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COMMUNITY GAME UPDATE - 7-4-20

Distribution: Tuesday 7 April 2020
Coronavirus (Covid-19) Update
Please find below the fifth edition of our Coronavirus (Covid-19) update.

Today we have provided a further update on the application process for our Emergency Loan Scheme, as well as more information regarding international ticket allocations.

Please visit our dedicated web portal on the England Rugby website to access Coronavirus (Covid-19) information and updates (https://www.englandrugby.com/participation/running-your-club/coronavirus) including the Club Support Guide launched last Friday (3 April), which you can access here.

We will continue to provide regular updates through this communication to support the rugby community.
RFU headlines
Emergency Loan Scheme

The online application process for the first round of loans is now open until 30 April 2020. The scheme has been launched to support voting clubs impacted by Covid-19 in the immediate and short term (next few months) to ease cashflow and meet outstanding costs. Loans of between £2,000 and £10,000 are available to provide eligible clubs at league level 3 and below with financial support towards essential operational expenditure. These loans will be interest-free, repayable over a period of up to three years, with an initial repayment holiday of six months.

For more information - click here
Other support packages
Information is available on the England Rugby website regarding the support that may be available through the Sport England Community Emergency Fund and/or the various financial schemes announced by the government:

Sport England Community Emergency Fund: click here
Government support: click here
Rugby community doing great things
We’ve continued to receive inspirational stories from the rugby community across the country. It is good to hear about the great work that is taking place to support local communities and to raise funds for charitable causes.

Click here to find out more.
Other important information
International ticket allocations to community rugby clubs

In the March edition, all clubs were reminded that international ticket allocations to community rugby clubs for the Guinness Six Nations 2021, and until the 2023 series, will be based primarily on the cumulative total of a club’s 15-a-side matches for the 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons, registered on the GMS Team Management module, as a proportion of the national total of matches. Consequently, clubs were reminded to load 15-a-side fixtures and results onto their GMS Team Management module for their U14 to adult teams for the 2019/20 season by Friday 22 May 2020.

The Covid-19 limitations curtailing the season will not have an effect to any measurable degree on the individual allocations to clubs. While every club will have fewer matches than expected, this reduces the overall national total against which every club’s total is compared to determine the number of International ticket allocated. So, all community clubs are strongly encouraged to ensure the results of matches for 2019/20 up to the season end on Monday 16 March 2020, particularly those fixtures that clubs have to load manually, are entered into their GMS Team Management Module. As previously advertised, this must be done before Friday 22 May 2020. There will not be an opportunity after this date to add additional fixtures or the outcome to count towards International ticket allocations.

For more information regarding the methodology of uploading fixtures please click below. If you have a technical issue with GMS, please contact the GMS service desk via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Uploading Fixtures
 
 
England Rugby Tuesday training webinar sessions

The England Rugby Tuesday Training webinars focus on coach and referee development topics giving participants the opportunity to continue developing themselves during the rugby lock down.

Last week's instalment, which is focused on coaching through skill zones and featured special guest Tamara Taylor, the former Red Roses lock, is available to watch here.

The topic for this week's webinar is refereeing the tackle, and will see Premiership referees Tom Foley and Craig Maxwell Keys share their expertise. You can watch tonight's webinar by registering here.
 
 
Teamwork   Respect   Enjoyment  
Discipline   Sportsmanship

HAMPSHIRE LEAGUES TWO and THREE

HAMPSHIRE TWO and THREE FINAL 2019-20 LEAGUE PLACINGS


The format for the 2020/21 season in the Hampshire Leagues will be announced in due course.


The Hampshire RFU Competitions Committee have a framework they are working to and, once all of the League applications are received and processes, and the league format given confirmation by the Game Development Committee, will be published.

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FINAL LEAGUE POSITIONS FOR 2019/20 SEASON CONFIRMED

 

Final league positions for professional and community game for 2019/20 season confirmed

 
Following the early end of the rugby season in England as a result of COVID-19, we're announcing the final league positions for the Greene King IPA Championship, Tyrrells Premier 15s and men’s and women’s community game.

Proposals from the RFU governance committee to conclude the season for those leagues at both professional and community level were yesterday ratified by the RFU Council.

It was agreed that final standings for the Greene King IPA Championship and men’s and women’s community game would be calculated on a best playing record formula maintaining promotion and relegation for those leagues. The Tyrrells Premier 15s season has been declared null and void as there is no promotion or relegation in this league.

RFU President, Peter Wheeler, said: “We believe that the decisions made provide fair and balanced outcomes for the game and maintain the integrity of the competitions. We have listened to recommendations from the heart of the game and the approach has been ratified by the RFU Council.

“This has been a difficult decision to make in the most unprecedented of circumstances. There is no single solution that will suit every club, but the approach taken is one that we believe best reflects the nature of league rugby in England.

“With 80% of the season complete for the community game, we believe our approach is fair and the right one for our leagues. We have clubs that are clear league leaders and worthy of promotion, but also other clubs who have said they would benefit from relegation, to play more meaningful rugby.”

Final league tables will be available on the England Rugby website by 6pm, Friday 3 April.
 
