GEMMA COBBPreston Grasshoppers, Aylesbury and Hornets RFCs recently opened the first three RFU Rugby 365 floodlit artificial grass pitches (AGPs) as part of the RFU’s Rugby World Cup 2015 legacy of delivering over £47m investment over four years into the development of 100 AGPs across England.

The new AGPs will provide their communities with year-round rugby through the durability of the all-weather surface, which will enable additional training sessions and more flexibility in playing times thanks to the floodlights. The pitches are expected to increase rugby participation across clubs and community groups, further growing the sport.

RFU CEO Ian Ritchie opened Aylesbury RFC’s pitch as the club took on local rivals Beaconsfield RFC. He said: “It is expected that each AGP pitch will create between 1,500 and 2,000 hours of additional access to play a year and we

hope that the flexibility and enhanced opportunities they provide across the regions will open up the sport for a wider audience to enjoy the benefits of rugby.”

RFU President Peter Baines opened the artificial grass pitch at Hornets RFC in between the Hornets Colts v Weston Super Mare and Hornettes v Cullompton Ladies matches, illustrating the variety of games already taking place on the pitches.

Eddie Jones was in Lancashire to launch Preston Grasshoppers’ pitch with a training session for 40 young players from clubs across the community, in front of a 700-strong crowd.

Said Eddie Jones: “It’s been great to see the whole community come out in force to celebrate the launch and I hope to see clubs, schools and organisations all using and benefitting from this great facility.”

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FIRST RFU ARTIFICIAL GRASS PITCHES LAUNCHED RFU PARTNERS

WITH THE COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION

The Official Newspaper of The RFU

TOUCHLINEFebruary 2017 Issue 198

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The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) has become the Rugby Football Union’s military charity partner for 2017.

Remembering all the rugby players who died in the First World War between 2014 and 2018, the RFU’s programme of Great War commemorations focuses on remembering, educating and fundraising.

Said RFU Chief Executive Ian Ritchie: “Partnering with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission will build on those themes, drawing on the Commission’s work in their centenary year as they celebrate the work of their staff around the world and commemorate the 1.7 million Commonwealth servicemen and women who died in the two world wars.

“We are grateful to the Commission for their help in producing our Rose and Poppy Films and hope to grow support for the Commission and encourage the RFU’s member schools and clubs nationwide to remember those who left rugby fields for battlefields never to return.”

CWGC Vice Chairman, Sir Tim Laurence said: “Huge thanks go to the RFU for supporting the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in our centenary year. Together, we will remember them”.

CWGC Director General, Mrs Victoria Wallace, added: “We hope rugby fans around the world will be inspired to learn more of past players who made the ultimate sacrifice for their countries in the two world wars, and to pay their respects at any of our 23,000 cemeteries and memorials in 150 countries.

SPORT ENGLAND INVESTS IN RUGBY

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“The CWGC made a commitment in 1917 that the names of these heroes would live for ever and we are grateful to the RFU for helping us pass on the torch of remembrance to another generation in 2017.”

Roses and Poppy films: click here and the First World War Exhibition in the World Rugby Museum click here

Sport England’s investment of over £100 million of National Lottery and Government funding for 25 national governing bodies of sport, to get more people playing sport regularly and keeping that healthy habit, included £12.6m investment in rugby for the Rugby Football Union.

Sport England said that the RFU’s plan to convert school rugby players into committed club members via their successful CBRE All Schools programme, which will by 2019 have worked with 750 state schools without a tradition of playing rugby and in areas with highly-diverse communities, helped players “to move into well-organised and supportive community clubs with good coaching and plenty of playing opportunities.

They added that for those that like rugby but not the full contact version, the RFU will create more opportunities to play informal, social and non-contact touch rugby, adding “They’ll also create more chances to play rugby sevens around the country.

“With female players currently playing on average fewer than 10 matches a season but 50 per cent wanting to play more, women’s and girls’ rugby is also in for a boost. More ‘pitch up and play’ opportunities will be created.

“Around 13,000 university students currently play rugby. The RFU will use its Sport England funding to increase that number, and support graduates to continue playing when they move to the next big phase in their lives.

“Finally, they will continue to support young up and coming female players as they progress through the England talent system.”

Steve Grainger, the RFU’s Rugby Development Director, said: “We are delighted to secure a significant partnership with Sport England over the next four years. Since the staging of Rugby World Cup 2015 in England we have seen substantial interest in our sport. This renewed partnership will support us in sustaining current rugby participation across England while helping grow the game, providing even more opportunities for people to play all variants of our game.”

As part of the official launches the RFU has introduced a Pitch for a Pound promotion, giving the local communities the chance to book an hour on the pitch for just £1 (+ VAT), for January and February, with half a pitch only 5op (+VAT). To book time on the Buckinghamshire, Lancashire or Somerset pitch, go to englandrugby.com

The RFU has invested £47m into the Rugby 365 artificial grass pitch programme, with a commitment to build 60 artificial grass pitches on rugby club sites across England over four years.

Feasibility has started on phase two sites across the country, with construction due to start on 17 more pitches this summer.

There will be further partnership investment to part-fund 40 pitches on community sites, with a guaranteed number of hours’ rugby use, with three university sites currently in development.

For more information on Artificial Grass Pitches, and to book a pitch near you, go to englandrugby.com

FIRST RFU ARTIFICIAL GRASS PITCHES LAUNCHED

RFU PARTNERS WITH THE COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION

Sometimes you just want to jump for joy!Six-year-old Darcey Fryer-Bovil, a junior member of the England Rugby Club had the time of her life when she was a mascot for England when they took on France in the RBS 6 Nations at Twickenham.Membership is £10 a year at englandrugby.com/club

GEMMA COBB

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2015-16 PROFESSIONAL RUGBY INJURY REPORTThe Professional Rugby Injury Surveillance Project (PRISP) report for the 2015-16 season was published last month (January). The project is the most comprehensive and longest-running injury surveillance study in professional rugby and has monitored the injury risk of Premiership Rugby players in Premiership Rugby, European and national competition as well as training for the past 13 seasons.

