Summer 2020 Issue - Rugby Blindside

SUMMER 2020 / ISSUE 11

Contents Community news

Lewes RFC

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Thank you #nhsheroes

Hornets RFC

18 19

Barnes RFC

03

Petersfield RFC

Coalville RFC

04

Opinion

Marlow Rugby Club

04

Avonmouth Old Boys RFC

04

Siddal RL

05

Keighley RUFC

05

Market Harborough RUFC

05

Wallsend RFC

05

Carlisle Rugby Club

06

Woolston Rovers RLC

07

Mansfield Rugby Club

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Sponsorship news

Glory Girls: How rugby is encouraging female talent

In Focus Lions Sports Academy

Bishop's Storford RFC

24

Chinnor RFC

24

York RUFC

25

Bourneville RFC

26 27

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Glasson Rangers ARLFC

Coventry Rugby

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Opinion

SNAP Sponsorship

Scrap the cup, review the cap and protect the Lions 09

Opinion Build it and they will come, or will they?

Q&A Feature John Pownall, Chairman at Surrey Rugby

12

Club news

28

Club Profile York RUFC

10

23

Funding news

Northwich RUFC

In Focus

20

30

Facilities news North Walsham RFC

32

Orrell RUFC

32

Fawley RFC

33

Opinion

Luton RFC

16

Otley Rugby & Old Grovians

16

Southampton Spitfires

17

Gallagher Premiership: Why I am against ring-fencing Recruitment: Kings Cross Steelers

34 35

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Thank you

#nhsheroes

NHS The rugby community has shown their appreciation 18

Community news: Thank you #nhsheroes players, Adam Libbey, went viral across the rugby community in the UK, and then all around the world. I have never seen a rugby event grow so quickly on the back of a simple idea to lift some weights and raise some money for the wonderful people in the NHS, all in Garry’s memory too”.

#BARNESRFCBIGLIFT Challenge 2020

The Big Barnes Lift topped 8 million Kgs to remember Garry Garrett and raised over £147,000 for the NHS. Less than a week after they set the Big Barnes RFC 1 Million Kg Lift as a challenge for the Barnes RFC community to get behind, the club far exceeded all expectations, by not only smashing the lifting target of 1 million kgs, but also in terms of funds raised.

Garry’s wife Yolanda commented: “What a day, what a week! There are too many wonderful people to thank individually, I do want to thank Jamie George for spreading the word across his personal rugby network, and all of the media for supporting his friend, and my son, Jack, and our family at this difficult time. We have been able to celebrate Garry’s life in a truly remarkable way. Thank you also to everyone at Barnes Rugby Club who made this happen, we will never forget the 2nd May 2020”.

NHS

1 million Kgs seemed like a daunting number to start off with but Barnes RFC smashed it, lifting 8 million kgs collectively by 4pm, and they also smashed the £10,000 fund raise target, which stands in excess of £147,000, with all of the funds going to the NHS charities.

The club were raising money to remember Garry Garrett, the dad of Barnes RFC 1st XV hooker Jack Garrett, who became one of the innocent victims of COVID-19 in early April, healthy and fit one week, tragically dead the next. Garry, and his wife Yolanda, were stalwart supporters of Barnes rugby, always present, always friendly, and always passionate about rugby.

Barnes RFC Chairman, Michael Whitfield, was full of praise for all involved: “What started as a Barnes RFC initiative from one of our 1st XV

Garry’s son Jack added: “I am speechless, totally speechless. What an incredible week leading up to an even more amazing day. I never thought The Big Lift would explode the way it has, and I am truly humbled by all the messages, videos and donations that we have received. It has contributed to the perfect send off for my Dad - Big G”.

Whitfield finished: “Taking part we had explayers lifting on an oil rig in the Indian Ocean, the local vicar lifting his Victorian bible, a farmer lifting a new born calf, NHS nurses lifting saline drip bags in Bristol, 650 boys and girls from our Minis and Junior section from Under 5’s to Under 18’’s, and all our Men’s and Women’s teams, Richmond Heavies, most of the current England Men’s team led by Jamie George, even the wolf mascot from Bury St Edmunds RFC! Without doubt this event captured the mood of the moment, we unlocked the power of rugby at Barnes RFC, across the UK and internationally and, in the midst of the Corona virus gloom, I think we have brought some sunshine into the lives of the thousands of people that took part.”

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Community news: Thank you #nhsheroes

Coalville receive #Togetherwecare award

have been instructed by Health England and the Government to stay at home. Less than 3 weeks into the service, the take up of their home delivery of prescriptions was still growing and Jez Haisman distributed deliveries which included the 100th address.

Marlow Rugby Club is extremely proud of all their volunteers as well as a growing group of other local residents that have come forward to help out.

Avonmouth Old Boys RFC support local community Coalville Rugby Club has been recognised for it's fundraising efforts with the recent #CoalvilleKeepUpChallenge.

The club are humbled to have received the #TogetherWeCare Award, an award which recognises Community Heroes within the county. Leicestershire Cares, who gives out the awards, received a nomination for the club 'for their tremendous efforts to raise funds to support NHS staff and volunteers,' and the awarding panel agreed that the "tremendous efforts should be recognised."

Over the past few weeks, members of Coalville Rugby Club and the rugby community have been raising money to support our NHS heroes through the #CoalvilleKeepUpChallenge, where people record themselves doing as many keep ups with a ball as possible. Within two weeks of going live, we are delighted that we have reached our £1500 target, all of which is going to NHS Charities Together to provide support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marlow Rugby Club volunteers deliver prescriptions Volunteers from all sections of the Club have surpassed the 100 prescriptions delivered to patients in the club's local community that

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Avonmouth Old Boys RFC are immensely proud of the work Breeze Palmer, Kelly Warren & Lucy O'Brien are doing within our local community... All are members of the club's Ladies side.

What started as just a small token gesture has now become a military style operation with much needed support being given out to local elderly/isolated members of our community. The girls supported by others have been putting together food supply hampers with cleaning products and some necesities to distribuit we out during the current pandemic. The hampers are made up from items donated by other locals/businesses etc and then disributed out accordingly.

The small team have started a facebook page which has been well supported locally, its from this that people can volunteer to assist them or make the team aware of someone that could beneift from the hampers made.

They have been followed by an ITV camera crew that documented their operation.

Siddal RL launch appeal for Calderdale health workers

£1,500 donated to local air ambulance service

Siddal RL club members and supporters have probably seen lots of examples of the community rallying to help key workers through the current Covid 19 pandemic.

Siddal RL is now announcing our own fundraising campaign to help staff at the ICU at Calderdale Royal Hospital. The staff at ICU are regularly working long shifts and have limited time to carry out everyday activities such as the weekly shopping. We aim to help by supplying hampers and care packages for the staff.

Keighley RUFC support the local community

Following the success of last summers ball Market Harborough RUFC are delighted to have been able to make a donation to the local Air Ambulance Service. The ball raised money for both the club and for our chosen charity.

Their local Air Ambulance Service operate in the areas of Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Rutland, responding to serious incidents and treating and transporting critically ill patients to hospital in a fraction of the time it takes by land ambulance.

They provide this service free of charge to the NHS and receive no government funding, so they rely solely on donations to their services running.

Keighley RUFC Club Chairman Graeme Sheffield and wife Jane emptied the bar of all the stock of soft drinks and snacks, and on behalf of the KRUFC donated it to the Salvation Army food bank in Keighley.

The Salvation Army, run food banks yearround from their centres across the UK, but as a result of COVID-19, they have expanded them across the country to try and meet the increasing demand and reach people who can no longer feed themselves or their families and are cut off from other sources of help.

Northumbria teams up with Wallsend RFC for limitededition jersey Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has teamed up with Wallsend Rugby Club to launch a limited-edition jersey to raise funds to benefit its staff and patients. In a unique partnership, the logos of the trust and its Bright charity will be on the club’s official away playing jersey for the forthcoming season.

The jersey, together with a training t-shirt

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Community news: Thank you #nhsheroes and hoodie, have been custom-designed by sportswear brand STINGZ™.

The idea behind the ‘Wallsend NHS Jersey’ was devised by STINGZ™ and the club as a gesture of respect to honour the hard work and dedication of NHS workers on the frontline battling the COVID-19 outbreak.

Bright, the registered charity of Northumbria Healthcare, funds a wide range of health and care initiatives for patients and staff across North Tyneside and Northumberland.

Brenda Longstaff, head of Northumbria Healthcare’s Bright charity, said: “We are immensely proud that the NHS logo will adorn the new kit and are delighted that STINGZ™ and Wallsend RFC have decided to raise money for our Bright charity.

experiences of receiving care, and have a positive impact on our staff and volunteers, we hope this partnership will also boost the team on the pitch too.”

The replica Wallsend NHS jersey will cost £49 with the training t-shirt in the same design costing £29. The hoodie, which will be worn by the Wallsend coaches, can also be purchased for £48.

Duke McIntyre, Chairman of Wallsend RFC, said it was an honour to help frontline staff during these difficult times.He said: “Helping such dedicated, hardworking people like those who are working on the frontline is a great honour. “A lot of people are going through tough times at the moment, so to help our brave NHS workers and patients is something we jumped at the chance to support.“It has taken a lot of careful planning by everyone involved, and hopefully we can raise a lot of money, with every penny of profit from sales going straight to Northumbria’s Bright charity.”

