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The Official Newspaper of The RFU
December 2014 Issue 174
WORKING TO KEEP RUGBY CLEAN
The fourth Anti-Doping Annual Report for rugby in England has been
published on behalf of the Anti-Doping Advisory Group.
The group is responsible for advising on anti-doping policy for
rugby in this country and is made up of key stakeholders, including:
the RFU, Premiership Rugby, the Rugby Players’ Association and UK
Anti-Doping.
The testing programme last season comprised 536 tests, taken in and
out of competition, and included both targeted and random selections.
The report confirmed five positive results ranging from university to
level 1 of rugby and one case of possession and trafficking at county
level. Six additional cases from last season are on-going and not
included within the report.
Separately, 481 tests were conducted as part of the RFU’s Illicit
Drugs Programme, where four positive results were found. The cases
concerned are treated confidentially with a ‘first strike’ fine and access
to assessment, rehabilitation and counselling. 84% of all available
players were tested at least once during the season. Education sessions
GARETH MILLS
“As a sport we take our responsibilities in
this area very seriously. The RFU continues to
implement world-leading anti-doping, illicit
drug and education programmes, using the
best available resources and focusing on
emerging trends.”
Rob Andrew
were also delivered across all Premiership Rugby clubs last season.
It is recognised that young players face a number of pressures in
life, including trying to forge careers in rugby. In light of this, the RFU
and Leeds Beckett University have partnered on a research project to
explore the use of performance and image enhancing substances in
male adolescent players. Understanding those pressures will be
central to this research and crucial to preventing and deterring doping
at this level.
Continued on page 2
MOODY IS GREAT WAR COMMEMORATION AMBASSADOR
PATRICIA MOWBRAY
England flanker and World Cup winner, Lewis Moody,
has become official ambassador for the RFU’s Great War
Commemoration and is encouraging clubs, schools, colleges and
universities to research and remember rugby players who fought
and died.
Lewis says, “I have always been interested in how people deal
with adversity and how rugby players far younger than I am now
signed up pretty much en masse and went to war.
“It is a great honour to be part of the remembrance of those guys
because I feel huge pride and respect for what they did for us. The
continuing remembrance of what they went through, the sacrifice
they made, and having an understanding the role rugby played, is
very important.”
Lewis Walton Moody has both a rugby connection to the Great
War, 27 England internationals having given their lives, and a
family connection. He is named after his great grandfather, who
with the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Sussex Regiment, crossed the
Channel immediately encountering some of the fiercest fighting.
He was later involved in the Retreat from Mons as Allied troops
were forced to withdraw.
Lewis and his father, also called Lewis, recently retraced that
wartime journey. “We travelled through the villages and towns
where he had been and it was a great moment standing where he
would have stood one hundred years to the day,” says Moody.
Continued on page 2
CHRISTMAS CRACKER
England Rugby 2015’s Ambassadors started the countdown to Christmas with a cracker of a
gift idea.
The remaining tickets for Rugby World Cup 2015 are currently on sale at
tickets.rugbyworldcup.com and would make a perfect present for rugby fans this Christmas.
With 291 days to go until the start of Rugby World Cup 2015, Jonny Wilkinson, Lawrence
Dallaglio, Will Greenwood and Maggie Alphonsi dug out their Christmas jumpers to help kick
off the festive season.
TOUCHLINE – DECEMBER 2014
1
WORKING TO KEEP RUGBY CLEAN
Continued from page 1
Recent cases in South Africa and England, where young
players have tested positive for banned substances, underscore
the importance of this research, which shows the RFU’s
commitment to anti-doping. It is hoped the research will enable
the development of a state-of-the-art evidence-based prevention
programme across the community game.
Working in partnership with the IRB and UKAD, a new
education strategy is also being drafted and aims to deliver a
comprehensive programme of education initiatives for rugby
across England. It is expected to launch following the new WADA
Code in 2015. ‘Keep Rugby Clean’ and ‘100% me’ brands will
continue to form a key component of the education programme.
The new WADA Code will represent the next level of the
worldwide fight against doping in sport, defining how anti-doping
testing and education programmes should be delivered.
