Cornwall RFU currently have a vacancy for the Senior Mens Kit Manager. This voluntary post is responsible for the management of playing kit and medical equipment for training events and on match days. Playing kit and medical equipment is currently stored at Hayle RFC. If you wish to have an informal telephone conversation about the role please call Kevin Thomas (Chairman of Selectors) on 07565 156469.
Travel information regarding Tamar Cup
Cormac have announced that the A391 Lockengate, between Bilberry & Lockengate, will be closed for emergency repair works from Monday 13 March until Friday 24 March. This is the primary route from the A30 to St Austell through Bugle so it would be worth advising travelling spectators travelling via the A30 to plan their routes to avoid this section of road.
The recommendation is to come off at the Cornwall Services, Victoria and travel through Roche.
Tamar Cup 2023
The first Tamar Cup fixture since 2019 will be played on Wednesday 15th March at Tregorrick Park, St. Austell.
Kick-off is 7:30 pm. Entry £5 on the gate, Under 16s FREE.
Squad news will be posted when released.
Coach Education Evening with Gavin Cattle & Alan Paver
Coach Education with ‘Gav & Paves’
The Cornish Pirates, in partnership with the Cornwall RFU, are running a
free Coach Education Evening at St. Austell RFC on Wednesday 1st
March. Open to all coaches, the event commences at 6pm.
Cornish Pirates’ joint head coaches Gavin Cattle and Alan Paver will be
passing on their knowledge for the benefit of others, with Alan kicking
the evening off by focusing on the defensive side of the game. This will
run from 6pm to 6.45pm, followed then by Gavin covering attacking
aspects from 6.45pm to 7.30pm.
To book your place at this free of charge event, simply email your name
to: community@cornish-pirates.com
CRFU President visits Helston RFC
CRFU President John Sumnall visited Helston RFC last Saturday attending their home game against Illogan Park.
Whilst there John learned of the club’s plans to get more involved in the local community and he had this to say. “I was very interested in your present work whereby the Club is becoming more involved in the community which will be greatly aided by the provision of a new kitchen. This will not only enable the Club to provide hot food to spectators on match days but also to involve provision for meals during the week for specific groups. Very sensibly you are using your facilities to be further involved in the community by the hosting of mental health groups with the possibility of further groups to follow.”
Presentation to Peter Kennedy
Cornwall U20’s present montage picture of their season, to kit suppliers O’Neills
Peter Kennedy from O’Neills the official kit supplier of the CRFU visited the county recently and was presented with a montage picture depicting the successful U20 season in which they won the Jason Leonard Cup for the first time.
Colin Hatch U20’s team manager said “It was an honour to present Peter with the montage picture to recognise and thank O’Neills, and Peter for their work and support, not just last season, but since the partnership was formed some years ago” Thanks must also go to Simon Bryant for collating the montage from his images.
Pictured at the presentation, Dave Saunter Chair of the CRFU, Peter Kennedy O’Neills, and Colin Hatch Cornwall U20’s team manager with the cups and shields that the 3 senior Cornwall teams won last season.