Carlisle Rugby Club raise money with head shave

“This is an unprecedented time for the NHS and our teams across North Tyneside and Northumberland are working incredibly hard to go above and beyond the call of duty to respond to the increasing demands on our service.

“Communities pulling together to support one another has been a powerful and uplifting part of our response to this pandemic as a country and this is an excellent example of this happening right here.

“While funds raised will make a massive difference to our patients by improving their

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Just after the season was ended on the 20th March, one of Carlisle Rugby Club senior players, Yousef Sahib, decided to shave his head and persuaded a few friends and players to do likewise. All for a bit of fun and to raise £500 for Carlisle Foodbank. It rapidly caught on though and soon many players past and present, seniors, Colts and Ladies

had braved the shave, publicising it through their Facebook pages. The Ladies even filmed their shaves live on Facebook. We also managed to persuade former player Brett Connon, now at Newcastle Falcons, along with his colleague Adam Radwan to lop it off.

It has pretty much come to a close now having run out of willing souls, although not before their Lady Vice President, and their Club secretary had shaved their heads, with the sum now standing at £11,670. The senior players also decided to donate their seasons fines kitty of £1200 to the cause, making nearly £14000 distributed between the Foodbank, the local Hospital Radiotherapy fund, Hospice at Home and Eden Valley Hospice inc Childrens Jigsaw hospice. All of them have been extremely grateful for the donations.

Leisurewear to support NHS hero Joselito Habab

Woolston Rovers Open Age and Under 18s will be releasing an NHS themed training vest and T-shirt in partnership with their kit provider O’Neills now that sportswear production has recommenced following O’Neills brilliant response to the PPE demand caused by COVID-19. The club are immensely proud to announce that following

discussions with staff at Warrington Hospital, all funds raised through the sale of these Woolston Rovers Rugby League Club shirts and vests will go directly to the fund set up in memory of Joselito Habab, the much loved and respected NHS nurse based at Warrington Hospital who recently became the first member of staff to pass away after he lost his battle with COVID-19.

Mansfield Rugby Club supports Kings Mill staff

Members of Mansfield Rugby Club wanted to do something to support the heroes of the NHS, but specifically the local community who work at our own Kings Mill Hospital. To do this, several players from Mansfield Rugby Club are shaving their heads to encourage donations which will allow them to buy all the current stock of drinks and snacks at the club that are just gathering dust whilst the club is closed. This comprises hundreds of cans and bottles of drinks, ranging from Coke and Diet Coke to Fanta and water plus Lucozade, Red Bull and various snacks.

Every item purchased will then be donated to the staff at Kings Mill Hospital. Mansfield Rugby Club is a not-for-profit community club itself and in desperate need of funds to keep it going through this difficult time. By members buying as much stock as possible whilst the club cannot trade, their club will benefit by selling stock and raising much needed funds and the staff at Kings Mill will benefit from having all the items purchased on their behalf presented to them. lus some rugby lads will get to improve their looks by shaving their heads!

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Sponsorship news

Golden Egg Recruiting sponsor Northwich RUFC

established the Golden Egg Group as one of the UK's leading recruitment firms covering all major market sectors.

The Golden Egg Group CEO was unveiled as new five-figure investor at Northwich Rugby Club. An entrepreneur who as a small boy was its youngest player is about to become Northwich Rugby Club's biggest backer.

"A lot is changing, and a small club travelling across the north of England to play against some truly historic names shouldn't be daunted."I'm passionate about playing my part to smooth that transition."

Benjamin Kershaw, through the Golden Egg Group he founded almost a decade ago, has agreed to be Blacks' major sponsor for the next five years.

Countrywide renews commitment to Coventry

His firm has pledged to invest a five-figure sum into the Moss Farm outfit, promoted on the pitch to the highest level in its history at the end of last season, over the same period.

"To me, Northwich means a lot," he said. “The club has been a part of my life since I was a little boy, it’s because of that connection that I have decided to back it financially while also offering my time and business expertise”.

Already a regular as a spectator at home games, he feels strongly the time is right to work more closely with the club as it prepares to play in the North Premier for the first time.

"The team's performance on the field needs to be matched by ours off it,” said Richard Wilding, Northwich’s sales and marketing director.

“If we are to establish ourselves in a higher division, then it's essential to have financial stability, something we can achieve thanks to the Golden Egg Group’s generous backing.

The players do not know yet when they will be able to begin preparations for next term.

However, that isn't a barrier to the club making plans for its short-term future off the field."

"Northwich are in the big leagues now!" said Benjamin, who in his role as CEO has

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Countrywide has agreed a new deal with Coventry Rugby to remain the club’s main shirt partner for the next two seasons. This is the third such agreement and extends a partnership which has been growing in strength over the past few years.

“It has been an exciting time to be Coventry Rugby’s main shirt partner and we had no hesitation in agreeing an extension with the club,” commented Bob Massey, a former Coventry player and Founder and Director of the company, along with his partner Clive Ponder, another rugby enthusiast. The club has come a long way in a short time and it has been fantastic to see the team play so well, finish higher in the Championship table, and for more and more people to come to Butts Park for home games. We believe that the club is going in the right direction and that there are plenty of good things to come at Butts Park.”

Coventry Rugby Managing Director, Nick Johnston is delighted that Countrywide has agreed to a new partnership with the club.

“We’ve built up a strong relationship with Bob and the rest of the team at Countrywide and it is really pleasing that they believe that we are taking the club in a positive direction,” he said. “Having a strong group of committed sponsors and partners is going to be really important for us as we look to take the next step in our journey in making Coventry Rugby one of the most eye-catching clubs in the country.”

In Focus

SNAP Sponsorship How to attract new sponsors during lockdown

We’re currently offering full free-of-charge access to our portal using the code NOMONTHLYFEE, to all involved in grassroot sport to enable them to build mutual partnerships and support each other during these difficult times.

We’re living in unprecedented times and sport is one of the sectors that’s been hit hardest by COVID-19. The impact of sport coming to a complete halt is and will continue to be, far-reaching and long lasting.

Here at SNAP, our vision and primary objective has always been to support grassroot clubs in every way we can, encouraging clubs to become self-sufficient and less reliant on funding and donations.

With clubs already facing increasing costs and a lack of resources, even before this crisis – it’s now vital that we do everything possible to keep these clubs solvent and stable during the pandemic.

SNAP has spent several years researching and building an in-depth understanding of how sporting organisations can become commercially viable through a best practice approach to sponsorship. Whilst sponsorship may not have been a consideration for some in the past, certainly for many of the smaller clubs, it may now be key to their survival.

SNAP’s platform equips national governing bodies, associations, leagues and clubs with a solution – enabling them to connect and support each other, no matter what their geographical location or other restrictions.

By us facilitating this networking opportunity, clubs can now start looking for sponsorship whilst they have some downtime, to ensure financial stability in the future.

SNAP wants to do everything within our power to ensure not only the durability of grassroot sport, but to grow it and strengthen it and provide clubs with a targeted approach to finding the perfect sponsorship partner.

We’re also working with NGBs, leagues and other authorities to help them understand the needs of clubs and where they can help and support them.

Our online portal is a one-stop-shop for all involved in grassroot sport and SNAP is here to provide best-practice advice and expertise to help you succeed.

Please visit www.snapsponsorship.com for more information Or contact Mark Covington at mark.covington@snapsponsorship.com

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Opinion

Build it and they will come, or will they?

By Dave Swanton Since lockdown I have been as busy as possible, launching my website, writing a few chapters of my book (and having the content of one chapter legally checked!) and taken part in several Zoom meetings about sport in general. Finance, administration, marketing, media, operational issues including television coverage. At 63, I thought I had seen most things but the ‘new normal’ is going to be a far cry from what we have ever seen or experienced in the past.

At the top level with Premiership Rugby the money coming into the game should help but down a few levels and sport is on the ropes and its going to take something special to make sure clubs survive. One quick example is the capacity at grounds. With two metre distancing you can only fit in 50 people down the long side of a ground and if there are terraces it will mean you will have to keep at least three steps clear. Turnstiles on entry will need wiping down like supermarket trolleys when every single person enters the ground, toilet facilities were still being discussed at the point I wrote this and sitting in the stands is going to be a nightmare.

Every ground will need a health and safety checks and if stewards ever made you think they were officious little men in high viz jackets, you ain't seen anything yet!

Attracting a crowd and regaining fans confidence will be a big ask. Don’t kid yourself that when the game restarts, people will flood back to watch. We can’t, as a nation, decide whether it’s safe for children to return to school and the last time I checked, schooling was not an option.

Parents won’t be keen on taking children to grounds where spacing is at a premium.

How fans react to refunds from the season

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that didn’t complete is going to be interesting. If season tickets were paid for by credit card, they are covered by insurance and if a club refuses to refund, the card company will get involved if requested and could (I have seen this in the past) stop you using their card facilities going forward.

Television will play a massive role in reengaging people as they have all been doing different things for three months. Yes we have seen repeats of big games but sport on television is about the ‘Now’ and what may happen.

The Rugby Union calendar is and always has been crammed with very little elbow room. If a global calendar was introduced would it been the Southern Hemisphere teams playing during our winter or the Northern Hemisphere clubs playing during the summer? They said that Super League would not work in summer months but 25 years on, it does very well.

