| Age Grade Registration 2023-24 is well underway – thank you In a record first week of Age Grade Registrations, over 22,000 age grade players from more than 500 clubs have already registered. What an outstanding effort! This would not have been possible without our brilliant club volunteers and registrars who have taken such a positive approach, as well as all the parents/guardians who have renewed registrations for their children or dependents. Focusing on getting ahead of administrative tasks before we reach September is great and will allow us to concentrate on what happens on the pitch when the season begins. As announced in the recent Community Game Update, we want to say thank you for all the hard work. With that in mind we have arranged a great offer for every club to claim 10 free tickets to England v Wales in the Summer Series at Twickenham Stadium on 12 August. Every club that registers an Age Grade player by 6 August will be able to apply for their 10 tickets via international ticket contact (ITC). The ITC will be sent an online application form on 24 July to complete, tickets will then be sent to them via the Twickenham Stadium App for onward distribution. We will be updating our Ticketing Team with the list of clubs every couple of days so that nobody misses out. We also have some other important updates for you: Help the handover Handing GMS accounts over to U17s and U18s from 2022/23 and U18s from 2020/21 and 2021/22 allows them to take ownership of the way they engage with the game as they move forward into the adult game. You can help us with the handover by encouraging these players to register. As a reward from us, any players in these groups that take ownership of their GMS player registration before 7 August will be entered into a draw to win tickets to the England v Fiji Summer Series game on 26 August at Twickenham Stadium. Two lucky winners will also win five tickets to the West Car Park Fan Village hospitality area for this fixture. Players will become eligible to take part in the prize draws once their record has been handed over to them and the player has verified their email address. Find more details about the Help the Handover competition here. Please note that the hospitality ticket winners must be over the age of 18. Full terms and conditions here. Age Grade Registration options in GMS Online Age Grade Registration ensures that parents and players are in control of their unique record and their data is secure and up to date. Although this will largely remain an adult-led process for safeguarding and data protection reasons, we have received feedback in the past two years that some groups of players would benefit from being able to manage their own record and registration. Therefore, in the limited circumstances where regular parental engagement is genuinely not possible for a club or parents become less involved for older teenage players, we will make a new optional feature available. This will empower the player to take on management of their own record, to register as a player and to register for and purchase courses. We stress that this is an optional feature for clubs. Please see our guide on how club registrars and volunteers can assist with this process. More Registration support is available here and via Community Rugby Help if you need to contact our team. And in other news…  Thank you to everyone that joined our most recent Age Grade Registration Webinar. The session took place on 12 July and covered the updates in this email in more detail. If you missed it, the recording is on the Platform 4 Rugby YouTube channel alongside a host of other useful videos for registrars. The Age Grade Registration Prize Draw is back! All clubs that register more 2023/24 Age Grade players than they managed in 2022/23 will enter the draw to win prizes including kit packages, vouchers and a visit from an England Rugby Legend.Could you be like our 2022/23 winners Cockermouth RFC, who received a visit from Lewis Moody? Full details are here.  Check out the Summer Activity Framework for July. The Framework provides support and guidance on rugby activity during the off-season here. New resources have been added to our Tackle Height Hub to help everyone across the game get ready for the new season. Click the button below to see the hub and please share this with your age grade network. Tackle Height Hub |
Lee Maher attends Honda Volunteer lunch at HQ
Chair of Competitions with the CRFU Lee Maher recently attended a Honda Volunteer Recognition Lunch at Twickenham.
This was to acknowledge the work accomplished by Lee to support competitions and to assist development opportunities to engage more players.
Well done Lee who is pictured above with other CB participants and outgoing RFU President Nigel Gillingham.
