| Coronavirus (Covid-19) update This week’s headlines include: 1. Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund – Grants update 2. Monday 29 March – Return to Rugby update 3. Steve Grainger takes grassroots players questions with Fill Your Boots 4. Re-starting the DBS application process 5. School of Hard Knocks – only a couple of spaces left 6. Mental Wellbeing and Know Your Lease webinars 7. International Women’s Day 8. Share your stories RUWSF Grants update  After the government’s positive funding announcement over the weekend (more information below), we are now able to update you on next steps for clubs who have applied for a Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund Grant. Following the closure of applications, the overall grant need was submitted to the government’s Independent Board of the Winter Sport Survival Fund. The final amount to be awarded to clubs is at the discretion of the Independent Board rather than the RFU. The Independent Board has since confirmed that grants will be capped at a maximum of £50,000 per individual club. However, if a club has demonstrated a grant need of more than £50,000 for purposes of survival, they will be able to apply for an additional cash-flow loan to provide further financial assistance. Applications are currently being assessed and clubs who have applied for a grant will be advised of the outcome of their application by the end of March at the latest. We are in the process of creating a mechanism for eligible clubs to apply for a cash-flow loan and will communicate to these clubs as soon as possible. We have also been given a grace period for clubs that weren’t able to compile their financial documentation in time to meet the original RUWSF Grant application deadline. If you are a community club in Level 3 or below that needs financial support for survival and fulfil the criteria please complete the application form below by 5pm on Monday 22 March. 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. Funding Announcement Grant Application To read the rest of the update click on the link |
RFU CGU Return to Rugby Update
| Return to Rugby update All content in this email is embargoed until 5pm today (Friday 5 March). Content: 1. CB call 4pm today 2. Return to Rugby Roadmap 3. Steve Grainger video on provisional timeline for rugby’s return 4. Age grade rugby adjustments 5. Return to adult and age grade rugby timeline 6. Facilities update will follow upon government guidance being issued Return to Rugby Roadmap  We are pleased to be able to publish our provisional plan for a phased return to full contact rugby. It’s wonderful to see light at the end of the tunnel and we are as delighted as clubs and players across the country that they will soon be able to resume training and, subject to each step on government’s roadmap being achieved, progress towards contact fixtures and an exciting season of rugby for 2021/22 from September. Please note the Return to Community Rugby Roadmap has been revised to follow steps on the government roadmap. Please therefore disregard previous versions and only share the new ‘green for go’ roadmap below. We have removed Stages B and C as they are no longer currently relevant due to changes in government restrictions. Over the next couple of weeks, we will provide stage-by-stage guidance on our Return to Rugby page which will include all the information you’ll need for a gradual return to contact rugby. Guidance will include equipment that can be used at each stage and videos with our coach development team. While we are all incredibly excited about getting back out on the pitch, we should also be conscious of the need to build-up gradually after a long lay-off. The focus for all activity over the next three months should be on player retention and player safety. Until Monday 29 March, unless you are an age grade player taking part in organised school or college rugby activity, we remain at Stage A on the Return to Rugby Roadmap. This means individuals are only allowed to exercise alone or with one other from another household. Roadmap PDF Roadmap Image To read the rest of the update, click on the link |
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 Community Game Update 24th Feb
| Coronavirus (Covid-19) update This week’s headlines include: 1. Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund reminder with Steve Grainger 2. RUWSF Loan Scheme – two days left to complete 3. RUWSF Grant Reminder – two days left to apply 4. Return to community rugby update 5. Lockdown rugby activity 6. Webinars and on-demand videos Update on RUWSF Grant and Loans  RFU Rugby Development Director, Steve Grainger gives an update on the Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund (RUWSF) Grant and Loan schemes. Please note, we are updating our FAQs daily, so please keep checking back using the button below. FAQs will contain the version number and date to help keep track of when they have been updated. The loan and grant scheme are two separate strands of funding, so clubs are able to apply for both where needed. Watch Video Criteria & FAQs To read the rest of the update click on the link |
February Community Game Update
| Community Game Update – February 2021 Content: 1. Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund Loans Scheme 2. Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund Grants Reminder 3. England Rugby Advanced Coaching Award and Coach Logic Partner 4. Irwin Mitchell Mentoring 5. Webinars and on-demand videos 6. LGBT+ month This communication is only sent to the roles highlighted in the distribution list above. Please share it with others in your club who need to see it. England Rugby Coaching  New partner in Coach Logic We have partnered with video analysis platform Coach Logic to provide additional online support for coaches who enrol on coaching award courses. They will have access to game footage from different levels of the game, as well as allowing coaches (and players) to share ideas and analyse performance. Advanced Coaching Award – (Previously Level 3) The England Rugby Advanced Coaching Award (ERACA) for 2021/22 will kick off in February with two webinars which prospective participants need to complete. Firstly – Advanced Coaching Workshop Part 1. A free on-demand webinar that anyone wishing to take part in the ERACA must complete as a pre-requisite for booking. Secondly – Advanced Coaching Workshop Part 2 in March. Bookings for the full courses due to open in May 2021. You can find out more on the link below. Please be aware that course dates and venues are provisional and subject to change or cancellation depending on the evolving situation with the Coronavirus pandemic. Coach Logic Coaching Award To Read the rest of the update please click on the link |
