Please find the enclosed Safeguarding Bulletin in the link here. Well done to all clubs who got their Safeguarding Audit completed.
Community Rugby Activity in England reverts to Stage A
| Following Government’s national lockdown announcement to counter the steep rise in Covid-19 infections, all community rugby activity in England is suspended until further notice. In line with current Government policy, all adult and age grade rugby training and fixtures must stop. This means we return to Stage A on the Return to Community Rugby Roadmap for all players. Outdoor organised sport for disabled people is allowed to continue. Community rugby includes all levels below the Greene King IPA Championship (scheduled to restart in March) and the Allianz Premier 15s and Gallagher Premiership, which follow elite sport return protocols. Click here for a summary of what is and isn’t allowed during the national lockdown. The new restrictions become law on Wednesday 6 January, but people should follow them as of now. There is an exemption in place that allows elite sportspeople (and their coaches if necessary, or parents/guardians if they are under 18) – or those on an official elite sports pathway – to compete and train. Indoor gyms and sports facilities will remain closed. Outdoor sports venues, including rugby clubs, outdoor gyms, tennis courts, golf courses, swimming pools, archery/driving/shooting arenas and riding arenas must close. What exercise can I do? People can only leave their home to exercise, and not for the purpose of recreation or leisure. You can continue to exercise alone, with one other person from outside your household, or with your household or support bubble. This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area. You should maintain social distancing while exercising. Organised outdoor sport for disabled people is allowed to continue. You can exercise in a public outdoor place including: ● parks, beaches, countryside accessible to the public, forests ● public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them) ● the grounds of a heritage site ● playgrounds While this is not the way we hoped to start 2021, we all need to play our part and strictly adhere to Government guidance over the next few weeks. This will help to protect our communities and to enable the vaccine to be as effective as possible, so we can all begin to return to a more normal way of life, including rugby, in the coming months. We would like to thank you all once again for your commitment and resilience in the face of adversity. We appreciate the support you have provided for your rugby communities and thank you for your understanding during the toughest of times, for the sport and society as a whole. We will continue to monitor guidance and to progress negotiations with Government to finalise plans for release of financial support from the Winter Sport Survival Package. If you have any queries, please visit our Coronavirus advice & support page or contact ClubSupport@RFU.com. Online training sessions for age grade players (and adults if wished!) A reminder of online training sessions run by England Rugby for age grade players during November’s lockdown can be found below. These sessions can also help young players to stay active at home during these latest restrictions. ‘Get Your Shirt On’ is a series of workout sessions led by former England players and aimed at the 6-18 age grades. Ugo Monye, Danielle Waterman and Danny Care have taken it in turn to put viewers through their paces. With community rugby currently at Stage A on the Return to Rugby Roadmap, it’s important for players to continue to stay active, even if it’s from home. Week One Ugo Monye Session 1 – (U10s and below) Session 2 – (U11s to U14s) Session 3 – (U15s and above) Week Two Nolli Waterman Session 1 – (U10s and below) Session 2 – (U11s to U14s) Session 3 – (U15s and above) Week Three Danny Care Session 1 – (U10s and below) Session 2 – (U11s to U14s) Session 3 – (U15s and above) |
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.
RFU Community Game Update 22nd December
| Coronavirus (Covid-19) update This week’s headlines include: 1. Return to Play Q&A with Eddie Jones, Bill Sweeney and Steve Grainger 2. Positive Test Guidance under Stage E Other Updates 3. Cluster Competitions update 4. Mitsubishi Motors Rugby Leadership Networks 5. Community Sevens Tournaments in 2021 6. Update on Club Accreditation 7. Webinars and podcasts 8. Physical and mental wellbeing 9. Schools Kitbag In this final Community Game Update of 2020, a massive thank you to you all for going above and beyond to keep your clubs and teams going during the toughest of challenges for the game. Your support of rugby communities will never be forgotten and we hope 2021 brings everything you deserve for keeping rugby afloat. On behalf of everyone at the RFU we wish you a happy, healthy Christmas and New Year. If you are playing matches over the festive period in Tiers 1, 2 or 3, enjoy being back in your teams and have fun on the pitch, while making sure you adhere to the Stage E law adaptations and Government and RFU Covid-19 guidance to keep everyone safe. For the avoidance of doubt, adult community rugby is not permitted in Tier 4 areas. The Government’s Tier 4 guidance states organised outdoor sport for under-18s and disabled people will be allowed. The Government’s guidelines on travel between tiers should be adhered to. These players cannot move in or out of Tier 4 to train or play. Guidance and FAQs can be found on the pages below. Please remember, there is no obligation to play 15-a-side fixtures in permitted Tiers. Clubs can still play Ready4Rugby if they prefer. To read the rest of the update please click on the link |
