RFU

CRFU host successful Development Day

October 14, 2026 by Bill Hooper

More than 80 volunteers from across Cornwall attended the 3rd Annual Cornwall RFU Development Day at St Austell RFC on Sunday 11 October 2026.

The event brought together coaches, match officials, first aiders and club volunteers for a day of learning, development and sharing best practice. Attendees took part in a wide range of sessions designed to support the continued growth of the community game across the county.

Highlights of the day included well-attended non-contact and contact coaching clinics, expertly delivered by Wayne Reed and Neil Smith, providing coaches with practical ideas and the latest insights to take back to their clubs. A dedicated First Aid course also attracted strong participation, helping clubs strengthen their player welfare provision.

Alongside the coaching and medical education opportunities, delegates completed the Play It Safe safeguarding programme and benefited from a GMS Masterclass led by Lee Maher, offering valuable support and guidance on the Rugby Football Union’s Game Management System.

The day once again demonstrated the commitment of Cornwall’s rugby volunteers to developing their knowledge and skills, ensuring players across the county continue to benefit from safe, enjoyable and high-quality rugby experiences.

Cornwall RFU would like to thank all presenters, volunteers and participants for making the event another successful and worthwhile development opportunity.

All Club Coaches

September 22, 2026 by Bill Hooper

We are pleased to let you know that the Exeter Chiefs Academy Coach Development Officer
will be delivering a practical training session at Truro College on Monday 19th October 18.00-
20.00. This workshop will focus on effective coaching methods and enjoyable, player centred
training techniques designed to help young athletes grow in a positive, supportive
environment. It’s a great opportunity to pick up fresh ideas and strengthen the way we
develop our players across the county.

Please copy and paste link bellow to register your interest.

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=SHjtK8t4VkiExByrZou7GhWkQdWWnQJFm58_jnKTRCBUNFJaMkU5MDlaS1hYN1VZMTU1NzhQQ1hJMy4u

SEASON DELAY GUIDANCE

August 22, 2026 by Bill Hooper

SEASON DELAY GUIDANCE

Following the announcement last week that the start of the competitive community rugby season has been delayed by two weeks, please find further guidance below to help guide CBs, referee societies, clubs, schools, colleges, universities, coaches, referees and volunteers through the upcoming weeks.

As you know, RFU community rugby competitions below the men’s national league and the women’s PWR have been delayed until the week commencing 21 Sep. CBs, schools, colleges and universities are responsible for when non-RFU league and cup competitions will start.

The additional RFU guidance includes information on evaluating the safety of pitches, returning players to game fitness in the build-up to the start of the competitive season, guidance on age grade rugby and more.

Please share this information widely within your organisations.

VIEW GUIDANCE >

STATEMENT ON START OF THE COMPETITIVE COMMUNITY RUGBY SEASON

August 18, 2026 by Bill Hooper

STATEMENT ON START OF THE COMPETITIVE COMMUNITY RUGBY SEASON

After careful consideration and extensive consultation with clubs across England, we have decided to delay the start of the competitive community game season until the week commencing Monday 21 September. We appreciate this will be disappointing news to clubs, players and volunteers who have been getting ready for and looking forward to the new season but there are a range of factors we’ve considered carefully before making this decision.

Executive summary – what this means for rugby

• National League Rugby (NLR) can make a decision subject to RFU oversight on RFU Men’s League matches at National League 1 & 2 to take place before 21 September.

• No competitive matches in RFU Men’s leagues at Regional 1 and below or RFU Women’s Leagues below PWR level will take place before 21 September.

• Merit leagues are governed by Constituent Bodies (CB). Fixtures due to take place before 21 September are subject to any CB decision, considering any RFU guidance at the time.

• Age grade matches in RFU competitions due to take place before 21 September have been postponed with details below of alternative dates.

• Friendly matches, where possible due to local conditions, player readiness and safety, may go ahead in order to help prepare players for the competitive season.

• Training can continue but it is important pitch safety is assessed before every session and RFU guidance is followed on modifying contact activity on hard grounds.