Education is a key component of the current anti-doping
programme and was delivered last season to a wide range
of levels and age groups, including England squads, Aviva
Premiership Rugby, Greene King IPA Championship and
National League One clubs, regional academies, further education
providers and schools.
The RFU’s anti-doping staff also presented at seminars for
teachers, parents, coaches, team managers, medical practitioners
and player agents. Further outreach campaigns have been
delivered in partnership with UK Anti Doping’s ‘100% me’ brand,
including taking the anti-doping message to the world’s largest
schools rugby festival, the Rosslyn Park National Schools Sevens,
which attracts 7,500 boys and girls aged 13 to 18.
Rob Andrew, RFU Professional Rugby Director and chair of
the Anti-doping Advisory Group said: “As a sport we take our
responsibilities in this area very seriously. The RFU continues to
MOODY IS
GREAT WAR
COMMEMORATION
AMBASSADOR
Continued from page 1
“My grandfather died in 1978, the year I was born, so I never met
him but he has had a big influence on me and my career.”
Before England Test matches Moody would hold his great
grandfather’s 1914 Mons Star. “You can never compare rugby, or
any sport, with war but I think it is important that people reflect
on the sacrifice of these men.”
Moody also visited the graves of pupils from Oakham School
where he was educated and those of former England captain Ronald
Poulton-Palmer and former All Blacks captain Dave Gallaher.
Moody explains: “As a former rugby captain I felt that it was my
responsibility to honour those men. Many signed up, fought and
died alongside their team-mates.
“I hope that everyone involved in rugby will look into their own
family, school or club history and learn as much as possible so
that we all understand and continue to remember.”
The RFU’s World War I Centenary commemoration
programme supports commemoration in clubs and education
establishments nationwide. We have three signed copies of
‘Lewis Moody – My Life in Rugby’ for stories and pictures of your
research and commemoration.
INTERNATIONAL
TICKET
ALLOCATIONS
MIKE CORDELL,
CHAIRMAN, INTERNATIONAL RUGBY TICKET SUB-COMMITTEE
At a recent meeting of the International Rugby Ticket SubCommittee (IRTSC), the new Game Management System was
discussed and the importance of clubs being encouraged to
cleanse their data and ensure that the information within it is
accurate. We are conscious that the link to ticket allocations
provides a potential disincentive to this.
The IRTSC has agreed that the number of international tickets
allocated to a club for the 2014/15 season will remain in place for
seasons 2015/16 and 2016/17, irrespective of any decline in the
data during that period as a result of cleansing.
During this period the IRTSC will undertake a full review of the
current system of allocation for all areas of the game, to assess the
fairest way to ensure that clubs are rewarded for the amount of
rugby actually being played. Any changes will not take effect until
the 2017/18 season with any required audit taking place during
the 2016/17 season.
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TOUCHLINE – DECEMBER 2014
implement world-leading anti-doping, illicit drug and education
programmes, using the best available resources and focusing on
emerging trends. Last season has seen an increase in anti-doping
rule violations, proving that smart detection and collaboration are
key to a successful programme, together with increased targeted
testing.
“Since taking over as chair of the anti-doping advisory group
this year, I have been very impressed by how much emphasis our
players, coaches and support staff place on keeping rugby union
clean and free from both performance enhancing and illicit drugs.
The commitment of our respective stakeholders is also to be
commended. There is, of course, an emphasis on decreasing the
number of anti-doping violations among young players with those
outside the elite pathway continuing to be seen as high risk.
“A wider education programme and increased testing will be
used to tackle this growing issue amongst younger players. It
is, therefore, timely that a research project with Leeds Beckett
University commenced this season to investigate attitudes
towards the use of dietary supplements and banned substances
among adolescent rugby players. The study’s results will help
shape the way the RFU educates young players about the dangers
of supplementation use and performance enhancing drugs.
“The RFU welcomes the tougher WADA sanctioning regime
and we are in the process of educating players, coaches and
support personnel of the changes contained within the new code.”