Colin Hatch
Cornwall U20’s Team Manager
RFU Community Game Update 14 February
| Tuesday 14 February Stay up to date with news about the community game by following @RFU on Twitter here. |
| Community Game Update Read Online |
| 1. ACTION REQUIRED Update on end of season scheduling Exceptional weather conditions and unique circumstances have led to a considerable number of teams in RFU Leagues not playing as many matches as they usually would have at this stage of the season. The effect of this is that some teams need to play matches beyond the scheduled league completion date, ultimately also affecting the Papa John’s Community Cup and County Championships. Find out more information in this piece. Transfer Deadline Reminder for RFU Leagues With the end of the league season approaching, clubs are reminded about the registration transfer deadline. For men’s clubs playing in the National Leagues and below and women’s clubs at Championship 1 and below it falls on the 17 February 2023. For those playing above those levels it is 31 March 2023. 2. ACTION IF OF INTEREST Honda Volunteer of the Year 2023 nominations closing soon! The Honda Volunteer of The Year Awards 2023 nominations are open for the three categories: Game For All, Unsung Hero and Challenging Spirit. Nominate your amazing volunteers before Friday 24 February. Final call for claims: Community Rugby Support Fund 2022/23 The Community Rugby Support Fund for 2022/23 claim window closes on 19th February. As with last year, the purpose of this fund is to support voting member clubs, CBs and referee societies who are in greatest financial need. Energy saving tips for your clubhouse The RFU teamed up with Shaunagh Brown and Medway RFC to help your club reduce their energy bills. Watch the video in this piece and find more information online. England Rugby Advanced Coaching Workshop webinar 2023-24 The England Rugby Advanced Coaching Workshop webinar is now available to book until midday on Sunday 5 March. The webinar is a pre-requisite for those looking to book onto Part 1 of the England Rugby Advanced Coaching Award – Developing Advanced Coaching Practice. Find out more in this piece. Artificial Grass Pitches (AGP’s) – How to book Rugby 365 Artificial Grass Pitches (AGPs) are available for hire in many areas of the country all year round and available to rugby clubs at heavily subsidised rates. Find out more about them and where they are located in this article. Opportunity to join our new Women’s Competitions Advisory Group (WCAG) With the 2025 Rugby World Cup due to be held in England, there couldn’t be a better time to help shape the future of RFU Women’s Competitions. This is your opportunity to join a new group of volunteers involved in the women’s community game, who will act as an advisory body and will support game-led development of the competitions landscape. 3. FOR AWARENESS Every Game Matters For A Chance To Play At Twickenham As part of the RFU’s #PlayTogetherStayTogether campaign, every team participating in a men’s merit table/league or women’s national challenge league (including the Allianz Inner Warrior Series) now has the chance to play at Twickenham Stadium on Bank Holiday Monday, 1 May, 2023. More details can be found in this piece. Inclusion and Diversity Community Game Survey Last autumn, the third RFU Inclusion and Diversity Community Game survey took place. It remains an RFU strategic objective to drive rugby union in England to reflect the diversity of society, to improve diversity of all facets of our game and to continue to create an inclusive environment for all. Find out the results of the survey and the next steps in this piece. The County Championships 2023 The return of the Bill Beaumont, Gill Burns and Jason Leonard Men’s National U20 County Championships in the 2022/23 season will feature improved competition structures to enhance player experience. Find out more here. Thank you from the Safeguarding Team! We are really pleased to be able to report that all clubs to whom the Safeguarding Audit applied, submitted on time. We really appreciate the time and effort that clubs and volunteers have taken to get this done. Read Online |
Clubs invited to submit nominations – Last call to submit your nominations
In collaboration with England Rugby and Honda, Cornwall RFU is delighted to announce:
Nominations for the Honda Volunteer of the Year Awards will open 16 January 2023 and
will recognise an outstanding individual or group of volunteers for 2022 – 2023.
The Honda Volunteer of the Year Awards will help to recognise and celebrate volunteers for
their achievements and efforts, both on and off the field, over the last 12 months.
This opportunity to recognise volunteers has been made possible thanks to the partnership
with Honda and their support for volunteering in the grassroots game through the Honda
Volunteer Recognition Programme.
Speaking about the awards, RFU President Nigel Gillingham OBE said: “I am delighted that
through the Honda Volunteer Recognition Programme, we can recognise the exceptional
work that has gone into supporting Rugby Clubs over the past year. There are so many
outstanding volunteers who have really made a difference and the Honda Volunteer of the
Year awards provides a great opportunity to say thank you.
Jean-Marc Streng, President, Honda UK said: “Honda was built upon the Power of Dreams,
that same challenging spirit can be found in abundance at local Rugby clubs up and down
the country. Honda UK is proud to help recognise the volunteers who work tirelessly to
support their local Rugby communities.”
