Club Rugby by Alchemy Contract Publishing

AT THE HEART OF THE RUGBY COMMUNITY

Volunteers – how to find them and keep them. See page 32

Fixtures – Aviva Premiership Rugby kicks off Ben Kay on the season ahead Could you be our Rugby Club of the Year?

CLUBS & ASSOCIATIONS

SOLICITORS TO THE LICENSED TRADE Nottingham 37 Stoney Street • The Lace Market • Nottingham • NG1 1LS • Tel: 0115 953 8500 London 88 Kingsway • London • WC2B 6AA • Tel: 020 7936 5869 email: info@popall.co.uk

www.popall.co.uk

Contents NEWS, VIEWS, CLUB LIFE AND LEGISLATION

4 Welcome Welcome to Club Rugby magazine – a bit about us.

6 News from the touchline Call for entries – Rugby Club of the Year; FREE Beer Festival; Adult Competition Review – recommendations approved.

11 Legal Eagle Rugby clubs should only work with legitimate broadcasters or face the consequences warns Club Rugby’s Legal Eagle.

BUILDING THE BUSINESS AVIVA PREMIERSHIP SPECIAL 12

Fixtures – get on the ball for club screenings.

Club Rugby interview with England international player Ben Kay.

The teams – news from the sidelines.

22 Sports4Bars – fixtures Sports4Bars.com picks out some of this month’s key sporting highlights – rugby and beyond.

24 Could YOU be our Rugby Club of the Year? It’s the 22nd Club Awards – and we want you to enter.

26 Soft drinks report Why soft drinks are making some noise.

28 Running a beer festival With cask ale week upon us, is now the time to launch your autumn beer festival?

30 Free to readers – beer festival Join us on 20 November for a free beer festival and trade show.

ASK THE EXPERTS

32 Club volunteers

40 Advertising practices

Top tips on finding new volunteers – and keeping them.

Getting it right. Advice on what you can and cannot claim.

34 Spotlight on – Toro

42 Art of chairing meetings

Celebrating 100 years of groundsmanship.

Nearly 75% of people question the effectiveness of meetings. How to make them count.

36 Facebook foundations Back to basics on harnessing the power of social media.

43 The art of productivity Stuck on the to-do list? Time to try a new approach.

48 Club Kitchen Made for sharing. Keep members glued to their seats.

46 Negotiating How to get what you bargained for.

CLUB RUGBY 3

WELCOME

AT THE HEART OF THE RUGBY COMMUNITY

Volunteers – how to find them and keep them. See page 32

Fixtures – Aviva Premiership Rugby kicks off Ben Kay on the season ahead Could you be our Rugby Club of the Year?

clubmirror SOCIAL

ENTERTAINMENT

SPORTS

AND

BRANDS REPORT Top selling cask and keg beers revealed

AVIVA PREMIERSHIP

LEGAL EAGLE

CLUB KITCHEN

ASK THE EXPERTS

CLUB REPORT Sound business advice for club professionals

Club Mirror’s annual guide with expert advice for the year ahead

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

4 CLUB RUGBY

Consumer reports – Consumer reports also featured highly in the survey as a useful business tool, and we will continue to share analytical studies of market segments designed to help clubs ‘get under the skin’ of members and potential members.

Our commitment As owners and publishers of Club Rugby as well as Club Mirror, Club Report and Clubhouse Europe, we are committed to helping all types of clubs build their business still further, through the provision of timely business information, help and advice. With the Rugby World Cup 2015 less than a year away, we felt it was the right time to launch a free magazine specifically for rugby clubs. Building on this springboard, we will soon be launching rugby club-specific events and an interactive programme of meetings and networking opportunities which aim to pull the rugby club industry still closer together. So watch out for our latest updates in forthcoming issues; there’ll be lots going on!

Drinks reports – Drinks reports are popular, providing valuable insights into market trends (and thanks go to our analytical friends at CGA Strategy for their ongoing support here).

2014

Positive perspectives for 2014

Membership management – dealing with complaints and complainers! p22

his time last year we talked about how clubs generally - along with all other parts of the leisure sector - were coming up with ever more inventive ways to keep costs down, revenues up and member visits on the increase. And as always, rugby clubs are rising to the challenge.

FITNESS

AT T H E HE A R T O F T H E C O M M U N I T Y

September 2014

Welcome to Club Rugby magazine, our fourth magazine designed specifically for clubs.

ISSUE 4

A word with – Staffan Tuomolin CCM Communication is key – Julian Small explains Location report – spotlight on Prague

Club Rugby – the magazine The response to our recent reader survey was impressive. Thanks to all of you who took the time to complete it. (If you missed it don’t worry. This will be an annual activity and we’ll be running the 2015 questionnaire early next year.) We’ve acted on your ideas and suggestions and the magazine reflects what you told us you wanted to read – business building ideas, up-to-the minute advice and input from the experts on all aspects of running a rugby club.

Special supplements – Supplements around special events will grow in importance, as you’ve indicated that such insights help to reinforce just what clubs can – and should – be doing to maximise the opportunities presented. Legislation – As you’d expect this is high on everyone’s agenda, and lobbying is even higher. We regularly attend meetings at The House of Commons for The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Non-Profit Making Members’ Clubs. The Group aims to support clubs and make their collective voice heard in the corridors of power. This work is ongoing and all-important. (There’s no doubt that when we all get together we’re a force to be reckoned with. Club Rugby and Club Mirror will continue to work closely with industry bodies pan sector.) Club Awards Now in their 22nd year, the Club Awards continue to highlight the breadth and depth of clubland; Rugby Club of the Year is a crucial and important category. We encourage you all to

clubmirror SOCIAL

ENTERTAINMENT

SPORTS

AND

FITNESS

45 March 2014

AT T H E HE A R T O F T H E C O M M U N I T Y

clubmirror SOCIAL

ENTERTAINMENT

JANUARY 2005

SPORTS

AND

FITNESS

AT T H E H E A R T O F T H E C O M M U N I T Y

Club Kitchen

Recipes for rugby showdown

Club Mirror Awards And the winners are...

Club Mirror HQ

2005 – resolutions or revolutions?

Game on

Latest and greatest at ATEI

Backing English ru

YEARS I

SOCIAL

ENTERTAINMENT

SPORTS

AND

FITNESS

clubmirror AT T H E HE A R T O F T H E C O M M U N I T Y

August 2014

Working within the law ALSO INSIDE: Perfect pitches and glorious greens Great British Beer Festival Football Special - Barclays Premier League

stand up and be counted! The annual event – which this year takes place on 20 November – is a unique showcase for clubland, and this was no more evident than in the 2013 Awards. The entries provided further proof, if proof were needed, that the club sector is pulling members through its busy doors through innovation, entertainment and determination. Entrants have been busy maximising last year’s Awards successes through local media, on websites and internally to members – a reminder of just how special their club is (and why). So if your club is hesitant about entering, then don’t be. Be sure to enter and see your determination and sheer hard work recognised (Turn to pages 24-25 for the Express Entry Form or email info@clubmirror for details). This year’s event will be hosted by sports presenter and rugby enthusiast (and indeed player) John Innverdale. The Awards ceremony follows a drinks reception and Gala Dinner in the Ballroom at the stunning Palace Hotel, Manchester. Beer Festival – FREE to readers Our sixth annual Beer Festival takes place on 20 November between 2-5pm on the same day as the Awards. Expertly run for us again by the team at CAMRA it will see a host of new brews and old friends in all their cask glory. Trade shows – FREE to readers As well as our annual November trade event, Ask the Experts – Live!, we’ve also run trade shows in Halifax and London. These featured long-standing club suppliers including Air Products, Dransfields, Marston’s, Poppleston Allen and Sky Sports, as well as newer business partners BT Sport and Carlsberg UK, all of whom shared advice and ideas with attending clubs.

Sports4Bars.com Sports4Bars.com is the definitive online guide to all the live sport available to licensed premises in the UK. As the number of channels broadcasting live sport has grown massively in recent years, finding out when and on what channel the big match is on can sometimes be confusing. That’s where Sports4Bars.com comes in, providing a one-stop destination for the up-to-date and accurate broadcast information you need to keep your customers happy and excited about live sport – whatever team or sport they follow. As well as providing the essential TV fixtures information you require, Sports4Bars.com will also be running regular special features and promotions, to help you make the most of sport in your venue and increase your bottom line. Clubhouse Europe Club Mirror and The Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE) joined forces to launch a new international magazine, Clubhouse Europe. The cutting edge business-driving magazine was launched to help CMAE members at a senior level drive the professionalism of clubs and resorts around Europe. To conclude... Thank you for joining us at Club Rugby magazine and please do let us know all your news and contact us with any queries about any aspects of club business. Between us all, we look forward to a proactive and decidedly positive new season and a great 2015.

NEWS

PRODUCTS

TRADE SHOW

SPORTS FIXTURES

CLUB KITCHEN

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

AUTUMN 2013

Club Management Conference, Rome

Junior golf – why it matters

– see page 6

Talking teamwork – the word from Wentworth Game, set and match – tennis is on the ball

CLUBHOUSE EUROPE

ISSUE 3

CONTACT DETAILS Sean Ferris, Club Rugby/Club Awards Gainsborough House, 59/60 Thames Street, Windsor, Berks SL4 1TX t. 01753 272022

Volunteers – how to find them and keep them. See page 38

Wentworth – why leadership matters Time out – meet CMAE’s new President Location report – spotlight on France

< CLUB RUGBY 5

News from the touchline Rugby World Cup tickets go on sale

New appointment for Richard Hill MBE

Up to one million tickets will go on general sale to the public between 12-29 September through the official Rugby World Cup 2015 ticketing website. Tickets in all four price categories for the 48 matches will go on sale, starting at £15 for adults and £7 for children at some matches.

England flanker Richard Hill MBE has been appointed by the RFU as Player Pathway Liaison Manager. The consultancy position will see Hill, the 2003 Rugby World Cup winner, play an important role with England’s international performance coaches to help identify, mentor and develop young players, between the ages of 15-19, both on and off the field. He will also liaise between the RFU’s rugby executive staff and key external stakeholders of the governing body. This will include working with rugby clubs, regional academies, other unions, county representatives, government sporting agencies, players, their families, schools and other educational establishments. Richard Hill, MBE said: “I am delighted to take up this position in what is an exciting time for England Rugby. The player pathway is a crucial part to ensuring England’s long-

How to apply for tickets

1. Create an account on the Official Rugby World Cup 2015 ticket website by entering your details as requested. 2. Choose the matches you want to apply for. There are 48 matches being played across the country. You can apply for up to four tickets per match plus and there are 15 matches where you can apply for up to 15 tickets. 3. Where matches are oversubscribed a ballot will be held to ensure all fans have an equal chance to secure tickets. The application window will be open September 12-29. NB: Tickets are not sold on a first come, first served basis so you can apply at any point between September 12-29. 4. A Match Manager tool means you can apply for as many matches as you like and then cap the number you can be successful for in the ballot. You can also opt to be allocated tickets at the next price category up, in the event that tickets at the price you applied for have sold out. (Visit the site for more information.) 5. Applicants will find out which tickets they have successfully purchased in October 2014 following the close of the application window and the ballot. 6. Only tickets purchased at tickets.rugbyworldcup.com or through official travel and hospitality providers will guarantee entry to RWC 2015 matches, and England Rugby 2015 will launch an official RWC 2015 resale platform in 2015 to enable customers to sell any unwanted tickets at face value. • www.tickets.rugbyworldcup.com 6 CLUB RUGBY

Richard Hill

term success at the highest level. “Over my playing and coaching career I have enjoyed working with and mentoring younger players. As a proud Englishman I look forward to continuing this at the RFU as we look past next year’s home World Cup to 2019 and beyond.”

The 41 year-old retired from rugby in 2008 following a serious knee injury, having been capped 71 times for England and five times for the British and Irish Lions. Hill spent his 15-year playing career at Saracens. Following his retirement, he took up an academy coaching role at the north London Premiership club before ending his formal association with them last year. Head of International Player Development Joe Lydon said: “We are pleased to welcome Richard to the team whose experience as a world-class player and coach will be invaluable to the RFU. He will play an important role within our player pathway working with our key rugby stakeholders as well as helping to identify talented players and provide advice, support and direction to them.” The role will sit outside Hill’s obligations to the RFU Council, of which he has been a member since 2008. He will start September 1, 2014.

Broadcasters announce European rugby details BT Sport and Sky Sports have announced their line up for live broadcasting of European rugby matches. The European Rugby Champions Cup (the successor to the Heineken Cup) will see BT Sport show at least five matches exclusively live from each of the opening rounds of the tournament, plus two quarter-finals and a semi-final. The Final, which will be shown live on BT Sport, will be shared with Sky Sports. BT Sport’s first picks and additional matches involving clubs from the Aviva Premiership in the Champions Cup will show Saracens, Leicester, Wasps, Harlequins and Bath in the opening weekend. Former Ireland and Leinster centre Brian O’Driscoll joins the BT Sports line up of commentators for the tournament. Grant Best, senior executive channel producer, BT Sport, said: “As well as being the home of the world leading Aviva Premiership, we’re delighted to be adding coverage of Europe’s premier rugby competition to our line-up. We are passionate about rugby at BT Sport and look forward to growing the profile of European

rugby. Last season, in our inaugural season of Aviva Premiership Rugby, TV audiences rose by 40 per cent.” Sky Sports will show 35 live matches from the new European competition, with Sale v Munster opening the coverage on Saturday 18 October. There will be 10 live matches across the first two weekends including reigning European rugby champions Toulon taking on Scarlets. Sky Sports’ European Rugby Challenge Cup coverage begins two days earlier on Thursday 16 October with Gloucester Rugby at home to CA Brive.

Gus Williamson, executive producer of Sky Sports rugby union, said: “Our European schedule offers Sky Sports viewers many of the best players and best teams over the first two Rounds. The matches form part of our biggest ever season, which will for the first time include coverage of Top 14, Guinness PRO12 and Ireland’s Autumn Internationals. Add to our existing schedule of matches from here and abroad and rugby union fans with Sky Sports have never had it so good. We can’t wait.” • For more details on the Aviva Premiership turn page 12.