The key findings from the 2015-16 season include:

• The incidence of match injuries in the Premiership was lower in 2015-16 than reported in any previous season. Data collection during the 2016-17 season will help clarify whether this is the start of a trend towards a lower overall injury incidence or an atypical year.

• The average time taken to return to play following a match injury in the 2015-16 season was 29 days, which falls within the expected limits of variation.

• Concussion for the fifth consecutive season was the most commonly reported Premiership Rugby match injury constituting approximately 25% of all match injuries. It is the consensus view that the continued focus on improving concussion awareness and promoting behavioural change, the formal independent post-match video review of all head injury events as well as a more inclusive and specific identification criteria within the Head Injury Assessment (HIA) process have all contributed to this continued rise in concussion incidents.

• The mean severity of reported match concussions was 13 days. Compliance with mandatory return to play protocols after concussion were fully adhered to.

• The risk of all other (non-concussion) match contact injuries in the Premiership has not increased, suggesting that changes to the nature of the professional game are unlikely to be factors underpinning this increase in concussion incidence. Concussion prevention remains a priority for the game at all levels.

• 45% of all match injuries were sustained in the tackle. Concussion now comprises 20% of all injuries to the ball carrier and 47% of all injuries to the tackler.

• The profile of the five most common and highest-risk match injuries has remained similar throughout the study period with the exception of concussion. As a result of its significant increase in incidence, concussion is now both the most common and highest risk match injury.

• The incidence of training injuries fell for the second consecutive season, but the average severity remained high at 30 days. The overall risk of training injury decreased for the third consecutive year, as a consequence of the fall in incidence. 40% of all injuries were sustained during training.

• There were again no clear differences in the incidence, severity or overall injury burden of time-loss injuries between matches played on artificial turf and natural grass.

• 10 players retired as a result of injury and one retired as a result of illness last season.• There has been an increase in the incidence of match injuries in the England Senior side

last season compared to the previous season. With a greater number of games played in a World Cup year, more match injuries were reported but the average severity of match injuries decreased. With this increased incidence but decreased average severity, the overall risk of match injury was seen to remain relatively stable.

The PRISP report also provides an update on key research projects around concussion prevention, artificial turf injury risk and how best to manage athletes on artificial turf, training load and injury risk and the utility of the King-Devick assessment in identifying concussed players.

Simon Kemp, RFU Chief Medical Officer, said: “The continued rise in the number of reported concussions in the professional game continues to be an area of priority focus for everyone involved in the game. Medical staff are all working extremely hard to ensure that we are identifying and managing this complex injury well. While we continue to ‘recognise and remove’, our focus must now be on concussion prevention.”

Corin Palmer, Head of Rugby Operations at Premiership Rugby, said: “The focus on concussion from everyone in the game shows the cultural change resulting from Premiership Rugby’s work with the RFU and the RPA to increase awareness and education about the seriousness of concussion it has come into effect in every area of the professional game. This is reflected in the increase in reported concussions and the excellent compliance with the concussion return to play guidelines from all of our clubs. Premiership Rugby and the 12 Premiership Rugby clubs are committed to continuing to work with the RFU and the RPA to ensure that we are at the forefront of research into the best tools to recognise concussion and to protect our players.”

Richard Bryan, the Rugby Director for the Rugby Players’ Association, added: “Clearly, the rise in reported concussions continues to be a top priority for all stakeholders to address, although this does also indicate that education on the issue is having an effect.

“While the overall incidence of injury is lower than that reported in any previous season, single-season results need to be treated with caution, particularly given injury severity remained high. Our members accept that injury is an inevitable part of the game, however, they also expect appropriate welfare provisions to be in place for them and the game must continue to focus on mitigating risk through research, education and the appropriate management of injuries.”

GARETH MILLS

MORE THAN 1,000 WOMEN MEET THEIR INNER WARRIORSGEMMA COBBAt the beginning of the year England Rugby launched a nationwide campaign, ‘Meet Your Inner Warrior’, aimed at encouraging more women and girls to take up contact rugby within their communities.

Launched with an inspirational video, the campaign calls to the inner toughness that inhabits all women.

As part of the campaign, 100 Warrior Camps took place in rugby clubs across the country from January 19 – 29, seeing over 1,000 participants take part in fun rugby taster sessions. Personal trainer and Inner Warrior Chloe Madeley attended the Warrior Camp at Rushden and Higham RUFC.

Chloe, a new rugby recruit, said “If you want to get into fitness, while doing something social at the same time, I would recommend you give rugby a go. Not only are you getting active but you are with a load of girls who are happy to get muddy and have a laugh. It’s honestly so much fun!”

Bath RFC had one of the highest number of attendees, with around 80 women braving the elements to reveal their Inner Warriors, while Driffield RUFC saw 28 girls and women attend their Warrior Camp, including seven new U13s and six new women.

Bury RFC mixed playing with some social fun, hosting Cream Teas and Prosecco following their Warrior Camp. This worked a

treat, serving up 36 new players for the session in addition to 14 existing players, with all made to feel completely welcome. The day culminated in a raffle raising £1,000 for the club.

Hartlepool Rovers RFC also had a successful Warrior Camp, with 13 new players attending, all with an infectious enthusiasm and desire to give rugby a try.

The next set of Warrior Camps will take place in May 2017. To stay tuned on news and upcoming Warrior Camp dates, register your details here.

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REAL RUGBY STORIESFeaturing regularly on englandrugby.com, as well as in Touchline, our Real Rugby Stories celebrate the achievements of those involved in the grassroots game. Whether it’s supportive mums or medics, chairmen taking clubs places, or children with inspirational stories, let us know about your remarkable people by emailing: JoeOgden@rfu.com

“I remember when they told me it was cancer. It changed everything and sometimes I do think about how much I’ve gone through recently.” Sam Jones is remarkably calm considering the year he has had.