Community Game Update December 2020
| Community Game Update – December 2020 Content: 1. Covid-19 latest 2. Return to Play webinar Q&A with Steve Grainger and John Lawn 3. Community Game webinar with Eddie Jones, Bill Sweeney & Steve Grainger, Monday 21 December 4. RFU statement on concussion 5. Future Competitions Structure 6. O2 Touch 7. GMS Tidy Up 8. GMS Club Safeguarding Audit 9. England Rugby’s work with Stonewall As we head into the final few days of December 2020, we can reflect on quite a year for the community game. We have all been through so much and we want to take this time to wish you all a Merry Christmas and hope that everyone stays safe and well over the festive holiday. We would also like to say a massive thank you for going above and beyond to keep your clubs and teams going during the toughest of challenges for the game. Your commitment to, and support of, your rugby communities will never be forgotten, and we hope 2021 brings you everything you deserve for keeping rugby afloat in 2020. To those clubs holding friendly fixtures this weekend, please make sure you comply with all Covid-19 and Stage E guidance. Have fun being back with your teams and we hope you all enjoy returning to the pitch. 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. To read the remainder of the update click on the link. |
Safeguarding audit extended until 28th December
| GMS Club Safeguarding Audit |
| Please remember that all clubs offering Age Grade activities or having 17-year-olds playing up into the adult game, must complete the Club Safeguarding Audit as per Regulation 21.1.6. Following the recent four-week lockdown, the deadline has been extended by four weeks, with a new completion date of Monday 28 December 2020. The club safeguarding officer, or another officer with access to the club’s organisational profile, should complete questions by that date in the questionnaire tab. Don’t forget to tick the safeguarding declaration at the end and press submit. Should you have any difficulties, please get in touch with the Safeguarding Team (safeguarding@rfu.com) who will be happy to assist. |
Approval of future competition structure 2022/23 in adult male game
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) Council has voted in favour of a number of features for a new competition structure for the adult male game from Level 3 down, scheduled to come into effect in the 2022/23 season.
The new measures aim to be more appealing to players as they juggle rugby with increasing demands on their time away from the game. The changes are designed to help arrest a decline in the number of adult men playing rugby union in the community game.
The features include limiting the amount of time players spend travelling to matches and shortening the length of league seasons. The priorities remain player welfare and protecting the sustainability of clubs.
The recommendations follow a series of consultations with clubs, coaches and players, in addition to webinars, a national survey and detailed analysis of the RFU’s Game Management System and Electronic Match Card data.
Evidence shows the number of teams playing in RFU leagues is reducing and players are choosing to play fewer games in a season. As a result, clubs need larger squads to complete their fixtures, which is having an adverse effect on Lower 15 match completion rates.
The features of the new competition structure voted on by Council includes:
The size of leagues at Levels 5 and below capped at 12 teams (reduced from 14).
The size of leagues at Levels 3 and 4 capped at 14 teams (reduced from 16).
The structured season will contain a protected two-week break over the Christmas period, rather than just reserve weekends.
The season will also contain protected weekend breaks from league rugby (at points to be determined through the season).
A National knockout Cup competition will be introduced at the end of the season (from Level 5 and below), leading to a Community Game Finals Day.
A review of specific aspects of the competition structure will take place every three years.
RFU Community Game Covid Update 15th December
| Coronavirus (Covid-19) update |
| This week’s headlines include: 1. Return to Play webinar Q&A with Steve Grainger and John Lawn 2. Return to Play guidance 3. Facilities guidance 4. Club Cluster Competitions Other Updates 5. Inner Warrior 6. Positive Test Guidance under Stage E 7. Webinars and podcasts 8. A nice touch from Maidstone RFC The first weekend of contact matches with adaptations is allowed from this weekend. We ask that all clubs follow the guidance to make sure everyone is kept safe in the lead up to Christmas. Guidance and FAQs can be found on the pages below. Please remember, there is no obligation to play 15-a-side fixtures this weekend. Clubs can still play Ready4Rugby if they prefer. To read the rest of the update please click on the link |
Community Game Update 8th December
| Coronavirus (Covid-19) update This week’s headlines include: 1. Steve Grainger video update on Return to Rugby, including travel 2. Return to Play guidance 3. Facilities guidance 4. Club Cluster Competitions 5. Inner Warrior Other Updates 6. Webinars and podcasts 7. #ShowYourShirt reaches 600 8. Dursley’s new strip We are now at Stage E which means tag and contact training can now continue under adaptations with matches allowed from Friday 18 December. There is no obligation to return to matches straight away and we would encourage a staged return to contact for players. Roadmap To read the update click on the link |
