Hertfordshire RFU WINTER NEWSLETTER 2015/16 hertsrugby.co.uk

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1 Hertfordshire RFU 76 WINTER NEWSLETTER 2015/16 hertsrugby.co.uk About erts Leaping to the top with Herts Rugby COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP THE BILL BEAUMONT CUP CHAMPIONS 2012 UNDER 20 S THE JASON LEONARD TROPHY CHAMPIONS 2012 COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP THE BILL BEAUMONT CUP FINALISTS 2011 COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP SHIELD FINALISTS 2009 COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP SHIELD CHAMPIONS 2005 Sponsored by Hertfordshire Rugby Football Union Hertfordshire Rugby Football Schools Union Hertfordshire Society of Rugby Football 1 Union Referees

2 Graham Walker Hertfordshire RFU President DEAR FRIENDS IN RUGBY I trust you all had an excellent Christmas, followed by more of the same for the New Year. As I write this, surrounded by Christmas decorations and full of mince pies, the thermometer is nudging 14 degrees and my lawn needs cutting. The weather has been kind to us with the fixture list uninterrupted. A word of thanks to John Gregory and all involved in the Jack Marshall Honours Table. This paints a picture of Herts Rugby across the piste, and it looks well. O.A s, Tring and Watford lead the pack, with seventeen of our twenty seven clubs having a 50% or better win percentage. Underpinning that, is a sense of optimism, with many clubs fielding at least three sides. Running clubs remains a sense of duty, but the friendships made last a lifetime and are invaluable. Chris Rainbow and his team are already plotting the campaign for our county championship assault. We have two home games, Kent, Cornwall and an away fixture to Gloucester. Our squad are capable of competing with the best. Please come and give them support. Let s show Cornwall they do not monopolise pride in their county side. Whilst the Rugby World Cup went the way of the southern hemisphere, it was a great spectacle. Equally it was a profit spinner, The RFU are committed to sending a significant share of that to community rugby. Your county committee will ensure any opportunities are made known. Good luck for the rest of the season. Remember, 1st XV league results, whilst important, are only one measure of success. Graham Walker President DIARY DATES Stags U 20 s County Championship February 7th Stags v Allianz Park February 28th Stags v Eastern Tabard RFC KO 2.00pm March 13th Kent v Cranbrook RFC KO 2.00pm March 2nd March 11th March 15th March 16th March 23rd April 24th May 1st Annual Members Dinner Girls U13 s & U15 s Hertford RFC Boys U12 s, U13 s & U18 s Shield & Trophy St Albans School Boys U14 s, U15 s & U18 s Shield Old Albanian RFC Boys U14 s, U15 s &U18 s Trophy Finals Herts County Youth Old Albanian RFC from 11.00am County Finals Allianz Park County Championship, Bill Beaumont Cup May 7th Herts V Old Albanian RFC May 14th Herts v Bishop s Stortford RFC including Members Luncheon May 21st Gloucestershire v Herts venue to be confirmed May 28th County Championship Twickenham

3 Richard Milnes Hertfordshire RFU Chairman OUR CHAIRMAN WRITES Wishing you all a healthy, injury-free and fulfilling Huge thanks go to all my Colleagues on the Herts RFU Executive Committee and the 100+ County Volunteers who contribute so much of their time to help run all areas of rugby throughout Hertfordshire. I also take this opportunity to thank, yet again, Bob Weston and Stuart Thomas of Weston Homes plc for their continued & most generous support. Rugby throughout our small County is in rude health witness the two recent excellent Finals of our Hertfordshire Schools Competitions (U14 s & U18 s) which took place on 9 December under lights over at Hertford RFC with Haileybury College running out U18 s winners against St Albans and Hitchin taking the U14 s honours against Verulam. Huge thanks go to Harry Harrison for, once again, organising such an excellent competition. These Finals were closely followed by The Returning Students Festival which took place on 21 December under lights over at Old Albanian RFC with ten Teams competing. An absolutely fabulous evening of excellent entertaining running rugby organised by Tom Mowbray with Old Albanian Returning Students just pipping Harpenden Returning Students in the Final. A number of our Club sides are faring very well this term with Bishop s Stortford & Old Albanian in the top three of National 2 South, Hertford lying fifth in National 3 London & SE, Tring 3rd & Letchworth 8th in London 1, and in London 2 NW Fullerians are currently 2nd with Harpenden 5th & Welwyn in 6th place with, hopefully, Tabard about to turn their season around & move up the table to safety. In London 3 NW Datchworth, Hitchin, Hemel Hempstead, St Albans & Stevenage are all in the mix and in Herts/Mddx 1 Cheshunt lead the way in 3rd place with Verulamians, Barnet Elizabethans & Royston all pushing hard. Watford currently hold 3rd place in Herts/Mddx 2 with Chess Valley only five places below. And in the Herts/Mddx Merit Tables it s good to see The Mount, Berkhamsted, Hatfield, Weston, Black Horse, Old Ashmoleans and Cuffley all competing in their respective Leagues. Wishing all Clubs, Players, Coaches, Managers, Physios, Volunteers & Supporters all the very best for the rest of the season. The Senior County Cups are under way and another exhilarating Finals day out at Allianz Park on 1 May is eagerly awaited. The Hertfordshire County Youth Finals take place a week before, on Sunday 24 April, at Old Albanian RFC with the first of the Finals kicking-off at 11:00am. Please mark your diaries. Both events are very well worth attending! With your diaries already beside you, please also ensure you have the following events firmly written in : County Members Annual Dinner Wednesday 2 March, AGM Monday 20 June, Herts RFU Golf Day Friday 8 July. Although our Senior RFU County Championship side came up just short against the eventual 2015 RFU County Championship Winners, Cornwall, down in Redruth last May, based on our current County Club sides performances, we have high hopes, once again, that our small County can make it all the way to Twickenham this coming 29th May Looking forward to supporting more exciting rugby being played throughout the County & to meeting friends old & new. Richard Milnes Chairman 1