This year you can nominate either an individual, or a group of volunteers, across one or
more of the following categories:
Game for All
Unsung Hero
Challenging Spirit
Nominations close on Friday 24th February (17.00).
To nominate or find out more about the Honda Volunteer of the Year Awards, visit
www.englandrugby.com/participation/volunteers/honda-volunteer-recognition-
programme/how-to-nominate.
For further details, please contact:
Tom Magill
Cornwall RFU
Chair Club Development Committee
tommagill@btinternet.com
07592710798
Reminder regarding regulations relating to Youth Rugby
Cornwall Rugby Football Union
Reminder to all Cornwall Clubs Youth Rugby for Season 2022 – 2023
To all Clubs,
Over the last few seasons, we have noted that there are an increasing number of incidents involving youth rugby arrangements, players, coaches and supporters.
We, at the CRFU, as the Constituent Body, must remind all clubs that there are a number of regulations relating to youth rugby that MUST be complied with.
We are extremely grateful for and do appreciate that all involved across the County are volunteers and are busy with jobs, family and homes to run. However, it must be recognised that there are a number of very important responsibilities that go with being involved with youth rugby.
- Each age group rules of play as set out in Regulation 15 appendices.
- U15, U16 and Colts competitions also have particular competition rules.
- Safeguarding is paramount in everything we do in youth rugby. Every club must have a nominated Safeguarding Lead. Minimum standards required as set out in RFU Regulation 21.
- First aid for training and matches is vital
- Coaching courses are available and CRFU are always seeking more. We have noted that courses for any subject on Sundays during the season are not ideal
- Youth rugby is to be run on a “Player centric” basis. That is, it is the development of every player drives our decisions on how we deal with each player.
- Players playing out of age group require a properly formatted assessment by a suitably qualified coach in accordance with regulations 15.3 & 15.4 and the correct paperwork is completed and submitted to CB for sign-off. Forms on CRFU website under “Age Grade, Useful Resources”.
- 17 year olds moving into adult rugby, the 2 stage process must be adhered to. Assessment is done by CRFU nominated Coaches ONLY. 2 stage process can be found on CRFU website under “Age Grade, Useful Resources”.
- Unacceptable/abusive behaviour towards players and match officials is wholly unacceptable and has no place in our sport.
- Coaches and Parents must adhere to the basic principles of the game. TREDS. We should challenge any poor behaviour
- CRFU have added caveats to the rules and all clubs are expected to abide by these at all times.
- Every match at U9 and above must have technical areas marked out for the coaches and others to stand in and match referees should enforce this.
- Pitches should have barriers/fences/ropes to keep supporters away from the edge of the pitch. There should be a minimum space of 2m for the younger age group matches and 5m for the older groups.
- It is recommended that dogs, other than assistance dogs, should not be allowed due to the danger of disease transmittal to children.
- The taking of photographs and videos of matches and players training are only allowed with the express permission of BOTH sets of Coaches and Team Managers. Please refer to RFU Photography Guidance. This is available on RFU website.
Most importantly, all volunteers involved in rugby in Cornwall should appreciate that all of our, and, your efforts are that we have all of the children involved thoroughly enjoying their rugby and forming long lasting friendships
We are always open to ideas for improvement from every quarter. We want all of the Clubs in Cornwall to contact the Officers below if there are any questions or issues you feel need to be addressed or advice on any problem you may have at your Club.
Websites for CRFU and England Rugby can offer a huge amount of information and assistance also.