Last April Jones made his debut for England Counties U18s having captained the North of England earlier in the year.

The flanker then joined the Doncaster Knights academy with aims of progressing through to their Championship side but just a few weeks into pre-season he was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma.

“A few of my friends had glandular fever so I thought it was that,” says Jones. “My family convinced me to see a doctor and once I was told what I had I was straight into chemotherapy.”

Hodgkin Lymphoma mainly affects young adults and Jones’ treatment involved chemotherapy every other week.

“It took a lot out of me. It took me about five days to recover every time I had chemo and so I struggled to keep up my training. I was frustrated. I wanted to keep fit but it takes all your energy.”

Jones went through six months of treatment, supported by his girlfriend, family and the club, before being given the all clear two days before Christmas.

“Everyone was amazing throughout. My teammates didn’t treat me any differently and the club were fantastic, particularly the coaches Anthony Posa and Tyson Lewis. All I wanted to do was get back on the pitch and they helped me do that.”

Just six months after his diagnosis Jones was fit to play again, making his debut for the academy against Leeds Trinity University last week and scoring a hat-trick in the process.

“I missed the first tackle and then got smashed when I carried the ball but it got a bit better after that,” says Jones.

“Running out onto the pitch again was a special feeling. It is all I had wanted during the six months when I couldn’t play, so it meant a lot.”

Jones was playing again for Doncaster against Sheffield Hallam university as Touchline went to press and his long term goal is to become a professional player.

Considering the strength and resilience Jones has shown in the past six months alone, you wouldn’t bet against him achieving it.

ENGLAND COUNTIES PLAYER DEFIES CANCER TO MAKE RUGBY RETURN

Drive 50 miles north from Newcastle into the wilderness of Kielder Forest Park and you will come across the most remote, and one of the most special, rugby clubs in England.

When the sun goes down Kielder is officially the darkest place in the country, the village school currently has 12 pupils – having only had two at one stage. And since 1961 the secluded community has also been home to a rugby club formed by a group of foresters and hill farmers.

For 55 years the club survived despite a dwindling supply of players as a change of industry led forest workers to re-locate.

“Last year I thought it was all over,” says 72-year-old Tom Richards who played his first game of rugby for Border Park aged 38 and only stopped four years ago.

“It got to the point where there were only three of us left. I would mark the pitch in the morning, get everything ready for the match and then go out and play. It wasn’t the same anymore.

“I don’t mind admitting that I shed a few tears. My wife used to say I should accept things had changed and move on. But I refused to accept that. This club has been the love of my life, I couldn’t let it die.”

Luckily Richards wasn’t the only person who was desperate to keep the club going. During a dinner put on for his services to rugby in Northumbria, a group of young players from the Tyne Valley stood up and pledged to revitalise Border Park.

“Border Park is special to a lot of people but we knew it would have to change in order to survive,” says Richie Gledson, who along with David Batey, Jamie Dixon and Joe Northwood, forms part of Border Park’s new committee with Richards remaining as President.

“The lack of players meant we had to switch from a competitive team that played on Saturdays to a more fun, social approach using players from the surrounding areas and playing games on Friday nights or Sundays.”

The committee was supported in its efforts by local Rugby Development Officer Dave Reed as well as the Northumberland Rugby Union.

“There is no way we wanted to lose the club,” said Andy Thomson, Chairman of rugby for Northumberland. “So we all worked together to find ways of supporting Border Park including developing links with other clubs who helped as well.”

In November the revamped club held its first friendly hosted at the home of Newcastle Falcons, Kingston Park, on a Friday night.

“We had players from nine different clubs representing Border Park. They had travelled from all over the north and south Tyne valleys just to play for us,” says Dixon. “Over 200 spectators then turned up for our next fixture against Ponteland RFC so the support is definitely there. The way people want to play sport is changing up here and we are trying to capitalise on that while also protecting Border Park’s identity.”

For Richards, the feeling of seeing Border Park RFC thriving once again is hard to put into words – “It meant everything, absolutely everything to me.”

Despite being on the brink of extinction, it is easy to see how Border Park survived. The passion and love of the club shown by Richards, the new generation of players, as well as crucial local sport has meant England’s most remote club will thrive for many years to come.

REBIRTH OF ENGLAND’S MOST REMOTE CLUB

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ENGLAND DEAF COACH PRAISES DISPLAY DESPITE WALES DEFEAT WALES DEAF 23-12 ENGLAND DEAF England Deaf Head Coach Sean Fletcher praised his side’s performance after they were narrowly beaten by Wales in Pontypridd. The result means Wales Deaf retain the Broadstreet Cup for the seventh successive year but Fletcher said England’s performance showed how far the team has come.

“All credit to Wales who deserved to win but I think our players can be incredibly proud of how they played,” said Fletcher.

“We brought in a number of new players and they all stepped up in what was a very physical match against notoriously tough opposition. We are obviously disappointed with the result because we felt we were in control at key moments.”

England started well and came close to scoring in the opening 10 minutes through Craig Orrick but were denied by resolute Welsh defence. The hosts nudged ahead with two penalties from Richard Lewis before their full back Gareth John took advantage of an overlap to score just before half time, making it 11-0 to Wales.

In the second half, full back Max Thorne sprinted over to reduce Wales’ lead to six points and the match remained close for the remainder of the second half until a frantic final six minutes when Wales scored two tries, putting the game beyond reach for England.

A last minute try from England’s Barney Reed, converted by Jack Haddock, narrowed Wales’ lead with the match finishing 23-12.

With England set to play a three match series against New Zealand in the autumn, Fletcher believes they are developing at the right pace.

“England Deaf has come on in leaps and bounds. Our representative sides are continuously improving and at the community level we are doing a great deal to promote the game, especially working with Premiership clubs to develop their outreach work. This year will be a big step forward.”