 
Teamwork   Respect   Enjoyment  
Discipline   Sportsmanship

COMMUNITY GAME UPDATE - 3-4-20

Distribution: Friday 3 April 2020
Coronavirus (Covid-19) Update
Please find below the fourth edition of our Coronavirus (Covid-19) update.

We’ve launched a dedicated web portal on the England Rugby website, which you can find here, to help the rugby community access from one place the Coronavirus (Covid-19) information and updates available. This now includes a Club Support Guide. In addition, we’ve announced the final 2019/20 league positions and have obtained more information regarding the Sport England Community Emergency Fund. Eddie Jones has also sent a supportive message. More detailed information is available below.

We will continue to provide regular updates to support our clubs through this communication.
RFU headlines
Launch of Coronavirus (Covid-19) Website Portal

Our dedicated Coronavirus (Covid-19) webpage will help the rugby community easily access all the information available during this period.

Club Support Guide

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has already had a profound effect on our rugby community and, with great uncertainty as to how long the changes will last, the RFU has compiled a Club Support Guide. This includes tips and guidance on financial planning, how to mitigate any losses in revenue, accessing external funding, ideas to generate new income streams, mothballing facilities, communicating with members and volunteers and planning for the future when rugby opens once again.

Final league tables

Following the early end of the 2019-20 rugby season in England, we announced the decision reached regarding league positions for the professional and community game on Thursday 2 April 2020.

The final league positions have been determined by awarding league points to a team’s remaining matches based on their home and away playing record in fixtures played up to the cancellation of the 2019-20 season (fixtures up to the 16 March).

We have now published the final league positions for Men’s RFU Leagues (levels 3-12) and Women’s RFU Leagues (levels 2-5) and have provided a more detailed explanation of methodology used to conclude the season. Click here to read more.

Emergency Loan Scheme

Last week, we announced an emergency loan scheme for clubs. The online application process for the first round of loans will open on Monday and will be open until 30 April 2020. The scheme has been launched to support voting clubs impacted by Covid-19 in the immediate and short term (next few months) to ease cashflow and meet outstanding costs. Loans of between £2,000 and £10,000 are available to provide eligible clubs at league level 3 and below with financial support towards essential operational expenditure. These loans will be interest-free, repayable over a period of up to three years, with an opportunity to defer the first payment for up to six months.

Please check the England Rugby website on Monday 6 April to access the online application portal and view supporting documents.

Annual General Meetings

Many clubs will have AGMs scheduled for the coming months, and some will already have sent out notices for those AGMs. The current government guidance on social distancing will mean that it is impossible to hold physical AGMs.

To give some clarity to clubs, the RFU Regulations do not require clubs to hold AGMs by any particular date, or in any particular way. Any requirement to hold AGMs will be set out in a club’s constitution (their Articles of Association if the club is a company, or the club’s Rules if it is a Registered Society).

Clubs may want to hold AGMs electronically, for example by conference call or video-conference. On Saturday 28 March, the government announced that there would be changes to legislation to give flexibility for companies required to hold AGMs by a certain date. It was stated that “this might include postponing or holding the AGM online, or by phone using only proxy voting”. If a club has not yet called its AGM, it may be appropriate to wait until this guidance is available before calling the AGM.

Once further details of this legislation are known, further guidance can be given. Clubs may want to postpone their AGMs, although how this will impact on people’s appointment for specific time periods will depend on how the proposed legislation is drafted. Further guidance on the use of technology to hold AGMs will follow.

If clubs have specific questions about holding AGMs until new guidance is available, they can contact the Legal Helpline on 0330 303 1877.
 
 
 
 
Other support packages
Update on Sport England Community Emergency Fund

Sport England announced earlier this week a £195 million package to help sport and physical activity through Coronavirus. This includes a new £20 million Community Emergency Fund which is open now for local club and community organisations to bid for grants between £300 and £10,000 – click here to read the article.

We have now analysed what this could mean for rugby clubs – click here to find out more.
 
 
 
Clubs doing great things
We continue to receive inspiring stories about the great work that is being undertaken to support local communities or to protect their own financial position. These will appear in weekly features on the England Rugby website.

Many clubs are also staying connected with young players in a variety of ways. One has hosted a virtual tour, many are passing the ball digitally, or even the toilet roll, and one is running a short story competition for young members with the mayor reading the winners on local radio.

Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to let us know about your club’s activities.
 
 
 
 
Other important updates
Update on Payment of Player Declarations

For clarity, please note that The Payment of Player declaration requires the declaration to be approved and minuted at a formal club meeting. For the purposes of the declaration, a formal club meeting can include a virtual/online meeting as well as a physical/in-person meeting. In relation to signing the declaration, a new system is in place for this season. Physical signatures are no longer required and all signatories can authorise the document online.

Message from Eddie Jones

“All the best to the rugby community for helping out. It’s a difficult time.

“Obviously, the health of everyone is the most important thing but rugby is a game that has always espoused teamwork. One of the things we talk about with the England side is how to be a better team mate and I think now it’s how you become a better citizen.”

Click here to listen to the full podcast.

Message from Sarah Hunter to NHS Workers and the UK

You can see Sarah Hunter's message here.
 
