BUCS Strategic Plan for Rugby Union 2011-15 Introduction The purpose of this document is to achieve agreement across relevant partners on a set of achievable strategic aims for the development and continued success of rugby union in HE in the UK. The landscape in both sport and HE is experiencing significant political and economic turbulence and challenge. This strategy needs to be mindful of the added financial pressures on HE sports provision over the next few years at least, alongside increased pressure across HE to improve the quality of student experience and enhance graduate employability. In that context, this strategy aims to strengthen the contribution of rugby union to universities overall sport portfolios by providing relevant and cost-effective opportunities. Students will face increasing pressure financially, in terms of time and critically in the job market. The challenge to the BUCS programme from students is to deliver competitions and events that provide a valuable and worthwhile experience. We will ensure the major rugby union programes are presented professionally and innovatively to generate an excellent atmosphere that inspires competitors. This will allow us to increase the profile of BUCS Rugby Union. This strategy will need a larger workforce to be successful but in doing so will offer many opportunities to gain valuable experience in rugby union and general sport delivery and presentation. The opportunity exists to enhance student employability and staff development by offering roles that challenge and maximise the skill sets of those involved. We will ensure the programme is transparent and open to those who are able and willing to contribute to its development. We will produce an annual progress report and seek opinions from members, participants and other key stakeholders.
National Context Rugby Union is one of the largest team sports played across Britain with each of the home unions having their own governing body. BUCS has strong relationships with the governing bodies in England and Scotland who have invested significantly in student rugby whilst there is little or no relationship with the governing bodies in Wales and Ireland which will need to be addressed. This strategy will look to dovetail with those of the national governing bodies where they exist for student rugby (currently in England and Scotland). Rugby thrives within schools and many more players play at school than the university system can currently accommodate therefore there is potential at almost all universities for a high drop out in numbers as student led clubs simply cannot cope. A number of barriers exist to addressing this drop off. One of which is the BUCS leagues themselves. Universities have finite resources and running a rugby team is expensive given the need for kit, transporting between 15 and 20 players weekly and finding suitable facilities to play on. A conservative estimate would be that without these constraints almost every university could field an additional team. Under the current regulations another barrier to more teams is the need for suitably trained front row. Mirroring the adult game in general anecdotally this is believed to be the major reason for teams not being able to fulfil fixtures. Additionally access to high quality coaching has a direct correlation to the quality of rugby on offer and the strength of university clubs. The national governing bodies in England and Scotland have recognised this and are both targeting resources to improve standards across all university clubs. Women s rugby has been a growing sport over the last few years. The women s World Cup was successfully held in England and the profile of the sport is bigger than it ever has done. The majority of women s rugby international players have been to university and this is set to continue. These players are not concentrated in specific universities and without the critical mass of experienced women s rugby players it means that the BUCS top tier is not sufficiently strong to challenge the elite players and therefore wouldn t be part of the player s performance pathway. Women s rugby faces a different set of challenges to the men s game namely that the majority of players begin their rugby playing much later than men. Therefore HE rugby has a major responsibility and opportunity to provide a high level of support to these players so they have the skills that enable them to fully enjoy the benefits the game can bring. The inclusion of sevens into the Olympics and the developing profile of the IRB series has seen this form of the game develop rapidly from a social end of season game for 15 a side players to a specialist sport in its own right. Whilst the top end of HE 15 a side rugby is not considered by
the professional game as part of the recognised pathway there is the opportunity for HE to play a much greater role in the development of 7s specialists. The main challenges facing the sport include: i. how to address the lack of capacity to cater for all rugby players entering HE ii. how to cater for large numbers of new, female rugby players wishing to play at university iii. ensuring matches can be played without devaluing the importance of the scrum and the unique skills of front row players iv. developing 7s as a sport in its own right without detracting from the 15 a side game or relying solely on 15 a side specialists