Find out more about the team here

YOUNG REFEREES APPLAUDED AT PACKED FRANKLIN’S GARDENS

Young referees from the East Midlands were centre stage at Franklin’s Gardens when nine teenagers from the Northampton Saints Developing Player Programme received their referee shirts during the half-time break of the Saints’ Aviva Premiership game against Bristol.

The group are some of the 30 players who will be trained up as referees as part of a special partnership between the Saints, the RFU Young Official Developing Programme and the East Midlands Referee Society, with funding from the Area 4 RFU Legacy Fund.

“It was great to see the lads on the pitch at Franklin’s Gardens and get a good reception from the crowd,” said Saints Academy coach Jon Curry. “They’ve all worked really hard to get their refereeing qualifications, which the youngsters have told us have also had a positive impact on how they play the game.

“Without match officials we don’t have a game, which is why we have been working with the RFU and East Midlands Referees’ Society to encourage youngsters to get their refereeing qualifications as well as developing their own playing.”

John Widdowson, RFU match official development

officer, added: “This is a great example of collaborative working between Northampton Saints as a professional rugby club, the East Midlands Referees’ Society, Constituent Body and RFU local delivery team supporting the holistic development of young people, providing the local community with the next generation of match officials.

“It was the first time that a group of Young Match Officials have had this level of acknowledgement and demonstrates the importance that Jon Curry and the team at Northampton place on developing match officiating among young people.”

TWICKENHAM’S HSBC WORLD RUGBY SEVENS FINALEThis season’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series will conclude at Twickenham on Saturday, 20 and Sunday, 21 May 2017.

Twickenham will once again offer a Feast of Rugby experience, combining world-class rugby with international gourmet street food.

Due to the high demand for tickets last year, and the success of the new and improved finale event, the number of tickets available for this year has been increased from 35,000 per day to 50,000, giving avid rugby enthusiasts and newcomer crowds the chance to enjoy the ‘Feast-ival’ experience.

Day passes are available from £30 while weekend passes are available from £40 and children under 16 can get tickets for £5. Click here to buy tickets.

Fans will have the opportunity to celebrate the gastronomy of the competing nations, enjoy vintage-themed fairground rides and bask in the atmosphere of live music, all while watching world-class athletes in action. The new-look weekend has been epitomised in detailed illustrations by UK artist, Steve Simpson. There will also be in-bowl pop-up dining and a kids club.

For tickets: englandrugby.com/tickets

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The first fixture played by Goodwin Academy year 11 girls, against Dover Grammar School girls at Deal and Betteshanger RFC, was a positive step towards growing club rugby for girls in East Kent.

Community Rugby Coach Danny Vaughan and the Kent coaching team began delivering curriculum sessions to girls and boys at the academy last September as part of CBRE All Schools. The school had just joined the programme which has introduced and embedded rugby in 500 additional state secondary schools – impacting some 450,000 children’s lives.

Jo Cyman, Head of PE at Goodwin Academy, was delighted to see the girls playing a match against another

school. “They have really enjoyed becoming part of a team, working for each other, and seeing them playing was great.”

The CBRE All Schools programme is firming up links between the academy and Deal and Betteshanger RFC.

Says Danny: “We are now running after school training for boys and girls at the club and the numbers of students attending have been high. Lots of students have joined the club and the next plan for us and Deal and Betteshanger RFC is to start a girls’ section at the club to provide club rugby for local schools like Goodwin Academy and Dover Grammar School.”

DEAL’S GREAT DAY FOR CBRE ALL SCHOOLS GIRLS

ENGLAND RUGBY AND COMIC RELIEF LAUNCH NEW TRY FOR CHANGE FUNDIn partnership with Comic Relief, England Rugby launched its first funding initiative through the Try for Change fund this month.

In 2016, England Rugby joined forces with Comic Relief to launch the Try for Change Fund. The fund will use rugby union and the rugby union community to deliver social change in England and across the world. Bringing together rugby’s core values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship it will work to tackle a number of social challenges around education attainment, social inclusion, unemployment, mental and physical wellbeing, personal development and community cohesion.

Sport can play an important role in improving the lives of millions of people across the world, bringing people together to play, learn, improve their health and benefit from shared experiences.

Try for Change works to promote, support and grow rugby as a tool for social good. It aims to help people reach their goals and fulfil their potential, as well as deliver long-term benefits to the wider community.

The first initiative launched under the Try for Change Fund is a small grants programme aimed at supporting smaller charities, community groups, and local community rugby clubs in England. Organisations can apply for between £2,500 and £10,000, for up to 12 months. We will be prioritising applications which target the most vulnerable and marginalised groups, for example young people who are NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), local refugees, or young offenders.

If you are interested in learning more about the Try for Change Fund, England Rugby – in partnership with Comic Relief – are hosting a Seminar at Twickenham Stadium on Friday 17th February from 12pm until 2.30pm. For more information please contact Tim Wainwright at timwainwright@rfu.com

For more details and to apply for funding from the Try for Change Fund, please check the Comic Relief grants page from 6th February 2017.

GEORGE CHUTER JOINS HINCKLEY RUGBY George Chuter is succeeding Paul Walsh as Hinckley RFC’s Director of Rugby from the end of this season as Walsh moves to live in France.

Having been part of the team choosing his successor, Walsh said “I’m very happy that the club, which has been a massive part of my life for the past 10 years, has found someone of George’s calibre. I’ll hopefully be leaving the club in a really good position and he will take things to the next level.”

Chuter, who played for Saracens, Leicester Tigers and England, and was inducted into the Premiership Rugby Hall of Fame in 2014, added: “I’m really excited to join what is now my local club as I have been living in Hinckley for the past 11 years. It will be a fantastic challenge and will be great to be involved in a club that has made some great strides forward both on and off the field. The club has an aim and I feel as though it fits with what I want to achieve myself.”