 
 
Teamwork   Respect   Enjoyment  
Discipline   Sportsmanship
 

COMMUNITY GAME UPDATE - 31-3-20

     
 
Coronavirus (Covid-19) Update
Please find below the third edition of our Coronavirus (COVID-19) update.

A lot has happened since the start of this week. We’ve taken a tough decision to furlough some of our employees, which will result in clubs having a different point of contact for a while, we've also decided to close our Rugby 365 facilities until the end of June and have cancelled training courses for the foreseeable future. In addition, we’ve made good progress in the understanding the impact of the support packages available, including government and Sport England support. More detailed information is available below.

We will continue to provide regular updates to support our clubs through this communication.
 
   
 
 
RFU headlines
The following decisions have been announced this week:

RFU employees

Like many other businesses, including some in sport, the RFU is taking prudent steps to protect its finances and employees at this unprecedented time. We will take advantage of the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Furloughing of some employees is one of the ways in which we are trying to protect jobs for the future. This will include a lot of our locally deployed staff. Area Managers/central teams will be in contact individually with CBs and partners over the next few days, once we have spoken with all impacted individuals to update on the local situation and mitigation to ensure clubs remain supported.

Supplemental Pot Payments

Clubs, CBs and/or Referee Societies eligible for the Supplemental Pot Payment will be receiving an individual communication tomorrow providing details of the payment that will be made to their bank accounts on Friday 3 April 2020.

Payment of Players Declarations/Club Grants/Loans

Those clubs currently ineligible for RFU Benefits under Regulation 7 (Payment of Player Regulations - click here to read) will not be eligible for the RFU/CB Immediate Support Fund or RFU loans in the 2019-20 season. In relation to the Immediate Support Fund, CBs are not permitted to utilise their Q1 to Q3 underspend, Q4 advance payment or their share of the additional £400,000 to support these clubs, neither can they allocate any of their match-funded reserves (against their share of the £400,000) to these clubs. Should they wish to, CBs are, however, permitted to allocate any additional sums from their own reserves to these clubs.

CBs will receive a full list of ineligible clubs in the next few days.

If clubs wish to be eligible for RFU Benefits in the 2020-21 season, they must submit a Declaration in accordance with RFU Regulation 7. Further information on subsequent eligibility for loans will follow later this week.

Temporary closure of Rugby 365 AGPs

In order to protect our staff and volunteers who work at Host Clubs on a day-to-day basis, the Rugby 365 facilities will close from 1 April until 30 June 2020, subject to continual review. No maintenance or usage will take place during this period. We have asked Host Clubs to secure the sites and, where possible, the pitches will be monitored remotely. Subject to government guidance, we will work with our partners to bring the facilities back to full operation at the appropriate time. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any enquiries.

RFU Training Courses

All RFU training courses scheduled to take place between 1 April – 30 June 2020 have been cancelled. Anyone who has booked onto a course will receive notification and full refund. No further training courses will be scheduled until the government’s restrictions are lifted. Members of the England Rugby Coach and Referee Associations will be offered access to a weekly webinars, e-learning and digital content in the interim.
 
 
 
Other support available
Government support packages

We understand that Local Authorities are now beginning to write to, or will be shortly writing to, all businesses (clubs) who are rate payers and who will be eligible to receive some of the support grants and rate relief that the Chancellor announced. The communications may be addressed to the business (club) address, i.e. actual rugby clubs. This will depend on the information that the Local Authority holds. You may need to enter your clubhouse to collect the information especially as we have been made aware that some Local Authorities have requested further information, but clearly working within government guidelines.

Sport England launches the Community Emergency Fund

Sport England has today announced a £195 million package to help sport and physical activity through Coronavirus. This includes a new £20 million Community Emergency Fund which is open now for local club and community organisations to bid for grants between £300 and £10,000. We will now analyse what this could mean for rugby clubs over the next couple of days and will provide an update in Friday’s Community Game Update. In the meantime, we would encourage clubs to take a look at this new initiative.

You can read the article here.
 
 
 
 
Clubs doing great things
We are pleased to that so many clubs continue to support their local communities. Click here to read more.

Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to let us know about your club’s activities.
 
 
 
 
Other important updates
Referees and match officials working together to support clubs

The Rugby Football Referee Union has called on its members to work together, as well as with individual CBs, to do whatever is possible to support clubs who are financially challenged by their inability to operate during these unprecedented times. Current ideas include consideration as to how to best utilise training and development monies that are unlikely to be spent, the refund of charges levied against clubs for the provision of Match Officials, the return of prospective charges, and rebated seasonal payments. Feedback which can be shared with the match officiating community is welcomed. Members are also asked to share and publicise any successful efforts that have resulted in monies being re-routed back in to the game in order to support clubs.

Updated guidance for team strength & conditioning and medical staff

Click here to read the current guidance that has been issued for strength & conditioning and medical staff working in English rugby who are providing conditioning and rehabilitation services for players during the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. This is based on current government advice, as of Wednesday 25 March 2020. Additional guidance has been provided regarding the medical services provision and the ongoing care of injured players.
 
 
 
   
 
 
 

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