4 Adrian Sparks Honorary Secretary 76 SIX MONTHS IN THE LIFE OF A NEW COUNTY SECRETARY I thought it would be good to write what I had been doing (county rugby wise) since becoming secretary of Hertfordshire RFU. On 22nd June 2015 I was voted in the position of County Secretary at the A.G.M. It has been a steep learning curve. Firstly I never knew there were so many acronyms to learn. To name a few G.M.S., R.D.O., P.F.R., R.W.C., P.R.L. Y.D.O. etc. etc. There was an assumption by various people from the R.F.U. downwards that one knew what all these acronyms referred to and how, therefore, what these different areas of the game were responsible for and hence how the whole thing fitted together. How wrong they are. Since I began we have to date had four executive meeting and one forum meeting. For each of these there are agendas to prepare, documents to gather from various sources and send out and minutes to write. There have been a number of official letters I have had to write on behalf of Hertfordshire, most of which have been of congratulations to individuals and clubs on a variety of achievements. Another key role is that of postman. Nearly all correspondence form the RFU downwards comes through me and needs reading and sieving through and directing to the right people with in Hertfordshire. This postman role also means that I am copied in on a wide range of communications going on between various areas of the county rugby. This does help me to build an overall picture of the game in Hertfordshire which I believe is in a healthy state. As some will know I also have conducted a survey regarding the Forum meetings. This was after concern was shown with various parts of the county as to the effectiveness of the Forum as a method of communication with in the county. After looking at the results of a county wide survey one must conclude that how Forum representatives report back to their clubs the information given at a forum varies enormously from club to club and therefore who actually receives this feedback with in a club. This then lead to questions on how much was being reported back to clubs. I can t emphasis enough the importance of the Forum. It is a major part of the communication structure of the game from grass roots up to Twickenham and Vica Versa. It is one of the major tools your county representatives have of gaining the clubs views and responding on your behalf, to a wide variety of issues with in the game. Some of the things I am going to do in early 2016 apart from the continuation of duties set out above, is to look at the articles of governance (Constitution) and see if they are still fit for purpose. That is to say do they reflect the way in which the county is being governed? I don t think this will lead to any major review but is an opportunity for someone fresh to just check them over as valid for I also hope to try and get round the clubs more. I think most people know me from the time I spent as Disciplinary Secretary but it will be good for me to see first-hand what is going on in clubs. If you do want to contact me then feel free to either me on adehrfus@btinterenet.com or telephone me on Adrian K Sparks Secretary To Hertfordshire Rugby Football Union 2