In my view the Premiership is not in a good position at the moment. There appears to be a lack of unity. Some wanting to spend cash and hire the cap, others trying to be more reserved and keep costs under control. I said earlier this year and stand by it that Saracens were made an example of, but they were not alone in creative accountancy and bending the rules. The reason Saracens were nailed is that they were successful and ‘won’ trophies.

Others who were probably doing similar things to Saracens ‘won’ nothing. You have to wonder if Saracens hadn’t been so successful; would they have been punished as heavily or indeed at all?

If the season has to be played out Saracens have a big part to play. They could be in three competitions at the same time. The Premiership, the Championship and the

Heineken Cup! With players leaving Saracens for pastures new you have to wonder what sort of team they will field! Will their Premiership record be expunged? If so it could put a slightly different twist on the league table. There is nothing coming out of Premier Rugby HQ at present so the clubs/sponsors and fans are all in a vacuum.

Days come and go and most sports are making progress on restarts. Football is allowing closer player contact but rugby union is reluctant to press the re-start button.

Sale Sharks did restart some form of low key training but were immediately told to stop! If the sport is not careful all the good work down the years will have been wasted as people drift to other activities.

Cricket was on a massive high after the World Cup in 2019 but the ECB seem to be dragging their heels on a restart and the game stands to lose a figure around £380 million in 2020. That figure may never be recovered and send the sport into the wilderness. Rugby Union needs its International ‘fix’ and as I stated earlier the calendar is crammed but room needs to be made available for the Six Nations/Autumn

Internationals and the Lions tour in 2021.

Rugby Union has a big profile because of the International game and it doesn’t matter how much money you throw at the 12 team Premiership, it will never match football and is probably (without big games at Twickenham) on a level with EFL Division 1 at best. In my mind the Premiership needs unity, it needs to keep the cap on money men playing ‘Top Trumps’ with signings.

Big signings do not guarantee big crowds. My old club Sale Sharks have some of the World’s biggest named stars in their ranks including Faf de Klerk but despite them playing attractive rugby they cannot pull big crowds to their Salford base at the AJ Bell Stadium. I was there when the club grew from crowds of 1800 to 11000 full houses and ticket touts at Stockport. For years the Salford location has been blamed for low crowds but looking in from outside and talking to people I am not sure anymore.

There has been talk about a stadium in Sale but would that guarantee big crowds? It’s a massive gamble.

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Q&A Feature

John Pownall, Chairman at Surrey Rugby A little about you… Can you tell us a bit about your background?

Whilst you are Chairman at Surrey Rugby what do you hope to achieve?

Expatriate Yorkshireman undertaking missionary work In Surrey for last 40 years.

After playing first class rugby in the North East my career took me all around the UK, Europe Africa and the USA and I developed an expertise in turning around companies.

My main aim is to transition the county from the “older hands” to a new generation of volunteers to keep us relevant and helpful to our clubs.

I am by training a linguist and accountant but most of my work life was in international sales and marketing together with “general management”. I am now semi-retired living in Farnham with my wife and dog with the benefit of adult children living locally.

How did you first get involved with Surrey Rugby and what is your role now?

When I left corporate life I offered to help my local club Farnham where I had played and coached but they were well set up and apart from a little bit of fundraising there was no job to get my teeth into. Surrey we’re looking for volunteers, we always are, so I joined to help with the Club Development side of matters. After a few years I took on the Hon Sec role which requires a reasonable understanding of how the County works, how clubs can be helped and how we interface with the RFU. In due course I was elected Chairman last year but I am delighted to find that we have also found some new fresh talent amongst our Management Committee so my role has been eased by the strong support of a new team. We want to find ways to retain our older experienced volunteers but it is essential to bring in new younger talent who are that much closer to the game. In the volunteer sector that is always a challenge.

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We need to update our communications which we are actively doing by use of social media and to reduce the proportion of our cost basis given to “standing costs” whilst maintaining and growing the amount of support we provide and the amount of Rugby played in Surrey. In this regard we are bucking the national trend as our competitions are growing both in number of activities and in numbers of teams involved.

We awarded 39 trophies at our last end of season Awards dinner recognising the hard work of many of our 100 + clubs throughout the season.

Whilst you are Chairman at Surrey Rugby what do you hope to achieve?

Surrey Rugby is the interface between our clubs (c100 in total and 70 “voting” clubs) and the RFU. We work closely as the amateur volunteers with our professional counterparts of Regional Development officers, Area Managers and a team of Community rugby coaches – all funded by the RFU. Where necessary we can tap into the massive expertise and experience available from the RFU – facilities to HR, insurance to Legal or disciplinary guidance for example. Our strap line is “to help our clubs prosper and thrive” which covers everything from Representative Rugby – Adult to Age Grade, men and women, through to business support and assistance.

Along the way we cover Safeguarding,

"My main aim is to transition the county from the 'older hands' to a new generation of volunteers to keep us relevant and helpful to our clubs."

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Q&A Feature Discipline, Competitions, Club Development, Game Development. Health and Safety and Compliance. There is an increasing focus on player welfare, again ranging from provision and supervision of touchline physios through to mental health and wellbeing.

Our clubs range from single team occasional clubs to well developed businesses with considerable turnover, assets, capabilities and structures. We work with all of them tailoring our support to their needs. Whilst we do not have infinite resources, we are well funded and can call upon a lot of expertise and experience both within Surrey rugby and the RFU. Often our “added value” is not just money, it is guidance, expertise and support. No matter how well set up a club is, it cannot be an expert on all matters so we point clubs in the direction of highly qualified advice .

What are the main activities undertaken by the ‘Club Development’ department at Surrey Rugby?

Broadly we structure ourselves to align with present or former structures of the RFU and Club Development that looks after all “off the pitch” activity. This includes revenue generation, advice and guidance on helping clubs to raise and preserve their monies. We sponsor and fund initiatives aimed at growing the clubs through increased participation or into new areas both geographic and new paying initiatives.

Sometimes our work crosses into Game Development, retaining players, recruiting players etc, but the overall aim is still to strengthen clubs and get more rugby played.

Can you tell us about the initiatives / programmes Surrey Rugby has to aid player development at various levels and ages?

There has been a lot of focus on Age Grade Rugby development in recent years and our previous player development pathways are now being led by the local Premiership

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Academy, in our case Harlequins.

Working relationships with Quins are better than ever and the talented team there are keen to extend their involvement with workshops for players who are not involved in the 3 year development pathway.

Everybody leaves this pathway in due course and our hope is that they will return to their home clubs to “spread the gospel” of the enhanced coaching they have received.

Working with our RDO’s we are also providing workshops on specific areas of expertise (e.g Scrum workshop) to improve coaching and development across the county. This mirrors the work they undertake within schools.

Girls Rugby in Surrey is growing at a fast pace. What is Surrey Rugby doing to make this happen?

Our Representative Rugby, Club Development and Game Development do not differentiate between the genders so we are increasingly traveling along a path of full integration. We run teams for Women and girls and although the absolute numbers are low for historical reasons, this is one of the fastest growing areas on player participation within the overall game. Within the county we are fortunate enough to have some very experienced and talented women within our Council Representation, Executive, Management Committee and Disciplinary Committees.

What’s the main purpose of the Volunteer Recognition Programme (VRP) at Surrey Rugby?

In addition to the fantastic involvement of Mitsubishi as a National sponsor we place great emphasis on the role of volunteers in our own organisation and in all our clubs. The community game

Q&A Feature

exists purely on the basis of a vast army of unsung volunteer heroes who support clubs financially and administratively.

We all need to attract more volunteers and retain and expand the horizons of those already committed. If we can extend a 2 hour a week volunteer into a 10 hour a week volunteer it is equivalent to finding four extra pairs of hands. Many volunteers are giving far more than 10 hours purely for love of the game and to help others Our principal involvement is to provide recognition for these volunteers (not always with rugby related gifts or acknowledgments) to motivate the volunteers and quite simply to express our gratitude. We constantly need to find new blood and if someone wishes to ask to be involved the answer is YES – now can we consider how and where!

How important are Surrey Rugby’s sponsors and patrons in helping achieve your goals?

Part of our funding has traditionally been channelled from the RFU (in turn from Sport England) and quite reasonably the RFU expects our commitment for these funds to align fully with their own objectives as detailed in our Local Rugby Plan.

Sponsorship money and other self generated funds help to finance areas which go beyond the areas supported by the RFU, for example Representative team expenditure beyond the levels subvented by the RFU. Our sponsors are generous with their support and funding, in many cases on an altruistic base as the “Return on Investment” in the community game is difficult to quantify. The sponsors not only fund these activities but bring recognition through their own networks to the world of community rugby and the values

which underpin our game. It is sometimes described as fulfilling their “corporate social responsibility” but all sponsors share our view of the values and the benefit to the wider community of a strong involvement in rugby.

Finally, what advice do you have for grassroots rugby clubs who are currently facing difficulties due to Covid-19?

The RFU was quick to take decisive action with regard to the community game and to provide matched funding with the CB’s to create an Immediate Support fund. Further grants and loans have been offered through the RFU and Sport England.

We have helped to advise clubs to mitigate their financial exposure through grants, loans, business advice to seek rates rebates, loan deferrals and the furloughing of staff.There is continued uncertainty and longer-term planning is a lottery.