John Inverdale to host 2014 Club Awards

TV sports presenter John Inverdale will host this year's prestigious Club Awards on 20 November at the Palace Hotel, Manchester. Inverdale hosted the Awards three years ago and has been invited back by popular demand. “I was delighted to host the Club Awards and to meet so many of you there – committed clubs who bear testimony to the professionalism of the club sector,” said Mr Inverdale. “I don't think there can be any doubt that all of those clubs, gathered together under that one roof on that one night, proved yet again that clubs are pivotal to the social fabric of this country. They're at the heart of the community and long may

they remain so.” He praised clubs in their efforts to keep members entertained. “For me, though, it's the engagement with sport that struck a chord,” he said, adding that pulling youngsters away from their electronic social networking and onto the pitch to tackle real people was something he fully supported. “Whatever level they strive to achieve – even if it's just for fun – being part of a team means lifeskills learned and a healthy lifestyle encouraged,” he said. • For details on how to join in the Awards and Celebration Dinner, turn to page 24.

Could you be our 2014 Rugby Club of the Year? Call for entries With entries flooding in to the 2014 Club Awards, rugby clubs are advised to ensure that they complete the Express Entry Form by 22 September. The Club Awards, now in their 22nd year,

take place at a Gala Dinner and ceremony on 20 November at the Palace Hotel, Oxford Street, Manchester. • Turn to page 24 to enter using our Express Entry Form.

Adult Competition Review recommendations approved The RFU Council has approved the recommendations of the Adult Competition Review. The Review will implement changes which aim to ‘take account of player welfare concerns and will help to reduce the financial burden on clubs, while providing meaningful competition’. Bill Beaumont, RFU Chairman, said: “The decision by Council to accept the recommendations of the Adult Competition Review is a major step forward in determining the future of our great game, to deliver accessible and healthy competition for generations to come. “It is vital that the changes work from the bottom up as well as from the top down, and that principle has been fully endorsed by Council. The revised structure is designed to offer clubs a balanced number of home games per season and a mix of league and Cup rugby within a 35-week season. The maximum number of matches played by most clubs at levels 3 and below between September and April will not exceed 30. • Level 3 will remain a national league, reduced in size to 15 teams (from 16 teams) with no Cup competition. • From Level 4 downwards the league pyramid will be flattened, with a view to reducing each team’s travel time and

distance to away matches: • Level 4 – will consist of three leagues of 15 teams with no Cup competition. • Level 5 – will consist of eight leagues of 12 teams with a compulsory National Cup competition. • Level 6 – will consist of 16 leagues of 12 teams with an optional National Cup competition. • Level 7 – composition and operation of league rugby at Level 7 and below will continue to be determined and managed locally, Level 7 with optional National Cup competitions organised by Divisional Organising Committees. John Douglas, Chairman of the Review Steering Group, said: “The aim of the review was to provide competitive rugby that will encourage maximum player and supporter participation and to grow and sustain our clubs, in a world that will continue to change. “More than ever rugby faces competition from other sports and leisure activities, in addition to the demands of travel and cost. Adjusting the league programme will help to reduce the cost to clubs. “Every effort has been made to provide as many opportunities as possible for feedback and comment throughout the review process, and we are most grateful to everyone across the game who has contributed.”

Free trade show and beer festival Join Club Rugby, CAMRA and club colleagues at this year’s Hail the Ale Beer Festival, Manchester. The popular and exclusive annual festival includes old favourites and new brews, and runs alongside our free-to-clubs trade show. • To secure your free places, turn to page 30/31. CLUB RUGBY 7

LEGAL EAGLE

Perspectiveon licensing permissions With the imminent exposure of RFU clubs to the public through the Rugby World Cup in 2015, ensuring your house is in order with respect to licensing issues at the club is extremely important. Perhaps now is the right time to consider the following issues related to you licensing permissions, advises Legal Eagle Nick Walton. What should we do to check our permissions? 1. Compare your current offer and practices with the requirements of the Licensing Act 2003. 2. Contemplate adjustments to your permissions to enable the club to take full advantage of the increased interest in Rugby Union as a consequence of the promotions which will generate footfall at your club in 2015 and beyond as part of the World Cup legacy. If your club sells/supplies alcohol on a regular basis (daily/weekly) when the clubhouse is open, there is a requirement under the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003 to hold either a Club Premises Certificate or a Premises Licence. Why do we need to have either a Club Premises Certificate or Premises Licence? The Licensing Act 2003 requires this in order for your club to sell or supply alcohol and provide regulated entertainment.

membership cannot enjoy the benefits of membership until at least 48 hours after the nomination for membership has been made. •

That you operate in good faith.

What is the difference between a Club Premises Certificate and a Premises Licence? Traditionally, Private Members’ Clubs such as your Rugby Club have been able to supply alcohol for their members and guests by obtaining a Club Premises Certificate. If your club currently operates using a Club Premises Certificate do not allow anyone (including the local constabulary) to persuade you that it would be easier to have a Premises Licence than a Club Premises Certificate in operation. There are restrictions to the supply of alcohol and regulated entertainment when operating under a Club Premises Certificate, but the essential components to fulfil the requirements for eligibility to a Club Premises Certificate are:

•

That the provision and the supply of alcohol are determined by an Alcohol Committee which oversees the purchase of alcohol for the members.

•

To have at least 25 members.

•

That all persons who are nominated for

•

The Police cannot enter uninvited unless in pursuit of a felon or if they hold an honest believe that someone who has committed a crime is on the premises.

And also:

8 CLUB RUGBY

•

A parent of a junior member playing rugby on a Sunday would be able to purchase alcohol as a guest of a member.

Please note: Events organised by the club must be for the membership and (for example) weddings organised on behalf of the general public are not allowed without the issue of a Temporary Event Notice.

•

Supporters of the club when visiting other affiliated clubs may enjoy the benefits of membership at the club visited by way of “affiliate membership” for the period of the visit.

In addition (though as a responsible club you may want to consider implementing some of these):

Both permissions can run side by side and you should not be persuaded to surrender you Club Premises Certificate under any circumstances.

•

There is no requirement to have a Designated Premises Supervisor to oversee the sale of alcohol. No requirement to have SIA registered door staff (and the premises almost exist like a private dwelling).

A helpline 0115 9349177 has been set up by the Rugby Football Union and is available to discuss any issues or concerns you may have relating to the licensing of your premises.

Unmissable games on BT Sport. The home of live Aviva Premiership Rugby

Important Impor tant inf information. ormation. Off Offer er ends 30 3 September 2014. Available Available to licensed premises prem mises (except (except hotels). hotels ). The minimum term of of 12 months runs from from the date of of service service activation. activatio on. No subscription payments payments will be ttaken aken in June 2015 but other additional char charges, ges, lik like e paper billing, will sstill till apply aapply.. Ne New w cus customers tomers only and you you must must not ha have ve been a cus customer tomer in the previous previous 3 months in n order order to qualify qualify for for the offer. offer. Not available available in conjunc conjunction tion with any any other o offer. ffer. Please see terms and conditionss ffor or full det details ails at btsportbusiness.com/terms btspor tbusiness.com/term ms © British TTelecommunications elecommunic ations plc 2014. W We’re e’re rregistered egistered in England at 81 Ne Newgate wgate Street, Street , London London EC1A 7A 7AJ A J (company (company number 1800000). All this inf information/pricing orm mation/pricing w was as corr correct ect at time o off print print,, A August ug gust 2014 and ma mayy change. See our terms and d conditions at bt bt.com/terms .com/terms

LEGAL EAGLE

Pyrrhic victories seldom win wars

“

Want to fill your club with sports-mad members on a Saturday afternoon to watch Premier League football? Then ensure you have an appropriate subscription with the legitimate broadcasters or face the consequences, warns Legal Eagle Nick Walton.

Do you remember the euphoria in the press when a pub landlady beat the big guys in Court when she was prosecuted for showing English Premier matches using a Greek satellite decoder? The decision of the High Court to send the case to the European Court of Justice to determine some very involved points of law made us all believe that there was a potential that the then exclusive rights held by Sky Sports could be challenged. The European Court held that national laws that prohibit the import and sale of – or use of – a decoder box along with a subscription was in breach of community laws allowing member countries the freedom to provide services within the community. The European Court went further in its Judgment by stating that the Premier League could not claim copyright over the Premier League matches; they considered that it could not be an author’s own ‘intellectual creation’ and therefore to be ‘works’ for the purposes of EU Copyright Law. You may also remember that the European Court offered Sky Sports a crumb of comfort by stating that further material – for example, the opening sequence and the various graphics – were copyright protected. This could not therefore be shown without the owner’s permission. A victory then for Mrs Murphy. Or was it? There followed various attempts at prosecution of those pubs and clubs using foreign satellite transmissions to provide Premier League matches. The most significant: Media Protection Services (MPS) were engaged by the Football Association Premier League to investigate and prosecute cases for them. By today’s standards they were extremely effective. They investigated pubs which had shown live Premier League matches contrary to the agreement that the Premier League had with Sky Broadcasting to enable live matches to be shown by Sky Broadcasting exclusively. Mr and Mrs Crawford were at the time Licensees of the Railway Inn and had as a result of investigations by MTS been issued with a summons in respect of the unauthorised screening of Premier League matches via a satellite system. A fundamental issue arose with the prosecution by MTS. It transpired that the gentleman responsible for attending the Magistrates’ Court to obtain the summons for prosecutions had no ‘rights of audience’ before the Magistrates. The gentleman may have described himself as Prosecutions

Director of Media Protection Services Ltd, however it was discovered that he was not a solicitor or a legal executive who could have acted as a private prosecutor and present information to the Magistrates to request a summons be issued. (Solicitors amongst others enjoy ‘rights of audience’ in the Magistrates’ Court. The Prosecutions Director didn’t have the necessary qualification to lay the evidence before the Court). It therefore followed that any summons issued following the laying of the information by the gentleman before the Court must be dismissed. There was also a further flaw which arose in respect of MPS. They claimed on their website that they were the prosecutions body for the Premier League Ltd. MPS had in fact been engaged by the Football Association Premier League (FAPL) and MPS’ claims that they represented Premier League Ltd were incorrect. Premier League Ltd is a totally different company with routes in Scotland and who (not surprisingly) had nothing to do with the proceedings. I have always believed that once in the hole stop digging, as matters only become more complicated. Certainly MPS had (unwittingly I believe) dug the hole and continued to dig. The net result was that the summons issued to Mr and Mrs Crawford (the test case which found its way into the High Court) for showing Premier League matches using an Albanian transmitter was dismissed. A victory for Mr and Mrs Crawford. Or – again – was it? We now have to fast forward to 2014. At the beginning of the New Year, new prosecutions were announced against licensees in South Wales. I do not think South Wales was particularly singled out for special treatment but was identified as a ‘hot spot’ for televised football matches not using the Sky or BT transmitters. The prosecutions were not initiated by Sky Broadcasting or MPS but by the Premier League themselves. As we are all aware, both Sky Sports and BT Sport are the exclusive platform for showing live Premier matches on a Saturday afternoon. I remember thinking at the time of the grant of the licences that the financial figures quoted for the exclusivity were significant. (I think I called them telephone numbers they were so large). Protection of the interests of the two broadcasters would be pivotal, therefore, if there was to be any return on their investment. If enquiries revealed that there were unauthorised transmissions of the Premier League matches, those

responsible were given the opportunity to take out a subscription to screen the matches or cease showing them. In this respect a warning had been issued so no licensee could be in any doubt about their position regarding the screening of the matches. Ignoring the threat of prosecution for using a foreign satellite card amounted to a gross folly on the part of the licensee. The operator of the Rhyddings Hotel in Swansea continued to ignore the requirement to obtain a subscription or cease the televised Premier League matches. Not surprisingly he ended up in the High Court, his defence (claimed the Counsel for the Premier League) had ‘no realistic prospect of success’. He had claimed amongst other things that European law allowed him to use the services of a European company to provide the same services that were exclusively provided by both Sky and BT on a Saturday afternoon. The defendant was ordered to pay £65,000 in legal costs pending the final assessment of what is owed. The Judgment decided there was an infringement to copyright held by the Premier League. The Judgment went to say that ‘only Sky Sports and BT Sport are authorised to show Premier League football in pubs in the UK and legitimate commercial subscriptions for use in pubs [and clubs] can be obtained from them’. I believe this effectively closes the door on foreign satellite use to circumvent the legitimate aspirations of the broadcasters to show the matches exclusively. Pyrrhic victories seldom win wars and at least two of the victories talked about in this article were clearly that. If you wish to fill your club with people on a Saturday afternoon to watch sport on the club’s screens, do ensure that an appropriate subscription with one of the legitimate broadcasters is obtained. It is now only a matter of time until enforcement catches the miscreants. I have also heard in many cases that the detection of the offence is not by the companies employed to investigate the crime but by neighbouring licensees, who have paid legitimately to fund their Saturday afternoon audiences and who get upset when neighbours do not have legitimate subscriptions yet enjoy the same rewards.

”

Further information on this subject can be obtained from Nick Walton on 0115 9538 500 or n.walton@popall.co.uk

CLUB RUGBY 11

AVIVA PREMIERSHIP RUGBY

Fixtures announced With BT Sport reporting a 40% rise in viewing figures during last year’s live coverage of the Aviva Premiership Rugby, clubs around the country are gearing up to join in the excitement of the new season. Here’s why.

he Aviva Premiership Rugby Champions, Northampton Saints, will kick off the new season and the defence of their title at Franklin’s Gardens against Gloucester Rugby. Saints, who defeated Saracens after extra time in the Final last May, will have the honour of playing in the first match of the new Aviva Premiership Rugby Season on Friday 5 September, live on BT Sport. Northampton Saints Director of Rugby Jim Mallinder said: “It will be exciting to start the 2014/15 season under the lights on a Friday night and at home at Franklin’s Gardens. The last time we played at home was the Aviva Premiership Rugby Semi-final, and if we can start next season in the same type of atmosphere as we finished 2013/14 then it will be tremendous. Gloucester have made a lot of changes behind the scenes this summer, and it will be an exciting test.

12 CLUB RUGBY

“We know that as champions we are there to be aimed at and that every team we play will raise their game against us. The three away games at Wasps, Newcastle Falcons and London Irish will be difficult, while Sale and Bath will no doubt be looking to take a step up from last season’s improvements. “I’m fully expecting the Aviva Premiership to be more competitive than ever this season. But as always we will be taking it one game at a time and looking to get a positive result every week.” On the opening weekend around 85,000 fans are expected to descend on Twickenham for the annual London Double Header, live on BT Sport. The London Double Header kicks off at 2pm when last season’s Aviva Premiership Rugby runners-up Saracens entertain Wasps, followed hot on their heels by London Irish hosting Harlequins.