5 David Roberts Herts RFU Council Rep 76 RFU REPRESENTATIVE REPORT... 6 MONTHS AS A NEW BOY! It s now been six months since I took over from Peter Baines as the RFU Council Rep for Herts. It s a responsibility I take very seriously, as I am representing your views and your clubs at the RFU. To this end I have been getting out clubs twice a week to sit down hear what the problems, and good news, are, so that when I meet up with other council members and RFU staff I can take the club problems and try to solve them or at least flag them up so that the RFU are aware of them and ensure they are discussed. From talking to the other members we all share the same problems, and there is a lot of work going on to improve the community game. These improvements range from, the competition review, the age grade review implementation, how to improve the recruitment of volunteers, second team fixtures etc. All the other council members A lot the actual work is carried out in sub-committees these being: competitions, game development, club development, education, player development, rugby growth together with the professional game development as well. As per my December update I aim to stand for nomination to the club development sub-committee and hopefully player development as well. From what I have seen the RFU does listen and change its mind on its initial ideas and does take seriously the views of its council members! A lot of discussion takes place outside the committee rooms, which is typical of a lot of organisations. Hertfordshire is seen as a very good county in terms of how we manage and develop all the different aspects of rugby, this is due to the work of all the clubs, and volunteers. One of the most asked questions we get asked as an executive when out in the clubs is What do you do for us!, Well in order to share information here s what we do!! THE ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES OF A CONSTITUENT BODY 1. Clarity, Consistency & Collaboration Constituent Bodies (CBs) such as Hertfordshire are a valued and essential part of the Rugby Football Union. All have CBs particular strengths and skills. The Core Purpose of a CB is To support the strengthening of member clubs and grow the game in communities around them through effective governance and administration this is achieved through i. Retain and develop current players ii. Recruit new players iii. Retain, develop and recruit high quality coaches, volunteers and referees iv. Effective and efficient facilities v. Effective and efficient management & governance vi. Integration with the local community 2. The Vision for CBs Our aim as an executive is to retain a strong and vibrant local rugby leadership across all clubs, our work contributing directly to a strong and sustainable club structure, with more people playing rugby more often in clubs, schools, colleges and universities. Promoting, recognising and rewarding the contribution of volunteers, coaches and referees, and promoting involvement in rugby as a worthwhile and fun activity is a fundamental focus for us as a CB. 3

6 By managing the game in an efficient and effective manner, with a planning process that both manages the present and plans for the future, CBs will support clubs to deliver activity that meets their needs and ensure that all planning and decision making is transparent and understood by all. We within Herts receive about 80% of our funding from the RFU and as such we have a plan and activities that identifies clear outcomes that benefit the game while ensuring that any partners share in this success, with CBs and clubs working together, will strengthen rugby throughout England. We as a CB must i. Recruit and maintain a skilled and vibrant CB leadership team ii. Undertake effective communication to all our clubs and schools iii. Support and work to the RFU Strategic Plan iv. Work in partnership with RFU staff and external partners v. Undertake strong corporate governance There are a number of tasks undertaken by a CB defined within RFU Rules & Regulations: i. Secure the representation of clubs and schools on Council (RFU Rule 18.1) ii. Discipline (RFU Regulation ) iii. Safeguarding (RFU Regulation ) iv. Local competition administration (RFU Regulations (c), 15.8, & 4, and ) v. Annual review of club accounts (RFU Regulation 5.1.3) vi. Provide CB accounts to RFU (RFU Regulation 5.1.1) vii. Match approvals (age grade, tours and Sevens) (Regulation 15 and Regulation 10) There are a number of tasks that a CB is Best Placed to Deliver, supported by RFU staff, for example but not restricted to i. Promote the Core Values of the game ii. Planning, Funding and Reporting iii. Arrange and deliver CB and Club development meetings iv. Local volunteer Reward and Recognition Programme v. Work with Referee Societies Premiership and Championship clubs and voluntary bodies vi. CB Representative teams vii. CB Development Squads viii. Assist clubs to comply with any statutory obligations (e.g. incorporated status) There are a number of tasks in which CBs Play a Part and which are usually delivered or supported by RFU staff and other specialists, for example but not restricted to i. Development of rugby in clubs, schools, colleges & universities ii. Player Safety information and support iii. Development of club and CB volunteers for leadership roles iv. Investment in Club Facilities v. Refereeing courses with Referee Societies vi. Delivery of coaching courses vii. Developing Player Programme (DPP) viii. Delivery of technical information from RFU specialists ix. Delivery of national programmes e.g. all Schools, NatWest Rugby Force Within Herts we have approximately 200 unpaid volunteers who assist with the areas listed above, so you can see it s a massive job we do, hopefully this will help you in the understanding of what we do as CB exec in Herts! David Roberts RFU Council Rep 4