Our concern is that clubs may well have mitigated their short-term position but with many revenue streams either turned off or massively compromised, the situation may get considerably worse.

We fear that the less considerate clubs may be threatened in the medium term when normal revenue streams are not available for expenditure over the summer or even into next season. The RFU has confirmed that the Immediate Support fund is not time constrained and we are in discussion to find the most appropriate and effective means to ensure that our funds are applied on a fair basis. We have asked clubs to keep in close contact with us and we will monitor our own limited resources to provide as much support as possible over the coming weeks and months, but with no guarantee of when clubs can resume playing and generating revenue, it is difficult to be precise about our ongoing support.

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Club news

Luton RFC appoint new Head and Backs coaches

Luton Rugby Football Club announces Ben Nutley and Steve Ellis as new appointments to their Senior Rugby coaching structure.

Luton Rugby Football Club are very pleased to announce two new appointments to the senior coaching team. Ben Nutley will join as Head Coach and Steve Ellis as Backs / Skills Coach.

Ben and Steve both have a successful history with the club having been with Luton RFC at youth and senior rugby, respectively. Ben was part of a very successful Luton Youth team that included his twin brother Tom from age 12 to 17, when he went on to join the Northampton Saints Academy with the full blessing of Luton Rugby.

He went on to have a very exciting career in professional rugby, playing in England's Under 20s (going on to become a 6 Nations Winner) and playing in the World Cup. He has made 83 1st XV team appearances for Northampton Saints including 6 finals.

Ben has coached at Northampton Saints, Bugbrooke RFC and Old Northamptonians RFC. Ben said “It’s a pleasure coming back to my hometown club having many memorable playing experiences as a youngster. Lots of exciting things going on off the field, the task

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ahead is to emulate that on the field.”

Steve Ellis is also returning to Luton Rugby having been an outstanding Centre during some of the clubs’ best years.Steve has outstanding playing experience, having played for Essex County Under 18’s, London and South East England Under 18’s, Saracens Academy, Bedford Blues RFC, Old Albanians RFC and Hertfordshire County Seniors, as well as his years at Luton.

Steve said, “I’m very excited to be back involved and am looking forward to coaching the lads at a club where I enjoyed 3 of my most enjoyable rugby years.”Ben and Steve bring huge experience having both been coached by some of the best topflight coaches.

Luton RFC’s Director of Rugby Steve Haynes said of the appointments: “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome both Ben and Steve to Luton Rugby. We recognise that the last few seasons have been tough for senior rugby at Luton and I am very grateful to the players and interim coaches who have continued to commit themselves to Luton week in and week out. Now is our chance to build a winning squad under the leadership of two exceptionally talented coaches and I’m excited by the future for Luton RFC.”

Otley Rugby Club partner with Old Grovians Rugby Club Otley Rugby Club and Old Grovians Rugby Club have reached an agreement effective from the 2020-21 season which will see the two clubs co-locating at Cross Green.

The clubs are optimistic this is the start of a long-standing successful partnership which has the full support of both committees. Old Grovians play in Yorkshire Division 2 (Level 8), finishing ninth at the end of last season. The intention is that they will play all of their home games at Cross Green once rugby resumes. Once together, this partnership will

kick-start our wider ambition for the Saracens to develop an Academy U20 side over the coming years.

Old Grovians are likely to be one of Yorkshire’s youngest clubs, formed in 1964 by Tony Bramwell. At the time he was playing for Ilkley, and a Governor of Woodhouse Grove School asked him to form an Old Boys Rugby Team for the newly created 'Sports & Social Sub-Committee' of the Old Grovian Association. The 1964-65 season saw the club’s first active year, in which, as a trial season eight out of an arranged ten games were played when they won two, lost five and drew one.

Over the intervening years, they have steadily moved up the leagues, and at the end of the 2012-13 season were crowned Champions of Yorkshire 4 only losing one game. Three promotions in five years shows the club’s ambition to grow and play good rugby.

Links between the two clubs include the winger Paul Sampson who played for Old Grovians before joining Otley in the 1995-96 season. He went onto to play for Wasps during which time he made three appearances for England. More recently, Ben Magee played at OG and Ilkley before coming to Otley, while Joe and Harry Garforth, Sam Pickering and Dan Secker have gone from Otley to Old Grovians.

Southampton Spitfires head in new direction with new name The club formed in 2008 has officially changed its name to Solent Spitfires.

With the Spitfires currently in lockdown the club has taken the opportunity to rebrand with the new name of Solent Spitfires. This encompasses a larger geographical area along the south coast of Hampshire. With this new name the club are looking to attract players from further afield and boost their masters squad. The Solent covers a stretch of coastline from Baron on the Sea (New Forest) right across to Gosport and Portsmouth.

Lewes RFC - Club update: Chairman's message One way or another, rugby throughout Sussex had a generally disrupted season and an abrupt end once the extent of the Covid19 outbreak was realised.

Lewes Rugby Club were no exception. The unprecedented disruption caused by both waterlogged pitches and the decision by the RFU to curtail the remainder of the season greatly impacted this season and, like a number of clubs, the potential future of the club. A number of events, always held towards the end of the season, providing valuable revenues, had to be cancelled and will impact the level of funds usually available to kick start and prepare for the next season.

The Government, the RFU and other Sports related bodies, have created various grants and loans that Lewes hope to be able to make use and which have been welcomed by all clubs.

Nick Page, Lewes RFC Chairman, says,“The Sussex RFU constituent body and the RFU were very quick to step in and call together all clubs, to ensure they fully understood the potential impacts there will be as part of the lock down.

"They have been guiding and advising clubs as to what is available directly from the Government, themselves and from Sport England. All of this assistance is more than

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Club news "welcome at this time. Obviously no one knows yet what position a lot of businesses will be in post the current situation.

They can only hope that they are able to retain as many of our sponsors as they can and lessen the overall impact closing the season early may have had - but it’s too early to really tell at the moment.

most of which it has proudly played at the Stanley Turner Ground. They will do their utmost to ensure that it is able to continue to do so.“

Hornets RFC and The Luhimba Project - Giving old kit a new home!

Understandably their clubhouse is currently closed, but they are using social media to post various rugby related physical activities, some created by their own Coaches, to try and help keep people fit and active whilst they stay at home.

They also keep them informed, as much as possible, as to what is going on regarding the club in general. They may well have to organise a virtual AGM, which will be interesting, or delay it to nearer the start of next season.

“Despite the strange latter part of the season, the Ladies sides had a great season finishing 2nd and 4th in their respective leagues.

The Senior Men had to make do with fewer matches due to the state of pitches throughout the county, plus the sad fact that 3 clubs had to withdraw from the league after the start of the season due to a lack players a feature regrettably being replicated throughout the country and one proving hard to remedy.

Their Minis and Juniors continue to thrive with around 300 children having used the largely ageing facilities at the Stanley Turner Ground every week. before the lock down took effect.

They are reliant on their volunteers, Coaches, Lewes District Council (their landlords) and especially their generous sponsors to enable them to organise rugby training and matches for all of their teams every week.

Lewes Rugby Club has existed for 90 years,

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Hornets RFC has recently been working with The Luhimba Project to give some of their old kit a new home and support a very worthwhile cause.

The Luhimba Project is a UK based small charity which has been supporting the remote and poverty-stricken village of Luhimba and surrounding areas in Southern Tanzania, East Africa since 1984.

At the request of the villagers the project helps this very poor community to improve its quality of life through better facilities for education, health, agriculture and clean water.

To help the project and support the Luhimba community, Hornets RFC have donated a full set of playing jerseys which have been presented to the Ngembambili School to the delight of the pupils and staff.

Hornets RFC wishes the Luhimbu project and the surrounding areas all the best and hopes these shirts will inspire some of the children to take up rugby in the future.

Petersfield RFC welcome two new faces to coaching team Petersfield RFC are pleased to announce the addition of Liam Perkins & Matt Wake to the coaching team at Petersfield for the coming season.

Following a very successful 2019/20 season, which saw its three teams gain two promotions and a second-place finish, the club is currently looking to grow and strengthen its player base for the 2020/21 season, and beyond. To help ensure that the players get the best out of the fantastic facilities the club has to offer, it is also adding strength and depth to its coaching set up with the addition of top-level player, turning coach, Liam Perkins and former Great Britain American Football star and established coaching guru, Matt Wake.

Liam will become a regular presence at the senior sides' training sessions during the season as he starts his transition from playing to coaching. However, before he hangs up his boots, he is looking forward to another year of National League rugby, with Worthing the team he has represented for the last 7 years, 4 of which as captain. Once done with playing, Liam will become more involved with Petersfield in the 2021-22 season.

Speaking on Liam's appointment, Head Coach Jason Ford commented ‘Both Jim and I have watched Liam and followed his progress over many years. We were so impressed with him as a player from a young age that we asked him to captain the full men’s county side as a 21-year-old. He has gone on to big things within the game and we are looking forward to working with him as he starts his coaching badges. As well as this we are looking forward to him challenging both the players and the coaches with his knowledge and experience of ideas and techniques.’

at least 12 years and have followed his rugby progression with great interest whilst also becoming good friends with him. Having known of his ambition to move in to coaching it was felt right to offer him the opportunity to join us. I’m pleased he’s taken up this chance, I look forward to working with him and leveraging his skills and to him becoming a member of Petersfield RFC.’ Liam commented: ‘I am really excited to be starting my coaching journey with Petersfield, and happy I am being given the opportunity whilst maintaining involvement as a player at national league level. Having worked with both Jim and Jason in the past, I am keen to learn from them and hopefully pass on some useful bits in my capacity as a coach.’