Cornwall & Devon England Rugby Referee Awards
Cornwall and Devon England Rugby Referee Awards
Course links 23/24 to be booked via GMS
ERRA Truro College Cornwall 26th October 2023 and 30th May 2024
https://bit.ly/3NQ5dbs
ERRA Plymouth Albion RFC Devon 12th November 2023 and 12th May 2024
https://bit.ly/3PWJJwB
ERRA Exwick Sports Hub Devon 19th November 2023 and 16th June 2024
https://bit.ly/3rskCqV
RFU Community Game Update July
| Tuesday 11 July Stay up to date with news about the community game by following @RFU on Twitter here. |
| Community Game Update Read Online |
| 1. ACTION REQUIRED Make the most of RWC 2023! The countdown to the Rugby World Cup 2023 is on and the excitement is building! To help you make the most of this opportunity, check out the RFU RWC Activation guides to help you use the tournament to recruit new players, retain existing squad members, and boost revenue. Age Grade Registration 2023/24 is now open Age Grade Registration for 2023/24 opened on 3rd July. Register Age Grade Players at your club and win tickets to England v Wales! Tickets to England v Fiji are also up for grabs for U17s and U18s players from 2022/23 and U18s players from 2020/21 and 2021/22 as they take control of their rugby record. Find out more in this piece. Have you visited the RFU’s Tackle Height Hub yet? To support players, coaches, referees, volunteers and CBs with tackle height changes ahead of the 2023/24 season, a comprehensive range of resources are being produced. Find out about the latest updates on the Tackle Height Hub in this section. Age Grade Summer Framework & Regulations – July 2023 We are pleased to confirm the permitted activity for July 2023, as per the Summer Activity Guide. Check it out in this section. 2. ACTION IF OF INTEREST Training Courses 2023/24 Season – Book now Approximately 20,000 places are available for coaches and referees on Kids First Tag Rugby, Kids First Contact Rugby, England Rugby Coaching and Refereeing Awards and Principles of Scrummaging. Find out how to book in this section. Women and Girls Toolkits Over the coming months, we will be providing brand new resources covering different health and welfare issues impacting female rugby athletes. The first of these Women and Girls toolkits; Menstrual Health was launched on 3rd July and can be found in this piece. U12 Girls Club Start-Up Scheme 2023/23 As part of the RWC 2025 Impact programme, we are about to launch the second year of the U12 Girls Club Start-Up Scheme as we head into the 2023/24 season that gives clubs a kit package and £500 to support or start their team. Applications are now live and close on 31st July 2023. The Community Rugby Injury Surveillance & Prevention Programme (CRISP) needs you The CRISP Project is critical to gaining better understanding and providing data in order to compare and assess trends in injury risk across different playing populations and levels of the game. We need clubs and teams from across the game to get involved and help improve the welfare of players. Be part of the UNIon – opportunity for female University students In partnership with Neal Training, as part of RWC25 Impact, the RFU are delivering a Female Leadership Academy programme under the name of UNIon. University students between the ages of 18-25 will develop their leadership skills and empower them in the rugby landscape. Honda Volunteer Hospitality registrations for Summer Series Club volunteers can register for up to four tickets each for pre-match hospitality in the British Airways Fan Village at Twickenham as part of the Honda Volunteer Recognition Programme. This programme recognises the thousands of volunteers who are an integral part of the sport. Find out how to register for your tickets in this section. 3. FOR AWARENESS Travel Funding Policy The Community Game Board (CGB) have reviewed travel grants ahead of the 2023-24 season. Read more about the policy in this piece. Managing Rugby Pitches In Drought Conditions Good club/facility management is essential during dry weather periods. Find out how to support, educate and communicate with your members as your club or organisation pulls together to help reduce the impacts of restricted water availability. Read Online |
Cornwall CCD & England Rugby Coaching Awards 2023/24
Cornwall CCD & Award Courses 2023/24
Kids First Tag
Bodmin 20th September https://bit.ly/431IvTy
Kids First Contact
Bodmin August 14th– September 6th https://bit.ly/3PAGr1N
Penryn August 23 rd – September 20th https://bit.ly/436zJDM
Saltash August 30th – September 25th https://bit.ly/3PEswHX
Principles of Scrummaging
Truro 4th October https://bit.ly/3D7Gzyt
Saltash 9th October https://bit.ly/4304sCf
Redruth 30th October https://bit.ly/3rfMJcP
England Rugby Coaching Award
Hayle Academy Saturday 30th Sept 2023 – Saturday May 11th 2024 https://bit.ly/3PGhuln
Callywith College Sunday Oct 22nd 2023 – Sunday June 2nd 2024 https://bit.ly/44fbNQ8
Launceston RC Sunday Nov 26th 2023 – Sunday June 30th 2024 https://bit.ly/44nUWux
Any questions please contact your club coaching co-ordinator, or Wayne Reed, Daubroy Delahunty (Game Development) or Tony Knightsbridge (Age Grade).