CRFU Youth Contacts
| Tony Knightsbridge | Chair Youth and Education | 07944 731625 | a.knightsbridge@btinternet.com |
| Andy Seaton | Chair.Youth / Mini-Junior Group | 07768 517452 | seaton.associates@btopenworld.com |
| Sue Whittington | Secretary. Youth / Mini Group | 07855 483894 | sue.whittington@hotmail.co.uk |
TEAMWORK, RESPECT, ENJOYMENT, DISCIPLINE, SPORTSMANSHIP
Clubs XV overcome Under 20s
Cornwall U20 XV 8 – 29 Cornwall Clubs XV
Report by Terry Williams at Hayle RFC
The Cornwall U20’s returned to the field last evening for a warm up game against a strong
Cornwall clubs XV,eventually going down 8 -29. Both teams played some entertaining rugby
in from of a crowd of around 200 spectators. The clubs were just a bit too strong in the set
piece for the U20’s, who fielded a number of 18-year-old players. Coach Ritchie Kevern said
that it was about the performance rather than the result.
U20’s had opportunities to cross the try line but during the first half were unable to due so,
they were simply not strong enough to force their way over. Half time saw the teams going
in with the U20’s just 3 points behind, at 0-3.
The second half saw the clubs take a strong lead courtesy of 2 converted tries to make the
score 3 – 17. However, U20’s then hit back with a penalty and an unconverted try to bring
the score back to 8 17.
The final quarter saw the Clubs XV add 2 further tries, with one converted to make the final
score 8 – 29.
Although defeated there were positives for coaches Kevern and Gendall, particularly in the
tackle department. This was a very young team and around 12 players who will feature later
this season, being away at university and unavailable.
Further training sessions will take place on Sunday mornings at Truro College and there will
be one more warm up game at Hayle v Camborne School of Mines.
A further report from Stuart Hood Cornwall Clubs XV Team Manager
On a clear evening at Hayle RFC Cornwall U20s and Cornwall Clubs met as preparation for this years U20s Championship. Cornwall U20s fielded a strong squad giving a number of players their first opportunity to represent current County Champions.
Cornwall Clubs were forced into and early change with fullback Ollie Roots from Perranporth coming off giving Veor’s Bevin Stone an early start. Dominant scrummaging from the off put Cornwall U20s under a great deal of pressure with the front row of Akiva Eaton, Axel Nicks and Matt Penrose showing their experience and power. A string of penalties at the breakdown kept Clubs in the U20s 22 leading to fly-half Declan Simmonds scoring the first points after 15 mins. 0-3
Strong defence at the breakdown from U20s limited chances for Clubs however strong carries from Perranporth centre Tommy Job and from Veor’s scrum half Luke Johnson kept Clubs on the front foot.
Half time brought a raft of changes with a new front row – Callum Looker, Chesney King, Tommy Gape, and Lewis Woolaway in the second row, Kyle Pointer and Billy Bromfield in the back row.
Stevie Trenoweth stepped in at 9.
At the start of the second half there was a change in fortunes in the scrum with U20s putting Clubs under pressure and their three quarters to the fore taking U20s within 5m of the try line.
However, Clubs strong defence ably led by all action Captain Sam Bartle took play back into U20s half. A lightning break from Luke Johnson carried on by Kris Evans, brought several forward phases before Camborne Crusaders scrum half Stevie Trenoweth dummied and dived over from the base of a ruck, Declan Simmonds converted leaving the score 0-10 after 60 mins.
Just five minutes later Clubs made a strong break on the left and after a number of phases Billy Bromfield found a gap and popped up to Tommy Gape to crash over. Simmonds duly converted 0-17
Not to be outdone Cornwall U20 hit back through Finn Deavin from the restart scoring out wide with the conversion hitting the post 5-17.
The try of the evening came on 70 minutes with Perranporth winger Kris Evans gathering a kick on the half way and showing a clear pair of heels as he raced through a tiring defence.
Cornwall Clubs closed the game with Perranporth centres combing as Ben Jones found a gap near the try line to send Tommy Job over with Luke Johnson converting to leave the final score Cornwall U20s 8- Cornwall Clubs 29 with Harry Walsh-Newton kicking Cornwall U20s penalty.