Not one to resist a challenge, Matt has been coaching on the London Irish DPP and within Hampshire set-up for the last five years, including managing the U20-side who made the National semi-finals a few years ago.

From his work around the County, Matt is already known by a number of Field's titlewinning senior players and have already attested to his drive and ability.

Club Chairman, Stuart Barden, declared himself delighted with the new signings; "We believe that Matt and Liam are great fits for Field's Senior section coaching team and are excellent addition as we continue preparations for next season."

Matt and Liam join an already large and experienced coaching set-up at Penns Place, supported by a further team of professional Physiotherapists and motivational Strength & Conditioning coaches; all focused on helping the players be the best they can come matchday. As evidenced by the superlative 2019/20 season, whatever level the players wish to reach, this impressive set-up has the ability to help them do so. Most importantly, though, they get to have more fun doing so!

Coach Jim Pearce said ‘I have known Liam for

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Opinion

Glory Girls: How Rugby Is Encouraging Female Talent

By Sean Phelan - FYB Rugby

Rugby has been the sport of our nation for a hundred years or so. It is a sport we can rely on; we’re fantastic at it. It offers more physicality than football and has been described by some as the closest you can get to a gladiatorial fight in the 21st Century.

However, there is much more to Rugby than that. There is a tremendous amount of elegance to the game, with every team member effortlessly working to support one person with one ball. Strong passes glide beautifully between multiple positions and can almost look like someone has choreographed every move.

Rugby pushes all of your physical boundaries.

Tackles and scrums are relentless and require you to withstand incredible forces. The players are like an extended family. They are supporting each other, encouraging each other. The respect between teams is high; the respect for the referee is higher. The bond between a team is so deep and

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personal due to hours and hours of training, playing in horrendous conditions and experiencing ultimate highs and bitter defeats.

These are some of the reasons that more young girls are growing in love with the game. All over the country, women’s rugby teams are flourishing. Talent is abundant in the girl’s teams, with Centre of Excellence's all over England to nurture the talent and help these girls on the path to the ultimate squad.

The rise in popularity could be attributed to the success of the women’s England team.

These ladies look every bit as tough and robust as the men, yet look incredibly beautiful doing it. They have attracted such a diverse group of girls into the sport that the recent U18 Country tryouts were at an alltime high. Rugby offers an opportunity for girls to grow physically, mentally and socially.

“The girls are my family, off-pitch we enjoy doing our make-up and dressing up, but on the pitch, we can prove that isn’t all we are. I can’t wait to get to training, get my rugby head-on and work with my girls”, says 16year-old Mili Atkins of Gloucester County U18’s, who was recently selected for England under-18’s Centre of Excellence Academy at renowned Hartpury College.

“I started playing when I was thirteen, and after my first game I was hooked, I think young women have pent up aggression inside them. We are treated differently and not always given the same opportunities as boys, even at school. Rugby was the first sport I felt I was being given the same opportunity. I could let out my frustrations on the pitch, and it helped me focus during the week.”

The RFU jumped on this spike in female players and created a pathway to encourage and nurture young women, like Mili. “It’s was quite surprising for me to see that while my local girls’ teams had too many players at matches, the same club teams for boys were struggling to get players. The girls did offer to make up the numbers, and I had a free bet with my coach that we’d annihilate the boys” Mili continued. This passion and competitive nature in young women is clear to see, and there is no sign of women’s Rugby letting up.

Cinderford Girls RFC coach, Paul Lydiard says “The girls’ teams have been growing exponentially year on year. We’ve got some real rivals in the local areas, such as the Dings in Bristol. The quality of player across the girls’ team, both the U15’s and the U18’s is phenomenal. Working with the girls can be challenging, but I don’t mind them giving me lip, it’s the adrenalin.”

With a rise in player numbers and demand for team places high, the Glory Girls are heading to the top. Rugby teaches our daughters many valuable lessons, so it’s worth encouraging them to get into rugby.

It teaches young women how strong they are. It also helps them have a more positive attitude towards their bodies, as they grow into young adults they will be surrounded by fad diets and airbrushed models, the sport helps girls to embrace their bodies and love the strength they possess.

With so much focus on equality, girls who can compete at the same level as men in a sport as demanding as rugby can see they are just as capable—giving them the confidence to break down barriers and demand the respect of their peers. Rugby is also a sport that teaches us some metaphorical lessons, quite literally. If you are knocked down, get back up. Girls who understand this from a young age will develop the courage to face anything, and they have an understanding that you can fall flat on your face in a pitch full of mud, brush yourself off and dive fearlessly into the next tackle.

Back in 2014, after the incredible success of the England Women’s team, the RFU invested £10m into an action plan to engage more young female players into the sport.

This action plan delivered not just more female players, but more coaches, physios and referees too.

The RFU also delivered a Women’s Performance Pathway plan which targeted different stages in their lives: Schools and colleges – Constituent body squads/centre of excellence to grow a seed and love for the game and establish roots.

Age grade clubs – U18’s talent development squads to develop and nurture future roses.

Universities – U20 preparing to fulfil future potential and bloom.

League Clubs – Premier 15’s / England 15’s and 7’s to grow strong and robust in all conditions and finally, to win.

It’s with a targeted strategy like this, alongside financial commitment and a

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Opinion strong female squad that the RFU have captured the imagination of young girls across the nation. Mili told us that she had found the progress from U15’s club rugby to County and CofE really encouraging “Everyone involved from the CofE staff at Hartpury to my coaches at County and home, has encouraged me every step of the way. I have never felt held back because of my gender. I’m also blown away at the support we get on travel, there are so many people involved in the RFU that have made it exciting for girls like me to get involved and potentially have a future.”

While the RFU has made the sport equal in many ways, there is still a long way to go for the future of women’s Rugby. The sport needs the talent to keep rising up, and it also requires more spectators at matches and more demand for coverage on the TV. Female players still earn far less than their male counterparts, and sponsorship deals aren’t as much of an attractive proposition. For the game to grow, the girls need to drive the way, both on and off the pitch. We need more marketing campaigns focusing on the things that matter to young women and girls across the Country. We also need more focus from schools, helping to

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support the RFU in building girls up to enjoy their strength and the passion of one of our greatest national sports.

To help keep women’s rugby growing, take your girls to watch games whether it’s local matches in your town or international events like the Six Nations. Make an afternoon of it on the TV and explain why Rugby is essential, don’t just watch the men’s matches. Get settled down for 80 minutes of Women’s Rugby and show your sons and daughters that the sport is equal and open to all. Girls that grow up included in the sport from a young age will feel more confident to take an interest in it during their teenage years.

Most towns will have rugby clubs and some larger villages too. So head down to a few club matches and encourage your girls to get involved. Introduce yourself to the coaches and make it a part of your weekend activities during the season. Most importantly, play Rugby. Enjoy it in your garden or at the park.

Teach your daughters tackling techniques and show them how to make passes and kick the ball. We all have a role to play to inspire the next generation of Women’s Rugby winners.

In Focus

Lions Sports Academy Get stronger at home with our online training programmes Do your children miss playing rugby? Lions Sports Academy from South West London have found the answer to filling that eggshaped void!

Under usual circumstances Lions Sports Academy would be coaching over 5,000 children, across 18 rugby clubs and 22 schools, delivering strength and conditioning, rugby, cricket, netball and hockey sessions.

This, like the rugby season, has all been brought to a standstill due to the Coronavirus pandemic. However, it got them thinking; ‘How could we use our knowledge to help the rugby community during these uncertain times?’

Fortunately, thanks to their 240 strong network of expert coaches, it didn’t take them long to answer this question.

Foundation Strength Online, an online coaching programme, is the result.

Here’s what one parent said about Foundation Strength Online, “Nick absolutely loved it! He is grinning from ear to ear! He said it was great fun and can't single anything out because it was all awesome.

High praise indeed!”

The programme has been designed to keep junior rugby players fit, strong and motivated through the lockdown. It will also prepare them for the new season and help reduce the chances of injury.

It will also help them work on valuable life skills such as discipline, goal setting and teamwork.

If you sign your children up now they will receive an online exercise plan, links to video tutorials for each exercise - so they can follow along - and a progress tracker. Through weekly progress tracking participants can monitor their development and see how they’ve improved.

There are also rewards up for grabs for those who improve the most! Lions offer support to those who sign up too. They will answer any questions a participant may have. Best of all, if you send them a video, they’ll give you pointers on how to improve.

In addition to all this, when you sign up, your young rugby players will get access to exclusive live online workouts. These group sessions are a great way to feel part of a team again, They’re also a chance to ask questions and get feedback from coaches.

The best thing is it is completely FREE to try out!

Click here to sign up

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Funding news

Bishop's Stortford RFC receive Sport England Lottery funding

Bishop Stortford RFC has been awarded £10,000 of National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund.

The award will be put towards the preseason preparation of their pitches during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

The outbreak of the virus and the consequent shutdown of businesses as of March 23 has left the sport and physical activity sector facing a period of uncertainty.