Game Stalwarts Honoured at CRFU AGM
At a well attended AGM outgoing CRFU President, John Sumnall was pleased to make the following awards of Life Vice President of the CRFU to two stalwarts of the game.
Bill Ryan of Saltash RFC, Bill was one of the founder members of the club in 1969 and has held numerous positions at the club over the past 54 years, and is currently Club President.
The second award on the night was made to Keith Lean, a former Camborne and School of Mines player, Keith has been involved in coaching and youth rugby at club, county, division and national level over many years, he is currently Chairman of the South West Group at Under 18 level.
The meeting also saw the appointment of Andy Reed as CRFU President from season 23/24 for the next three seasons.
Match Official Abuse Escalation – maintained for season 23/24
Having reviewed the impact the extra week’s sanction imposed on all Match Official Abuse/Disrespect cases since the adoption of this regulation, it has been decided by the Disciplinary Committee to maintain this for the whole of season 23/24.
This will also be the case for Age Grade and Schools rugby played.
Bill Hooper
CRFU Discipline Secretary
June 2023
The Longest Try supporting MND Association
The Longest Try is a charity relay run, engaging clubs at a local level, and taking place from 24 July to 12 August 2023 in support of the MND Association, Ed Slater, the Gloucester lock and Paul Rendall*, ex England and Wasps FC, both men diagnosed and living with motor neurone disease.
We are also making donations to MND Scotland and My Name’5 Doddie Foundation. Rugby clubs throughout the country take part by submitting 15 runners to run one mile each to carry the ball over 1,700 miles. The run kicks-off at Twickenham Stadium on Monday 24 July, heads north to Edinburgh via Leicester, Newcastle and Hawick before moving south skirting the Lake District, into Wales, passing through Cardiff into the west country to Cornwall and back to Twickenham Stadium via Exeter and Bracknell.
The try will be scored on Saturday 12 August at the England v Wales World Cup warm-up match. We are asking for a registration fee of £10 per runner and runners will seek individual sponsorship for their mile. Funds will also be raised via donations, a silent auction and raffle. Please join in the fun to support people living with motor neurone disease… Thank you.
To Donate click on the link. https://thelongesttry2023.co.uk/?donate&pkey=003f4fdb2aa404ef8b54e6bbf8b1f252
Sue Dorrington Longest Try, Project Lead Red Rose #32 and Hall of Fame #156
As mentioned the nearest it gets to us is North Devon and, as they won’t allow any road running, this pretty well excludes anything we can do down here. However if we can put this out to all the Cornwall clubs and ask if they can donate in the name of Cornwall, then that would be great.
- Sadly Paul Rendall passed away on 13th June. RIP.
Community Game Update 13th June
| Community Game Update Read Online |
| 1. ACTION REQUIRED RFU 2023 Hybrid Annual General Meeting (AGM) The RFU will hold its 2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday 16 June 2023 at 18:00. Find out how to attend and vote in this piece. GMS Updates: Changes, Support & More Find out about updates to GMS, the season switch-over, support trainers, the GMS pre-season checklist and upcoming GMS webinars. Age Grade Registration 2023/24 – Opens 3rd July From Monday 3 July, parents, players and clubs will be able to start registering age grade players for the new season. Find out more information and support available in this section. Age Grade Regulations 2023/24 & Summer Framework 2023 View the permitted activity for June 2023, as per the Summer Activity Guide, as well as the new Age Grade Regulation 15. Have you visited the RFU’s Tackle Height Hub yet? To support players, coaches, referees, volunteers and CBs with tackle height changes ahead of the 2023/24 season, a comprehensive range of resources are being produced. Find out about the latest updates on the Tackle Height Hub in this section. 2. ACTION IF OF INTEREST Honda Volunteer Hospitality registrations for Summer Series As part of the Honda Volunteer Recognition Programme, club volunteers who have match tickets to one of England Men’s Summer Series home fixtures can register for up to four tickets each for pre-match hospitality. Review your waste collection costs One particular area that has seen price hikes in recent months is waste collection. To support clubs in keeping their costs as low as possible, we’ve teamed up with a procurement group to help combat financial pressures. Find out more in this piece. 3. FOR AWARENESS 2023/24 League Structures and fixtures update The Men’s RFU Leagues have been finalised and the Women’s RFU Leagues are going through the final checks and will be published soon. The fixtures for the Men’s leagues for 2023/24 have now been published and can be viewed on the England Rugby website and on GMS. 2023 GMS Club Safeguarding Audit will go live on 3rd July The Safeguarding Audit is an annual, mandatory requirement for all clubs who offer Age Grade activities, or who wish to have 17-year olds playing up into the adult game (Reg 21.1.6). Find out more in this section. Community club recipes for success As part of our #PlayTogetherStayTogether campaign, we’ve created a number of resources to help clubs who may be thinking about providing some form of Touch Rugby, from one-off events to regular sessions, over the summer. #GrassrootsBeauts There have been some brilliant efforts submitted for the #GrassrootsBeauts segment on ITV’s Premiership Highlights show this season, check out some of the best in this compilation. Read Online |
President’s End of Season Message
End of Season Message
As the season draws to a close, we can reflect on the relative positive position we have following the ravages of the pandemic.’
