| We’re keen to update you on the progress being made as part of the RFU’s commitment to improving diversity and inclusion in rugby union. Please feel free to share this information more widely if you wish. We will also send an update to clubs after CBs have had time to familiarise themselves with the plans. The RFU has been focussing on four key areas of the game: 1. Game Leadership – volunteer leaders within clubs, Constituent Bodies (CBs) and Council. 2. Game Play – players, coaches, match officials and club volunteers 3. Fans, Followers and Partners 4. Employees and Board Further background on each area can be found here. Over the next year, we will provide regular updates in each of the four work streams. In this communication, we begin by focussing on an area in which you play such an integral role and look at how we can support you in this capacity. Game Leadership – supporting volunteer leaders at clubs, CBs and Council. Below you can find: • An overview of plans that will be delivered by the RFU Council D&I Implementation Working Group. The attachment includes a progress report on each of the 10 recommendations approved by RFU Council that this group will focus on implementing. • The information is available in both a PDF and more interactive format via the buttons below. • A shareable jpeg visual that summarises the four key D&I workstreams is here. Key areas include: • A training programme to be initiated for Council and all Constituent Bodies to support with diversity awareness. • Guidance to be provided by the RFU to Constituent Bodies and clubs to support inclusive practices and showcase best practice. A best practice recruitment tool kit to be shared to attract a diverse range of candidates for each appointment; supporting Constituent Bodies to attract and retain a more diverse pool of people. Have you confirmed your CB D&I Lead yet? Our D&I lead in Cornwall is Steve Murley We’re organising plans and communications for the 2021/22 season to support D&I Leads, kicking off with a workshop on Monday 23 August. We know some CBs are midway through their recruitment process. However, if you need further assistance, or if you are ready to nominate your D&I lead, please contact your Council Member or MarissaLowe@RFU.com Read Update Interactive Format |
Community Game Update 6th July
| Return to Rugby |
| This edition includes: 1. Government update 2. A new chapter for Touch Rugby 3. Sky Sports for RFU affiliated rugby clubs 4. Pitch Up For Rugby – 4-12 September 5. First aid 6. GMS data tidy up – more information 7. News round-up 8. Webinars and on-demand videos Government update  In light of the positive announcement by the Prime Minister yesterday evening, outlining the government’s plan for Covid restrictions to lift from Monday 19 July, we are anticipating this will enable us to re-instate scrums and mauls and to start next season as normal. However, it is important to note that we are awaiting government’s confirmed position on sport and, in our case, permission to return to full contact rugby. We hope to receive guidance from government over the next week and will share further details as we get them. Government will continue to monitor data and we should therefore be prepared to adapt should an increase in cases or emergence of a new variant require us to do so. Over the coming week, we will work with government to interpret what any new guidance means for community sport and community rugby clubs specifically. As information is confirmed, we will update our Helpdesk FAQs and issue further guidance in next week’s Community Game Update. GMS Data tidy-up  Over the last few weeks, we have seen an increase in GMS usage due to the data tidy-up, with 25,000 people having logged in since Friday 18 June. During the process, clubs have raised important questions which we have reviewed. Following conversations with clubs, we have produced a short document that we hope will help clubs and CBs further understand the need for the tidy up. This project is directly related to the “Player Affiliation” mentioned in our CGU on 15 June, with more information to follow. Responding to feedback received, we have amended the criteria for archiving data. The following will now not be archived in this process: • Players who have appeared on an electronic match card. • Individuals with an active club membership. • Individuals with an active DBS. We will be running a live session on Tuesday 13 July for Data Officers to help answer any questions you might have. This will be an opportunity for clubs to ask any questions they may have with Programme Coordinator Alex Bowden and Senior Delivery Manager Matt Holding. More Information Webinar To read the rest of the update click on the link |
Community Game Update 29th June
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| This edition includes: 1. Council update 2. 2021/2022 Travel Funding and RFU Competitions 3. Age Grade Summer Activity – July 4. Allianz Inner Warrior 5. Pitch up for Rugby 6. Club Support – VAT Recovery and Lease Reviews 7. News round-up including Pride in Brighton and helping at vaccination centres to #TackleCovid 8. Webinars and on-demand videos RFU Council vote in favour of Covid Recovery Plan and temporary pause on relegation  The RFU Council has today voted in favour of a range of structural changes to improve the financial stability and sustainability of professional rugby during the next three seasons while also providing benefits for England Rugby and the community game. The Covid Recovery Plan, with a temporary pause on relegation, follows a detailed consultation that was announced in February after the RFU Council voted in favour of no relegation from Gallagher Premiership Rugby or the Greene King IPA Championship for the 2020/21 season. The extensive consultation included Premiership Rugby and their clubs, Championship clubs, The RPA, RFU Board and RFU Council Read More Travel Funding and 2021/2022 season Further to announcements within the Community Game Updates on 15th and 22nd June, more information can be found below on travel funding support available for season 2021/22. The document provides information on: • Clubs travelling to play teams on Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey – women and men • Mainland clubs travelling to the Isle of Wight – men • Needs based travel funding. It also contains the Needs Based Travel Fund criteria, how to apply and the application form. RFU Competitions 2021/22 Season Both adult and age grade competitions are on track to begin in September. We do, however, need to be mindful of Government’s announcement scheduled for Monday 19th July regarding the provisional lifting of all Covid-19 restrictions. The situation is being closely monitored and we are ready to react if there is a change to that date. Application Form Travel Document To read the rest of the update click on the link |
RFU Rugby Camp Guidance
Community Game Update – 22nd June