Saracens will also make a return to Wembley on Saturday 28 March when another huge crowd will be expected to watch rugby at the home of English football. Saracens will compete against Harlequins at Wembley who will again host a Christmas match at Twickenham this time against Northampton Saints on 27 December. Saracens Director of Rugby Mark McCall said: “The London Double Header is a fantastic way of starting the new season. It’s a great occasion and a real showpiece event, one that everyone looks forward to. There are some great games in the opening rounds of what should be another exciting season of Aviva Premiership Rugby.” London Welsh, who were promoted from the RFU Championship in May, are at the Kassam Stadium in their first weekend entertaining Exeter on Sunday 7 September, before going on the road to Bath Rugby in round two.

“The London Double Header is a fantastic way of starting the new season. It’s a great occasion and a real showpiece event, one that everyone looks forward to. There are some great games in the opening rounds of what should be another exciting season of Aviva Premiership Rugby.”

The opening weekend of Aviva Premiership Rugby: Friday 5 September • Northampton Saints v Gloucester Rugby (7.45pm). Live on BT Sport Saturday 6 September • Saracens v Wasps (Twickenham, 2pm). Live on BT Sport • Sale Sharks v Bath Rugby (2pm) • Leicester Tigers v Newcastle Falcons (3pm) • London Irish v Harlequins (Twickenham, 4.30pm). Live on BT Sport Sunday 7 September • London Welsh v Exeter Chiefs (2pm). Live on BT Sport

Saracens Director of Rugby Mark McCall London Welsh Head Coach Justin Burnell said: “We’re delighted to be at home for the club’s first game back in Aviva Premiership Rugby. Sunday 7 September at the Kassam Stadium will be a great opportunity to show the people of Oxford what the Premiership is all about and hopefully we can get a good crowd in and get the stadium bouncing. “The reason why we were successful last season was down to our work ethic and our environment. “We don’t claim to be world beaters but what we will produce is a tremendous attitude. If we get beaten on the day by a better team with better players then that’s life, but it certainly won’t be for a lack of trying. “I’ve already been very impressed with the attitude of the new players, and by how quickly they’ve settled in and adapted to the London

Welsh ethos. With our drive and focus, hopefully we can go on to maintain our Aviva Premiership Rugby status.” The live TV viewing figures for the 2013-2014 Aviva Premiership Rugby were deemed a stunning success with the first season on BT Sport showing a 40% rise in viewing figures. Ahead of their second season of exclusive live coverage, Simon Green from BT Sport said: “Aviva Premiership Rugby was a great success for BT Sport last season. Viewing figures were very strong and we have had great feedback on our live coverage and live studio show Rugby Tonight. We look forward to building on this and adding the new European Rugby Champions Cup and European Rugby Challenge Cup to our offering for rugby fans.”

The fixtures for Rounds 1-6 are confirmed. From Round 7 onwards they are subject to television selections.

AVIVA PREMIERSHIP RUGBY FIXTURES 2014 - 2015 Date ROUND 1 5 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 6 Sep 2014 7 Sep 2014

Time

Match

Venue

Date

Time

Match

Venue

19.45 14.00 14.00 15.00 16.30 14.00

Northampton Saints v Gloucester Rugby Sale Sharks v Bath Rugby Saracens v Wasps Leicester Tigers v Newcastle Falcons London Irish v Harlequins London Welsh v Exeter Chiefs

Franklin’s Gardens AJ Bell Stadium Twickenham Stadium Welford Road Twickenham Stadium Kassam Stadium

ROUND 4 26 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 27 Sep 2014 28 Sep 2014 28 Sep 2014

19.45 15.00 15.00 15.15 14.00 14.00

London Welsh v Gloucester Rugby Leicester Tigers v London Irish Saracens v Sale Sharks Northampton Saints v Bath Rugby Exeter Chiefs v Harlequins Wasps v Newcastle Falcons

Kassam Stadium Welford Road Allianz Park Franklin’s Gardens Sandy Park Adams Park

ROUND 2 12 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 13 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014 14 Sep 2014

19.45 15.00 15.00 15.15 14.00 15.00

Harlequins v Saracens Bath Rugby v London Welsh Gloucester Rugby v Sale Sharks Exeter Chiefs v Leicester Tigers Wasps v Northampton Saints Newcastle Falcons v London Irish

Twickenham Stoop The Rec Kingsholm Sandy Park Adams Park Kingston Park

ROUND 5 3 Oct 2014 4 Oct 2014 4 Oct 2014 4 Oct 2014 5 Oct 2014 5 Oct 2014

19.45 15.00 15.00 15.15 14.00 15.00

Bath Rugby v Saracens Harlequins v London Welsh London Irish v Northampton Saints Gloucester Rugby v Leicester Tigers Sale Sharks v Wasps Newcastle Falcons v Exeter Chiefs

The Rec Twickenham Stoop Madejski Stadium Kingsholm AJ Bell Stadium Kingston Park

ROUND 3 19 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 20 Sep 2014 21 Sep 2014

19.45 14.00 15.00 15.00 15.15 14.00

Gloucester Rugby v Exeter Chiefs Sale Sharks v London Welsh Harlequins v Wasps London Irish v Saracens Bath Rugby v Leicester Tigers Newcastle Falcons v Northampton Saints

Kingsholm AJ Bell Stadium Twickenham Stoop Madejski Stadium The Rec Kingston Park

ROUND 6 10 Oct 2014 11 Oct 2014 11 Oct 2014 11 Oct 2014 11 Oct 2014 12 Oct 2014

19.45 14.30 15.00 15.00 15.15 14.00

Leicester Tigers v Harlequins London Welsh v Newcastle Falcons Exeter Chiefs v London Irish Saracens v Gloucester Rugby Northampton Saints v Sale Sharks Wasps v Bath Rugby

Welford Road Kassam Stadium Sandy Park Allianz Park Franklin’s Gardens Adams Park

All Games after Round 6 are subject to be moved within the weekend listed due to broadcast requirements

CLUB RUGBY 13

AVIVA PREMIERSHIP RUGBY

AVIVA PREMIERSHIP RUGBY FIXTURES 2014 - 2015 Date ROUND 7 15 Nov 2014 15 Nov 2014 15 Nov 2014 15 Nov 2014 15 Nov 2014 16 Nov 2014 ROUND 8 21 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 23 Nov 2014 ROUND 9 29 Nov 2014 29 Nov 2014 29 Nov 2014 29 Nov 2014 30 Nov 2014 30 Nov 2014 ROUND 10 20 Dec 2014 20 Dec 2014 20 Dec 2014 20 Dec 2014 20 Dec 2014 21 Dec 2014 ROUND 11 26 Dec 2014 27 Dec 2014 27 Dec 2014 27 Dec 2014 27 Dec 2014 27 Dec 2014 ROUND 12 3 Jan 2015 3 Jan 2015 3 Jan 2015 3 Jan 2015 4 Jan 2015 4 Jan 2015 ROUND 13 10 Jan 2015 10 Jan 2015 10 Jan 2015 10 Jan 2015 11 Jan 2015 11 Jan 2015 ROUND 14 14 Feb 2015 14 Feb 2015 14 Feb 2015 15 Feb 2015 15 Feb 2015 15 Feb 2015

Time

Match

Venue

Date

Time

Match

Venue

14.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.00

Sale Sharks v London Irish Bath Rugby v Newcastle Falcons Gloucester Rugby v Harlequins Leicester Tigers v Saracens Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs Wasps v London Welsh

AJ Bell Stadium The Rec Kingsholm Welford Road Franklin’s Gardens Adams Park

21 Feb 2015 21 Feb 2015 21 Feb 2015 21 Feb 2015

15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00

Bath Rugby v Northampton Saints Gloucester Rugby v London Welsh Harlequins v Exeter Chiefs London Irish v Leicester Tigers

The Rec Kingsholm Twickenham Stoop Madejski Stadium

ROUND 16 28 Feb 2015 28 Feb 2015 28 Feb 2015 28 Feb 2015 28 Feb 2015 1 Mar 2015

14.30 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.00

London Welsh v London Irish Exeter Chiefs v Bath Rugby Leicester Tigers v Sale Sharks Northampton Saints v Harlequins Saracens v Newcastle Falcons Wasps v Gloucester Rugby

Kassam Stadium Sandy Park Welford Road Franklin’s Gardens Allianz Park Adams Park

ROUND 17 7 Mar 2015 7 Mar 2015 7 Mar 2015 7 Mar 2015 8 Mar 2015 8 Mar 2015

15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.00 15.00

Bath Rugby v Sale Sharks Exeter Chiefs v London Welsh Gloucester Rugby v Northampton Saints Harlequins v London Irish Wasps v Saracens Newcastle Falcons v Leicester Tigers

The Rec Sandy Park Kingsholm Twickenham Stoop Adams Park Kingston Park

ROUND 18 28 Mar 2015 28 Mar 2015 28 Mar 2015 28 Mar 2015 28 Mar 2015 29 Mar 2015

14.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.30

Sale Sharks v Gloucester Rugby Leicester Tigers v Exeter Chiefs London Irish v Newcastle Falcons Northampton Saints v Wasps Saracens v Harlequins London Welsh v Bath Rugby

AJ Bell Stadium Welford Road Madejski Stadium Franklin’s Gardens Wembley Stadium Kassam Stadium

ROUND 19 11 Apr 2015 11 Apr 2015 11 Apr 2015 12 Apr 2015 12 Apr 2015 12 Apr 2015

15.00 15.00 15.00 14.30 15.00 15.00

Exeter Chiefs v Northampton Saints Harlequins v Gloucester Rugby Saracens v Leicester Tigers London Welsh v Wasps Newcastle Falcons v Bath Rugby London Irish v Sale Sharks

Sandy Park Twickenham Stoop Allianz Park Kassam Stadium Kingston Park Madejski Stadium

ROUND 20 25 Apr 2015 25 Apr 2015 25 Apr 2015 25 Apr 2015 25 Apr 2015 25 Apr 2015

14.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00

Sale Sharks v Harlequins Bath Rugby v London Irish Gloucester Rugby v Newcastle Falcons Leicester Tigers v London Welsh Northampton Saints v Saracens Wasps v Exeter Chiefs

AJ Bell Stadium The Rec Kingsholm Welford Road stadiummk Twickenham Stadium

ROUND 21 9 May 2015 9 May 2015 9 May 2015 9 May 2015 9 May 2015 10 May 2015

14.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.00

Sale Sharks v Newcastle Falcons Gloucester Rugby v London Irish Harlequins v Bath Rugby Northampton Saints v London Welsh Saracens v Exeter Chiefs Wasps v Leicester Tigers

AJ Bell Stadium Kingsholm Twickenham Stoop Franklin’s Gardens Allianz Park Adams Park

Bath Rugby v Gloucester Rugby Exeter Chiefs v Sale Sharks Leicester Tigers v Northampton Saints London Irish v Wasps London Welsh v Saracens Newcastle Falcons v Harlequins

The Rec Sandy Park Welford Road Madejski Stadium Kassam Stadium Kingston Park

20.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.30 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.30 15.00 14.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.00 15.00 14.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.00 14.30 14.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.00 14.30 15.00

Newcastle Falcons v Gloucester Rugby Exeter Chiefs v Wasps Harlequins v Sale Sharks London Irish v Bath Rugby Saracens v Northampton Saints London Welsh v Leicester Tigers

Bath Rugby v Harlequins Exeter Chiefs v Saracens Leicester Tigers v Wasps London Irish v Gloucester Rugby London Welsh v Northampton Saints Newcastle Falcons v Sale Sharks

Sale Sharks v Exeter Chiefs Gloucester Rugby v Bath Rugby Harlequins v Newcastle Falcons Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers Saracens v London Welsh Wasps v London Irish

London Irish v London Welsh Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers Bath Rugby v Exeter Chiefs Gloucester Rugby v Wasps Harlequins v Northampton Saints Newcastle Falcons v Saracens

Exeter Chiefs v Gloucester Rugby Leicester Tigers v Bath Rugby Northampton Saints v Newcastle Falcons Saracens v London Irish Wasps v Sale Sharks London Welsh v Harlequins

Sale Sharks v Northampton Saints Bath Rugby v Wasps Gloucester Rugby v Saracens Harlequins v Leicester Tigers London Irish v Exeter Chiefs Newcastle Falcons v London Welsh

Exeter Chiefs v Newcastle Falcons Leicester Tigers v Gloucester Rugby Northampton Saints v London Irish Wasps v Harlequins London Welsh v Sale Sharks Saracens v Bath Rugby

ROUND 15 20 Feb 2015 20.00 Newcastle Falcons v Wasps 21 Feb 2015 14.00 Sale Sharks v Saracens

14 CLUB RUGBY

Kingston Park Sandy Park Twickenham Stoop Madejski Stadium Allianz Park Kassam Stadium The Rec Sandy Park Welford Road Madejski Stadium Kassam Stadium Kingston Park AJ Bell Stadium Kingsholm Twickenham Stoop Franklin’s Gardens Allianz Park Adams Park Madejski Stadium AJ Bell Stadium The Rec Kingsholm Twickenham Stadium Kingston Park Sandy Park Welford Road Franklin’s Gardens Allianz Park Adams Park Kassam Stadium AJ Bell Stadium The Rec Kingsholm Twickenham Stoop Madejski Stadium Kingston Park Sandy Park Welford Road Franklin’s Gardens Adams Park Kassam Stadium Allianz Park Kingston Park AJ Bell Stadium

ROUND 22 16 May 2015 16 May 2015 16 May 2015 16 May 2015 16 May 2015 16 May 2015 SEMI-FINAL 22/23/24 May 2015 22/23/24 May 2015

tbc tbc

FINAL 30 May 2015

Twickenham Stadium

Unmissable games on BT Sport. The home of live Aviva Premiership Rugby

AVIVA PREMIERSHIP RUGBY

Aviva Premiership –

the big kick-off

As the new Aviva Premiership Rugby season gets underway this month, Ben Kay, BT Sport rugby pundit, England World Cup winner and six-time Premiership champion with Leicester Tigers, picks out some of the key live televised games in September. Northampton Saints v Gloucester Rugby, Friday 5 September, 7.45pm BT Sport The season gets underway with a big Friday night battle at Franklin’s Gardens as reigning champions Saints host Gloucester. This is the start of a new era for the visitors, the Cherry-and-Whites having undergone a real overhaul both on and off the field during the summer, and it would be a major coup for new Director of Rugby David Humphreys if his team got off to a winning start here against a formidable - and settled - Saints squad. For his part, Saints Director of Rugby Jim Mallinder is unlikely to allow his charges to rest on their laurels after last season’s glory and will be focusing once more on adding to last season’s silverware.

