Safeguarding in sport

Old Bristolians sporting endeavours may be a world away from the high-profile competitions that attract match fixing, drugs and organised crime, but we must be vigilant to ensure our members, especially youth members, are safeguarded and protected.

Recent ‘Safeguarding in Sport’ webinars bring together leading figures from the world of sporting intelligence and investigations to highlight the use of technology to prevent incursions into the heart of sport. The high impact content was insightful particularly with the leading figures along with survivors of abuse highlighting how effective safeguarding is critical.

Underpinning the fight against all abuses of sport is the notion of integrity. The lack of integrity results in people acting outside of the boundaries of what is right to further their own nefarious agenda. The spirit of any sport is at the heart of competition between people, teams, clubs, or individuals.

Rugby prides itself on being a sport of integrity. It doesn’t always get it right but for the very most part those who play rugby extol its virtues as an honourable sport, where the physicality and aggression on the pitch ends with the whistle, and everyone celebrates alongside each other after the game.

I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of Old Bristolians RFC for 19 years and now as Chairman it is with immense pride that I still pull on a shirt as often as possible. Rugby’s core values are at the heart of everything that the OBRFC does. The teamwork, the changing room atmosphere, the on-and off-pitch attitude and the very essence of playing a game for the love of it keeps me from throwing away my boots. The older I get the more I value rugby, because for those three hours on a Saturday afternoon your entire world exists in a grassy field at Failand and there’s absolutely nowhere I’d rather be. The ethos and attitude of the club, coupled with significant joué, all played with a smile is a thing of beauty; if you could bottle it you’d make a fortune, but instead the riches come from being a part of it, and that gets even more important as you get older.

The buzz around Failand has been amazing. The 1st and 2nd XVs had a tough season but the 3rd XV topped the league through a combination of grit and determination and playing some exciting rugby. The Mini and Junior section is flourishing with over 400 members and the club as a whole is in fine fettle.

OBRFC is a fine place to be, an incredible organisation with good fun rugby at its heart and the core values of the sport. It serves as a healthy reminder that it is the responsibility of all of us to safeguard the sport for future generations. The All Blacks mantra is that whoever is playing in a specific shirt or position is merely a steward, a current keeper of the shirt, and it is their job to improve it with their performances until they hand it onwards in a better state.

That is the job for all of us in rugby. We are the current occupiers of the game, it is up to us to safeguard the sport that we value, so that we can pass on an improved game for future generations to enjoy and learn the values within and the beauty of the game.

Tristan Fowler OB 2000 Chairman, Old Bristolians RFC

From sports clubs