In response, on March 31 Sport England announced a £195m package to help the sport and physical activity sector through covid-19. Within the package is a £20m Community Emergency Fund, of National Lottery money to deliver immediate funding to those who have a role in supporting the nation to be active but are experiencing short-term financial hardship or the ceasing of operations due to the impact of coronavirus.

The grant will allow BSRFC to prepare & repair its playing pitches in readiness for the resumption of play. Some 9 years ago a major exercise was carried out at Silver Leys, at a total cost of £120,000, to improve drainage on pitches that was necessary to avoid matches and training having to be cancelled because the surfaces became water logged and unplayable during winter months. A series of lateral drains were laid across the pitches, and connected to a main drain to take all the water away.

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However, the surface above the drainage has sunk with time, particularly during the drought of last summer, to produce an uneven and undulating surface to the point of it becoming almost dangerous to players.

If playing is to be resumed, remedial work, for which the funding has been awarded by Sport England, is absolutely essential; a duty of care to the players is paramount among the Club’s objectives. That work will involve filling the dips with soil, compacting, seeding and fertilising which is all labour intensive.

The playing surface at Silver Leys has been recognised as one of the best among the National League venues. The Sport England award will help the club to keep it that way.

Tim Hollingsworth, Sport England’s Chief Executive, said: “As the body responsible for the growth of sport and physical activity participation, we want the vital grassroots organisations that make sport and physical activity happen in this country to not just to come through this crisis but to be in a position to thrive again in the future. The £20m Community Emergency fund, made possible by National Lottery players is part of a multimillion pound package of support we are providing to ease the pressure on a huge number of the organisations who are central to the nation’s health and wellbeing.

“We are proud to be able to provide vital funding to Bishop’s Stortford RFC) to help it through these extremely challenging times.”

Chinnor RFC: 300 Club donates to Fund the Falcon Chinnor RFC Thame are delighted to receive a £5,000 donation from the 300 Club. The club have asked their members for help during the COVID-19 pandemic and would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the more than £11,000 raised so far. The 300 Club is administered by Doug Humphries and has been in existence

for 40 years when it first started as a 100 Club.

York RUFC receive funding to help repair storm damage

It operates by supporters and members subscribing a minimum of £1 per month for one number in the draw. Half of the proceeds are paid out as prize money every month, with the remaining 50 per cent going towards buying items on the Club’s wish list rather than the basics which membership fees pay for.

York RUFC is celebrating after being awarded £1,850 of National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Community Asset Fund for emergency works following flood damage.

The funding will be used to repair and reseed playing pitches which were badly damaged as a result of Storms Ciara and Dennis.

In the past, this money has been used to buy another defibrillator, additional first aid supplies for the youth section and a metal detector to help clean up the pitches after events such as the Picnic Ball and the Beerfest.

The £5,000 donated to the Club’s ‘Fund the Falcon’ campaign will go towards the running of the club.

Doug said: “During these unprecedented times we need to divert all of our energy and resources into keeping the Club afloat and viable, hence this donation from the 300 Club. The money will be used to ensure that the facilities will be ready and in good order when we start activities at the Club again.”

Chinnor RFC Thame President, John Ashfield said: “I would like to thank the 300 Club for their donation. Doug has worked hard to get the 300 Club back up and running over the last three years and this money is extremely welcome.”

The recent storms and floods devastated homes, businesses and infrastructure across the country and had a major impact on sports facilities, particularly sports pitches and water sports centres. In February, Sport England announced emergency funding for flood and storm damage to help clean up and repair sports facilities and get them back up and running.

The grant will allow YORK RUFC to reestablish grass coverage on the pitch at Clifton Park which was severely damaged following the floods of this recent winter.

Mark Gronnow, Chair at York RUFC, is thrilled to have been awarded the funding: “During this uncertain time, we are delighted that Sport England has awarded this National Lottery funding to us which will allow us to repair our pitch. This year’s flood was longer and more severe than previous years which left the pitch unplayable. This generous funding will allow the hundreds of men, women and children to keep playing rugby when the COVID-19 restrictions lift so that

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Funding news the community can once more benefit from these fantastic facilities.”

Tim Hollingsworth, Sport England’s Chief Executive, said: “When flooding happens, the priority must be making sure people are safe, they can get back into their homes and vital public services are back up and running. But we know from the floods in 2013 and 2015 that flood water can cause significant damage to sports pitches and pavilions, changing and social facilities.

“We’re making emergency funding available now so when the time is right sports organisations can pay for rebuilds and repairs quickly. We are delighted to be able to get this emergency funding to York RUFC to help it get back up and running as soon as possible."

Bourneville RFC receive funding for community wheelchair rugby project

rugby club; the nearest clubs are in Gloucester, Leicester, Northampton and Coventry. Through their initial research and conversations, the club are aware that dozens of people across the city would love the chance to try out the sport and get involved in a club, and they want to make this opportunity available to them.

With the support of Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby (GBWR), the club ran successful taster sessions for adults each Sunday in February.

They also launched schools sessions in Birmingham in the beginning of March to introduce the sport to the younger generation.

Their project is much needed to ensure that Birmingham (and especially its disabled residents with a physical impairment) have a wheelchair rugby club and regular activities to attend. The club have received fantastic support from Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby (GBWR) who are eager for us to bring sustainable Wheelchair Rugby provision to the City.

They are also grateful for the Support of the University College Birmingham (UCB), who have been collaborating with them on facilities and ideas for long term involvement in the project. Bourneville RFC are delighted with the funding from Sport England and it allows them to plan for the future.

Bournville RFC Community Department are delighted to have been awarded funding of £9,750 from Sport England. The funding comes at an important time for the department, who are working hard to secure opportunities for all sporting activities for when the current restrictions on sporting activities are lifted. Birmingham is England's second city, but it doesn't have a wheelchair

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Paul Arnold, Regional Development Officer at Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby, commented: "It is a crazy situation that in the country's second biggest city that we don't have a club to allow disabled people to play Wheelchair Rugby. The Bournville RFC Community team have been really supportive in developing a Wheelchair Rugby opportunity in Birmingham and this funding from Sport England will really help make this sustainable. We are really looking forward to having a regular training session taking place in the city and more disabled people being able to access this exciting sport".

The project will support a regular wheelchair rugby club throughout one year. Bourneville RFC are initially aimimg to help 30 people to take up a regular sporting habit and become much more physically active. This opportunity is for those aged 12 years over and with a physical impairment, although anybody interested in taking part is encouraged to find out if the opportunity could be for them.

By giving players access to high quality coaching, they will encourage players to keep coming back time after time, thus improving health, fitness, and developing a resilient sporting habit.

Matt Price, whose organisation Community Group manage Bournville RFC's community operations, commented: "This is great news for Bournville Rugby Community and the club as a whole, especially in these challenging times. We all need positive news and this grant from Sport England is exactly that. Thank you Sport England!".

Also commenting on the successful bid, Managing Director of Avery Fields Sports and Events, Phil Maynard, said: “It’s a great opportunity for us to grow another dimension to our community provision.

Forging links with other activities and providers gives us the chance to add value in areas of need”.

Glasson Rangers ARLFC receive £12,120 from RLWC2021 Capital Grants Programme Delivered in partnership between RLWC2021, the sport’s national governing body, the Rugby Football League, Sport England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, the CreatedBy programme is a funding pot of up to £10million made available by the government to support the legacy of the Rugby League World Cup by growing participation in the sport. The funding will

used to replace the club house roof to enable the continued provision of community and rugby league activities in the future.

Robert Burns, Committee Member at Glasson Rangers said: “Glasson Rangers, has, for a significant length of time provided a safe stable environment to allow the young people of this town play a sport which develops them as people as well as athletes, provision of this funding, along with a matched amount from the Ewanrigg Local Trust will allow the club to continue it’s key role within the community.

Ralph Rimmer, Chief Executive of the Rugby Football League, said: “Hosting the Rugby League World Cup in 2021 offers so many opportunities for everyone involved in the game in this country and beyond, and the facilities that will be delivered by the CreatedBy RLWC2021 Capital Grants Programme will be a big part of that transformation. The RFL are proud to be involved in that process, and we congratulate all the successful applicants - and look forward to the impact of this unprecedented level of investment in the game for years to come.”

Charles Johnston, Property Director, Sport England, said: "We are proud to be working in partnership to deliver the biggest government investment into grassroots rugby league facilities the country has ever seen. With this funding, communities will gain better access to the facilities, improved infrastructure and essential equipment they need to be active. We are pleased the investment will provide benefit to people engaging in the men’s, women’s and wheelchair game, with a focus on those disadvantaged areas where inactivity levels are stubbornly high. By focusing our efforts on increasing participation in the game, we’re ensuring that the Rugby League World Cup's legacy lasts long after the last ball has been kicked and the crowds have gone home."

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Opinion

Scrap the cup, review the cap, and protect the Lions: solving the 2020 rugby chasm

By Matt Hardy In such uncertain and unprecedented times, it seems trivial to be discussing the resumption of rugby. More important issues come before sport, yet the resurrection of the sporting calendar is matter of sink or swim for many clubs and organisations. Rugby is in a more perilous position than most, losses just shy of ÂŁ50 million in 2018 has shone a light on the fragility of rugby clubs in England. But, when all is said and done, just how does rugby restart?