16 CLUB RUGBY

Saracens v Wasps, Saturday 6 September, 2pm BT Sport The first leg of what promises to be another epic London Double Header at Twickenham on the opening weekend of the season. Some 82,000 fans packed into HQ at last year’s event and were rewarded with nine tries over the course of an action-packed day. Saracens’ last appearance here was in the Aviva Premiership Final when they suffered the agony of defeat in the last minute of extra time against Saints. Given that they also finished as runners-up to Toulon in the Heineken Cup final the week before that and essentially finished the season with no tangible reward for their outstanding efforts, Saracens will certainly not be lacking motivation in this showpiece game.

London Irish v Harlequins, Saturday 6 September, 4.30pm BT Sport London Irish’s army of faithful fans will be demanding that the club improves on its disappointing tenth-place finish of last season and Exiles boss Brian Smith certainly seems to have bolstered his squad over the summer with that end in mind, particularly up front with the addition of experienced internationals Luke Narraway, Geoff Cross and Tom Court. And they’ve also made a major backroom signing from Toulon in strength and conditioning coach Steve Walsh who has been a key figure in the French side’s rise to pre-eminence over the last few seasons. Quins made a late charge into the play-offs last season and have also added to their squad this

season, not least England winger Marland Yarde from London Irish. London Welsh v Exeter Chiefs, Sunday 7 September, 2pm BT Sport Having secured promotion back to the top flight at the first time of asking, London Welsh wasted little time in signing virtually a whole new squad of players during the off-season, the men they believe will help them flourish in the rarefied air of the Aviva Premiership. And topping that list is former All Black scrum-half Piri Weepu, a hugely experienced player who just three years ago was helping New Zealand secure the World Cup. The Exiles’ first opponents, the Chiefs, have also drafted in some talent from the Southern Hemisphere in the form of Namibia fullback Chrysander Botha who has been plying his trade with South African Super Rugby outfit the Lions. Harlequins v Saracens, Friday 12 September, 7.45pm BT Sport Just one week into the season and viewers will be treated to this clash featuring two of last season’s ‘top four’, last seen going head-to-head in a rather niggly Premiership semi-final, won in the end by

Saracens 31-17. With the personnel involved this time around largely the same, you can expect another combative display with the two teams’ newly appointed captains Alistair Hargreaves (Saracens) and Joe Marler (Harlequins) leading from the front in typically robust fashion. Of course, both sides have some dazzling talents in their backlines and it will be fascinating to see how rising England star Marland Yarde slots into Quins’ back three. Exeter Chiefs v Leicester Tigers, Saturday 13 September, 3.15pm BT Sport Leicester Tigers will not have enjoyed seeing East Midlands rivals Northampton Saints picking up the Aviva Premiership trophy at last season’s conclusion, especially after coming desperately close to beating the eventual champions at the semifinal stages, and will be set on regaining the title they last held aloft in 2013. Director of Rugby Richard Cockerill has shored up the Tigers squad ensuring plenty of competition in key positions, not least at fly-half where highly rated England international Freddie Burns and Welshman Owen Williams will tussle for the No.10 jersey once the latter serves out the six-week ban handed down to him in May.

Bath Rugby v Leicester Tigers, Saturday 20 September, 3.15pm BT Sport Bath finished in fifth place last season, narrowly missing out on a semi-final spot but qualifying for the European Rugby Champions Cup, and will aim to kick on and perhaps gain some silverware for the first time since 2008. Influential backrower Francois Louw will miss the first month of the season after being called up by South Africa for the Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere but the club has been boosted by the return to fitness of England fly-half George Ford after a close season shoulder operation. Bath’s most high-profile signing, Rugby League superstar Sam Burgess, will not arrive at The Rec from Australia until October when he will begin the process of adapting to his new code. Of course, Burgess is also being talked of as a potential England player too but he will need to prove his union credentials within this talented Bath squad before he makes that step. Ben Kay is a rugby expert for BT Sport which is the exclusive home of Aviva Premiership rugby and will broadcast 69 live games this season.

CLUB RUGBY 17

AVIVA PREMIERSHIP RUGBY

Anexcitingseason? You bet! Club Managers need a broad knowledge-base. So with the start of the Aviva Premiership Rugby, we briefed our resident rugby experts to pull together facts about the teams competing for the title. We also asked Betfred to compile the latest odds for extra impetus. Turns out Saracens are the undisputed bookies’ favourite to win the title (9/4) and, with Northampton Saints hot on their heels at 3/1, the battle at the top will see some spectacular rugby being played out. Expect fierce competition between Bath and Harlequins (7/1 and 8/1 respectively) and Exeter Chiefs, London Wasps and Sale Sharks (all at 40/1). Newcastle Falcons and London Welsh will have their work cut out in the tournament (both at 500/1) while London Irish will be pulling out the stops in a bid to prove that the bookies 150/1 odds are unfounded. Saracens

Northampton Saints

Leicester Tigers

Allianz Park Stadium, Greenlands Lane, Hendon, London NW4 1RL Tel: 0203 675 7200 Fax: 01727 792801

Franklins Gardens, Weedon Road, Northampton NN5 5BG Tel: 01604 751543 Fax: 01604 599110

Welford Road, Aylestone Road Leicester LE2 7TR Tel: 0844 8561880 Fax: 0116 285 4766

Coach: Mark McCall Ground: Allianz Park Capacity: 10,000 Mascot: Sarrie the Camel

ODDS

9/4

Coach: Jim Mallinder Ground: Franklin’s Gardens Capacity: 13,591 Mascot: Bernie the St. Bernard

ODDS

3/1

Coach: Richard Cockerill Ground: Welford Road Capacity: 24,000 Mascot: Leicester

ODDS

10/3

Statistics

Statistics Played . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387 Wins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 Draws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Total Points For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,082 Total Points Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,026 Total Tries For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 871 Total Tries Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 777 Total Conversions For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 613 Total Conversions Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 554 Total Penalty Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,104 Total Penalty Goals Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 961 Total Drop Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Total Drop Goals Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Most Appearances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 (Kris Chesney) Top Points Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,192 (Glen Jackson) Top Try Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 (Richard Haughton) Biggest Win. . . . . . . . 66 - 7 (v Yorkshire Carnegie 2008) Heaviest Defeat . . . . . . . . . . 21 - 66 (v Bath Rugby 2008) 18 CLUB RUGBY

Statistics Played . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 365 Wins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Draws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Total Points For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,380 Total Points Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,215 Total Tries For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 859 Total Tries Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 691 Total Conversions For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 586 Total Conversions Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 479 Total Penalty Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 941 Total Penalty Goals Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 879 Total Drop Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Total Drop Goals Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Most Appearances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 (Ben Cohen) Top Points Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,238 (Paul Grayson) Top Try Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 (Ben Cohen) Biggest Win. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 - 13 (v Wasps 2014) Heaviest Defeat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 - 54 (v Wasps 2000)

Statistics Statistics Played . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396 Wins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269 Draws . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Total Points For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10,410 Total Points Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,168 Total Tries For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,098 Total Tries Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 593 Total Conversions For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 771 Total Conversions Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399 Total Penalty Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,084 Total Penalty Goals Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,073 Total Drop Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Total Drop Goals Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Most Appearances . . . . . . . . . . . 205 (Geordan Murphy) Top Points Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,180 (Tim Stimpson) Top Try Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 (Neil Back) Biggest Win . . . . . . 83 - 10 (v Newcastle Falcons 2005) Heaviest Defeat . . . . . . . . . . . 10 - 49 (v Saracens 2013)

Bath Rugby

Harlequins

Farleigh House, Farleigh Hungerford, Bath BA2 4BQ Tel: 01225 325200 Fax: 01225 325201

Langhorn Drive, Twickenham, Middlesex TW2 7SX Tel: 0208 410 6000 Fax: 0208 410 6001

Coach: Gary Gold Ground: Recreation Ground Capacity: 12,200 Mascot: None

ODDS

7/1

Coach: John Kingston Ground: Twickenham Stoop Capacity: 14,800 Mascot: Harley and Charley Bear

ODDS

8/1

Statistics Played . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382 Wins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 Draws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 Total Points For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,409 Total Points Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,426 Total Tries For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 827 Total Tries Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 702 Total Conversions For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 571 Total Conversions Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 458 Total Penalty Goals For. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,001 Total Penalty Goals Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 940 Total Drop Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Total Drop Goals Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Most Appearances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 (David Barnes) Top Points Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,463 (Olly Barkley) Top Try Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 (Matt Banahan) Biggest Win . . . . . . . . . 76 - 13 (v London Scottish 1999) Heaviest Defeat . . . . . 12 - 68 (v Gloucester Rugby 2002)

Statistics Played . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361 Wins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Draws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177 Total Points For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,915 Total Points Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,965 Total Tries For. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 792 Total Tries Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 795 Total Conversions For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 578 Total Conversions Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576 Total Penalty Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 884 Total Penalty Goals Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 916 Total Drop Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Total Drop Goals Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Most Appearances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 (Mike Brown) Top Points Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,226 (Nick Evans) Top Try Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 (Mike Brown) Biggest Win . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 - 0 (v Sale Sharks 2007) Heaviest Defeat . . . . . . . . . . 19 - 77 (v Bath Rugby 2000)

Gloucester Rugby

Exeter Chiefs

Kingsholm, Kingsholm Road Gloucester GL1 3AX Tel: 0871 8718781 Fax: 01452 383321

Sandy Park Stadium, Sandy Park Way Exeter EX2 7NN Tel: 01392 890890 Fax: 01392 890888

Coach: Nigel Davies Ground: Kingsholm Capacity: 16,500 Mascot: N/A

ODDS

16/1

Statistics Played . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383 Wins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Draws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Total Points For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,887 Total Points Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,147 Total Tries For. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 896 Total Tries Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 790 Total Conversions For. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 603 Total Conversions Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555 Total Penalty Goals For. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,016 Total Penalty Goals Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 988 Total Drop Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Total Drop Goals Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Most Appearances . . . . . . . 184 (James Simpson-Daniel) Top Points Scorer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 855 (Ludovic Mercier) Top Try Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 (James Simpson-Daniel) Biggest Win . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 - 12 (v Bath Rugby 2002) Heaviest Defeat . . . . . . . . . . . 3 - 47 (v Bath Rugby 1998)

Coach: Rob Baxter Ground: Sandy Park Capacity: 10,744 Mascot: Big Chief

ODDS

40/1

Statistics Played. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Wins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Draws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Total Points For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,832 Total Points Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,807 Total Tries For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Total Tries Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 Total Conversions For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Total Conversions Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Total Penalty Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 Total Penalty Goals Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219 Total Drop Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Total Drop Goals Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Most Appearances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 (Haydn Thomas) Top Points Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 647 (Gareth Steenson) Top Try Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 (Matt Jess) Biggest Win . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 - 6 (v Sale Sharks 2012) Heaviest Defeat . . . . . . . . . . 12 - 55 (v Sale Sharks 2014)

London Wasps Twyford Avenue Sports Ground Twyford Avenue, Acton, London W3 9QA Tel: 020 89938298 Fax: 020 89932621 Coach: Dai Young Ground: Adams Park Capacity: 10,516 Mascot: Sting

ODDS

40/1

Statistics Played . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387 Wins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Draws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Total Points For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,189 Total Points Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,154 Total Tries For. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 920 Total Tries Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 756 Total Conversions For. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 652 Total Conversions Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531 Total Penalty Goals For. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,030 Total Penalty Goals Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,047 Total Drop Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Total Drop Goals Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Most Appearances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237 (Simon Shaw) Top Points Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,000 (Alex King) Top Try Scorer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 (Josh Lewsey) Biggest Win. . . . . . . . . . 71 - 14 (v West Hartlepool 1998) Heaviest Defeat . . . 13 - 74 (v Northampton Saints 2014)

> CLUB RUGBY 19

AVIVA PREMIERSHIP RUGBY

Sale Sharks

London Irish

Newcastle Falcons

Sale Sharks High Performance Centre, Carrington Lane, Carrington M31 4AE Tel: 0161 286 8888 Fax: 0161 286 8900

The Avenue, Sunbury on Thames Middlesex TW16 5EQ Tel: 0844 249 1871 Fax: 1932784462

Kingston Park, Brunton Road, Kenton Bank Foot, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE13 8AF Tel: 0191 214 5588 Fax: 0191 2715213

Coach: Bryan Redpath Ground: AJ Bell Stadium Capacity: 12,000 Mascot: Sharky

ODDS

40/1

Statistics Played . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381 Wins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Draws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Total Points For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,350 Total Points Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,894 Total Tries For. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 842 Total Tries Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 887 Total Conversions For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 585 Total Conversions Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 620 Total Penalty Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 918 Total Penalty Goals Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,021 Total Drop Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Total Drop Goals Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Most Appearances. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 (Mark Cueto) Top Points Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,870 (Charlie Hodgson) Top Try Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 (Mark Cueto) Biggest Win. . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 - 0 (v Bristol Rugby 1997) Heaviest Defeat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 - 58 (v Wasps 2000)

Coach: Brian Smith Ground: Madejski Stadium Capacity: 24,105 Mascot: Digger the Wolfhound

ODDS

150/1

Statistics Played . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381 Wins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 Draws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 Total Points For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,330 Total Points Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,432 Total Tries For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 771 Total Tries Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 827 Total Conversions For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511 Total Conversions Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 572 Total Penalty Goals For. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,090 Total Penalty Goals Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,002 Total Drop Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Total Drop Goals Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Most Appearances . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 (Declan Danaher) Top Points Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,234 (Barry Everitt) Top Try Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 (Topsy Ojo) Biggest Win. . . . . . . . 56 - 7 (v Yorkshire Carnegie 2009) Heaviest Defeat . . . . . . . . . . 16 - 64 (v Bath Rugby 2000)

Coach: Dean Richards Ground: Kingston Park Capacity: 10,200 Mascot: Flash the Falcon