7 Tim Bonnett Chairman of Community Rugby & Safeguarding Manager 76 COMMUNITY RUGBY Having decided that predictions are not a strength after my article in the Yearbook about the World Cup and England s performance, it seemed more sensible to talk this time about things that have happened. As well as the massive showcase for rugby that was England 2015, it has been a busy autumn in the Community Rugby world. I always find it entertaining when I am asked Well what does the Chair of Community Rugby do? as I sometimes feel it would be easier to say what I do not do. The way I have summed it up to people is that I lead for the Executive on supporting clubs and schools and how they develop rugby in Hertfordshire. I work very closely with Mel Liley the Rugby Development Officer and her team and how they target their activity. The role includes the CB Safeguarding Manager role so I spend a lot of time on ensuring the massive growth in mini & youth rugby is managed by clubs in a child-centred and appropriate way. And if that all sounds a bit earnest I have a fun time helping clubs and schools make rugby an enjoyable sport for players and volunteers of all ages and from that enjoyment will hopefully grow participation numbers in all sorts of rugby activity. There has been a lot going on in Hertfordshire rugby so I will just note some highlights of the season so far for me: - The brand new touch league that is growing all the time. This keeps players who are too old or broken to play full on rugby fit and involved at their clubs. An excellent idea from Richard Lucas at Hitchin RFC has been well received and as launched with investment from the County. There seems to be an additional nuance every week the latest one being an over 50s competition. Dare I put my boots back on maybe, but I would still have the Teflon handling!! - The growth in the women and girls game. More women are playing and new teams are forming or reforming, some with considerable success. The under 13s age group is finally taking off as a concept and building numbers. County input to joint training sessions has quickly built interest from 20 players at the first session to 53 at the latest. A small amount of seed funding is producing a good harvest. - Working with schools to introduce the New Rules of Play (NROP). This is a big change with many challenges for schools, particularly with staffing smaller sided games and getting to grips with the Regulations. There is still work to be done but schools have been receptive. The reason for the change is so that clubs and schools are playing to the same rules on player numbers, skills used at different ages and so on. NROP is about the game being more developmental with children getting more ball time as well as the game being safer and more enjoyable. There has had to be a lot of detailed work with schools to ensure that traditional fixtures and festivals can go forward. Matches within Hertfordshire are now going well though because all Herts schools agreed to use NROP this season. However, because NROP is not mandatory till next season for all schools, cross border rivalries have had to be managed carefully. A useful side product of this work has been better links between schools and clubs to share knowledge and how the NROP works in practice. This is all money in the bank for the future. - The All Schools Initiative is going well in Hertfordshire. This introduces rugby into the sports curriculum of targeted secondary schools. This is an ongoing programme that will grow until hopefully every child in a Hertfordshire school will be able to try rugby and experience its unique challenge and ethos as a sport. - Improvement in spectator behavior at youth matches. The introduction of a pitch side barrier policy at competitive youth matches has had a positive effect with no reported incidents. Clubs have been supported with donated barriers from the County. There was a supply problem so full implementation has been a challenge but we are just about there. Anyway, whether barriers have been present or not, matters are much improved. 5

8 It is a relief not to get called for safeguarding advice after incidents, which felt like the case over the last couple of seasons. This is an important step as it is an essential part of the Core Values of Rugby to ensure spectators support constructively and appropriately. Looking ahead to the second half of the season, I will still avoid predictions. I know I will busy visiting clubs, attending meetings and delivering training. I know I will see lots of great rugby being played at all levels and ages. And I know, that as busy as all this is, I will still be enjoying being a part of delivering the great game of rugby to Hertfordshire clubs and schools. Tim Bonnett Chairman of Community Rugby DISCIPLINARY MID TERM REPORT Paul Doyle HRFU Discipline Secretary Season s greetings to all, so far this season as we reach the half way mark the Hertfordshire Disciplinary Panel has dealt with a total of 10 Red Cards made up in the following way; Strike or Punch 6 Stamp 1 2 yellow Cards 2 Abuse of Match official 1 We have a cross border Citing and 1 sending off outstanding, both of which are scheduled to be dealt with in early This a huge reduction on the numbers for the same period last season which at this stage stood at 22. I would like to thank all of the panel members who sit in the Hot Seats week in week out, sometimes at very short notice for their help in my first year. They all bring a great deal of knowledge and experience to the table without which my job would be a lot harder, Hopefully the season will continue to be a quiet 1 on the Red Card front. Paul Doyle Disciplinary Secretary

9 200 Coaching Development Support As part of Herts Rugby s on-going support of its club network, a 200 education bursary has been reserved for each club in Hertfordshire. Aiming to contribute to the clubs development of coaches this 200 can be used to support the training of club volunteers, from CPD courses through to award courses such as the Level 1 or 2 Coaching qualifications. Please note this bursary can only be used for recognised coaching courses ether through the RFU and/or the coaching courses via the Herts Sports Partnership coach development week. Invoices for a total of 200 should be ed directly to the Honorary Treasurer of Hertfordshire RFU: Johngregory326@talktalk.net Please CC: MelanieLiley@rfu.com 76