Richard Bryan, Rugby Director, RPA and member of the AntiDoping Advisory Group: “This season’s results again provide
no indication of any systemic doping amongst the senior elite
players in England, which is highly encouraging for the integrity
of the professional game at the highest level.
“The higher number of adverse findings in the wider game
serves as a reminder that the education of players, at all levels
of the sport, on the topic of anti-doping and illicit drugs is an
on-going and crucial task. The RPA, together with the RFU and
Premiership Rugby, remains wholly committed to protecting the
game of rugby and the health of its players as well as reporting on
doping in an open fashion.”
Phil Winstanley, Premiership Rugby’s Rugby Director and
member of the Anti-Doping Advisory Group said: “Premiership
Rugby welcomes the findings of this fourth annual Anti-Doping
and Illicit Drugs Report. The game of rugby union in England
continues to invest in this extremely important area and has
shown that, with engagement and collaboration from the national
governing body, the professional clubs and the players, it is
possible to combat any threat. It is our firm belief that continued
investment is required, particularly with young impressionable
players who strive to become professional rugby players and that
more education and further research, in addition to the testing
programme, are essential components of this programme.”
Nicola Newman, Director of Communications & Education,
UK Anti-Doping and UK Anti-Doping representative to the RFU
Anti-Doping Advisory Group said: “The RFU is to be commended
for its commitment to protecting rugby in England from doping
and its open and transparent reporting mechanisms. UKAD has
worked closely with the sport this year, reviewing our partnership
strategy and agreed shared goals and priorities. A continual
focus is on up and coming players as we recognise that ambitious
young players can be vulnerable. Everyone in the sport of rugby
and around them, schools, parents, clubs and medics, need to
ensure players have the right support and the right skills to make
good decisions.”
BARBARIANS WIN REMEMBRANCE MATCH
COMBINED SERVICES 15—31 BARBARIANS
After last year’s defeat in Plymouth, the Barbarians were
always going to make the 2014 Remembrance Day match
tough.
In the first half the Services’ pack, with lock Josh McNally
(RAF) and No.7 Chris Mundy (Army) to the fore, pressurised
the Baa Baas pack. No.8 Ledua Jope (Army) sprinted over a
ruck for a fine run to light the match fuse.
The Baa Baas opened with a try from former Navy flyer Josh
Drauniniu. The club attacked with panache but, under pressure,
threw one too many wild ones. Army centre Peceli Nacamavuto
ran the length of The Rec. Fly half James Dixon (Army) slotted
for seven points.
The second half went to the Baas Baas. Exeter Chiefs flanker
Charlie Walker-Blair rampaged, taking many tackles before
off-loading. Walker-Blair was accorded Man of the Match and
Jope and Mattie Dwyer (Army) put in first class performances.
The Baa Baas gelled in the fourth quarter but the Services,
with morale still left in the tank, responded well. Navy lock
Marsh Cormack set up a strong position and Luke Robinson
(Army) spearheaded a mighty thrust for a spirited try.
Robinson is unique – an uncapped Army player who scored a
debut try for Combined Services – how about that!
When Fiji international Jack Prasad was called on at No.10
the Services pack was on the back foot – and it stayed there
until the final whistle. In the spirit of the Remembrance Day
Match the Services coaches emptied the bench so that the only
capped Army forward left dancing in the rain was 42-year-old
Chris Budgen – for the Barbarians!
To the delight of a soggy crowd of 7,000, Josh Drauniniu
scored a second and with a final flourish the Baa Baas scored
two quality tries to cement a well-deserved victory by 31–15.
This was a Poppy Day celebration by rugby people in support
of the Royal British Legion. The Barbarians presented a cheque
for £10,000 – superb.
FORMATIVE COACHES IN TWICKENHAM GUARD
OF HONOUR
VERITY WILLIAMS
The Guard of Honour was made up of the following coaches:
England Rugby’s match day squad against Australia were
greeted by a Guard of Honour consisting of coaches from their
formative rugby clubs and schools.
QBE invited the coaches to Twickenham Stadium for
England’s final match of the 2014 QBE Internationals. The
coaches had been identified as someone who has been an
integral part of helping the players get to where they are today.