ODDS

500/1

Statistics Played . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356 Wins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 Draws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 Total Points For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,002 Total Points Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,364 Total Tries For. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 688 Total Tries Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 874 Total Conversions For. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 482 Total Conversions Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569 Total Penalty Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 812 Total Penalty Goals Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 903 Total Drop Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Total Drop Goals Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Most Appearances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 (Tom May) Top Points Scorer . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,489 (Jonny Wilkinson) Top Try Scorer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 (Tom May) Biggest Win. . . . . . . . 56 - 10 (v Rotherham Titans 2003) Heaviest Defeat . . . . . . 10 - 83 (v Leicester Tigers 2005)

London Welsh Old Deer Park, Kew Road Richmond TW9 2AZ Tel: 020 8940 2368 Fax: 020 8940 1106 Coach: Justin Burnell Ground: Kassam Stadium Capacity: 12,500 Mascot: Dewi the Dragon

ODDS

500/1

Statistics Played. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Wins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Draws. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 Losses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Total Points For. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 412 Total Points Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 619 Total Tries For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Total Tries Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Total Conversions For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Total Conversions Against . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Total Penalty Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Total Penalty Goals Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Total Drop Goals For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Total Drop Goals Against. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Most Appearances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 (Tom Bristow) Top Points Scorer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 (Gordon Ross) Top Try Scorer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 (Nick Scott) Biggest Win. . . . . . . 33 - 22 (v Worcester Warriors 2013) Heaviest Defeat. . . . . . . . . . . . 3 - 40 (v Harlequins 2012) 20 CLUB RUGBY

Aon Risk Solutions

With cover from as little as £795* for your clubs insurance why not speak to one of us today

Insurance for clubs Speak to one of our Client Managers today 0845 869 0515 or visit insurance.aon.co.uk/business/insurance/hospitality-trade

*Price illustration is based on cover being provided for the following: Employee Liability at £10 million, Public Liability at £2 million, Business Interruption at £125,000 for an indemnity period of 12 months, Loss of licence at £100,000, Book Debts at £25,000, Contents at £14,500, Theft by employees at £5,000, Portable property at £5,000, Computers at £3,000, Money up to £3,000, Stock covered at £3,000, Goods in transit at £3,000, Wines/Spirits/tobacco/cigarettes at £2,000 and Contents of the gaming machines at £1,000. The indication provided is also based on the building being of standard construction, in an area that isn’t subject to referral due to ﬂood or subsidence and is subject to previous claims history and includes Insurance Premium Tax and all fees. Aon UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. | Aon UK Limited Registered Office, 8 Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4PL | Registered No. 210725 FP.ENT.246.CS

LIVE SPORTING FIXTURES FROM

TCH NE TO WA

Saturday September 13, 12.45pm – BT Sport

Football: Barclays Premier League – Arsenal v Manchester City

THE BEST OF Sports4Bars.com picks out some of the month’s key sporting highlights, including the Ryder Cup, Barclays Premier League and England’s Euro 2016 Qualifer against Switzerland. US Open Tennis: Sky Sports 3 Monday, September 8

A repeat of the FA Community Shield clash last month as Arsenal take on the reigning Barclays Premier League champions at The Emirates. Can the Gunners’ new signings propel them into contention for the title?

NDS

RECOMME

Sunday September 21, 4pm – Sky Sports 1 HD

Football: Barclays Premier League – Manchester City v Chelsea The two richest clubs in the Barclays Premier League go head to head at the Etihad Stadium in a match which is certain to have a direct bearing on the ultimate destination of the trophy.

Monday September 8, 7.45pm ITV1

Saturday September 13, 5.30pm Sky Sports 1 HD

International Football: Euro 2016 Qualifier: Switzerland v England

Football: Barclays Premier League – Liverpool v Aston Villa

After crashing out of the World Cup in abject style, Roy Hodgson’s England side get straight back into competitive action with this qualifying match for the Euro 2016 Championships against Switzerland at St Jakob Park in Basel.

Liverpool came desperately close to claiming the title last season but were ultimately undone by their defensive frailities in the earlier rounds, something they will be focusing their efforts on this time around.

Monday September 8, 9pm Sky Sports 3 HD Tennis: US Open

ATCH

ONE TO W

Thursday September 25, 3pm – Sky Sports Ryder Cup

Golf: The Ryder Cup The biennial competition between Europe and the USA gets underway at Gleneagles, Scotland. Ireland’s Paul McGinley will be masterminding the European campaign as team captain and will have some of the golfing world’s most illustrious players alongside him in European colours.

22 CLUB RUGBY

Live coverage of the men’s final from Flushing Meadows, New York. Spain’s Rafael Nadal was the winner here in 2013 while Andy Murray was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland.

Thursday September 11, 8pm Sky Sports 1 HD Super League: Wigan Warriors v Warrington Wolves Top Rugby League action as two genuine contenders for the title go head to head. Wigan will be keeping a close defensive eye on Joel Monaghan who has been in superlative tryscoring form for the Wolves throughout the season, building up an impressive personal tally.

Sunday September 14, 4pm Sky Sports 1 HD Football: Barclays Premier League Manchester United v QPR QPR manager Harry Redknapp is a master in spotting outstanding individual talents and moulding them into a team and will hope that his judicious close-season signings will give QPR a competitive edge in the top flight.

Monday September 15, 8pm Sky Sports 1 HD Football: Barclays Premier League - Hull v West Ham Hull may have only just escaped relegation by four points last year but their fans had plenty to cheer about with some good performances and an appearance in the FA Cup final showing their promise.

SEPTEMBER’S LIVE SPORT sides last year, you can expect plenty of action around the goals. In November, at Goodison Park, honours were even at 3-all. However, the return fixture saw Liverpool winning 4-0 in front of a packed Anfield.

Saturday September 27, 5.30pm Sky Sport 1 HD Football: Barclays Premier League Arsenal v Tottenham The second Barclays Premier League derby of the day as these bitter North London rivals battle it out at The Emirates Stadium. Tottenham will be out for revenge after suffering twin 10 defeats last term.

Monday September 29, 7.45pm BT Sport Football: SPFL - Rangers v Hibernian This is a massive game for both sides as they attempt to plot a return to the Scottish Premiership from the second-tier. With Hearts also in the Championship this season and only two sides going up, it is likely to be a keenly fought battle all the way through to the season’s conclusion.

Monday September 29, 10am Sky Sport Ryder Cup

Switzerland v England: ITV1 Monday, September 8

Golf: Ryder Cup - Day 4

Saturday September 20, 12.45pm BT Sport Football: Barclays Premier League - QPR v Stoke City The early indicators are that Stoke City have a decent attacking edge witness their strong display up front against Schalke 04 on their preseason tour to Germany – and will be looking to improve on their ninth-place finish in 2013/14.

Saturday September 20, 5.30pm Sky Sports 1 HD Football: Barclays Premier League - West Ham v Liverpool West Ham manager Sam Allardyce worked hard over the summer bringing in new talent with the result that the Hammers look to have good strength in depth throughout their squad, not least in the midfield, and

will be confident of top-flight survival.

Sunday September 21, 1.30pm Sky Sports 1 HD Football: Barclays Premier League Leicester City v Manchester United Having already tested themselves against Chelsea and Arsenal this season, new boys Leicester City take on Manchester United in what wil be a good litmus test of their Barclays Premier League credentials under manager Nigel Pearson.

Saturday September 27, 12.45pm BT Sport Football: Barclays Premier League Liverpool v Everton If this derby is anything like the two league games featuring these proud

The final day of the Ryder Cup is invariably a thrilling experience as the 12 head-to-head singles matches play out over the fairways. In 2012, and on the brink of defeat on Day 4, Europe produced a stunning comeback with Martin Kaymer sinking a five-foot putt on the 18th green to get his team to the 14 points needed to retain the trophy.

Monday September 29, 8pm Sky Sport 1 HD Football: Barclays Premier League - Stoke City v Newcastle United The Magpies started brightly in the Barclays Premier League last term but saw their hopes of securing a Champions League spot fading in a disappointing second half of the season. Manager Alan Pardew will be desperate to achieve consistency throughout the season this time around.

ALSO COMING UP... Wednesday September 3, 8pm ITV1 International Football: England v Norway

Wednesday September 3, 8pm BT Sport International Football: Germany v Argentina

Saturday September 6, 8.35am Sky Sports 3 HD Rugby Union: New Zealand v Argentina

Saturday September 6, 11.05am Sky Sports 3 HD Rugby Union: Australia v South Africa

Sunday September 7, 5pm Sky Sports 3 HD International Football: Hungary v Northern Ireland

Sunday September 7, 5pm Sky Sports 5 HD International Football: Georgia v Republic of Ireland

Sunday September 7, 7.45pm Sky Sports 5 HD International Football: Germany v Scotland

Tuesday September 9, 7.45pm Sky Sports 5 HD International Football: Andorra v Wales

Wednesday September 10, 7.45pm BT Sport Football: Dover Athletic v Barnet

Monday September 22, 8pm BT Sport Football: Chester v Wrexham

Sunday September 28, 4pm Sky Sports 1 HD Football: West Bromwich v Burnley

www.Sports4Bars.com < CLUB RUGBY 23

CLUB AWARDS 2014

Your industry

needs you

The Club Awards are back. And we want you to enter. The Club Awards recognise the commitment of clubs, committees and individuals who work to ensure a healthy future for their clubs.

If you agreed with three or more of these statements then you could be a finalist and the Club Mirror team wants to hear from you.

IT COULD BE YOU Do you think you could be a finalist? Do you have what it takes to beat the best and stand out from the rest?

WHY ENTER? Clubs who make it through to the finals use their success to:

Does your club have/do THREE OR MORE of the following? • A turnover of £100,000 or more? • Provide regular entertainment? • Provide a good range of beers and spirits? • Have a popular food menu? • Have a thriving junior section? • Encourage new members? • Keep up-to-date with the latest drinks on the market? • Have a sports team(s)? • Play an important role at the heart of the community?

• • • • •

Raise the club’s profile Gain coverage in the local press and media Encourage new members Thank members for their support Demonstrate that the club is spending members’ money wisely

Finalists will enjoy: • Two free tickets to the Gala Dinner and Awards ceremony (20 November, Manchester) • Three-course Gala Dinner • Entertainment from a celebrity host • Dancing • Certificate for all finalists • Award for category winners • Inclusion in the Club Mirror Hall of Fame • Coverage in Club Mirror magazine

So what are you waiting for? Fill in the form opposite, email us, fax us or enter online at www.clubmirror.com We look forward to your entry!

DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 22, 2014 – Tel: 01753 272022 To enter online visit www.clubmirror.com 24 CLUB RUGBY

ENTRY FORM:

CLUB AWARDS 2014

IS THIS YOU? Are you proud of your teamwork?

Please enter my rugby club for the 2014 Club Awards. Name: _______________________________

Are you encouraging new players?

Job title: ______________________________ Club Name: ____________________________

Are you proud of your kitchens?

Address: ______________________________ __________________________________

Are you proud of your clubhouse?

__________________ Post code: __________ Contact tel nos: __________________________

Are you proud of your catering?

Email address: __________________________

Please send this entry form and any supporting documentation (e.g: details of the club, any photos, local press coverage, testimonials, flyers, menus) to Club Mirror magazine. BY EMAIL: info@clubmirror.com BY FAX: 01753 272021 BY POST: Club Awards 2014, ACP, Gainsborough House, 59/60 Thames Street, Windsor, Berks SL4 1TX t. 01753 272022

Are you proud of your management?

If you can answer yes to these questions, then we want to hear from you.

DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 22, 2014 – Tel: 01753 272022 To enter online visit www.clubmirror.com

< CLUB RUGBY 25

SOFT DRINKS

Makesomenoisefor

SOFT DRINKS

It’s clear that the soft drinks category is an incredibly important one to sports clubs all over the UK, for players and social members alike, as the 2014 Britvic Soft Drinks Review demonstrates.

till shaped by the aftermath of the recession, the economic climate remained an underlying factor in 2013, influencing consumer behaviour and overall purchasing decisions. As a result consumers remained focused on spend, seeking value-for-money propositions and continuing to be cautious with their cash. In terms of food and drink, there were two clear sides to the story. Whilst the majority of consumers remained cash conscious and careful

26 CLUB RUGBY

with their spending, brands remained important and there was a new willingness to spend on higher price point items, giving rise to the trend for premiumisation. Whilst consumers continued to view going out as a treat and demanded value from their visits to leisure outlets, they were also more willing to purchase brands which guaranteed a quality proposition for these occasions. As a result leisure outlets sought to offer new

niche brands, a range of flavours and sophisticated service to set their venues apart and cater for the treat spend. Soft drinks – a £10 billion market Soft drinks once again proved itself to be one of the most resilient categories. This was largely thanks to new product development in accordance with emerging consumer trends and one of the best summers the nation has experienced in

Britvic Soft Drinks Review

Total Pubs and Clubs Suppliers

The Britvic Soft Drinks Review provides an indepth look at how the UK soft drinks market performed in the previous year. The 2013 review used CGA Strategy data to represent licensed on trade premises and data and insights from Mintel, IGD and Allegra were also used.

£ % % Value millions share change Britvic 1,253.1 44.0 -3.0 CCE 1,077.5 38.0 5.2 Other 519.1 18.0 -5.3 Total soft drinks 2,849.7 100.0 -0.5 Source: CGA Stategy Data we 28th December 2013 ___________________________________

decades, all underpinned by promotions offering significant value to the consumer. Soft drinks fared considerably better than other categories, with value sales climbing by a steady 2% to reach £10.3bn. As an additional result of the nation basking in the heat wave, soft drinks also had the highest volume increase of all FMCG categories with sales rising by 10%. Trends The nation continued to experiment with flavours and tastes. Like other categories, soft drinks benefitted from this trend, recruiting new consumers with an explosion of new flavoured varieties. Leisure Soft drinks once again bucked the decline seen in the early years of the recession. However, even with the sunshine of summer the category remained static. With value sales reaching more than £2.8bn, the category remained integral to pubs, clubs and restaurants, retaining its position as the third largest category after beer and spirits. Volume sales did, however, dip slightly in 2013. Food-led outlets also dominated the total market, with sales growing by 4% value and reaching more than £2bn and supporting the casual dining trend.

