and effort that clubs and volunteers have taken to get this done. Read Online |
We apologise for the anger and concern created among the rugby community
| The RFU Board, Council and executive staff apologise for the anger and concern that has been created among the rugby community by announcing the decision to lower the tackle height from next season. In our desire to act quickly to reduce head impacts and concussions in the community game, which represents 99% of the rugby playing population in England, we have upset many of you who are the champions, volunteers, and ambassadors of our game. We fully acknowledge we got the engagement wrong, and we are truly sorry. In making our decision we were aware that France have lowered the tackle height, New Zealand will be doing so and World Rugby supports this approach. We, like the French, used the term “waist and below”; this has caused misunderstanding and confusion. We would now like the game to help us define how we describe a lower tackle height to reflect what the research is telling us in a way that is understood by all. Consequently, the risk of head injuries should be reduced if tackling below that optimum height. We will now begin a series of forums and workshops with players, coaches, match officials and volunteers, to explain and develop the details of the domestic law variation. A large body of scientific evidence (links to documents below) demonstrates the risk of head injury and concussion for players can be reduced by lowering the tackle height to prevent head on head contact. However, we also accept that the rugby community has other concerns that this change may bring and we need to listen, understand and respond to those concerns. We will start inviting players, coaches, match officials and volunteers to these forums from early next week, so that we can all work together. Rationale Paper Science Presentation |
Community Game Update 19 January 2023
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| 1. ACTION REQUIRED RFU Council approves lowering of the tackle height across community rugby in England from 2023/24 To support player welfare, the RFU Council agreed on Monday 16th January to lower the height of the tackle across the community game(Adult & Age Grade) from 1st July 2023. Find out more information about the law change and what to expect, including training support in this piece. Mandatory Player Registration 2023/24 From next season, all players, in all formats of the game (including non-contact), will be required to register to play rugby within RFU member clubs annually. More information on the benefits and next steps in this piece. Age Grade Rugby Update & Actions The new year signals the restart of Age Grade Rugby in clubs, schools and colleges. This article contains reminders and actions for a few key elements to get your rugby back underway for the second half of the season. 2. ACTION IF OF INTEREST Rugby World Cup 2025 Impact Programme – Facility fund closes 31st January Part of the Rugby World Cup 2025 impact programme is to help improve club facilities and the experience for female supporters and players. Clubs can apply for funds to support female toilet upgrades and sanitary packages before the deadline on the 31st. Club Rugby Support Fund 2022/23 The Community Rugby Support Fund for 2022/23 is now live. As with last year, the purpose of this fund is to support voting member clubs, CBs and referee societies who are in greatest financial need. The claim window closes on 19th February. Every Game Matters For A Chance To Play At Twickenham As part of the RFU’s #PlayTogetherStayTogether campaign, every team participating in a men’s merit table/league or women’s national challenge league (including the Allianz Inner Warrior Series) now has the chance to play at Twickenham Stadium on Bank Holiday Monday, 1 May, 2023. More details can be found in this piece. Honda Volunteer of The Year Nominations Now Open The Honda Volunteer of The Year Awards 2023 nominations are now open for the three categories; Game For All, Unsung Hero and Challenging Spirit. Nominate your amazing volunteers before Friday 24th February. The National Rugby Survey The National Rugby Survey 2023 will be live between 20 January until 17 February and will be shared via email and social media. The survey is targeted at anyone who has been involved with community rugby in the 2022/23 season in some way. 3. FOR AWARENESS RFU Leagues & Papa Johns Community Cup update Read information about potential changes to the end of the league season date after the exceptional weather conditions experienced so far this season, plus the latest on the Papa Johns Community Cup. Submission Of Payment Of Player Declarations Declarations of payment of players are due to be submitted between 1 March and 30 June 2023. Find out more in this piece. Divisional U18s Programme returns in 2023 The RFU has confirmed the Divisional U18s programme – a culmination of matches played between the 28 Constituent Bodies – will return in 2023, providing a higher level of representative rugby and development opportunities for players, coaches and management. Read Online |