• All rugby activity, including that taking place outside of RFU league matches is subject to continual review and the RFU expects to issue further guidance to clubs, CBs, schools, colleges and universities in the coming weeks or when new information is available.

Why we’re making this call now

As outlined in our recent guidance on managing pitches and training in drought conditions, prolonged dry weather has left many grounds across the country hard and unsuitable for safe full-contact activity. With no meaningful or lengthy spells of rain currently forecast, these ground conditions are not expected to improve significantly in the short term.

With this in mind, we have taken the decision to delay and to give everyone certainty now. We understand a delayed start has real practical implications – travel bookings, catering and food orders, volunteer planning and more – and we know volunteers always value as much time as possible to plan around a confirmed date rather than a moving target.

This decision has been made on three grounds:

• Player welfare – hard, dry pitches increase the risk of injury, particularly in the opening weeks of the season when players are returning to full contact. We recognise that many clubs have had to limit contact training in pre-season training due to the pitch conditions. We want players to return to competition safely and adequately prepared.

• Competition integrity – starting the season on pitches that aren’t fit for purpose risks uneven conditions and disruption across fixtures as well as offering advantages for those clubs able to prepare players during pre-season using Artificial Grass Pitches (AGP) – undermining fair competition from the outset.

• Planning – a clear, decisive two-week delay gives clubs, schools, colleges and universities the certainty needed to plan training, fixtures, travel and logistics with confidence.

What this means for adult competitions

• All fixtures in men’s leagues at Regional 1 level and below due to take place before 21 September should not go ahead as planned; these matches will instead be rearranged by Regional Organising Committees (ROC). It is expected that the November break remains in place.

• All fixtures in women’s leagues below PWR currently scheduled to take place before 21 September should not go ahead as planned; these matches will instead be rearranged by RFU Competitions.

• Local merit leagues and merit tables are governed and administered by Constituent Bodies under the overarching authority and general regulations of the RFU. CBs, competition organisers and clubs playing in these leagues will be provided with the suggested guidance from the RFU in regard to the start to the season.

• Training can continue in the meantime, but it is important pitch safety is assessed before every session and continue to follow our guidance on modifying contact activity on hard grounds – including greater use of ACTIVATE, avoiding repeated practices that take players to ground, and considering Rugby 365 AGP hire where available.

What this means for age grade competitions

• RFU Continental Tyres Schools Cups – U18s will now start from the round two date of 28 September, and U15s from 5 October, with an additional round added in January/February. Schools and Academies will work together to address player load.

• AoC Sport College Leagues – will start from 28 September, with extra rounds added in spare weeks or January.

• RFU ACE Boys League – will start from the week commencing 21 September, using reserve dates and working with teams to reschedule.

• RFU ACE Girls League – will start from its round two date of the week commencing 21 September, with an additional round to be identified in January.

• Local leagues, cups and competitions are governed and administered by Constituent Bodies under the overarching authority and general regulations of the RFU. CBs, competition organisers and teams playing in these leagues will be provided with this suggested guidance from the RFU in regard to the start to the season.

• Training can continue in the meantime, but it is important pitch safety is assessed before every session and continue to follow our guidance on modifying contact activity on hard grounds – including greater use of ACTIVATE, avoiding repeated practices that take players to ground, and considering Rugby 365 AGP hire where available.

The following competitions are unaffected due to planned start dates/availability of AGPs and will maintain their existing calendar positions:

• RFU Clubs U18 Boys & Girls Cups and U16 Girls Cup

• RFU/PREM Academy League

• BUCS Super Rugby Men’s League

• BUCS Super Rugby Women’s League

• BUCS Leagues

This doesn’t mean staying away from rugby clubs

A delayed start to contact fixtures doesn’t mean a delayed start for your club as a whole. We’d encourage adult and age grade players, coaches and volunteers alike to keep getting down to the club over the coming weeks. T1 Rugby and non-contact formats remain a great way to get members to your clubhouse and keep them active – subject to the usual pitch risk assessment – while also giving squads valuable time to properly prepare for the return to contact when the season begins.