The Soft Drinks Market Value Pubs and clubs

£ millions 2,863.1

% share 100.0

% change -0.5

litres % % Volume millions share change Pubs and clubs 5,182,960.0 100.0 1.8 Source: CGA Stategy Data we 28th December 2013 ____________________________________

The Pubs and Clubs Soft Drinks Market in Context £ Value millions Soft drinks 2,863.1 Beer 11,101.7 Cider 1,520.1 Spirits 4,023.0 Wine & Champagne 2,369.7 Source: CGA Stategy Data we 28th December 2013

% change -0.5 -1.8 3.1 5.8 -11.4

litres % Volume millions share Britvic 226.6 45.0 CCE 187.4 37.0 Other 95.1 19.0 Total soft drinks 509.1 100.0 Source: CGA Stategy Data we 28th December 2013

% change -2.6 1.3 -5.5 -1.8

Suppliers Despite strong value and volume growth from Coca-Cola Enterprises, Britvic remained the number one supplier, with value sales of more than £1.3bn compared to £1.1bn for Coca-Cola Enterprises.

gave lift to mixers, which grew by 2% in value with sales totalling more than £200m. Draught grew by 7% value and 6% volume. Energy Value sales of energy drinks remained flat in 2013. Volume, however, increased by 2%. The segment was driven by packaged variants, which experienced a 2% increase in value sales. Red Bull continued to dominate the market with more than half of the segment share. Juice Drinks Juice drinks remained static in terms of value and experienced a minor drop in volume sales. Diet options saw strong growth with sales rising by 14% in value. Flavoured Carbonates Sales of flavoured carbonates were once again affected by the trend for premium brands and healthier drink options. With many viewing flavoured carbonates as high in sugar and favouring the versatility of lemonade as a mixer, the segment dropped 2% in value and dipped by nearly 7% in volume. Draught saw the greatest decline with value sales falling by over 25%.

SUB-CATEGORIES AND BRANDS Cola Cola again took the top spot in terms of share, rising by 1% in value to more than £1.2bn and accounting for nearly half of all soft drinks sales in the leisure channel. Highlighting the demand for quality as well as value-for-money amongst consumers, packaged colas out-performed draught variants, growing ahead of the category at 3% value. The Pepsi trademark remained the jewel in the cola crown, worth over £406m and retaining its number one position. Lemonade Reversing the static figures seen in 2012, the year saw lemonade grow by 4% in value to be worth over £416m. Regular variants delivered the majority of growth, rising by 4% value and 2% volume, whilst diet variants remained unchanged in value and declined marginally in volume. Mixers The growth experienced in the spirits category

Fruit Juice Despite remaining the third largest segment, worth over £230m, fruit juice also declined in the leisure sector. Frobishers emerged as a brand to watch as it successfully tapped into the premiumisation trend to grow value and volume sales. Squash Squash sales continued to decline, with value sales dropping by 7%. Totalling over £180m, the segment was overtaken by other emerging segments and fell to seventh position. , Water Water remained the smallest sub-category as consumers continued to view visits to pubs and clubs as a treat, favouring brands and soft drinks that reflect this. The segment continued to feel the effects of the 2010 legislation which made provision of tap water mandatory for licensees, and despite the demand for healthier products, value and volume sales dropped by 3%.

Food-led outlets dominated the total soft drinks market with a sales growth of 4% in terms of value.

Late night venues saw slight decline, whilst wet led venues remained static in terms of both value and volume. Draught sales accounted for more than half of soft drink sales in the channel, with value sales of more than £1.7bn. Carbonates remained the most popular type of soft drink, with a 77% share and increased their value sales by 2% to more than £2.2bn.

< CLUB RUGBY 27

CASK ALE WEEK

Celebrating Britain’s national drink Looking for a point of difference? With September welcoming in the 2014 National Cask Ale Week, maybe now’s the time to get planning that beer festival? Here’s how...

eer festivals are pushing their way into club calendars as the growing interest in cask ale comes to a head. Like any event, though, a profit generating idea can soon turn into a costly exercise without organisation and planning. Considerations include: • Date – make the most of the summer and your beer garden. • How long should the beer festival last? • How large is the event – how many beers, how many people are expected? • Who is your target market? • What equipment do you need for dispense and cooling? • Do you need to provide any catering? • Any entertainment? • What are your staff requirements? • Have you set up an action plan with deadlines? • Have you budgeted for sales and costs? Beers – the range Deciding how many beers to put on sale is crucial given that any unsold beers will be costly. For example, eight beers mean you have to sell 576 pints. At two pints per person, that means you need to cater for over 200 people over the duration of the festival. Can you accommodate them? And can you get them there? Promoting the event Enlist the support of members in promoting the festival to guests. Inform your local paper and CAMRA branch of the activity. This will encourage local interest (also a useful tool if you’re recruiting for new members). Where possible, sell tickets in advance. If an entry fee isn’t appropriate (or possible, due to club rules) look at a discounted redemption price per pint. Ask members which beers they would like to be included.

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TOP TIPS 1. Check legal requirements. Are you covered for the event? 2. Decide on the date Try to tie in with other suitable dates e.g. bank holidays, The Ashes Series, Rugby Six Nations, local carnivals or national holidays. Check it doesn’t clash with other events in the local area. 3. Inside or out? If it’s inside how will this impact on your existing trade? If outside are you prepared for rain? Consider... electrical supplies, lighting, tents, noise, and security, 4. Be prepared. Book your equipment in plenty of time and plan in your staffing needs.

Get suppliers to help Your suppliers can be an important part of your success. Having your beers stillaged correctly is vital, and most importantly in the summer, serving the beers cool at between 11º C and 13ºC (i.e. cellar temperature) is a must. Talk to the brewers Invite local brewers to host ‘slots’ where they can present their own beers, explain their provenance and do tutored tastings. Briefing the staff On the day, ensure staff are well briefed with the information on all the beers and run a beer competition to involve members. Although you are focusing on beer, ensure there’s plenty of food available; beer creates a good appetite and another opportunity to sell. Post event - review and assess After the event, have a review meeting. Canvas the opinion of your members. You can bet they’ll offer their honest opinions!

5. Choose your beers. Ask members for their favourites and try to get as wide a range as possible. Ensure your beer is well looked after and served in peak condition. This will increase sales and ultimately increase profits. Invite members to vote on the beer of the festival. 6. Food and entertainment. Keep it simple or go the full hog (roast) – either way this adds to profit and adds to the event. Add in a local band, a DJ or maybe a mini music festival. 7. Involve everyone – not just ale fans. Cater for all tastes; soft drinks and snacks for the kids, wine and lager for non-beer lovers. 8. Offer free taster sessions. Non-beer drinkers will try and then hopefully buy. Have tasting notes; ask people to add their own. 9. Advertise your event. Get hold of the local paper and radio; this is a newsworthy event. Posters, word of mouth, web site announcements, any way you can think of – get the whole community involved and create a real buzz. 10. Enjoy the event. This is a great chance to increase sales and show off to the neighbourhood. Get it right and you will be the toast of the town. Next year could be bigger and even better.

< CLUB RUGBY 29

BEER FESTIVAL

Hail the ale beer festival

FREE TO CLUBS!

Club Rugby invites you and your club colleagues to meet friends, old and new, network with peers and sample traditional ales, all stored and served to perfection with the help of CAMRA.

oing anything on November 20? Then keep it free and join us at Club Rugby’s Hail the Ale Beer Festival at the Palace Hotel in Manchester. “This is our 6th Beer Festival in Manchester,” says Club Rugby’s Sean Ferris. “We’re inviting readers to come along and sample this year’s real ales, and to discuss storage and service with brewers and with the experts from CAMRA.” Last year saw clubs sampling over 20 ales, from old favourites to new brews. So to find out what’s at this year’s festival, come and join us. Print out and fill in the form on the opposite page or email us on: info@clubmirror.com.

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WHEN: Thursday, November 20, 2014 2-5pm

WHERE: Copper Face Jacks (within the Palace Hotel, Oxford Street, Manchester, M60 7HA)

Welcome to the CLUB RUGBY BEER FESTIVAL

REGISTRATION AND BOOKING FORM Name: ______________________________

BEER FESTIVAL 2014 (FREE TO CLUBS) • I would like to attend the Hail the Ale Beer festival

Club Name and Address: _____________________ __________________________________

• I will attend on my own ■ • I would like to bring colleagues Up to 3 ____

__________________________________ Contact Telephone Number: ___________________ Email: ______________________________

■

3 - 5 ____ Other (please state) ____

SEND COMPLETED FORM TO CLUB MIRROR: BY FAX: 01753 272021 BY POST: Beer Festival 2014, Club Mirror, Gainsborough House, 59-60 Thames Street, Windsor SL4 1TX BY EMAIL: info@clubmirror.com CALL: 01753 272022 < CLUB RUGBY 31

VOLUNTEERS

Find them, catch them, keep them In 2010, a highly organised campaign unfolded that recruited the largest peacetime deployment of people in UK history. This was the London 2012 Games Makers. But come 2014, how has this enthusiasm translated into volunteering at club level? TOP TIPS The following advice should help on drafting in new volunteers.

Find them • Look around your club at the people you currently have helping out and identify any skills gaps • Brainstorm why you want to involve volunteers within the club and what you want them to actually do • Think realistically about what an individual volunteer or group of volunteers could achieve

Catch them The average club in the UK relies on 24 volunteers to function, nine of whom are qualified coaches. This compares to only two paid members of staff. (Souce: Sport and Recreation Alliance 2013 survey.)

ore than 240,000 people offered their services to volunteer at London 2012, with 70,000 finally chosen to take part. Two thousand of those selected were aged 16-18. Dubbed the Games Makers, these volunteers gave up around eight million hours of their time over the Games period – all unpaid. Despite this enthusiasm, however, just a small proportion of this army of volunteers have been inspired to give up their time to sport on a more regular basis; only 8% of clubs have capitalised on volunteers post the Games, according to the Sport and Recreation Alliance’s biennial survey. Everyday ‘normal’ sports club volunteering requires long-term commitment from people. And this is where the challenge lies. According to the 2013 survey by the UK’s Sport and Recreation Alliance, the average club in the UK relies on 24 volunteers to function, nine of whom are qualified coaches – that’s a lot of volunteers to find (and keep). The good news is that there has been a 20% increase in the amount of volunteers at sports clubs since 2011, reversing a downward trend that had been taking place since at least 2007 when the surveys first began. That’s 600,000 more volunteers that have been steadily joining UK sports clubs since

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• Don’t be shy – make sure you get posters and flyers out around your area. Get information included in relevant local newsletters or papers and talk to people • Supply details on how prospective volunteers can apply and put in place a robust system to deal with applications • An interview process is essential to find out what the potential volunteer might bring to the role, and whether they have the commitment to succeed at your club

Keep them

2011 – a really encouraging figure. What’s coming out loud and clear from this survey is that the volunteer increases are largely down to years of hard work from sports clubs (before the Olympic bid was even confirmed). This includes making their clubs more open to the community, more social and friendly, as well as organising one-off fairs and ‘join in’ days, where they get people hooked and signed up on the spot. Follow the top tips on this page for hints on how to find them, catch them and keep them!

• As volunteers aren’t paid, it’s even more important that clubs consider personal development and other suitable rewards • At the induction stage, take the time to respond to any questions the volunteer may have and right from the start volunteers will feel valued as a result • Another process that clubs can put in place to help keep volunteers at clubs is an appraisal system

CONTACT DETAILS Sport and Recreation Alliance Burwood House, 14 Caxton Street, London SW1H 0Q t. +44 (0)207 9763900 www.sportandrecreation.org.uk

SPOTLIGHT ON – TORO

Toro celebrates 100 years On July 10, 1914, the Toro Motor Company was born. This is its story...

he Toro Motor Company was founded to supply engines for The Bull Tractor Company, marketers of the most popular brand of farm tractors in the United States. Toro engines were soon powering Bull Tractors on farms across the United States and Europe. Although Bull would soon fade from the scene, Toro flourished by continually reinventing itself to capitalise on new opportunities. “Toro continues to lead by focusing on creating high performance, environmentally friendly solutions to help our customers around the world preserve the beauty, productivity and sustainability of the land,” says Corporate Accounts Manager Andrew Brown. In 1919, Toro helped launch an important new industry with the development of The Toro®

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Standard Golf Machine; the first tractor built specifically for mowing large areas of grass to replace horse-drawn golf course mowers. The May 8, 1943 issue of The Commercial West, states, it ‘was the start of a new mechanical mowing machine era’. A series of Toro innovations soon followed that and by 1925 Toro was established as the world’s largest manufacturer of golf equipment. Toro introduced its first power mower in 1924. Since that time, customers have trusted Toro to help care for all the places they call home. According to the May 1950 issue of Fortune magazine, Toro ‘almost singlehandedly’ turned the rotary lawnmower into an overnight success. Early rotary mowers featured open decks with exposed blades. According to Fortune, ‘Because

people have been afraid of accidents’ the rotaries had not been widely accepted until ‘Toro enclosed the blade to ensure safety’. Consumer purchases of rotary mowers started to climb. “Through the years Toro has introduced many other lawnmower industry firsts including self propel drive, electric start, bagging, Recycler® technology and Personal Pace®,” says Andrew. “Toro’s heritage of innovation can be seen today in its latest snow blowers, irrigation products, zero turn riders and the TimeMaster .” TM

CONTACT DETAILS e. toro.info.uk@lely.com www.toro.com

CUTTING EDGE – FACEBOOK

Facebook foundations

– back to basics With borders no barrier, social media is at the forefront of global communications. Love it or loathe it, it’s here to stay. Lawrence Hardcastle, MD of UK web agency Larrytech, offers a ‘back to basics’ approach to harnessing the power of facebook, and explains how to maximise the rugby club’s marketing potential using this powerful tool.

