Advice for Children

Rugby should be fun and enjoyable. When you’re taking part in Rugby, we want you to feel safe and happy. We want to make sure that you enjoy playing rugby, spending time with other young people and developing your skills. However, this may be difficult if someone is making you feel unhappy or worried.

If you ever feel unhappy or worried about anything in Rugby, don’t keep it to yourself. You should:

Tell an adult you trust as soon as possible. This could be; your parent or someone else in your family; another member of staff at the club; a teacher or school counsellor; your doctor or school nurse.
Speak to your Club Safeguarding Officer, who is there to help you and all the children at your club. If you are worried, concerned or scared about something, or if someone is making you or another child unhappy or upset, your Club Safeguarding Officer is there to support you.
Contact us (the RFU Safeguarding team), at any time, by emailing safeguarding@rfu.com

Making your club safer

If you want to do something that could make your club safer and help your teammates understand more about safeguarding, why not ask your club to put up the ‘Know your rights’ posters? These posters explain what you and your teammates can expect from adults in your club:

Remember, in rugby,

You have the right to feel safe and respected and to not be bullied, intimidated or threatened
You have the right to not be treated differently, based on things like your gender, religion, race or other characteristics
You can expect adults to put your welfare and wellbeing first, listen to any concerns you have, and take those concerns seriously
You can expect adults to keep you safe from harm and abuse

If you ever want to speak to a professional, or someone confidentially, you can contact the below charities and organisations, who are all here to help you and give you advice.

Childline – Childline are a free, private and confidential service where you can talk about anything. You can call them anytime on 0800 1111.
NSPCC – The National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children are the UK’s leading children’s charity. They have a helpline you can call, which is free and confidential, on 0808 800 5000 or, if you’re under 18, 0800 1111
Bullying UK – If you’re suffering from Bullying, and would like support on what to do, you can call their free and confidential helpline on 0808 800 2222
Young Minds – Are the UK’s leading charity for young people’s mental health. Whether you want to understand more about how you’re feeling or want to find ways to feel better, they can help
Think U Know – Is the education programme from NCA-CEOP, a UK organisation which protects children both online and offline. If you want advice about staying safe when you’re on a phone, tablet or computer, you can visit the Think U Know website
Stonewall – Are a registered company who stand for the rights of lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning and ace (LGBTQ+) people everywhere.