Chairman John Tilley said: “Paul Walsh has been a fantastic servant and replacing him could have proved impossible. However, we feel we have a got a person with the personality, experience and talent to grasp the baton and make his own mark in the history of Hinckley Rugby Club.”

Hinckley, Manu Tuilagi's formative club, is a real centre of the community and an RFU Accredited club, with teams at every level from U7s to the First 15. Their fantastic new clubhouse, with funding supported by the RFU, was opened last season by England Head Coach Eddie Jones. The upgrade now sees some 300 people lunching in the clubhouse before every home game.

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January closed with a door opening for Lancashire girls wanting to play rugby as Rochdale RUFC’s girls section hosted their first ever matches at Under 13 and Under 15.

The crowd was almost double that at a first 15 match at the club as they lined up against Leigh and Dukinfield and 47 girls had a great afternoon, all eager for more rugby opportunities.

The proof of the great experience for the players came when three girls watching from the touchline asked if they could join the action as it looked such fun.

Organiser and coach Oliver Howard said: “The girls clearly enjoyed themselves and the level they played in matches was as good as our boys club players. They were all winners today and the game of rugby union was the biggest winner of all.”

Said player Sofia Kelly: “I felt our team came together and played to their full ability in what was our first competitive outing, it was just fantastic!”

Skye Whitton agreed: “I was really nervous at the start and before the game, but, once that whistle went, a new reality hit home and I loved it.”

England Rugby Community Rugby Coach Aaron Howorth said: “It was great to see so many people up at the club on a Sunday afternoon to support the girls after many months of hard work from dedicated volunteers, parents and the girls themselves.”

Rochdale’s girls’ squad has 32 regular players and three more girls joined the club on the day.

GIRLS LOVING RUGBY IN ROCHDALE

LOUGHBOROUGH COOK UP COMMUNITY HELPLoughborough University rugby players decided when setting club goals for the Students Rugby Club to think broader than their performance targets and include the aim of helping the wider community, which has seen them involved in the One Love charity in Leicester.

Said Isaac Miller, 1st XV Captain: “It is a fantastic charity, who help out every week with feeding and clothing the homeless. Our team got together and cooked up some vegetarian meals which we then transported through to Leicester and served out to around 60 homeless people. We then had some food ourselves and sat down for a chat with the people that had come in to receive food. It was great to get a good number of boys down, along with our coaches.

The boys seemed to really enjoy the experience and it definitely made us feel very grateful for how lucky we are. We hope to go back and lend a hand to One Love again.”

MICK GEORGE COMMUNITY FUND HELPS CLUBHOUSE REDEVELOPMENT

Cambridge Rugby Club’s ambitious plans to construct new changing rooms and ancillary facilities at their Grantchester Road headquarters has received a major £50,000 boost with a grant award from the Mick George Community Fund.

“We’re thrilled that the Mick George Community Fund recognised the importance of the project to allocate this level of financial support. The clubhouse extension will bring massive benefits for both the rugby club and the broader sports community across Cambridge,” said Steve Bowller, President at CRUFC.

“This external validation gives us increased confidence and commitment that the progress we are making with the club’s development and expansion is on the right tracks.”

Jon Stump, Finance Director at Mick George Ltd said: “There is a clear, real and urgent need to update the rugby club’s existing changing rooms and associated facilities to reflect the progress the senior rugby side has made competing again in the third tier of English rugby, as well as the thriving Mini and Youth sections. We are also delighted to provide a funding commitment just as the rugby club has

launched women’s and girls’ rugby at Volac Park and has clear and meaningful expansion plans for broader community access from across the region to their incredible outdoor facilities.”

The rugby club has, in principle, already secured funding commitments from Cambridge City Council, the Rugby Football Union and The Rugby Football Federation. Further fundraising is ongoing amongst the club’s members and sponsors to make up the balance to reach the £500,000 overall cost of the project, which will see six state of the art unisex changing rooms, officials and disabled changing facilities,

physiotherapy suites, gym, laundry and an office. Subject to completion of the internal

fundraising, the Club expects work to start at the end of the current rugby season in April and be completed in time for the start of the new season in September.

“Fundraising is well advanced towards the overall required target” added Bowller. “The Mick George monies will hopefully be the catalyst for our members and supporters to make the final push to get us over the line.”

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RFU AND PRL SIGN COACH DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT The Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Premiership Rugby Limited (PRL) have signed a new agreement that will add significant benefit to the current coach development programme in England. The restructure will see three talented club coaches join the England Under 20 Management team every season alongside a performance coach, who will act as a facilitator for the programme.

Dean Ryan, Head of International Player Development at the RFU, said: “This is a landmark agreement and one that offers a brilliant opportunity for coaches at Premiership clubs to gain experience in an international environment. The strong partnership between England Rugby and Premiership Rugby made this possible and we are focused on providing a fantastic platform for these coaches to grow and develop their skills.”

This year will see former England second-row Louis Deacon, Harlequins’ Tom Williams and Saracens Academy coach Ian Vass form part of the England U20 coaching staff for the upcoming 2017 Six Nations and World Rugby U20 Championship in Georgia this summer.

After making his debut for Harlequins in 2004, winger Williams scored 65 tries in 214 appearances for the club. He retired from the professional game at the end of the 2015 season

to join the club’s academy coaching staff. Alongside his commitments to Quins, Williams is also the head coach of National Division One side Esher.

Former Northampton Saints scrum-half Vass, who is currently a coach at Championship side Bedford alongside his role with the Premiership champions, will be a familiar face for the five Saracens players in the England U20 EPS. Vass has played a big role in the development of Saracens’ young players, most recently mentoring England U20 fly half Max Malins.

36 year-old Deacon, who joined Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club as a specialist line-out coach before progressing to the role of forwards coach, is familiar with the environment having been involved in the last two England U20 training camps.

“We are delighted to see these three young coaches get their chance with what is an extremely talented group of young players, who have prospered in our club Academies, which we run in partnership with England Rugby” said Phil Winstanley, the Rugby Director at Premiership Rugby.