University/BUCS Context Men There are 291 teams currently playing in 37 BUCS leagues. Three universities play in governing body national leagues whilst 6 universities have teams in governing body regional leagues. All teams play in league structure based on a Premier League North and South both with B divisions moving into leagues based in geographical conferences. A cup competition is integrated throughout the season and teams play in either the Championship, Trophy or Conference Cup depending on their league position from the year before. The Championship final is played at Twickenham and is a very special occasion for those who take part. Despite being the second largest sport in the BUCS programme the profile of BUCS rugby is almost non existent outside those closely involved. Varsity rugby matches regularly attract crowds of 5000 to 10,000 spectators and have now surpassed all but the Championship final as the most attractive game for most players. At many institutions rugby union is one of the focus sports and would be amongst the most well funded university sports. Given this support for the sport from institutions and with two governing bodies deploying considerable resource BUCS Rugby needs to be generating more profile than is currently received. BUCS rugby union has no commercial partners at present and attracts low spectator numbers to its wholly owned events (Championship semi finals and finals, Trophy finals and 7s Championship Finals). The sevens programme has struggled to generate momentum over the past seasons however a new format is being trialed in conjunction with national governing bodies to develop a series of regional qualifiers leading to a national final. Sitting alongside this is a social tournament encouraging more participation in the game and has the potential to grow if managed correctly. Women Women s rugby within HE is at a tipping point. There are currently over 90 teams in the league programme but for the first time this has started to fall. The leagues are based on the traditional 15 a side model with full contact, scrums and lineouts. Whilst this should be the ultimate aim it is unrealistic for new players to be playing this within a few weeks of starting the game. BUCS needs to work alongside National Governing Bodies to implement a development programme that combines specific skill training with competition to test these skills. This will enable all less experienced players to incrementally develop their skills whilst still gaining the unique enjoyment of competing alongside their peers. This would ensure that more players would develop the skills that allow them to exploit the potential rugby offers and most importantly ensure they enjoyed themselves.
Areas of Focus 1. Participation Rugby Union is one of the highest played sports amongst school aged children either in schools or clubs. Given that there are over 30 times more schools than BUCS members it is impossible for student led university clubs to have the capacity to provide a quality experience for all of those player. There is no data available on this however an estimate that at least 50% of players who have played prior to university and turn up for trials are unable to play at university is probably not too far off the mark. Intramural rugby is growing and some universities do have successful programmes however these are certainly in the minority and not common outside traditionally strong rugby playing institutions. The challenge and aim of this section of the strategy is to work with national governing bodies to provide playing opportunities for those who currently have no opportunity to play in BUCS competitions and are most at risk from stopping playing entirely. BUCS must work closely with the home nations governing bodies to influence the direction they take. The key aim of the women s programme should be to ensure that all players are given the opportunity to develop the skills that enable them to understand and exploit the opportunities the game of rugby. New female players are willing to learn and do develop quickly but this can be impeded if they are not allowed to develop basic skills before being exposed to the 15 a side version of the game. By the end of their HE careers every female player should be comfortable playing in a 15 a side team, in a number of positions and eager to join community clubs. Target 2015: 2015 players participating in NGB led development programmes Level 2 coaches deployed in every HE institution Strategic Priorities 1.1 Identify BUCS role in supporting existing NGB strategies 1.2 Provide appropriate advice to students entering university regarding the support institutions provide for their teams 1.3 Act as a conduit for models of good practice between university clubs 1.4 Implement competition element of development programme of skill training and competition for new female players
2. Competition At the top level of HE rugby institutions invest considerable sums into their rugby teams and the competition should be set up to reward them with the highest quality rugby possible and additional profile for their institutions. The current structure with two premier leagues and an integrated cup competition means that many teams never play each other unless drawn in the cup. This does not enable HE rugby to showcase itself by ensuring the best players play each other regularly. A major barrier to the development of a national premier competition is travel time as the academic needs of students must be taken into account and the cost of travelling the length of Britain two or three times a year. However in order to fully showcase student rugby a solution needs to be found that minimises cost but still ensures the best teams play each other in a season. BUCS Rugby Union has no commercial partnerships and hasn t done so in the lifetime of BUCS.???