10 RETURNING STUDENTS FESTIVAL 2015 Tom Mowbray Tom Mowbray Herts Community Rugby Coach (CRC) The annual Herts Rugby Returning Students festival took place at Old Albanian RFC on Monday 21st December 2015, and saw Tom Mowbray run his first event since joining us as a Community Rugby Coach. The festival is run for all Hertfordshire clubs looking to stay in contact with their University players, and invites them back to represent their home club in the Christmas festival. Teams are made up of mainly university or sixth form students and bolstered by young players coming into the senior club. All games are shortened and penalties replaced with free kicks and 10-a-side games to promote a fast and furious game. The weather has always had a big influence on the festival, with arctic temperatures and snow featuring in previous year, but luckily for us we had a glorious evening and some fine rugby was played. There was a fantastic crowd of over 500 watching throughout the evening. For this year s festival we had ten clubs enter with two pools of five. Group A was made up of Cheshunt, OMTs, OAs, Hitchin and Tabard. Group B included Harpenden, Datchworth, Fullerians, Bishop Stortford and Tring. From Group A, Cheshunt finished 2nd and OAs finished top of the group. Group B had Bishop Stortford finishing 2nd and group winners were Harpenden. One semi-final saw Harpenden v Cheshunt on pitch one and on pitch two OAs played Bishop Stortford. In these tight fought semi-finals, Harpenden were victorious on pitch one and OAs came out on top against a resilient Bishop Stortford. After a long evening of some tough rugby the final saw the two neighbours, Harpenden and Old Albanians go head to head. The final was a nail-biting affair which was decided by the last play of the game with a try being awarded to Old Albanians. The final score being The festival demonstrates how students are keen to play rugby in a format that allows an element of flexibility (under lights, 10 a side and unlimited squad size) and sees them play alongside their friends without having to commit to paying subs, registering or sacrificing work in order to play a traditional Saturday game. We are now looking at offering a similar event at Easter. These events are only possible thanks to the support of volunteers, and we d like to thank Hertfordshire Referee Society for their efforts on the pitch. Off the pitch, a huge thanks goes to the volunteer managers who pulled in the students from all over the country to ensure all 10 teams were able to compete. Likened to herding cats, this is probably the hardest job on the night, and illustrates how keen clubs are to make sure their students do return to their clubs post-university clubs and schools. Tom Mowbray Herts Community Rugby Coach (CRC) 8

11 HERTFORDSHIRE SCHOOLS FINALS 2015 The u14 and u18 Hertfordshire Schools Cup Finals were played in front a very large crowd at Hertford RFC on Wednesday 9th December. This competition is run on behalf of the Hertfordshire Schools Union and is open to all private schools and the traditional rugby playing schools in the county. Harry Harrison HRFU CRC The results in the respective finals were: U14 CUP FINAL Hitchin Verulam. This was Hitchin s first time in one of the finals and they proved to have too much firepower for a determined and very competitive Verulam team. Hitchin have an outstanding group of highly talented athletes who had just too much pace and power for Verulam to withstand, and Hitchin ran out worthy winners. U18 CUP FINAL Haileybury 24-0 St Albans School This was the third successive final appearance for Haileybury but the first time they have come out as winners, having lost to St Albans School and Bishop s Stortford High School in the previous two seasons. Haileybury have a very strong team this season and St Albans did well to hold them to just one score during the first half. However, after the break the St Albans team started to tire and could not continue to hold Haileybury at bay. Harry Harrison HRFU Community Rugby Coach (CRC) 9