“The way Tom and Ian have moved into an England Under 20 role alongside their club commitments is another example of the way Premiership Rugby are supporting England teams at all levels, and shows the powerful partnership between us and the RFU.”

The RFU are currently recruiting for an England U20 performance coach to facilitate the programme.

CUMBRIA CBRE ALL SCHOOLS GIRLS PLAY ON TWICKENHAM PITCH

There was a great deal of excitement as girls from two Cumbria schools travelled down to Twickenham Stadium to play a curtain raiser on the hallowed turf and form the guard of honour before England took on France in the RBS 6 Nations.

Both teams were new to rugby, having become part of the RFU’s CBRE All Schools programme. CBRE All Schools has established rugby in an additional 500 state secondary schools, impacting some 450,000 children’s lives by making school life happier and healthier, reducing anti-social behaviour, enhancing learning and increasing students’ self-esteem.

Millom School, based on the west coast of Cumbria in a town with a population of just over 6,000, is a community hub in a relatively isolated community with the nearest main towns of Barrow and Egremont 30 minutes away.

The school has seen their 487 students enjoying both curricular and extra-curricular coaching from both the school, under the guidance of Head of PE Steven Olliver and his team, and coaches from their local Millom rugby club. This has seen pupils join Millom RUFC and the club start both U15 and U15 girls’ teams and now providing coaching for U13 girls.

Many players from the school have been selected to represent Cumbria at both U15 & U18 level, with a few selected for talent development squads. One such player and young leader Bethany Pattinson, was at Twickenham assisting with the U12 team. Millom club has been very supportive of their young players, often hiring a minibus to transport them to CB games and Development Days.

Said Young Leader Bethany: “I am very honoured to be given

the opportunity to be here with the girls I help to coach. We are very proud of them.”

One of the players Madison Bickerdike said: “Being here at Twickenham is a once in a lifetime opportunity and we are all very grateful to be asked to play.”

Ulverston Victoria High School, in the South Cumbria market town with a population of just over 11,500, has 1,272 pupils, many having enjoyed rugby since they joined CBRE All Schools in the 2015/16 academic year.

Overseen by Head of PE, Kirsty Hayton, the school has delivered many curricular and extra-curricular sessions to develop their playing base and taken part in CB Development Festivals. The school has no local rugby club but strong links with Kendal, Furness and Hawcoat Park rugby clubs, all within 25 minutes drive. Two of these clubs are now looking to develop their own girls’ sections to support Cumbria becoming an RFU Focus Area for Women’s & Girls Rugby.

The school has a strong sporting tradition, well supported by their head teacher Denis Fay, and players attending the Cumbria Development Days as part of the Women’s & Girls Focus Area are developing very well, leading to some representing the CB. Kirsty and her team have also hosted a Rugby Union in Secondary Schools Course to embed rugby in the school and contribute towards the ongoing sustainability of the sport.

Teacher and coach Chris Reid said: “When asked ‘Sir, are you coming with us to Twickenham on Saturday ?…I’m soooo excited’ I replied “you’re not the only one… ! The experience was a big inspiration to all of us.”

JAMIE HOPKINS

9TOUCHLINE – FEBRUARY 2017

THINK HEART THIS VALENTINE’S DAYWIN A DEFIBRILLATOR FOR YOUR CLUBSudden Cardiac Arrest is one of the biggest killers in Britain, and it can happen to anyone at any time and at any age.

The potential for saving a life is dependent on time; the faster medical help is administered, the better the chance of survival. This chance of survival can be significantly increased when an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is used rather than CPR alone.

With this in mind, and as part of the RugbySafe scheme, the RFU have linked with the Community Heartbeat Trust (CHT) to increase awareness of the use of defibrillators and how having one in your club could potentially be a life saver.

“When you read the stats about how important a defibrillator can be, you realise that every club in the country should consider having one” says Wayne Barnes Ambassador of the RFU-CHT Defib scheme.

The CHT will provide support and guidance to clubs and schools on the selection and maintenance of defibrillators, as well as ensuring that they are appropriately registered with local ambulance services, and make sure your device is registered onto the WebNos Governance system.

More information on the RugbySafe AED scheme can be found on here and here

PAYING MORE THAN YOU NEED TO FOR ENERGY? GET ENGLAND RUGBY DEALSFor some, energy bills can be rather like black hole. Often clubs can end up paying higher rates than necessary, left with confusing bills, which end up being both time consuming and frustrating.

Did You Know?The RFU has an Energy Purchasing Partnership in place

with the aim of bringing RFU clubs together as a single entity. This method increases the energy buying power and gives direct access to prices created specifically for the framework. Contracts tendered will typically contain lower prices than those that are provided directly from a supplier.

Farnborough RUFC is one example of the many clubs who have been visited by EnglandRugbyDeals this year. As part of their visit they participated in a savings analysis exercise. One of the key areas of spend to be highlighted was energy. By using the RFU Energy Purchasing Partnership, delivered by energy experts Zero Trace Procurement (ZTP), Farnborough RUFC will save 21% on their energy bill. This is equal to £1228, which can now be used elsewhere in the club.

In addition to their saving, they will also be able to track their energy consumption and bills through ZTPs unique online portal, Trace. Trace also allows your account manager to validate your utility bills, ensuring you are never overpaying for your energy.

Ian Grahams, Treasurer from Farnborough RUFC, was ‘very happy’ with the service he received.

EnglandRugbyDeals can help your club save money. Our expert buyers have carefully negotiated fantastic discounts on many areas of spend, such as: washroom services, fixed line telecoms, janitorial, print, club facilities, pitch and site maintenance. Our flexible approach and understanding of the time constraints of volunteers, who give up their free time to help run rugby clubs, is a real benefit for clubs. Providing a helping hand which will save you time.

Don’t let your club miss out, arrange a visit from EnglandRugbyDeals and participate in a like for like pricing analysis on your club spend.

