RFU Council is now receiving fortnightly updates from the Chief Executive and Development Director. The next scheduled meeting of full RFU Council is October 28th. Due to current circumstances this will be a virtual meeting and will see the launch of the RFU Annual Report and Accounts. Details of how to access this are given below. Community Game Board had a formal meeting on 19th October.
Once again, both Jim and Ted hope that you are Staying Safe and Staying Healthy. Any progress toward a full return to rugby seems to be thwarted by the continuing pandemic and it is difficult to either report, or predict what is likely to happen as circumstances change frequently.
RFU Annual Report and Accounts – this was presented to Council at the virtual meeting held on October 28th and will be available from the RFU website from 29th October. It is a comprehensive document totalling 96 pages including reports from the President, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Office and Chief Financial Officer. The main message to come from the CFO supported by the others is that, whilst the current situation remains very uncertain, the RFU is viewed by outsiders (mainly the banks) as a “going concern”. This means we have reserves available and remain in a good cash position. Obviously, the situation is being closely monitored but in Sue Day, Bill Sweeney and Andy Cosslett we have individuals who will ensure that the Union will return in good shape once the pandemic eases. Council was confident that this was the case and commended the accounts.
Return to Rugby – despite the fact that some areas of the County are now in Tier 3 lockdown (with other areas expected to move to Tier 3) we still remain at Stage D on the Return to Rugby Roadmap. However, please note that once players, coaches etc. leave the training area then local lockdown measures become effective.
The RFU made an application to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) at the beginning of October. This was for a return to full contact rugby from the beginning of November. The submission went from DCMS to Public Health England and thence to the Cabinet Office. Unfortunately, it’s arrival at Cabinet Office co-incided with the current rise in coronavirus cases and the RFU has yet to receive a reply. RFU Staff are continuing to lobby the Cabinet Office for some form of response so that the Game can move forward. This may include the playing of games under adaptive rules in order to mitigate risk.
League Rugby – a motion has been put to RFU Council to suspend all league rugby at level 3 (Nat Div 1) and below for this season. The result of this vote is expected by October 29th and a subsequent communication to the game will be made (hopefully, prior to the weekend). The Adult Competitions Advisory Group – which has been set up to monitor the situation, felt that there were insufficient Saturdays remaining in the season to conclude a meaningful competition and that this season be cancelled with, hopefully, a resumption of leagues in September 21/22. Once Council has reached its decision a full communication will be made to the Game
Future Competitions Structures – allied to the Council vote is the decision of the Future Competitions Structures Group to pause its implementation until season 22/23. This would allow season 21/22 to be a transitional season with final league positions leading to a revised structure. Again, it was felt that we need season 21/22 to be a season that allows the Game to recover and that making changes to the Competitions structures is not in the best interest of clubs. The Future Competitions Structure will be fully debated on 11th Nov with a view to putting a motion to Council at the end of November which will ask Council to confirm the principles behind the Competition Structure proposals.
RFU Staffing Structure – all RFU staff will return to work at the beginning of November. However, please note that the RFU have staggered a return to full time work to allow staff, who in many cases have not worked for six months and who find themselves coming back to a very different organisation from the one they left to re-aquaint themselves with both work and their new roles. The Officials of the County will meet the new CB Relationship Manager and the Club Development Manager during November. It is then anticipated that Club Developers will make contact with individual clubs prior to Christmas.
We would ask that clubs are patient whilst we work with RFU Staff to develop new ways of working and establish relationships between them and ourselves.
Communication – occasionally, we hear that individuals are unaware of communications issued by the RFU/YRFU. Please ensure that details of contacts within your club are updated on GMS (which is the main means of communication within the Game). Also, if you are the recipient of information from the RFU/YRFU please pass these on to anyone in your club who you think should be aware of any such communication. Much better that people receive information on more than one occasion rather than not receive it at all. Thank You
Activities in October (Jim Chapman)
|
Date |
|
|
02 |
RFU Council Meeting |
|
05 |
YRFU – Emergency Committee Meeting |
|
09 |
Meeting with David Roberts (Chair, CGB) and Steve Grainger (Development Director) ref County Championship Review |
|
12 |
YRFU Committee |
|
15 |
Interviews for England Colleges RFU Council Member |
|
19 |
Meeting with Andrew Soutar (CB Relationship Manager) Community Game Board |
|
21 |
Future Competitions Structures Group |
|
22 |
RFU Council – Update Future Competitions Structures – Webinar with new Council Members |
|
23 |
Competitions Development Sub-Committee |
|
28 |
RFU Council Meeting – Annual Report & Accounts |
Activities in October (Ted Atkinson)
|
Date |
|
|
01 |
Education & Age-Grade Sub-Committee |
|
02 |
RFU Council |
|
05 |
YRFU – Emergency Committee Meeting |
|
06 |
Meeting with Hamish Pratt |
|
08 |
YRFU Academy Meeting Regional Player Pathway Group Meeting |
|
12 |
YRFU – Committee Meeting |
|
14 |
YRFU Academy – Stakeholder Meeting |
|
15 |
Interviews |
|
19 |
Meeting with Andrew Soutar (CB Relationship Manager) |
|
22 |
RFU Council – Update |
|
28 |
RFU Council Meeting – Annual Report & Accounts |
Ted Atkinson & Jim Chapman
October 2020