| Return to Rugby – This edition includes: 1. Community rugby clubs boosted by £30 million government funding allocation 2.‘Pitch Up For Rugby’ will return between 4-12 September 3. First Aid and Immediate Care Provision Guidelines for the new season now available 4. Competition Organisers’ Guide – CB ONLY 5. Rugby Camp Guidance 6. Connecting with your players 7. News round-up including Travel Funding and July 4 National Thank you Day 8. Webinars and on-demand videos. Community Clubs boosted by Government Funding  We are thrilled that so many community rugby clubs across the country have benefited from the Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund. Over the past few months, community rugby clubs nationwide have been boosted by an allocation of £30 million of government funding, the biggest single investment in the community game, following collaboration between the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Sport England, the RFU and the grassroots game. 512 rugby clubs have already received Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund grants totalling £18,275,903, with more set to receive funding through the loans programme. You can read the full story below. Read More Rugby Camps Guidance We have now consolidated our information regarding the organisation of rugby camps into one guide. This guidance is for all camp organisers at member clubs, educational institutions, Constituent Bodies (CB) and third party/commercial providers and can be found on the Summer Activity page below. It will support anyone organising and delivering a rugby camp at any time and specifically during the summer of 2021 when out-of-season regulations have been changed due to the impact of Covid-19. We strongly recommend that all organisers see this guide as the template for their activity. There is separate guidance for those responsible for rugby camp approvals (mainly CBs). If approvers have further questions please get in touch on agegraderugby@rfu.com. Summer Activity Guide To read the rest of the update click on the link |
England Rugby Mentoring Award
Dear Volunteer,
Do you want to play a role in supporting others to improve the rugby offer? Or do you already support other coaches, referees and volunteers? Then the England Rugby Mentoring Award could be the course for you! Please select the videos below to hear from Dylan Hartley and Sarah Hunter about the importance a quality Mentor has had on their careers:
England Rugby Mentoring Award- Dylan Hartley
England Rugby Mentoring Award- Sarah Hunter
The England Rugby Mentor Award aims to support those who wish to develop others they’re working with, whether that’s a fellow coach, referee or volunteer. The course will focus on behaviour change, learning and support of an individual with their practice. Irwin Mitchell have partnered with us to deliver this piece of work, with the aim of having a trained mentor in every club that offers U14-U18 Rugby.
The course is made up of one face to face day, plus an additional three remote sessions in November/ December/ January. Candidates will be required to attend all days and then complete a portfolio for one mentee that they’re working with throughout the season, to apply the learnings from the course back at their own rugby club.
Course are now live on the GMS Course Finder and we look forward to welcoming you onto the England Rugby Mentoring Award in July and August.
The specific link for the course running at Bodmin RFC is https://bit.ly/3zuLiHg
Kind Regards,
RFU Game Development
RFU Community Game Update 15th June
| Return to Rugby This edition includes: 1. Government Step 4 update and what this means for rugby 2. Regulation changes approved by RFU Council, Friday 11 June 3. Season 2021/22 Community Funding 4. Women’s leagues & fixtures release 2021/22 5. RFU Virtual AGM 6. Taxation of business support grants 7. News round-up 8. Webinars and on-demand videos Government Step 4 and what this means for rugby  Following yesterday’s announcement by the Prime Minister to delay Step 4 until Monday 19 July to enable more people to be vaccinated, we remain at Stage D2 on the rugby roadmap. We will continue to hold discussions with government around when it will be possible to move to Stage E and full contact training. In the meantime, we remind clubs and their members to follow all Covid-19 protocols and Stage D2 guidance. Please take particular care in light of the increase in Delta variant cases. A reminder of Covid protocols and Stage D2 guidance can be found on the buttons below. Stage D2 Helpdesk FAQs To read the remainder of the update click on link |
Law Change announced for Age Grade Rugby
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) will introduce a law change to the tackle height in age grade rugby in England for the 2021/22 season.
The existing rules for those playing full contact rugby at Under 9 to Under 14 levels has an imagined line between the armpits as the maximum height of a legal tackle.
Under the law change, approved by the RFU Council, this rule now extends to Under 15 to Under 18 levels bringing the tackle height down from shoulder level to the armpit for those age groups.
This means all players who are permitted to tackle in full contact age grade rugby (those participating at Under 7 and Under 8 level play non-contact rugby) will do so at the same height.
Not all hero’s wear capes
The last 18 months have been trying to say the least for all of us. Can we play, can we train, or even socialise. Thankfully it looks like we are coming out the other side and September will be back to the real deal.
In lockdown our rugby community comes to the front and Alfie Martin is a fine example of this. On hearing an ex-college playing friend, Chae Jenkins, had become poorly he decided to do something about it. Alfie is walking over 250 miles to raise money for Chae and Cornwall Mind a mental health charity. Setting himself a target of £3000, he’s smashed it.
I had the pleasure of joining Alfie on the leg from Wadebridge to Newquay. Spending 6hrs with someone you get to understand the motivation and drive of a special young man. At a time when it’s easy to criticise the next generation, hats off to you Alfie. The whole of the Cornish rugby family is with you and wish you luck with the rest of the journey.
Today he’s walking from St Just to Penzance. If you would like to make a donation go to https://uk.gofundme.com/f/cornish-rugby-walk-for-chae-jenkins
Dave Saunter
CRFU Chair.
Community Game Update 25th May
| Return to Rugby |
| As a reminder, the Community Game Updates will now be fortnightly unless there are any important Government or Game updates. This edition includes: 1. Return to Rugby – Indian Covid-19 variant – 8 geographic areas (Check Govt updates!) 2. Stage D2 reminder 3. NatWest RugbyForce 4. Player data 5. Dates for the diary 6. Girls Cup changes 7. Allianz Premiership 15s Final and magazine show 8. Webinars and on-demand videos 9. Young Warrior Cheick To read the content click on the link |