Get in Touch: Email support@englandrugbydeals or ring 01283 711551 or click here

WIN A DEFIBRILLATORCould your club benefit from having a defibrillator available? If, so here is an opportunity to get one!

The RFU have six Lifeline View defibrillators up for grabs. These prestigious devices were used for the Rugby World Cup and junior World Cup. Any club can enter by completing the online entry form and providing a brief submission on how your club would benefit from having a defibrillator. To enter, please go to here

Entries will be accepted until Sunday 19th March, with the winners announced at the end of March. Each winning club will receive the defibrillator, a storage unit and an AED awareness session delivered by the CHT. Please note

the winning clubs will be required to register the defibrillator with the the WebNos Governance system through the CHT. If your club already has a defibrillator – is it registered with the local ambulance service and maintained properly? The CHT

can support you in making sure your club’s defibrillator is in good working order and make sure it is registered onto the WebNos Governance system. Please contact rugby@communityheartbeat.org.uk

FRIDAY NIGHTS ARE VETS AND CASUALS

Vets and Casuals Friday night festivals have been a real success on Merseyside, with 11 clubs involved and everyone having a great time.

This has helped clubs bring players back into the game but has also seen people making their debut even at the age of 60! Those taking part have come from Wirral, Caldy, Prenton, Oldershaw, New Brighton, Wallasey, Waterloo, Crosby St Marys, Liverpool Tritons and St Edwards Old Boys.

Said Rugby Development Officer Andrew Soutar: “Playing Friday nights allows the players to have the weekends to themselves and their families, which is one

of the reasons so many clubs have been able to create new teams within the clubs. The Friday night festivals are running until April and the season is ending with all the teams going on a joint tour to play against other Casual and Vets teams.”

Manchester has been embracing this type of event too. In December a Friday Night festival was held on two pitches outside AJ Bell before the Sale v Exeter premiership fixture. There were 200 players from

10 local clubs involved in an enjoyable night’s rugby organised by Rugby Development Officer George Glenn, in conjunction with Sale Sharks community team and delivered by the Greater Manchester CRCs.

Sale provided discounted tickets, pie and pint deal (which the local delivery team covered so that the players got all of that free!).

If Merseyside clubs would like to join the local festivals please contact andrewsoutar@rfu.com

Wayne Barnes

10 TOUCHLINE – FEBRUARY 2017

WHOLE NEW BALL GAME FOR ZAK Taking rugby to a new group of school pupils can have an impact right across their school lives. Introducing one young man to the sport, and in particular to refereeing it, has seen a whole new ball game.

Zak is a year 8 pupil at IES Breckland in Brandon, Suffolk, which last September became a Broadening Reach Secondary School, which is designed to support delivering rugby union in curricular and extra-curricular activities. They had previously done very little rugby and, with a whole new Physical Education Department, this was the perfect opportunity for change.

Zak is a talented sportsman in a number of activities, especially football, which he played at his local club from a young age, he also loves fishing and shooting but discovered rugby at IES Breckland.

During his rugby lessons over four months with Lee Parry, England Rugby Community Rugby Coach, it was evident that Zak had changed as a person.

Zak said “Rugby is good and interesting, especially the contact and physical side of the game.” He felt that rugby had changed him in more ways that just on the field thanks to the game’s core values.

He said “Before playing rugby, on the sports pitch I wasn’t respectful to other players, team mates or the referees.”

Zak recalls that when a decision was given against him and he kicked the ball away, despite being told not to, he continued to do that until he was given a timeout.

“I remember Lee speaking to me after my second lesson. He told me I had potential but said I needed to focus on the core values, sportsmanship in particular.”

Having taken this on board, Zak began to encourage others around him and was far more respectful of decisions made by officials. One week Zak was injured and was given a whistle to referee in the lesson.

“Lee gave me a different role in the lesson as a referee with a whistle. I was nervous about doing it because I hadn’t done it before and I didn’t feel confident about all the rules, but once I started doing it I enjoyed it a lot. Next lesson I’d recovered from my injury and I asked if I could referee the games throughout the lesson.”

He is looking forward to turning 14 so that he can look at some referee courses especially in rugby as “officials in rugby get far more respect.”

Zak believes that the core values have impacted on other parts of his life beyond sports. “My attitude in the classroom has changed. I have a greater respect for teachers and I am able to concentrate more on the task in hand like in maths, and I work better in a group or team like in drama.”

Head of PE Ben Willgress said: “Zak has improved massively since he has undertaken the referee course. His attitude, respect and sportsmanship has been exemplary in all areas of

PE. Having TREDS as a tool for learning for Zak has made all the difference. He is a talented young sportsman whose bad behaviour at times got in the way of him developing. He has progressed hugely in a such a short time.”

In Maths he has impressed too, his teacher Tara Crumpler told Lee: “Zak’s attitude to learning has improved, his self esteem has

increased, and the respect he now shows to both his teachers and his peers is admirable. The number of merits he has been awarded in the last three months has almost exceeded the total number he was awarded last year. He is now currently on track to achieve all of his end of year target grades. What an amazing impact, thank you!”

LANCASHIRE CBRE ALL SCHOOLS PLAY AT VALEPlaying a curtain raiser before Vale of Lune took on Birkenhead Park on Sponsors Day were 30 players from CBRE All Schools Carnforth High School, Central Lancaster High School and Heysham High School, encouraged by parents, teachers and five of the club coaches. The boys then formed a guard of honour for the competing senior teams.

Recruiting for their U14 and U15 teams, Vale hosted the players, giving them lunch and a flavour of club rugby, together with information packs, with several of the young players subsequently turning up to training.

11TOUCHLINE – FEBRUARY 2017

NOMINATE A VOLUNTEER FOR THE MITSUBISHI MOTORS VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARDSIf you know a volunteer who has given so much that they deserve to be recognised for their work then why don’t you nominate them for the Mitsubishi Motors Volunteer of the Year Awards?