12 THE MIXED ABILITY MODEL MUCH MORE THAN DISABLED SPORT THE BUMBLES AND IMAS Back in 2009 when Anthony Brooke (a young man with Cerebral Palsy and Learning Difficulties) said he wanted to play real rugby and not tag he could not have foreseen that five years later he would be instrumental in paving the way for a new generation of players with Learning/ Physical Disabilities within Rugby Union. In 2014 his inclusive MA Rugby Team, Bumble Bees RFC, won the Presidents XV Beyond Rugby Award. The following year Anthony received a Point of Light Award from Prime Minister David Cameron. Aside from Anthony s personal accolades MA Rugby has been ground breaking in a number of ways. Unlike Paralympic and Special Olympic sports, MA Rugby has no formal classification system for the disabled players. It is full contact Rugby Union with the only dispensation coming in the form of uncontested scrums. This contributes to the inclusivity of the sport, ensuring that all participants are treated equally. Moving into 2016 Bumbles Players with disabilities are now working with IMAS to help grassroots clubs open their doors to new teams of players with and without disabilities. Contrary to the national trend, MA Rugby is increasing the number of people with disabilities involved in sporting activities. A knock on effect is the increase in able bodied players returning to their game having found pleasure in re-involving themselves by supporting disabled team mates. The numerous benefits to Clubs are obvious, a new inclusive status in the local community and the positive publicity this delivers, as well as increased footfall and membership. Disabled participants perceive an increase in social status by playing competitively alongside able bodied team mates whilst also moving from inactive to healthy activities. Furthermore, able-bodied facilitators benefit by increasing their time on the pitch and changing their perceptions of people the form of uncontested scrums. This contributes to the inclusivity of the sport, ensuring that all participants are treated equally. Moving into 2016 Bumbles Players with disabilities are now working with IMAS to help grassroots clubs open their doors to new teams of players with and without disabilities. Contrary to the national trend, MA Rugby is increasing the number of people with disabilities involved in sporting activities. A knock on effect is the increase in able bodied players returning to their game having found pleasure in re-involving themselves by supporting disabled team mates. The numerous benefits to Clubs are obvious, a new inclusive status in the local community and the positive publicity this delivers, as well as increased footfall and membership. Disabled participants perceive an increase in social status by playing competitively alongside able bodied team mates whilst also moving from inactive to healthy activities. Furthermore, able-bodied facilitators benefit by increasing their time on the pitch and changing their perceptions of people with disabilities. IMAS and the Bumbles are proud to support and share good practice with all forward thinking and inclusive clubs like Letchworth Garden City RUFC and wish all the members and volunteers of Hertfordshire RUFC a very successful Mike Hawkes RFU Mixed Ability Coordinator 10

13 BRAVEHERTS TAKE THE NEXT STEP Letchworth Garden City RUFC Braveherts having become well established within the club took a huge step forward in terms of the side when they had their first 15 aside contact fixture at Letchworth s Charity Rugby Day on the 19th December. This was a huge success and they will be looking for more fixtures in the New Year. Letchworth are currently working alongside the International Mixed Ability Sport (IMAS) in developing the game for people of all abilities, recognising that the world of rugby has a huge amount to offer and can extend the family wider. Braveherts will be presenting to Herts RFU in January to discuss some development ideas for Hertfordshire. The concept is a simple one in that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the game of rugby, at this time Braveherts play touch, tag and now 15 aside contact rugby, the touch and tag are for both sexes and any age. At this time the youngest is a 9 year old with autism the oldest is 52. The level of ability ranges from 1 of the players with disability plays for the 4ths at Letchworth and another will be having a run out in January to two young men with a severe disability who need 1-1 support in what they do. We have a core of 4 coaches and a couple of other volunteers with no shortage of other players within the club wanting to play in the Braveherts side. As a team we are in our 4th year now and with IMAS are hoping to be able to play in the next world mixed ability tournament, the first being held in Bradford in August this year. Bradford Bumbles reached the final but where pipped by the Irish side Sundays Well Rebels. There were teams from around the world and the event was a huge success. Braveherts will always welcome anyone who wishes come along and try, support and see how we do it. Braveherts are currently one of only 4 teams in England who play mixed ability rugby and the only one who has no age restriction and involves both sexes. If you want more information regarding the team and the set up please call Nick Winwood or nicktheprop@hotmail.com 11

14 HSRFUR The 2015 World Cup raised some interesting refereeing issues which are now been translated into the community game. Before the World Cup tournament began, the international refereeing panel were all instructed to pay particular attention to scrum feeds, offside at kicks, clearing a player out of the breakdown by means of the neck roll and tackling a player in the air. Peter Brady HSRFU President Those who watched the World Cup and are now watching the Premiership will wonder what happened to the advice about ensuring that the ball is put in straight at scrums, something which is not seen to be a priority for the international and Premiership panel referees to say the least. However, that is something which our referees at the community level will be policing. The neck roll as a means of clearing an opponent out of a breakdown is illegal and should always be penalised. Players who commit this form of foul play should be aware that they are at serious risk of a yellow or even a red card. Equally, anyone who takes out a catcher while he is in the air is highly likely to receive a yellow or red card depending on the extent to which the catcher is brought to ground safely or otherwise. This doesn t apply of course to a fair challenge for the ball where both players are genuinely attempting to play the ball rather than each other. The man off rules in relation to scrums and front row replacements, which were introduced in order to prevent teams neutralising the opposition s superiority in the scrum, have been in place for some time. However, it is fair to say that those who participate in the community game may not always be fully familiar with the RFU s detailed rules which can be read at: Regulations/01/30/44/09/RFU_Regulation_13_Appendix_2_Neutral.pdf. The position in summary is that at in a league match at Level 5 and below (ie levels 6,7 8 and so on) each team must have at least 4 suitably trained and experienced front row players in their nominated match squad. A team at level 5 and below which cannot provide a front row replacement at the 1st first time of asking goes down to 14 players for the rest of the game which continues with uncontested scrums. However, the game is automatically awarded to the opposition who are deemed for bonus point purposes to have scored 4 tries. Every time a team is unable thereafter to provide a fully functioning front row with the result that scrums have to go uncontested, that team has to play with 14. In cup games, the requirement is for 5 suitably trained front row players so that a team can provide a replacement at the 1st and 2nd times of asking, failing which it loses the game. None of this applies to games in the Herts/Middx Merit Tables or to youth games. The Society s training team would be only too happy to run through this with any Herts club coach who wants clarification of the position. On a happier note, we are delighted to report that Anthony Woodthorpe who has only been refereeing with the Herts Society for 4 complete seasons has recently been appointed to the National Panel and is now refereeing regularly in National League 2. Congratulations are due to Anthony and to the coaching team who helped with his progress. Herts also has a number of referees at level 5 who are knocking on the National Panel door. Finally, my best wishes to everyone in the Herts rugby family for a successful and more importantly enjoyable 2nd half to the season. Peter Brady, HSRFU President 12

