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 |
Lancashire RFU podcast
The latest edition of this podcast sees both RFU CEO Bill Sweeney & Director of Rugby Development Steve Grainger, join the usual team for a frank discussion well worth a listen, click on the link
Return To Play & Off Field Activity Guidance 2 December 2020
We have today shared further guidance for community rugby in England, after The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport [DCMS] issued updated guidelines on the return to recreational team sport from Wednesday 2 December.
This includes all friendly fixtures and training for males and females, Age Grade and adult, for all contact and non-contact rugby below the Greene King IPA Championship and Allianz Premier 15s. This includes Education institutions however the ultimate decision remains at the discretion of the individual institution.
Organised outdoor rugby activity with approved adaptations for both match play and training is permitted across all three tiers from Wednesday 2 December.
However, it is extremely important that clubs, players, coaches, match officials, volunteers, parents, carers and facility providers continue to strictly follow both the UK Government’s latest COVID-19 guidance and RFU guidance to ensure we can continue our phased return to play. Clubs should limit the time spent congregating at a venue before and after rugby activity, so please consider having strict meeting times or staggering start times.
Changing rooms and showers
• Changing rooms and showers can be used across all tiers.
• Clubs must identify a maximum capacity for each changing room based on its size and the requirement to manage usage to ensure social distancing is achieved at all times.
• The amount of time each person spends in a changing room must be kept to a minimum and restricted solely to changing (no team talks or celebrations etc).
• Good hygiene must be promoted and facilitated and enhanced cleaning practices must be in place in all changing rooms.
• Participants should still be encouraged to arrive changed, and shower at home where possible.
Travel to participate in rugby activity
• 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.
• Age Grade players may, due to Government exemptions for U18s, travel across all tiers 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 can be accompanied by one parent or carer from, or into, a Tier 3 area to train or play.
• Volunteers (including coaches and match officials) may travel across all tiers where necessary to enable participation to take place. However, to protect all involved, we strongly recommend this is kept to an absolute minimum.
• Additional exemptions are in place for people with disabilities. To read these and the rest of the Guidance click on the link – PDF
Guide to Adapted Contact Rugby Activity in Stage E
The link below takes you to the more detailed RFU Guidance on what we can do in this return to rugby at Stage E.
Remember there are still very important rules that we HAVE to follow restricting the amount and type of contact, numbers who can train etc.
Clubs found to be in breach of this guidance may face disciplinary action and/or invalidate their liability insurance.
This guidance is only 6 pages long with all of these things laid out clearly. Well worth a read to familiarise yourself with what to expect