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acebook was launched in 2004. This Social Networking website is now used for everything from catching up with old friends to gaining leads for business. For clubs of all sizes, Facebook provides an extremely effective marketing tool and an excellent way of integrating with members. By using their Facebook page as a marketing tool, clubs are exposing themselves to a whole new customer base as well as cementing their relationship with existing members. When launching a presence for your club on Facebook, the most important thing to do is to make sure you have the page ready to go once it is launched. The worst thing you can do is launch a new Facebook page that is underdeveloped. Consider a website; you would not launch a website without relevant text and images so why launch a Facebook page without relevant information? Top tips to get your Facebook page started • Make sure you have a profile picture – a big question mark is not going to make users want to visit your page. • Include plenty of relevant information about your club on Facebook without bombarding your visitors with too much. Definitely include a strapline about your club, contact details and a link to your website as a starting point and an absolute minimum. • If you have tabs that are empty then delete them. The last thing people want to see is a tab that has no relevance to it. • Post links and interesting stories on your wall initially to ensure there is some content on there. Once people start interacting you will not need to do as much, but initially it is important otherwise you just have a big blank wall with nothing on it which will not inspire people to interact and certainly will not encourage people to come back to your page. • Make sure the content you add to the info tab is useful, as this is where users will likely look when trying to find out what a page is about. The better the information here, the more chance you have of people reading more about you – and consequently the more likely they are to Like and interact with you. When you have a Facebook page that is primed and ready to go, launch it and then make sure you are promoting as much interaction as possible on your page. Whilst it is important to post about special offers to more actively promote these, you may also want to post about interesting, relevant topics. For example, a rugby club may want to post regularly about recent results. A good post about a relevant topic may result in people commenting on the post which in turn would promote interaction. Having a presence is necessary even if it is there more for informational purposes than anything else. There is likely to be a good deal of information written about your club round the web that you have no control over, no matter how helpful or detrimental it is to your image. As a

result, it is important for you to have your say and show how the club is really run. By keeping an eye out for any negative publicity you may see on the internet, you can be aware of what is being said about your club and respond accordingly. Think carefully about who has access to your account and who can post on behalf of your club. The last thing you want is for one of your staff who has access to your account to write either negative or incorrect comments about your club that could be detrimental to your club’s image. And they’re off... So now you have everything in place on your Facebook page and are raring to go, looking forward to turning your page into more business. Now you need traffic to your Facebook page and to encourage people to Like you. Here are a few tips to increase the amount of users on your Facebook page. • Add all your friends. By adding all your personal friends on Facebook (and getting your staff to do the same) you will be amazed at how many ‘Likes’ and visits your Facebook page will get. The ‘snowball effect’ will then begin to gather speed as friends of friends start to Like you. This is a simple but very under-used way of gaining visibility for your Facebook page. • Add a Like button on your website as this will encourage visitors to your website to visit and consequently Like your Facebook page. • Integrate with other social media platforms (e.g. Twitter). By using other forms of Social Media, you are exposing yourself to a whole new wave of potential business and traffic to your Facebook page that is likely to result in new business in the future. If you use both Twitter and Facebook effectively, you could open a lot of potentially untapped doors into your potential membership base. • Like other businesses in your local area. This can be a fantastic method of gaining interaction and, therefore, business to your club. When you Like other local businesses, they are likely to at least look on your page even if they don’t Like it straight away. On the back of this they may Like your page, refer it to one of your friends or better still, visit the club. • Promote special offers/events on your Facebook page as this will give visitors an incentive to come back to your page. If you promote a 10% discount for all users who Like your page, for example, they may come to the club and sign up, or look on your page again in the future to see if you are doing similar activities that they could benefit from. • Email your subscriber list about your Facebook page. Keeping a database of members is a must now for any club – big or small. Sending an email promoting your Facebook page to your whole subscriber list will offer the benefit of increased traffic to your Facebook page. That will then facilitate the ‘snowball effect’ or ‘virtual cycle’ to help your Facebook page gain additional Likes, recognition and, most importantly, interaction.

Maximise success Once you have your page up and running and you have your traffic and Likes to your page, the next step is to maximise your success by making your page as fun and interactive as possible – encouraging Likers to return. Here are a few suggestions to promote interaction: • Upload photos of quiz nights, theme nights, events etc. that you have hosted and make sure you tag people who you know or Like your page. By doing this and encouraging people to tag their friends, you will increase the level of interaction and consequent interest in your club’s page even more. • We all have the one club whose page we signed up to once and we then receive an invite to an event every week. Do invite Facebook users to visit the club and keep them informed of all your events – but don’t hound them. Once a week may be too much if you don’t have new and exciting things to talk about. • Updating your status is an excellent way of getting on people’s news feeds and if your statuses are interesting enough people may start to Like and comment on your status – again promoting interaction. • Think about when is the best time to update your status. If you’re trying to attract the Saturday night crowd, for example, perhaps update your status with a special offer for anyone who Likes your page on a Saturday at 9pm. That way, people may see this update on their smart phones and decide to choose your club over a local competitor. So there you have it, a guide to getting started on Facebook and then how to maximise your return in the time you will invest in it.

CONTACT DETAILS Larrytech Ltd Calverley House, 55 Calverley Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2TU t. +44 (0) 1892 888 011 f.+ 44 (0) 1892 888 012 e. info@larrytech.com

CLUB RUGBY 37

WEBSITES – PLANNING AHEAD

Planning for a new website We’ve seen a lot of specifications for new websites over the years, some fantastic and some... well, not so fantastic! If you’re after a new website for your club, you will want to ensure that it fulfils all your requirements and more. Larrytech offers the following advice.

n internal meeting with all the key people within your club to discuss your new website is always a good starting point. What is its purpose? What do you need it to do for the club? The following list provides good discussion points. • Club overview Your website needs to outline who you are and your club’s ethos. • Website objectives What is wrong with your current website? For example, are current members after more information or are you trying to attract more prospective members to come and try your club out? Is your site visually out-of date and in need of a fresh look? Does it look terrible on mobile devices?

• Target market This is a vitally important point. Of course you will want to target both current and prospective members, but what is your focus? Do you need/want to attract more members or do you just want to keep current members better informed? • Design Think about the message your club is trying to send via your website, look at other websites, draw inspiration from them and tell your web designer what you like or don’t like about them. The site will need to build on and enhance your club’s brand.

want a new basic site quickly because you don’t currently have the budget for a large, feature-rich site. However, you may want it set up with a view to developing it further down the line.

• Website functionality How do you want the website to appear? What functions do you want for users? Are there any particular/specific features you want included.?

• Budget Your short-term budget as well as your long-term one over, say, the next three years, is an important point to think about to help build the most effective web solution over a period of time.

• Long term strategy Have a think about your club’s long-term plans. For example, you may

• Project specification In our experience most efficiency is achieved by setting dates for work to

start and for a launch date. It’s important to work with your suppliers to create a realistic time frame.

CONTACT DETAILS Larrytech Ltd, Calverley House, 55 Calverley Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 2TU t.+ 44 (0)1892 888 011 e. lawrence.hardcastle@larrytech.com www.larrytech.com

CLUB RUGBY 39

ADVERTISING PRACTICES

Advertising practices – getting it right Ever get confused about what you can and cannot claim when you’re promoting the club? Here’s some timely advice from the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP).

estimonials in advertisements can be an effective way to engage audiences who place value in hearing about real life experiences of a product or service. Reviews might be from the average consumer or from celebrities acting as brand ambassadors. Glowing reviews about your services should indeed be celebrated. However, those testimonials must be genuine and you must hold contact details from the individuals providing them In short, any alteration to a quotation which doesn’t fairly reflect the reviewers experience will breach the Cap Code. The ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) is likely to accept copies of e-mails as well as the addresses and the order history of consumers (how often they use your club, for example) as suitable evidence to demonstrate that testimonials are genuine. The evidence should be kept for as long as the ad appears. Marketing communications must be obviously identifiable as such Genuine user generated content on websites does not fall within the Code’s remit. However, if you edit that content so that your club or product appears more favourable, or you delete those reviews which may reflect badly on you, that material will in all likelihood be considered a marketing communication, and it should be labelled as such. Moreover, if you adopt and incorporate user generated content into another marketing communication, that content will also be classed as marketing material. Articles presented in the style of news articles, must make clear that they’re advertisement features and for tweets, an identifier such as “#ad [spon]” should be included in the tweet if it isn’t made explicitly clear that it is an ad. Substantiation and permission You shouldn’t rely on testimonials alone to support your claims, whether they’re direct, implied, or visual. For example, a company called Rodial Ltd promoted a body moisturiser on its website with a testimonial which stated “... these products really work and if you compare with the price of plastic surgery you’ll see that they are not expensive at all ...”. Regardless of the fact that

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this was a genuine opinion, evidence wasn’t held to prove it. The complaint was upheld because it described the product as an alternative to surgery, and implied that it could be as effective. In addition, ads mustn’t feature testimonials without permission. Celebrities and health professionals It might be fine to use celebrities that are compatible with your brand. But don’t forget that a

testimonial requires that the celebrity has actually been to the club!

CONTACT DETAILS Committee of Advertising Practice Ltd Mid City Place, 71 High Holborn, London WC1V 6QT t. 020 7492 2100 www. cap.org.uk

DIARY DATE 20 November, 2014

FREE TRADE SHOW FREE BEER FESTIVAL Manchester Palace Hotel 20 November

REGISTRATION HOTLINE 01753 272022

SUPPORTED BY

MEETING MANAGEMENT

The art of chairing meetings

Meticulous forward planning will determine how successful the meeting is.

Typically, managers spend around 40% of their time in meetings. Yet according to research, 83% of people who go to meetings worry about them drifting off the subject, and 74% question their effectiveness.

hether you are meeting with an individual, a committee or a suppliers, it’s important to use the allotted time well. Here’s how: Preparation: • Is the meeting really necessary? Why has it been called? • Who needs to be there? • When, where and for how long? • Self prepare – what do you want the outcomes to be? How can you influence the meeting? Plan your approach • Circulate a draft agenda. Let everyone know why they need to be there. Do they need to add anything? This way everyone can prepare effectively Agenda: When planning the agenda think about: • What you want out of the meeting • The scope of the discussion so you keep on track • A logical order for the items to be covered • Whether you will cover difficult points first or start with the easy or more pleasant matters • How you will deal with difficult items – would they be better dealt with outside the meeting? Do you need to do a bit of ‘lobbying’ first? • The times allocated to each and how flexible you will be • How to manage the meeting accordingly • Who will be there, what their needs might be • What decisions might need to be taken – what are possible options? • Possible action plans and outcomes 12 golden rules for chairing a meeting: 1. Make sure the room is comfortable, warm enough and well ventilated, that there is plenty of water on hand and that you allow for breaks 2. Gain rapport – warm up the meeting by discussing something general that everyone can join in with or introduce a warm up exercise

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Guide the discussion rather than dominating it – the chair is the facilitator not the chief contributor 4. Be in control 5. Be assertive 6. Make an impact – positive, strong, good body language 7. Set the tone, rules and agenda 8. Be consistent and fair – with everyone 9. Listen and ask the right questions 10. Manage the time – curb those who get sidetracked 11. Involve everyone and bring in those who may be holding back (they are often the thinkers in the group and can make the best contributions) 12. Use tact and diplomacy Suggestion: rotate the chair so that everyone has a chance to run a meeting Putting your case forward: • State your case • Give reasons • Give an example • Restate your position For example: ‘I’d like to introduce a bigger bar snacks menu. We can make good margins on food and some of the members have been asking about this. A friend’s club has just launched a new bar snacks menu with really good revenue results. I’d like to replicate that success here.’ Dealing with conflict: • Keep calm, cool and in control • Keep to business - avoid personal comments use ‘I feel...’ instead of ‘you...’ • Keep to the facts and issues in hand • If you don’t understand, ask • Be open to feedback and use it positively • Respect the other point of view – even if you don’t agree with it • Take a break if necessary • If you really can’t agree discuss with an impartial third party • Be prepared to compromise

Problem solving: • Define the issue (problem) • Check the facts • Define the desired outcomes • Identify alternatives • Examine possible consequences • Choose your solution and do it • Check whether you achieved the goals and act accordingly Dealing with different types: • Mr Stroppy: let him have his say, sum up his point of view for the group and ask for feedback • Mrs Positive: use her to reinforce points and contribute throughout • Mr Know-All: Let the group comment on his theories • Miss Chatty: Interrupt tactfully – use time limitations as an excuse to move on. Summarise her points • Mr Bashful: Ask him about something he knows to increase self confidence. Give credit for his contributions • Miss Distracted: Ask her about her experience and for help to solve the issues • Mr Detail: Ask for the overview and then for specific detail only as it’s needed • Mrs Questioner: Pass her questions back to the group or ask her to answer her own question And above all, make sure that all action points are minuted and allocated to the appropriate person. These will need to be followed up and the activities completed within a given time frame.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Getting it done – the art of productivity Increasing productivity at the club is a golden chalice. But contrary to popular belief, just checking tasks off a to-do list isn’t necessarily the answer, explains Ilya Pozin from Ciplex.

ruly productive people aren’t focused on doing more things; this is actually the opposite of productivity. If you really want to be productive, you’ve got to make a point to do fewer things. 1. Create a smaller to-do list. Getting things accomplished during your workday shouldn’t be about doing as much as possible in the sanctioned hours. It may be hard to swallow, but there’s nothing productive about piling together a slew of tasks in the form of a checklist. Take a less-is-more approach to your to-do list by only focusing on accomplishing things that matter. 2. Take breaks. You know that ache that fills your brain when you’ve been powering through tasks for several hours? This is due to your brain using up glucose. Too many people mistake this for a good feeling, rather than a signal to take a break. Take a walk, grab something to eat, workout, or meditate – give your brain some resting time. Achieve more productivity during your workday by making a point to regularly clear your head. You’ll come back recharged and ready to achieve greater efficiency.

3. Follow the 80/20 rule. Did you know that only 20 percent of what you do each day produces 80 percent of your results? Eliminate the things that don’t matter during your workday: they have a minimal effect on your overall productivity. For example, on a project, systematically remove tasks until you end up with the 20 percent that gets the 80 percent of results. 4. Start your day by focusing on yourself. If you begin your morning by checking your email, it allows others to dictate what you accomplish. Set yourself in the right direction by ignoring your emails and taking the morning to focus on yourself, eat a good breakfast, meditate, or read the news. 5. Take on harder tasks earlier in the day. Knock out your most challenging work when your brain is most fresh. Save your busy work – if you have any – for when your afternoon slump rolls in. 6. Pick up the phone. The digital world has created poor communication habits. Email is a productivity killer and usually a distraction from tasks that actually matter. For example, people often copy

multiple people on emails to get it off their plate – don’t be a victim of this action. This distracts everyone else by creating noise against the tasks they’re trying to accomplish and is a sign of laziness. If your email chain goes beyond two replies, it’s time to pick up the phone. Increase your productivity by scheduling a call. 7. Create a system. If you know certain things are ruining your daily productivity, create a system for managing them. Do you check your emails throughout the day? Plan a morning, afternoon, and evening time slot for managing your email. Otherwise, you’ll get distracted from accomplishing more important goals throughout the day. 8. Don’t confuse productivity with laziness. While no one likes admitting it, sheer laziness is the No. 1 contributor to lost productivity. In fact, a number of time-saving methods – take meetings and emails for example – are actually just ways to get out of doing real work. Place your focus on doing the things that matter most as efficiently and effectively as possible. Remember, less is more when it comes to being productive during the workday.