15 ANTHONY WOODTHORPE JOINS NATIONAL TEAM OF MATCH OFFICIALS 76 Hertfordshire Referee Society is delighted to announce that Anthony Woodthorpe has been accepted to the National Team of Match Officials as a referee. Anthony, also a Harpenden RFC member, is currently studying Geography at the University of Gloucestershire, where he is training under the watchful eye of former international referee Chris White, National Referee Academy Manager for the RFU. Anthony will now be paid to referee National 2 League games, which could include visits to Bishop s Stortford RFC and Old Albanian RFC in the New Year. We wish Anthony all the best in his endeavours, and look forward to seeing him progress further in the coming seasons. UNDER 13 GIRLS RUGBY UNION TRAINING FOR 2016 Once a month, we encourage under 13 girls to get together for a group rugby training session. These sessions are open to all girls with an interest in playing rugby whether they are already playing rugby at schools, clubs or even want to give rugby a go for the first time this is a great opportunity to signpost girls into the club environment for the first time. Run by fully qualified coaches, and focused on promoting teamwork, confidence and enjoyment, we d love to see you in Any girls from under inclusive welcome! Sunday 10th January 2016 Letchworth Garden City RFC from 13:00 Sunday 7th February 2016 Welwyn RFC from 13:00 Sunday 6th March 2016 Hitchin RFC from 13:00 13

16 YOUNG RUGBY AMBASSADORS RE-LAUNCH WITH VINSPIRED Following the success of the Young Rugby Ambassadors in the lead up and during the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the initiative is being relaunched in collaboration with vinspired, a national volunteering organisation that looks to offer young people the chance to engage in volunteering based on their interests. In a big change to the programme Young Rugby Ambassadors no longer have to be part of a club, so can include school based volunteers, as well as coaches and referees. Volunteers can join in from years old, and will use online technology to track their hours and gain rewards for their efforts. This approach is a lot more flexible than before and hopes to engage more young people than ever rewarding those who contribute most to rugby with some fantastic kit and event opportunities. For more information, and to get registered, visit

17 News from Hitchin Rugby Football Club Open for business Hitchin Rugby Club opened it s new ½ million changing room complex on Sunday. Lady Valerie Dixon of the Valiant Trust officially opened Hitchin Rugby Club s new ½ million changing room complex on Sunday. NHDC Councillor Jane Gray (Executive Member for Leisure) was also present to lend her support to the club, together with representatives from the RFU and Hertfordshire RFU. The opening marks a significant milestone for the club as it s the completion of the first stage of a 1.2 million four-phase project to completely redevelop the site. This first phase was built with the financial support from the club s own development fund, Sport England, the RFU and the Valiant Trust. The new changing rooms will directly benefit all of the club s playing membership: children, youth, ladies and men. But the greatest beneficiaries will be the Mini & Youth section of the club with nearly 580 children playing rugby, Hitchin is the largest sports group in North Hertfordshire and accommodating all of them every Sunday was proving to be a major block to the club s commitment to providing rugby to the youth of the local community. Lady Valerie Dixon cuts the ribbon to officially open the new changing room complex With the added demand that this year s Rugby World Cup is likely to bring, the new changing rooms will significantly ease the pressure on providing changing facilities for all sections of the club. The changing rooms, built by Linxcroft Construction Ltd, will not only provide excellent facilities for the club, but will become a fund-raiser for the club. Significant investment has been made in solar panelling and other green innovations. The excess power from the panels will provide an additional source of income for the club and the capture and recycling of rain water from the large roof area will help provide the club s water needs for irrigating their pitches. The club s President Tim Jeffries said, We want to move onto our second phase building The new changing rooms are ready to use as soon as we can. We now have a 99-year lease and we re determined to have facilities in the centre of Hitchin that reflect the increasing popularity of rugby and the rugby club s place in our community. He also thanked three dedicated volunteers who have spearheaded the project Peter Tasko, Chair of the Business Committee, Chris Jones, Club Treasurer and Iain Charnley, the club s project co-ordinator. The President added, Great financial support and dedicated and hard-working volunteers is building this club into something that the whole town can be proud of. Queue to view President in Ladies VIP changing room 15