/158 BUCS members have a rugby club and rugby union is invested in substantially by many institutions. At the top level the product offered is a fast flowing attacking game that is attractive to spectators. This is demonstrated by attendances at varsity rugby matches where rugby is more often than not the pinnacle sport and the crowds reflect this (Swansea v Cardiff 15,000, Leeds v Leeds Met 10,000, Leicester v De Montfort 4000+). In order to reflect the investment of BUCS members the profile of rugby union should be raised as the showcase for HE sport. The present structure of the Premier League and Championship knockout is a hindrance to attracting the profile that is sought. A separate league and knockout cup means that it is difficult to build momentum towards a high profile final that results in a single institution being crowned undisputed champion. The competition should be positioned as a single competition where group/league stages feed into knockouts/playoffs leading to a grand final mirroring developments in the professional side of rugby union and other sports. Although there are a few anomalies the gap in quality and resources between teams in the premier league and those in tier one and below is large. Teams in tier one and below want regular, competitive matches but are often unable to field their best teams if they have to travel large distances. The number of walkovers in leagues below the premier league is still large and this is believed to be down to a number of factors including; lack of trained front row, students unable to commit time to travel long distances, lack of facilities etc. BUCS will look to develop a competition structure that recognises the different resources and expectations of the membership. HE rugby suffers from a lack of capacity with clubs often having to turn away over two thirds of players who trial at the start of every season. By not providing other opportunities to participate these players more often than not leave the game permanently. This is a real missed opportunity for the sport and BUCS can contribute to the solution. BUCS will establish a third tier of competition that allows universities to develop local leagues either for one university or an amalgamation of local universities. These leagues would be deregulated allowing local league organisers to determine the most appropriate format to ensure high levels of participation. These leagues would be recognised with BUCS points.
Events BUCS Rugby Semi Finals BUCS Rugby Finals In 2011 attendance for the final was the 4 th highest watched student rugby match. The match is held in one of the world s finest stadia and the experience for the players involved is truly memorable. BUCS recognises that the RFU invest a considerable sum in staging the BUCS finals and BUCS will not take this for granted. BUCS will strive to establish a genuine and valued partnership with the RFU to build the finals as the best attended and most high profile student sports event in Britain. Target 2015 40,000 people watching the BUCS Rugby Finals 4 BUCS Rugby matches televised 300+ teams in BUCS regional leagues 50 BUCS recognised local leagues established 100 student referees officiating in BUCS recognised matches Strategic Priorities 2.1 Develop a competition structure that ensures the best players compete on a regular basis 2.2 Establish the BUCS Rugby finals as the most attended student sports event in Britain 2.3 Develop a competition that generates commercial investment and media coverage 2.4 Establish regional leagues for current BUCS teams reducing travel distances and time 2.5 Develop a BUCS endorsed local programme enabling universities to run competitions with neighbouring institutions or alone with freedom to establish the most appropriate game format (15s/10s/7s etc)
3. Performance The top end of university rugby does not correlate to elite rugby and this should be distinguished. However it is an attractive game and one which is exciting to watch. The administration of representative rugby varies widely across the home nations. In England the governing body administers England Students whilst in Scotland responsibility falls to Scottish Universities Sport (SUS). There are no formal teams in Wales or Ireland. Rugby Union has a biennial World University Championship in 7s as well as an annual EUSA 7s competition. At present the international players from the home unions are largely drawn from the academies of the professional clubs with the home unions negotiating the release of players on an annual basis. Sevens is still developing at the elite level there is still the possibility that the establishment of a performance sevens programme within the HE sector could influence the elite sevens game and form part of the performance pathway. This should be the focus for the performance element of the BUCS programme Target 2015 3 HE players in NGB national squads Semi Finals of World University Games 3.1 Develop a sevens programme for the best players in HE 3.2 Fully integrate the sevens programme into the HE rugby calendar 3.3 Develop BUCS 7s and World University Championships as part of the NGB performance pathway
BUCS Rugby Union Key Performance Indicators Strategic Priority Area Key Performance Indicator 1. Participation 1.1 Number of BUCS recognised local leagues 1.2 Number of teams in BUCS recognised local leagues 1.3 Number of hits on BUCS Rugby Union pages 1.4 Number of women players engaged with NGB led development programme 2. Competitions 2.1 Number of teams competing in BUCS regional and national rugby union leagues 2.2 Attendance at BUCS rugby union events 2.3 Number of walkovers conceded in a season 2.4 Total media coverage of BUCS Rugby Union events 2.5 Number of teams in BUCS 7s competitions 3. Performance 1.1 Number of HE players in NGB 7s Performance squads 1.2 Finishing position at World University Championships