CLUB RUGBY 43

WANT T TO GET T THE BE BEST EST FROM M YOUR B BUSINES BUSINESS? SS? JOIN THE BEST B LICENSEE LICENSEES ES IN THE BUSINESS NESS AND BECO BECOME OME BUSIN BRITISH A MEMBER R OF THE BRITI SH INSTITUTE OF INNKEEPING INNKEEPIN NG MEMBERSHIP M EMBERSH HIP OF THE BII GIVES GIVES YOU ACCES ACCESS SS TO: A profes professional esssio ssional network of overr 12,000 of of the he top to individuals working worrking today ay in the UK K hospitality ality industry tod

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Forr more info vvisit Fo isit www.bii.o www.bii.org org

FREE LEGAL AD ADVICE VICE As a member of the BII you yo ou have access to our free legal lega al advice helplines covering all all aspects of your business – and you can c call on them 24 hours a day da ay as many times as you need to. 2XU KRXU OLFHQVLQJ KHO SOLQH LV SRZHUHG E\ H[SHUW OLFH HQVLQJ ODZ ȴUP 3RSSOHVWRQ $OOHQ ZKR 2XU KRXU OLFHQVLQJ KHOSOLQH LV SRZHUHG E\ H[SHUW OLFHQVLQJ ODZ ȴUP 3RSSOHVWRQ $OOHQ ZKR R΍HU D IUHH VHUYLFH WR DOO R RXU PHPEHUV DGYLVLQJ RQ DQ\ \WKLQJ IURP EUHDFKHV RI \RXU S SUHPLVHV R΍HU D IUHH VHUYLFH WR DOO RXU PHPEHUV DGYLVLQJ RQ DQ\WKLQJ IURP EUHDFKHV RI \RXU SUHPLVHV OLFHQFH WR ORFDO 3ROLFH FORVXUH SRZHUV <RX DOVR KDYH DFFHVV WR RXU KRXU JHQHUDO OHJDO DGYLFH OLFHQFH WR ORFDO 3ROLFH FORV VXUH SRZHUV <RX DOVR KDYH DFFHVV WR RXU KRXU JHQHUDO OH HJDO DGYLFH KHOSOLQH PDQQHG E\ D WHD P RI TXDOLȴHG ODZ\HUV ZKR R FDQ DGYLVH RQ DQ\ LVVXHV \RX X PD\ KDYH KHOSOLQH PDQQHG E\ D WHDP RI TXDOLȴHG ODZ\HUV ZKR FDQ DGYLVH RQ DQ\ LVVXHV \RX PD\ KDYH within your business including inclu uding specialist HR and Employment Employment law and personal legal issues. Just one call can earn you back back your membership fee.

ESSENTIAL SERV SERVICES VICES A new BII website is launching launcching in November 2014 that will w include an Essential Servic Services ces section providing all the latest new news ws and advice you need to ke keep ep your business on track. Th The e BII is partnering with experts in n all areas of the licensed trade trade including licensing, businesss planning, management, stockt stocktaking, debt management taking property, taking, roperty food and drink drin nk service, service customer ustomer insight, insight marketing m and technology, to bring you y advice, tips, updates, videos videos and guidance notes to make mak ke sure you’re ahead of the game. game e. The new website will also feature fea ature an email alert service updating up pdating you on all the latest news.

GROUP PURCH PURCHASING ASING As a BII member y you can immediately y save back the cost cost of y your membership p by y taking tak king g up p MXVW RQH RU WZR RI RXU JURXS VDYLQJ R΍HUV DQG GHDOV Ȃ VRPH PHPEHUV KDYH VDYHG WKRXVDQGV MXVW RQH RU WZR RI RXU JUR RXS VDYLQJ R΍HUV DQG GHDOV Ȃ VVRPH PHPEHUV KDYH VDYHG WKRXVDQGV of pounds with just one phone p call! Building on this, the e BII has recently appointed a new JURXS SXUFKDVLQJ FRPSDQ\ FDOOHG Ζ3$ WR QHJRWLDWH D UDQJH RI QHZ GLVFRXQWV DQG GHDOV IRU RXU JURXS SXUFKDVLQJ FRPSDQ Q\ FDOOHG Ζ3$ WR QHJRWLDWH D UDQJH RI QHZ GLVFRXQWV DQG GHD DOV IRU RXU and everything members on products an d services including everythin g from food and drink supply to credit card services, insurance and a energy supply. deals via email as well Under the new deal, members mem mbers will receive weekly and monthly m well as VHDVRQDO VSHFLDO R΍HUV DQG VSHFLDO %ΖΖ GLVFRXQWV RQ VHOHFWHG VHUYLFHV DQG SURGXFWV 7KH QHZ VHDVRQDO VSHFLDO R΍HUV DQ QG VSHFLDO %ΖΖ GLVFRXQWV RQ VHOH HFWHG VHUYLFHV DQG SURGXFWV 7 7KH QHZ 13th package will be unveiled at a our Annual Lunch on May 1 3th and will represent a best in class service and add huge valu value ue for all BII members.

MENTORING The BII runs a nationwide mentoring scheme for members, memb bers, putting them in touch with with a QHWZRUN RI H[SHULHQFHG OL FHQVHHV DQG LQGXVWU\ H[SHUWV ZKR FDQ R΍HU SUDFWLFDO DGYLFH H RQ QHWZRUN RI H[SHULHQFHG OLFHQVHHV DQG LQGXVWU\ H[SHUWV ZKR FDQ R΍HU SUDFWLFDO DGYLFH RQ ideas business issues and guidance guida ance on business plans or idea as to grow your business as well w as YLVLWLQJ \RXU SUHPLVHV WR R R΍HU D FULWLTXH RI WKH RSHUDWLR RQ 7R JHW LQYROYHG HLWKHU DV D D PHQWRU RU YLVLWLQJ \RXU SUHPLVHV WR R΍HU D FULWLTXH RI WKH RSHUDWLRQ 7R JHW LQYROYHG HLWKHU DV D PHQWRU RU 01276 to use the service, contactt the membership team on 01 276 684 449.

To join jo oin now call 01276 01 1276 684 449 9

THE ART OF NEGOTIATION

Negotiation: how to get what you bargained for From discussing terms of an employee’s contract to securing the best deals from suppliers, the ability to seal the deal and – ideally – keep everyone happy is essential. Enter the art of negotiation.

anagers with good negotiating skills are more likely to get good results and have employees who understand what’s expected of them. Negotiation means developing an ability to resolve disputes and conflicts. It also requires a willingness to work with other people to reach solutions that everyone can live with. In situations where a whole team is negotiating, each individual should have their own role. Knowing who’s doing what and when, is fundamental to the overall negotiation process. Here are 10 steps to becoming a skilled negotiator: 1. START WITH THE END IN MIND Realise what you want the outcome to be and know how far you can – and are willing to – go. 2. SHOW RESPECT Listen and learn about the other person’s point of

view. Think about whether you can both attain the outcomes you desire and be prepared to meet in the middle. 3. SELF-BELIEF If you believe you can achieve what you want, you are more likely to be successful. Presenting in a relaxed, confident way will help you to reach your goal. Speak clearly and concisely. Avoid appearing desperate, stressed, irritated or angry at all costs.

NEGOTIATION IS MOST SUCCESSFUL WHEN BOTH PARTIES: • Recognise the value of a relationship and want to continue it • Participate actively in the process • Show consideration and acceptance of each other’s perspectives, values, beliefs and goals

4. DEVELOP RAPPORT People like people who are like themselves. Take some time to warm up your negotiating partner and find areas of common ground. Remember, your goal is to create and preserve a relationship.

• Separate personality from the issue involved

5. USE INFLUENCING SKILLS Learn as much as you can about your negotiating partner so that you will be better equipped to

influence him. Listen to the language he uses and then use it too. Find out what is important to him – does he focus on what he wants or what he doesn’t want? Does he seek approval from someone else?

• Work together to develop a solution everyone can accept

6. USE SALES SKILLS Ask questions and present the benefits of your argument. Find out whether he/she agrees and then handle any objections. Remember to think about the benefits for both parties. 7. BE FLEXIBLE Explore all possible solutions and outcomes. Be prepared to adapt if it means you both achieve your desired outcomes. Collaboration doesn’t mean giving up or giving in. 8. BE FOCUSED, FIRM AND DETERMINED Restate your case with confidence. 9. CLOSING SKILLS At the end of the meeting, be clear about what you have asked and what you have agreed upon. Confirm in writing afterwards if appropriate. 10. DO IT If you have agreed to do something, make sure you have a plan for carrying it out and make sure it happens. Being reliable and trustworthy will make things easier when you next come to negotiate with the person.

46 CLUB RUGBY

DIARY DATE 20 November, 2014

RUGBY CLUB OF THE YEAR AWARD Manchester Palace Hotel 20 November

REGISTRATION HOTLINE 01753 272022

SUPPORTED BY

CLUB KITCHEN

Made for sharing With the summer of sport well underway, keeping members glued to their seats pre and post match is the cunning plan for many a club. Enter sandwiches, snacks and sharing platters, valuable allies in the battle for members’ hard-earned leisure pound. BLACK OLIVE & HERB FOCACCIA White Bread & Roll Mix, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Spanish Pitted Black Olives, Red Onions, Thyme and Garlic Purée.

Black Olive & Herb Focaccia

Siciliana Pizza

Cost per serving – £0.65 Instructions: Using the mix, make up as per on-pack instructions, then place the dough on a floured work surface and mould to fit an 8” round sandwich tin. Prove (as per pack instructions) then drizzle with half the olive oil. Add the olives, onions, thyme and garlic. Push fingers into the dough to the bottom of the pan (this pushes in the ingredients and also adds to the appearance) and drizzle with the remaining half of the oil. Rest for 10minutes. Bake at 220°C for 10-12 minutes. SHARING PLATTER Breaded Garlic Mushrooms, Garlic Bread Slices, Battered Onion Rings, Baked Potato Dippers, Golden Crumb Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers, Barbecue Sauce, Soured Cream and Crispy Salad.

Cost per serving – £3.25 Sharing Platter

SICILIANA PIZZA Pizza Base Mix, Spiced Neapolitan Pizza Sauce, Grated Cheddar and Mozzarella Mix, Chorizo Cubes, Prosciutto Crudo, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Rocket Salad, Il Formaggiaro and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Cost per serving – £2.10 CHICKEN SHARER Peri Peri Kebabs, Half Corn-Fed Peri Peri Chicken, Chicken Wings of Fire, Steak Cut Chips, Battered Onion Rings, Barbecue Sauce, Soured Cream and Crispy Salad.

Cost per serving – £6.25

Chicken Sharer

48 CLUB RUGBY Honey Baked Goats Cheese

Honey Baked Goats Cheese Nachos To Share

HONEY BAKED GOATS CHEESE Bougon French Goats Log, Rocket Salad, Braeburn Apples, Lime Juice, Clear Honey, Fresh Red Grapes and Thyme.

Cost per serving – £0.73 Instructions (per portion): Toss half a thinly sliced apple, quartered grapes (10g) and salad in the lime juice (5ml). Place 50g slice of goats cheese on a paper-lined tray, drizzle with half the honey (5ml) and toast under grill until browned. Warm the other half of the honey (5ml) in a pan. Place salad in a bowl, top with the warm goats cheese sprinkle with thyme and drizzle with the warm honey. NACHOS TO SHARE Tortilla Chips, Grated Cheddar & Mozzarella Mix, Soured Cream and Salsa, Guacamole Dip and Jalapeno Pepper Slices (in Brine).

Cost per serving – £1.81 > CLUB RUGBY 49

CLUB KITCHEN Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt

CHICKEN & BACON RANCH MELT Baked Half Baguettes, Iceberg Lettuce, Salad Tomatoes, Cucumber, Mixed Peppers, Red Onions, Sliced Roast Chicken Breast, Unsmoked Back Bacon, Monterey Jack Grated Cheese, Ranch Dressing with Parmesan Cheese, Crisp Salad, Ready Salted Crisps and Buffet Skewers.

Cost per serving – £2.16 CLASSIC MELT Ingredients as per Chicken & Bacon Ranch Melt, but substituting Turkey Breast for the Chicken.

Cost per serving – £2.08

Vine Tomato & Basil Bruschetta VINE TOMATO & BASIL BRUSCHETTA Vine Tomatoes, Red Onions, Garlic Bread Slices, Fresh Basil, Rocket Salad, Authentic Balsamic Syrup and Gran Duca Parmigiano Reggiano.

Chicken Tikka Balti & Onion Bhaji Naan

Cost per serving – £0.71 CHICKEN TIKKA BALTI & ONION BHAJI NAAN Plain Naan, Cooked Large Diced Chicken Breast, Balti Sauce, Onion Bhajis, Iceberg Lettuce, Original Raita Yogurt, Mango Chutney, Mini Poppadoms and Crispy Salad.

Cost per serving – £1.57 Instructions (per portion): Wash, shred and toss the lettuce in the raita. Warm and then slice the bhajis; mix with the balti sauce and chicken. Cut the naan in half (widthways) and warm for 10 secs in a microwave before filling with the lettuce, chicken and bhaji mix. Serve with salad garnish, pot of mango chutney and a handful of mini poppadoms. FISH FINGER SANDWICH Cod Fish Fingers, Kingsmill White Farmhouse Bread, Salted Butter, Tomato Ketchup, Tartare Sauce and Crispy Salad.

Cost per serving – £0.87

Fish Finger Sandwich

FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information and menu ideas contact Booker. • t. 0845 60 12 999 • www.booker.co.uk

50 CLUB RUGBY

Classic Melt

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AFFINITY

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Villeroy & Boch Hotel & Restaurant Tel.: 020 8875 6011 E-mail: hotel@villeroy-boch.co.uk

www.1748club.co.uk/tabletalk

Attention! New Series Affinity – 70 attractive porcelain pieces that will win you over with their design and functionality.

Club Rugby

Articles inside

Club Kitchen

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Soft drinks report

Art of chairing meetings

Club volunteers

Welcome