Not all is positive as the numbers of male players have reduced resulting in the loss of players in most clubs, referees are not returning to the game and Camelford RFC has fallen by the wayside. However, this is more than balanced by the welcome surge in women and girls taking up rugby, age group numbers clearly holding and probably the most important of all the well being and positive spirit in most of the Clubs I have visited during the season.
The season recently completed was the first season to admit the lower teams in Clubs and it certainly changed the attitude of some of the Clubs in the lower leagues. The entrance of 2nd XVs into the leagues was feared by these Clubs as they expected to lose players to the Clubs with 1st XVs in higher leagues as well as suffering heavy defeats to these 2nd XVs. It did not happen, with these lower Clubs probably gaining in numbers as players realised the 2nd Teams were not as strong as they thought and could be and were beaten.
Many congratulations to the following Clubs that have gained promotion: Camborne, St Austell, St Ives, Perranporth and St Just RFCs. Congratulations also to Helston Women in winning their league and to those that did not advance, enjoy the new season. I must mention two Clubs that fulfilled all their league matches and lost every one but each Saturday they gave 30+ guys a game of rugby. Thank you Falmouth and Redruth Albany RFCs and I can but hope that one or two certain Clubs in Cornwall follow their excellent example.
Women and Girl’s Rugby goes from strength to strength with playing numbers increasing and our 5 league clubs more than holding their own. Total integration into the CRFU is progressing well but more work needs to be done by helping with coaching and refereeing.
The Papa Johns Cup whilst being poorly administrated, owing to a strange decision to base some of the matches on final league positions, gave Clubs the chance to play new opponents in areas not normally visited. Perhaps it should be given a second season.
It was not to be for our three County Championship Teams but it was not for the want of trying, they wore the Black and Gold of Cornwall with pride and we thank them. The Men’s XV won their first two matches but lost to Kent RFU in their final pool match, the eventual Bill Beaumont Cup winners. The Women’s XV reached the semi-final of Gill Burns Cup Division 2 but lost to the eventual Division 2 winners, Hampshire RFU, whilst the U20 XV reached the quarter finals of the Jason Leonard Cup. Congratulations to all three XVs and I know they are already looking forward to next season. Our sponsors must be thanked as many of the match arrangements could not take place without their generosity.
The CRFU remains strong in most areas and is highly thought of at all levels of the game mainly as a result of good relations between our Clubs and the Management Board. However, a reduction of £40k in our reserves in the last 3-4 years, mainly as a result of a return to the level of funding for Representative Rugby before the pandemic, gives a strong warning that there needs to be a rebalancing of costs. Unfortunately, the greatly reduced funding from the RFU has meant we cannot continue in the same vein as before.
As I reach the end of my 4 years as President, an extra year for the pandemic, I can but reflect on the honour and joy that it has given me. When I was appointed I advised that I would adopt a theme during my tenure which was “communication” and I have striven to ensure I met this promise. It has been a delight to visit every Club each full season, absorb the vibrancy, meet old and new friends and hopefully help and advise wherever and whenever I could. Many Clubs are heavily dependent on their volunteers and rightly are recognised each season by the CRFU in conjunction with Honda. Awards were made at our two home Men’s Senior matches to these selfless members. Thank you volunteers.
Finally, I must thank David Saunter “Saunts”, fellow Board Members and RFU personnel for their help and support during this period. The CRFU remains in safe hands whilst he and they are present.
Yours,
John.
