The next meeting of RFU Council is not until Friday 8th
February 2019. Community Game Board has it’s Annual Business Planning Day on
Friday, 18th January.
Ted and Jim
would like to wish all connected with Rugby in Yorkshire a very HAPPY NEW YEAR. We both hope the second half of the
season brings your club all the success that you wish. Let’s all work together to ensure that our
game grows during this year and that our clubs and players flourish. Oh! … and
let’s hope Japan 2019 is successful for English Rugby
Interim CEO – As you will be aware the RFU finally
has a Yorkshireman at the helm!! Nigel
Melville has taken over as Chief Executive Officer and has already been active
in meeting the Chairs of various RFU Sub-Committees to explore common themes
for the months ahead. The search for a replacement CEO has also begun with
recruitment company Odgers Berndston having been appointed to carry out the
recruitment process. A job description has been drawn up and will shortly go
live.
U17/U18 Transition – as many will be aware Ted Atkinson chaired
the Working Group looking into the best age at which players should be able to
transition from Age Grade into Open Age Rugby. It proved to be a lively debate
with a broad spectrum of views being submitted to the Group. The Group finally
concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support a change in the
current regulations and, therefore, recommended to the Community Game Board
that the status quo be maintained. The group will re-convene next year to
review the situation and will continue to monitor on an annual basis. One
change that will be implemented during the 2019-20 season will be the process
for sign-off for a player to play open age rugby, this is likely to include a “third-party
view on a player’s suitability to play adult rugby”. Also, as the changes were
being discussed it emerged that new DBS and Safeguarding regulations relating
to young people playing in open age sport were being discussed by the
Government. The Safeguarding Department
at the RFU will consider these new regulations and communicate them to all
concerned when they are due to be implemented by all sports.
League/Competitions Consultation – following earlier meetings across
the North of England, Jim Chapman will be part of the Group that will lead a
second phase of consultation into the league and competitions landscape across
the North Division Organising Committee area.
The Yorkshire consultation will meet on Tuesday January 15th
at West Park Leeds RUFC, commencing at 7:00 p.m. Clubs at Level 7 (Yorkshire
Div. 1) and below will have received an outline presentation on the views
expressed during the first round of meetings.
This will be followed by some draft structures considered by the group.
The likely outcome is that clubs will be asked to select from these proposals
with an accompanying implementation plan.
January Availability – both Ted and Jim will be very busy
during January but still available (probably best by email) if clubs have
concerns. In particular, Ted will not be available between 10th to
21st Jan as he will be taking a break from rugby to support England’s
Cricketers in the West Indies.
Activities in December
(Jim Chapman)
|
Date
|
|
|
03
|
Yorkshire RFU Financial AGM + Committee Meeting (Morley RFC)
|
|
11
|
Competitions Review Working Party
England Colleges RFU – Board Meeting (Twickenham)
|
|
19
|
Meeting with Nigel Melville
Community Game Board (Twickenham)
|
|
20
|
Meeting with C. Roberts, K. Drabble re. West Park Leeds Ladies
(Weetwood Hall Hotel)
|
Activities in December
(Ted Atkinson)
|
Date
|
|
|
03
|
Yorkshire RFU Financial AGM + Committee Meeting (Morley RFC)
|
Ted Atkinson & Jim Chapman
December 2018