Entries for the Mitsubishi Motors Volunteer of the Year Awards close at midday on Monday 20 February 2017. Visit here to nominate them today:

Outstanding volunteers will be invited to attend one of up to 42 drinks reception events held at a Mitsubishi Motors dealership in various locations throughout England in May and June 2017, at which exclusive Mitsubishi Motors Volunteer Recognition prizes and will be awarded a certificate.

Each of the 42 events will select one Volunteer of the Year finalist, who will be announced at the local event. These finalists will then be invited to a black tie awards event at Twickenham Stadium on Friday 15th September 2017, where the three overall winners will be announced and will each receive a Mitsubishi car for the year.

For more information on how to nominate a volunteer for the Mitsubishi Motors Volunteer of the Year Awards, along with many other opportunities, visit englandrugby.com

WITNEY WOLVES WIN ACCOLADEWitney Wolves Rugby SEN, a special needs tag rugby team for children and young adults and part of Witney RFC, won the Disability Sports category in the Oxfordshire Sports Awards at Kassam Stadium, having been runners up last year.

New faces are always welcome at their Sunday morning sessions, with some 35 regularly there to have fun and grow in confidence, develop social skills, get fit and make friends.

The Wolves head coach Jeremy Bristoe was presented with the award, accompanied by fellow coach Dec Armstrong and 18-year-old player James Paul, who has been with the club since he was eight.

Bristoe said: “This is a great recognition for the club which caters for a wide range of disabilities. Our coaching is geared towards our international festival, which will be held at Witney RFC in June.”

To discover more about this wonderful wolf pack please visit witney wolves

Rory Teague has been appointed full-time skills coach with the England senior side having held the role on a temporary basis during the Old Mutual Wealth Series in the autumn.

The former England Under 20 backs and attack coach helped guide the side to glory at the World Rugby Championship in the summer.

Teague joins forwards coach Steve Borthwick, scrum coach Neal Hatley and defence coach Paul Gustard in England’s backroom team.

“Rory’s come up from the 20s and will be doing skills during the RBS 6 Nations, so he’ll be full-time with us,” said Jones. “He’s a good, young coach. He’s inquisitive, curious, wants to get better and therefore he can play a key role for us in improving the skills of the players.”

Teague had playing spells at Gloucester, Bristol as well as Grenoble and began coaching at Harrow School where he guided Maro Itoje from a young age, before moving to Wasps and then Saracens as an academy coach.

He joined England Rugby before last year’s U20 Six Nations and his cousin is former England and British and Irish Lion Mike Teague.

TEAGUE TAKES ON FULL TIME SKILLS COACH ROLE

FROM ANDALUSIA TO NORTHUMBERLAND

TOUCHLINEEditorial input with pictures to: Touchline Editor, Patricia Mowbray

Email: patriciamowbray@rfu.com Direct Line: 0208 831 6514Correspondence to:

Patricia Mowbray, Touchline Editor, Rugby Football Union, Rugby House, Twickenham Stadium, 200 Whitton Road, Twickenham TW2 7BA.

Mailing and Distribution: Enquiries or updates Email: gameinvestment@therfu.com Tel: 0208 831 6762

Touchline is published by PPL Group, on behalf of the Rugby Football Union, the national governing body of the game in England.

Also available on the RFU website: englandrugby.comPhotography courtesy of Getty and Touchline contributors.

Thanks to all individuals, clubs, schools and CBs for contributions.No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the RFU.

The views expressed are not necessarily those of the RFU or PPL Group. While every care has been taken to ensure accuracy of editorial content, no responsibility can be taken for errors and/or omissions.

All trademarks are acknowledged as the property of their respective owners.The RFU Rose and the words ‘England Rugby’ are official registered trade marks of the Rugby Football

Union and are subject to extensive trade mark registration worldwide.

12 TOUCHLINE – FEBRUARY 2017

THE RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING WHO GENEROUSLY SUPPORT THE GAME

COMPANY BOSS MARKS 40TH WITH BIG CHEQUE FOR IPF

When 16-year-old Alex Ross sustained a head injury playing for Bolton School, his family was impressed with the way the RFU Injured Players Foundation were there offering support from day one.

A bleed on the brain was operated on and Alex made a good recovery to go on to Nottingham University to study Politics Philosophy and Economics. He was at Twickenham Stadium as England played France in the RBS 6 Nations to see his father Chris present a £10,000 cheque to the IPF.

Chris is Managing Director of J K Ross, a health and safety clothing and equipment specialist for the a wide range of industries. He said: “The IPF is now the company charity and, when we had a dinner to mark our 40th anniversary, we sold tables to suppliers and raised £5,000 and matched it to make it up to £10,000.

“When Alex had a serious head injury the IPF appeared like magic and couldn’t do enough for us. Whether you are playing for school or club, everyone in the rugby pantheon is treated the same. We had never heard of the IPF before Alex was injured but in those situations you certainly know that they are there.”

Receiving the cheque in Twickenham’s specially adapted IPF hospitality box, Paul Murphy, IPF Chair of Trustees, said: “I want to say thank you from all of our clients for this generous donation. As the RFU funds the running of the charity every penny will go to helping those who sustain a catastrophic spinal cord or traumatic brain injury while playing the game in England.”

Discover more at www.rfuipf.org.uk

Last month (January) saw the first exchange between Northumberland Referee Society and Andalusia Referee Society, Spain.

Three referees and one match observer flew in from Malaga to spend a week with their Northern hosts. Graham Crozier, the Active Referee Rep,

ensured that they had a busy week of rugby and local culture – from a steak night in a pub to refereeing part of a floodlit match involving Border Park, played at Northern RFC. They refereed league games at level 7 and 8 in and around Newcastle and made a team of three for a great game between Northern

and Billingham u16s. All agreed that they had benefitted from their time

in England and four referees from Northumberland will travel to Andalusia over a weekend in March where they will all referee games on both the Saturday and Sunday, no doubt in warmer climes!