18 BACK TO SCHOOL-IVAL Back 2 Schoolival, a Hitchin RFC based event run by 2nd team skipper Adam Howard, was recognised for their June 6th 2015 event by the RFU on 5th September before the World Cup warm up game between England and Ireland. Back 2 Schoolival offered the chance for ex-pupils of the local schools to reunite to form a rugby team to take part in a charity festival. Schools taking part included Hitchin Boys School, the Priory, Knights Templar and John Henry Newman to name a few and 180 players took part on the day. The day raised 1,200 for charity, including 1,000 for Hitchin based charity the North Herts Sanctuary who provide temporary housing to those in need. In recognition of this, Back 2 Schoolival was awarded the RFU Young Rugby Ambassador Best Event of the Year Event organiser Adam Howard travelled to Twickenham to receive the award, with England Women World Cup Winners Sarah Hunter and La Toya Mason present to meet the winners. Recognition from the RFU for the event means a lot to those behind Back 2 Schoolival and has spurred them on to increase their efforts for Back 2 Schoolival will return to King George playing fields in Hitchin on Saturday 9th July, when the Old Boys tournament will return Best Event of the Year Adam Howard shows off trophy to England Women world cup winners and be accompanied by a women s 10s tournament. Back 2 Schoolival will replicate this format at Old Albanians on Saturday 20th August, and will also host an event on Saturday 4th June in Baldock which will take the Back 2 Schoolival ethos into the realms of football, netball and rounder s. Don't forget our website! 16

19 Hertfordshire RFU Jack Marshall Honours Table Table 02 Weekend of Saturday 12 December 2015 Now Club Name L'gue P W D L For Ag'n % Ratio Were Last Result PRIZE 1 Old Albanian Nat2S % Away v Old Elthamians Won Tring L1N % Away v Chingfprd Won Watford * HEM % Away v Harlequins Amateur Won Cheshunt HEM % Away v Hillingdon Abbots Won Fullerians L2NW % Away v Hammersmith & Fulham Lost Hertford Nat3L&SE % Home v Chichester Won Bishop's Stortford Nat2S % Away v Redingensians Won The Mount * HM MT % Home v Hatfield Won Berkhamsted * HM MT % Away v Hitchin III Lost Hatfield HM MT % Away v The Mount Lost Datchworth L3NW % Away v Wasps Won Verulamians HEM % Away v Kilburn Cosmaos Lost Harpenden L2NW % Away v Old Haberdashers Lost Weston * HM MT % Home v Royston II Won Welwyn L2NW % Away v Woodford Won Black Horse HM MT % Away v Hackney III Won HH (Camelot) L3NW % Home v Old Actonians Lost Hitchin L3NW % Away v Belsize Park Lost Barnet Elizabethan HEM % Away v London Welsh Amateurs Lost Letchworth L1N % Home v Amersham & Chiltern Lost St Albans L3NW % Away v Wasps Won Royston HEM % Away v Bank of England Won Old Ashmolean * HM MT % Home v HH Camelot III Lost Chess Valley HEM % Home v Saracen Amateurs II Lost Stevenage Town L3NW % Away v Finchley Lost Tabard L1N % Home v Hampstead Lost Cuffley * HM MT % Home v Hertford IV Lost 3-57 The John Macfarlane Bowl:Old Albanian storm into the lead, ahead of Tring! The Jimmy Little Trophy: Watford now have the best points ratio, ahead of Berkhamsted! The John Macfarlane Bowl is the prize for winning the Jack Marshall Honours Table. The JimmyLittle Trophyis awarded to the teamwith the best points ratio. *Only games played qualify for the table, walkover wins and losses and agreed draws are excluded. Expunged league matches included. Organiser: John Gregory, 4 Caldecote, Near Stilton, Cambs., PE7 3SG. Tel: johngregory326@talktalk.net Original concept by Jack Marshall 17 MIDDLETON ROW, BISHOP S STORTFORD

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