Page 76 - RFU Club Benefits Guide 2017/18

GROWING THE GAME GROWING THE GAME
GROWING THE GAME

Contact your Rugby Development Officer (RDO)
Club - Schools Links Club - Colleges Links Club - University Links or University Rugby Development Officer (URDO)
or universities@rfu.com:
Local rugby playing schools are a great place to find your Further Education and Sixth Form Colleges offer clubs a Do you want more adult players at your club?
next generation of players (there are no less than 3,200 huge opportunity to engage with 16-19 year old students. Universities could provide more players both while they University Rugby Development Officers:
who are members of the England Rugby Football Schools Over 773,000 16-18 year olds choose to study in colleges study and when they leave.
Union) and linking with a school or schools in your area compared with just 442,000 in schools. Mike Panaho
will certainly help to put your club at the heart of the There are many benefits from linking with colleges, With more than 120 rugby-playing universities in Cornwall, Somerset, Devon, Dorset & Wilts
community. England, there may be one near to your club, which may
sharing facilities to creating satellite clubs as well as provide a rich resource, potential new players and a and Gloucestershire
Send in your coaches, help to train their teachers, provide players from the college having the opportunity to play at mutually beneficial partnership. mikepanaho@rfu.com
club facilities for a schools festival and the youngsters the club. 07718 706589
will discover all that’s best about your club. As part of their studies, college students often seek work You may be looking to promote your club and students

Teachers and parents at local schools may join your experience and leadership opportunities in a host of may be looking to build their skills and CVs. Jamie Traxon
volunteer workforce and may help you to attract local disciplines that could also benefit your club. There may be media students who could video matches, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire,
business sponsorship. Why not go back to school, where College students may help to coach your youngest teams, undergraduates happy to design promotional materials Berkshire, Middlesex and Hertfordshire
head teachers and heads of sport or rugby can make assist at club festivals, or provide support in other areas or physiotherapy students who can look to support jamietraxon@rfu.com
excellent allies? your teams. 07738 029261
of the club, such as social media, or sports theory, while
your club coaches may be able to act as role models and A further advantage to club-university links is that the Alex Hadley
mentors to them. university is often willing to share excellent facilities, Surrey, Sussex, Kent and Essex
HOW? including 3G and floodlit pitches. They may be happy to alexhadley@rfu.com
Contact your Rugby Development Officer (RDO) host your tag festival and even provide the volunteers to 07872 672478
or County Schools Union. HOW? help run it as part of their degree course.
Visit: www.englandrugby.com/colleges Richard Marelli
WHEN? Notts, Lincs & Derby, Eastern Counties,
All year but ideally ahead of the academic year. WHEN? HOW? Leicestershire, East Midlands and Warwickshire
Year round but ideally at the start of the Visit: www.englandrugby.com/universities richardmarelli@rfu.com
WHO? academic year. 07702 779593
Email: schools@therfu.com to find your WHEN?
local contacts. WHO? Year round but ideally March/April to plan for Chris Lowden
Email: colleges@therfu.com for further advice. the next academic year. Lancashire, Cheshire, Staffordshire and
North Midlands
chrislowden@rfu.com
WHO? 07809 511739
Make contact with the university via your
University Rugby Development Officer (URDO) Mike Hart
and arrange a meeting. Northumbria, Durham, Yorkshire and Cumbria
mikehart@rfu.com
07894 489755

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