Looking ahead: the Rugby Competition Landscape Review

This decision also feeds into a wider conversation the game needs to have. The RFU’s ongoing review of the Rugby Competition Landscape is examining, among other things, how a changing climate may affect the structure and length of the domestic season going forward. As dry spells and unpredictable weather become more frequent, we recognise the traditional season shape may need to evolve to protect player welfare, pitch quality and competition integrity in future years. We’ll share more on the findings and recommendations of this review in due course, with opportunities for clubs to feed in as it progresses.

We understand the decision to delay the start of the season will be disappointing but hope it helps minimise disruption and impact on volunteers. We haven’t taken the decision lightly. Thank you for your patience and understanding, and for continuing to prioritise player safety and pitch care during this period.

MORE INFO AND Q&A >

RFU Community Game Update – July

July 14, 2026 by Bill Hooper

Upcoming Development Opportunities

June 11, 2026 by Bill Hooper

We’ve got a big summer of coach development ahead, with several opportunities designed to support the continuous growth of your coaches — because when we invest in coaches, we invest in players.

These sessions are real opportunities to strengthen your club’s future, so please make the most of them.

XV Aside Coaching Performance Day – Saturday 11 July Featuring guest coaches Ricky Pellow & Joe Walsh. A high‑quality practical day for coaches at all levels. Book here: https://www.coachcentered.com/shop/p/saturday-11th-july-cornwall-xv-aside-coaching-performance-day

Recruiting, Deploying & Developing Coaches Workshop – Monday 3 August, 7pm (St Austell) Our first workshop in Cornwall focused on building and sustaining a strong coaching workforce.

England Rugby Learning – RFU Transition Briefings The RFU are transitioning to the new England Rugby Learning platform this summer. This will change how coaches, referees and volunteers access learning.

Please share these briefing sessions with your teams:

• 06 July – 7pm

• 07 July – 6pm

• 08 July – 7pm

• 13 July – 7pm

• 14 July – 12:30pm

• 15 July – 12:30pm

• 15 July – 6:30pm

All session links are available via the RFU Teams events pages.

Let’s continue building strong, confident and well supported coaches across Cornwall. Please share with your club coaching teams.

Daubroy Delahunty

CRFU Game Development

RFU Community Game Update June

June 10, 2026 by Bill Hooper

RFU Community Game Update June

May 13, 2026 by Bill Hooper

RFU Community Game Update – April

April 23, 2026 by Bill Hooper

Cornwall XV Aside – Coaching Performance Day

April 21, 2026 by Bill Hooper

Cornwall XV Aside – Coaching Performance Day

Saturday 11 July | Sir Ben Ainslie Sports Centre, Truro | 9am–2pm

The CRFU Game Development Team is pleased to announce the Cornwall XV Aside Coaching Performance Day, a high‑quality development opportunity for coaches across the county. This practical, on‑field session is designed to support coaches working at all levels of the game, with insight from two outstanding high‑performance coaches.

Coaching Team

Ricky Pellow

Former professional scrum‑half and long‑serving Exeter Chiefs Skills Coach. Ricky has been part of Premiership titles, European success and the development of elite players across the Chiefs pathway.

Joe Walsh

Lead Forwards & Defence Coach at the Cornish Pirates. Joe brings international experience, a strong performance analysis background and extensive pathway coaching expertise.

Event Details

• Date: Saturday 11 July

• Time: 9am–2pm (registration from 8.30am)

• Venue: Sir Ben Ainslie Sports Centre, Truro School Senior, Trennick Lane, Truro, TR1 1TH

• Cost: £24.99 per person (excl. VAT)

• Registration closes: Friday 10 July at 5pm

• Bonus: All attendees are automatically registered for the Game Model Webinar on Monday 29 June (7–8pm)

CRFU Funding Support

To encourage coach development across Cornwall, the CRFU will fund 50% of the course fee for all coaches who book on and attend the session.

Book Your Place: https://www.coachcentered.com/shop/p/saturday-11th-july-cornwall-xv-aside-coaching-performance-day