With 13 rounds of the 2019/20 Premiership season played to date, each team still has nine games remaining. Add in the two play offs, the final, the Premiership Rugby Cup, and the European knock out stages, you have got a lot of rugby on the table. It has been made clear that the European competition will reach its conclusion, with October finals targeted. As for the domestic season in England, the only sufficient option would be

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to declare the season null and void. It is not safe for rugby to return, and it shouldn’t be rushed into a resumption to finish the season.

Under this plan, a final table can be produced by calculating the average points gained in each home and away game so far, and then added onto current points tallies.

The final table would then relegate Saracens, while promoting Newcastle Falcons back to the Premiership. The top four should then play a round robin series of games, with the top two teams of the four getting two home games and one away game, and the other teams playing away twice. This miniature, four team, competition would act as a preseason competition for the 2020/21 season, the winner getting a trophy to recognise their achievement, though this would not be the Premiership trophy. Similar competitions could be played for teams placed fifth to

eighth, and ninth to 11th, with Newcastle involved.

The 2020/21 Premiership Rugby Cup should be scrapped. Player welfare is more important than ever and limiting player’s exposure to other teams would be beneficial.

The Cup only forces players to play more games, and it is therefore an unnecessary risk. In addition to this, the European competition should be postponed for a season. International travel is likely to still be a barrier to cross-border sporting competitions until the end of 2020, and the delay to round one of the competition could lead to a final in the middle of the 2021/22 pre-season. That being said, if the European competition goes ahead, it should call on the last fully completed season from each of the three major leagues to decide its participants. This season’s Premiership Rugby Cup final between Sale Sharks and Harlequins could be played at the latter stages of next season, as both finalists were confirmed during the 2019/20 regular season.

There will be changes to matchdays in the 2020/21 season, that is for sure. Leinster have already conceded that their 12,000+ capacity stadium is unlikely to have fans for their next campaign. This does however allow for everybody involved in the game to play with the best possible systems in place to ensure safety. Premiership Rugby should consider increasing the size of a matchday squad to upwards of 25 players, while maintaining the permitted eight substitutions. This would allow coaches and doctors to identify players under strain and remove them from the field and would lower playing time for each player.

It is also paramount for tests to be carried out on players, officials, and staff while ensuring a system for which medical professionals are able to identify and act on fatigue or concussion symptoms.International fixtures are a different matter, involving cross-border travel and larger squad needs. Unless the

restrictions on travel and sport are reduced significantly, there wouldn’t be a major benefactor of these fixtures going ahead.

Grassroots clubs rely largely on union profits, and the lack of them will be detrimental to the survival of many local entities. Funding these clubs is paramount to rugby’s growth, but without the gate receipts from internationals, these matches are rendered somewhat unnecessary.

Premiership Rugby could take this time, where players are taking cuts and staff being furloughed, to seriously discuss changes to the cap. Whether the cap is reduced as a whole, marquee players removed, or the cap maintained, the finances of rugby have been changed permanently, and it is paramount for clubs to survive this uncertain period.

Finally, the British and Irish Lions tour must go ahead rather than delayed until 2022, assuming it is safe to do so. Scrapping the Premiership Rugby Cup and having a reduced European calendar could in fact benefit the welfare of players before the tour to South Africa. A delayed tour could be catastrophic to World Rugby, South Africa, and the Home Unions, as well as the Unions that indirectly receive some of the profits.

The Lions encapsulates rugby, and the tour is a great chance to open rugby to the world, when our eyes are captivated by any live sport.

The 2019/20 season should be over, whether fans like it or not. Time should be taken to protect players and ensure the resumption of rugby takes place only when it is safe to do so. This unprecedented period has thrown the rugby routine into the air, and this could be the best chance to change how rugby is played. A global calendar? A revised European competition? A nations league?

These are all topics which can be discussed and resolved while the regular calendar is in tatters. Scrap the premiership rugby cup, open discussions on Premiership finances, and protect the Lions tour to South Africa.

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Club Profile

York RUFC Founded: 1928

Club history The club originally played in the later years of the 1800’s. When the Northern Union was created in 1926, York FC became York RLFC. York RUFC was formed in 1928 – an amalgamation of junior clubs and playing at a variety of locations until finding a ‘permanent’ home on a field behind The Woodman Inn in Bishopthorpe, a village on the outskirts of the city.

The ground was ploughed up to help the Second World War effort and any matches organised were played on a variety of pitches.

In 1946-47 York RUFC played on their ‘own ground’ - a pitch rented from York Corporation that was formerly a golf club and winning the Yorkshire Challenge Shield in 1948/49 when they beat Castleford 15-9.

In 1963/64, York RUFC won the Yorkshire Shield again, beating Hull Ionians 8-6. The club continued playing at Hob Moor until

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they moved in 1966 to a site along with York Cricket Club – Clifton Park. They were joined there by York Tennis Club and then York Squash Rackets Club.

The facilities at Clifton Park were a far cry from what had been available at Hob Moor, the initial build cost £19,000!

The club continued to progress, running five teams, including Colts, and were in the Yorkshire Shield Final once more in 1970/71, finishing as runner up to Driffield. The club won the Shield again in 1980/81 and 2006/07.

Progress in league rugby has seen the club have success and failure – winning promotion but then suffering relegation. In 2015, two former York RUFC players, Lee Denham and Ian Thomson, took over as coaches and the club has made great progress under their guidance. In 2017/8, the club finished as Champions of Yorkshire One

(Level 7) and were promoted to North One East. In 2019/20, the club again finished as Champions and will play (whenever!) in North Premier (Level 5) – the highest level that the club has reached.

The club also now have a York RUFC Women XV, also promoted in 2018/19, two Girls Teams and a Touch Rugby section. Each Sunday during the season sees around 400 juniors/minis training at the club.

Present developments Playing in North Premier will be a massive challenge for the club and one in which they are determined to succeed. The opportunity that has been earned over recent years is one that everybody wishes to see York RUFC take the next step.

In the last few seasons, York RUFC have built up a strong squad of local players. At all levels, there is an extremely high number of locally produced players who have grown up and developed together. The recent success is a testament to their commitment to York RUFC. Last season, they were joined by player/coach Declan Cusack. Originally from Munster, he lives in York and has played his rugby at a high level. His coaching is always of a high intensity and his experience has rubbed off on all players at the club. The Junior Section hold an annual Junior Rugby Festival which attracts in excess of a thousand participants.

As the club continues to move forwards, plans are in place to make improvements to an already great venue to play and watch rugby.

The club are extremely fortunate to have a good number of sponsors who all wish to see the club progress and be part of the journey.

Many of them have supported the club over several years and have become ‘part of the team’.

One of the recent additions to the club sponsors is York Mind – concentrating on Mental Health – during the Coranavirus pandemic, their work has taken on even more importance. York RUFC has worked to help raise funding for York Mind and York RUFC Women have recently completed more fundraising by running the equivalent distance of Clifton Park to Twickenham – and back!!

Future plans Progression is especially important to the club – not just at 1st XV level but for all teams throughout the club. Success for the 1st XV will benefit the whole club, encouraging players, sponsors and supporters. Work continues to ensure that all our three rugby pitches, plus a training pitch, remain at a high quality. This year, floodlights were also installed on the 2nd XV pitch, funded by the RFU and our Junior Section.

The club has excellent facilities already, but they can only be improved. York Sports Club which is the ‘parent body’ of all four sports clubs at Clifton Park, continues to expand its vision and become more important and relevant to the local community. As well as hosting their pre-match lunches, it provides a venue for slimming clubs, dancing tuition, business meetings, private dinners, property auctions as well as parties, celebrations and a tremendous wedding venue. The Sports Club also hosts a Summer Ball, Burns Supper and a music festival.

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Facilities news

Eastern Counties Rugby Union Grounds Person of the Year

North Walsham’s Mark Webster has won the prestigious “Eastern Counties Rugby Union Grounds Person of the Year Award.”

Sponsored by Sports & Turf the award assesses nominees against criteria for ground improvements and promoting pitch maintenance within their Club.

“This Award is richly deserved,” said Rob Stimpson, North Walsham’s Facilities Director. “Mark has transformed things since he’s been in the role. The time he devotes to this voluntary position is incredible and he has succeeded in preparing outstanding playing surfaces for the whole club from the Minis to the Vikings. As importantly he’s made Directors, Coaches & Players aware of the importance of pitch maintenance and the need for investment. He has instilled a real sense of pride and ambition in our grounds with a five-year improvement plan in place.”

Mark’s association with the Club goes back a long way. A player for around 20 years, with his last first team appearance in 1992, he was Chair for three years in the 1980s. He began managing the near seven-hectare site at Scottow Park around two years ago. As well as the pitches – four full size plus smaller ones for the Youth, Girls & Minis – it includes a Play Area and Woodlands. It is an onerous responsibility with over 400 youngsters

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sometimes there on a Sunday morning.

Talking with Mark his vision soon becomes evident. Taking advantage of training courses he realised he needed better equipment, so set about raising the resources. “Now I do in a few hours what previously took two days, enabling me to move onto other aspects.” He created “technical areas” meaning heavy impact training takes place away from the pitches, stressing Coaches shouldn’t keep using the same areas. Paths have been created in the Woodlands, bulbs planted. As motivated by the needs of the community as he is by producing the perfect pitch, he welcomes the ground’s use by Schools, joggers and cross-country runners.