RFU Community Game Update 16th Feb
| Coronavirus (Covid-19) update This week’s headlines include: 1. Lockdown Rugby Activity 2. Age Grade Playing Calendar 2021-22 3. Inner Warrior Update 4. Webinars and on-demand videos 5. Hinckley RFC 6. Share your ideas Rugby Union Winter Survival Fund  Applications opened last Friday for clubs to submit applications for grants. The deadline for applications is 5pm on Thursday 25 February. The aim of the fund is to support community clubs at Level 3 and below that have been severely impacted by Covid-19 restrictions. Below is a video from RFU Rugby Development Director, Steve Grainger, to help explain the fund, its aims, and criteria for the application process. It covers a six-month period, from 1 October 2020 to 31 March 2021. Clubs need to demonstrate financial need for funding to ensure survival. You can find out more about the criteria and how to apply using the funding link below. We are working with Sport England to define the criteria and process for a Loans Programme, in addition to this grant funding, and will communicate this to CBs and clubs later this week when we have confirmation. Watch Video Funding Page Lockdown rugby activity England players go back to school Home-schooling was given an added rugby twist this month, when ten England players joined online school assemblies from their Guinness Six Nations training camp. Players answered pupils’ questions as Eddie Jones and England Rugby tried to help motivate students by giving them and their teachers something different to start their school day. The activity was part of England Rugby’s wider programme of support for the community game, aiming to keep players engaged in rugby while they can’t play. Red Rose Shaunagh Brown live Q&A Shaunagh Brown joined us live last Wednesday after a two-day training camp with the Red Roses. While discussing the upcoming Women’s World Cup later this year and the Women’s Six Nations, now scheduled for April, she also answered players’ questions on how to stay physically and mentally motivated during lockdown. Watch the Q&A on demand here. Position Workshop Series This week we were joined by second rows Courtney Lawes and Jonny Hill. Both players analysed match footage to share their insights, thought processes and how they use the Principles of Play. Back To School Inspired To Play Ag Grade Playing Calendar 2021-22 A final reminder that the Age Grade Playing calandar for 2021-22 is now with CBs, CSUs, Academies, Centres of Excellence, RPPGs and other local stakeholders to populate together. We hope this has started to be shared and published on websites to give everyone the best planning notice possible. Inner Warrior update Warrior Camps are now on hold until May. Should any tier system return, and if clubs are able to host a Warrior Camp as part of their permitted activity, then clubs are welcome to hold an event in April. We will run a targeted recruitment campaign in May and will invite clubs to host a Warrior Camp between 1st and 30th May. Information on how to register your event will be shared at the end of March, subject to Covid-19 restrictions. If you have any queries, please contact innerwarrior@rfu.com Webinars and on-demand videos We know that you might be Zoomed out, so we have made sure all our webinars are available when you need them on demand if you can’t see them live. RFU’s Head Groundsperson Jim Buttar Q&A – Thursday 18 February – 7pm We want to help you with the challenges you are having with your pitches but also to celebrate your success. Jim Buttar, England Rugby Head Groundsperson, will be answering your questions throughout the Webinar so send any questions or photos to groundsmenconnected@rfu.com. Register today Introducing the Mental Wellbeing for Players webinar – Wednesday 24 March – 7pm Welcome rugby players of all ages to a healthy discussion about mental wellbeing, creating kinder cultures and the importance of looking out for each other. Guest speaker, David Beeney, who has years of experience talking about (and not talking about) mental health is joined by former England Rugby captain Dylan Hartley. We put player welfare at the heart of the game in order to keep the community healthy with help from our trusted healthcare partner Simplyhealth. Register today You can see all our previous Coaching, Refereeing, and Club webinars online. Hinckley RFC Hinckley RFC are yet another club making a difference, like so many during this pandemic. They have called in a number of volunteers to help produce over 500 individually packed meals a day to distribute to children and their families during the weekdays of half term. Hinckley Share your ideas Please let us know if there are any further resources or specific support that clubs and CBs could benefit from during lockdown, by contacting ClubSupport@RFU.com or emailing ChrisDodd@rfu.com. We continue to highlight the wonderful activities of our clubs and their teams on our England Rugby channels. Please share your stories and videos with ChrisDodd@rfu.com or PatriciaMowbray@rfu.com. |
Cowan-Dickie starts against Italy
Congratulations to Cornishman Luke Cowan-Dickie who has been selected at hooker against Italy in Saturday’s Guinness 6 Nations game at Twickenham. This will be Luke’s 28th appearance for England.
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 Community Game Update 2nd Feb
| Coronavirus (Covid-19) update |
| This week’s headlines include: 1. Lockdown rugby activity – Ben Youngs Q&A 2. Player survey Please encourage your players to complete this year’s player survey which is based around the different formats of the game, how Covid-19 has impacted them in the last 12 months and how they might take part in future. Your support will help us to protect and grow the game at this difficult time. 3. #ShowYourShirt reaches 650 4. Itoje and clubs push for laptops at home 5. Webinars and on-demand videos 6. Share your ideas 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 |