Vikings captain Matt Hodgson commented, “Mark provided us with some great surfaces despite last winter’s weather. The players much appreciate the huge effort he puts in, as they do the contributions made by all the volunteers that help make North Walsham such a great club.”

New fencing at Winstanley Community Sports Club The fencing has now been completed around what will be the new home for both Orrell RUFC & Winstanley Park Cricket Club to be known as the Orrell & Winstanley Community Sports Club. Some of the fencing panels have been sponsored by the club's members and will eventually have engraved plaques on them highlighting the name of the sponsor and their personal message of why they are supporting this great new adventure of theirs. Some plaques will be in memory of players (past and present), businesses who have supported

the clubs over the years or just a personal one because somebody wanted to help.

Whatever the reason, the club are very grateful and they hope to have all the fencing panels sponsored leading up to the opening of the new site.

The signage itself is quite subtle and just states that the fenced in land will be the new home of Orrell RUFC and Winstanley Park Cricket Club, together with an aerial view of the site.

The next stage of the work will be to start the entrance site and the moving of the speed sign. Work will continue on the site as and when allowed but in the meantime, work is continuing in the background getting us all up to speed for when sport is allowed to recommence.

Planning permission has been granted for Fawley RFC clubhouse

start of the 2014 rugby season. At this time the 2 proposed pitches had not been completed, which meant the club had to use a temporary pitch across the road.

Since moving to Newlands Park, in Gang Warily the club has made a lot of progress with improving the facilities.

Both pitches are fully operational, the training pitch is now fully floodlit and along with 50% of the main pitch. Also on site we have the storage containers and a welfare unit to house all the rugby equipment and supply hot tea with a bacon roll on a Sunday morning.

All these improvements have helped to recruit and retain players. The biggest growth has been in our juniors going from 40 up to currently 140 children aged 4-16. In addition, the senior side was promoted last season and is now competing at the top of Hampshire 1 looking for the next promotion.

In 2018 the club started a new walking rugby section for all those retired players, or for anyone wanting to give rugby a go but without the contact. Since its introduction this has also gone from strength to strength.

In order to continue with the growth and integration with the community schools and population, Fawley RFC needed to have a place to call home. With their own clubhouse this will give them a firm footing to continue with the development and growth of the club.

They will be able to offer the community a safe and controlled area to train, play and watch rugby.

After a very long road, Fawley RFC has now received planning permission for a clubhouse. Planning first started way back in 2013 when the club was still located at Waterside Sports and Social Club.

Fawley Rugby Club has been in the Waterside area since the 1920’s. With their proposed new clubhouse this should keep the club in the area playing rugby for many years to come.

The club moved to its present location at the

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Opinion

Gallagher Premiership: Why I am against ringfencing

By Tom Home Being someone who has had the privilege of working closely with several Greene King IPA Championship clubs, it genuinely infuriates me to think that some of the league’s incredibly talented and passionate teams may not get the opportunity to compete in the Premiership. Not for their lack of ability, but rather their chances being taken away via proposed ring-fencing.

It was not so long ago that the likes of Exeter Chiefs and Northampton Saints were plying their trade in England’s second division – both of which have gone on to win the Premiership title over recent years after being given the chance to thrive under new investment. If ring-fencing had been in place prior, neither side would have had the opportunity to develop into the dominant forces that they are today and amass their domestic and European successes.

Establishing the Championship as a professional league provides opportunities to English players, particularly younger ones, to make a name for themselves when Premiership appearances are not always readily available. Unsurprisingly, the fewer professional playing opportunities in England, the higher the likelihood that there will be a mass exodus of young, talented English players travelling overseas in search of fist-hand experience.

More pertinently, if it weren’t for the Championship, the England national team may have never discovered the likes of Jack Nowell, Dylan Hartley, Courtney Lawes, Luke Cowan-Dickie and many other fantastic players that have represented the national side over the past decade. Granted, the majority of these players would, more than

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likely, have been scooped up at some point

by Premiership sides, however, would they have initially received the same playing opportunities that they did, or would they have just been overshadowed by those club’s existing squads and never really made their marks?

Now, speaking purely from a sports perspective, rather than anything businessrelated, I think that promotion and relegation are integral aspects of the modern-day game. When you take away the main principles of sport – competition and consequence – it jeopardises the integrity of the game. Most Championship players hope to play in the Premiership one day and if the opportunity to do so is removed, what do you expect them to aspire to every season? At one point in time, the likes of Nottingham, Coventry and Moseley made up three of the original twelve clubs involved in the inaugural Premiership – who says that they can’t rise again in the not so distant future?

Not only from a playing perspective, but also in terms of coaching exposure, the Championship has allowed the likes of Rob Baxter and Jim Mallinder to lead teams to Premiership final success and showcase their abilities to take sides to the top of the domestic game. Additionally, several

Recruitment

Kings Cross Steelers RFC

Kings Cross Steelers RFC are about to kick off their Silver Jubilee year. In what promises to be a big year for them, they’re looking for experienced players to join them.

professional officials, such as Matthew Carley, Luke Pearce and Ian Tempest, also earnt their stripes refereeing in the Championship.

Undeniably, the Championship is a vital feeder to the Premiership and without doubt, the best way to increase standards at the top of the playing pyramid is to improve standards below. Unfortunately, Championship rugby funding cuts appears to actively want to worsen standards below.

The current £8 million, which is shared between the 12 clubs, is due to be halved come the 2020-21 season, making it appear that the RFU and Premiership is all but naming ring-fencing. The RFU will drop their funding of £550,00 per team per season to £288,000 with no commitment to any form of funding beyond next season, while Gallagher Premiership rugby will reduce its £1.7 million funding to just £850,000 before entirely removing it by the 2021-22 season.

While I am sure there will be plenty of people that argue in favour of ring-fencing, for me personally, it spells a slow death to the development of professional rugby in England. Without doubt, the value and benefit of the Championship has been overlooked by the RFU and I believe, if they decide to ring-fence the league, it will be a decision they come to regret in the future.

The National Rugby Awards Team of the Year and Union Cup 2019 winners are based in West Ham, a stone’s throw from the City and Canary Wharf, with great connections to London, Essex and Kent.

They have excellent facilities including 4 pitches, 3G training pitch, physiotherapist and multiple changing rooms, showers and the all important bar for the third half. They are recruiting across 4 squads with a level of men’s adult rugby that’s right for you. For the women’s game they partner with their clubhouse friends East London Vixens. Each squad has a dedicated coaching team supported by Head Coach Keith Green.

Whether you join the 1st XV who are seeking promotion to level 7 or one of the other squads a great level and amount of rugby is available to you. They’re proud to always field a team.

As the most welcoming and inclusive team in Essex and London they will be celebrating their 25th season this year, so this is your chance to transfer clubs and get involved.

They will be competing in the Union Cup 2021 in Birmingham and flying to Canada in 2022 for the postponed Bingham Cup in Ottawa against worldwide friends and rivals.

The Steelers are open to all and ask only that you live and play by the values of their club and the RFU. To start your journey with them email recruitment@kxsrfc.com

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From the professional game

England Rugby and Umbro have announced a new fouryear partnership

Government offer backing for Rugby League in Coronavirus crisis

The English sports brand will be the Official Technical Kit Partner from 1 September 2020, when the iconic double-diamond of Umbro will be worn by the England Men’s teams, Red Roses, Sevens and age grade teams. Umbro will provide the team’s match kit, training wear and off-field kit as well as offering fans a full range of supporter wear including men’s, women’s and children’s ranges.

The RFL has secured significant Government support to help the sport and its clubs through the unprecedented financial challenges caused by the current public health emergency. The Government has announced an emergency loan of £16 million to be administered by the RFL, in partnership with Sport England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Premiership Rugby publishes report of Miners Review Premiership Rugby has published the report of a comprehensive review of its Salary Cap regulations led by former Government Minister, Lord Myners CBE. The review was commissioned by Darren Childs, CEO, Premiership Rugby, in December 2019, three months after his appointment and before the onset of the global Covid-19 pandemic. The independent Review was created with the objective of strengthening the regulations to create a worldleading Salary Cap system.

The Myners Review follows on from the 2019 case in which an independent disciplinary panel upheld charges against Saracens for breaches of the Salary Cap. The panel gave a strong endorsement of the regulations, finding the cap to be consistent with competition law and with the objectives of ensuring the financial viability of clubs and the league, controlling inflationary pressures, providing a level playing field, ensuring a competitive league and enabling clubs to compete in European competitions.

Sale Sharks appoint new Head of Women’s Rugby

Toronto Wolfpack confirm plans for a UK Foundation

Sale Sharks have announced the appointment of Darren Lamon to the newlycreated position of Head of Women’s Rugby to leave the Sale Sharks Women’s team into the elite domestic league in the country.

Toronto Wolfpack have announced plans for a UK based Foundation and Community programme. The program will seek to deliver positive outcomes in communities across the UK through the medium of rugby league, with the specific objective of putting rugby balls in kids’ hands.

Darren comes to Sale Sharks from the Sharks Community Trust and Academy, where he has been the Rugby Development Manager and Academy Coach Development Officer since 2018.

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The Wolfpack already deliver a significant community program at home in Toronto titled Full80.