The coaches travelled from across England to welcome their
former charges onto the field in support of QBE’s My Coach
initiative which has been introduced to recognise and celebrate
inspirational community coaches nationwide.
England captain and QBE ambassador Chris Robshaw said:
“It’s fantastic to be able to recognise those coaches who have
had such an impact on our lives. There is always a sense of
admiration and respect towards that coach who taught you the
game and supported your rugby development at an early age.
Hopefully today demonstrates just how grateful we are to them.”
John Brimacombe, who coached Robshaw during his time at
Millfield School in Somerset, added: “As a schools coach, it is a
pleasure to put in lots of time and effort with your players trying
to develop their potential. It’s rewarding to see them develop but
for any of them to reach international honours is very special.
Being here today is a very proud moment for us all.”
Chris Parr coached Courtney Lawes at Northampton Old
Scouts and East Midlands RFU from the ages of 14-17, made
Northampton Saints aware of Lawes and pushed for them
to include him in their academy. He said, “The main thing I
remember about Courtney was how much of a natural athlete he
Coach
Player
Club or school
Phil Sprague
Ben Morgan
Dursley RFC
Mike Bush
Ben Youngs
Holt RFC
John Brimacombe Chris Robshaw Millfield School
Chris Parr
Courtney Lawes Northampton Old
Scouts RFC
Mike Morgan
Dave Attwood Frampton Cotterall
RFC (Bristol)
Paul Byrne
David Wilson
Horton Technology
College
Stuart Catton
George Kruis
Dorking RFC
Will Stadler
Joe Marler
Eastbourne RFC
Tim Whiting
Jonny May
The Ridgeway
School (Swindon)
Andy Eastick
Kieran Brookes Fylde RFC
Paul Mullan Matt Mullan
Bromsgrove School
Mick Brown Mike Brown
Salisbury RFC
Alan Greenwood Rob Webber
Pocklington RFC
Marc Thomas
Tom Wood
The Woodlands
School (Coventry)
was. He had great ball skills and loved tackling. It’s incredible
to see him in the England side now.”
To ensure rugby clubs have a suitable coaching
infrastructure in place to engage and retain the influx of
new and returning players that is anticipated following
next year’s World Cup, QBE and the RFU created the QBE
Coaching Club, an initiative designed to recruit and train
2,015 new level 2 coaches by 2015.
BILL MEETS ERIKA 32 YEARS LATER
It is 32 years since Erika Roe made Twickenham’s most famous
streak while Bill Beaumont was giving his half-time talk to the
England squad who went on to win 15-11 against Australia.
On that occasion Bill was too busy speaking to the team to take
any notice but at the recent QBE International when England
again beat Australia, this time 26-17, Bill agreed to meet Erika at
Twickenham as she was raising funds for Against Breast Cancer.
“I am 56 now,” said Erika “and although the media made me
famous I certainly wouldn’t have done it again. I refused to pose
in the nude for men’s magazines despite being offered a lot of
money and I have never used my name for anything before this.
I am an independent woman who has single-handedly built my
little farm in Portugal.
“But I lost my youngest sister Jessie to breast cancer when she
was only 44 and I’m hoping that my 2015 calendar will help fund
research. My daughter Imogen asked me to pose for her when she
was doing a Fine Art degree. I agreed but neither of us initially
intended to put them in the public eye. However, we both feel that
today’s airbrushed images have a serious and detrimental effect
on young girls’ self-esteem and are a damaging misrepresentation.
“The calendar is our way of breaking away from those images
and of celebrating a woman who is unashamed, wrinkles and
all. Helping to fund research to improve detection and increase
survival after breast cancer diagnosis is a very worthwhile reason
to publish it.”
Said Bill Beaumont, “I would never condone streaking at any
sporting event but Erika has become a part of Twickenham’s
history and, with so many families affected by breast cancer, I was
happy to meet her in the context of a very worthy cause.”
For more information visit www.againstbreastcancer.org.uk
PATRICIA MOWBRAY
Above: Erika with Phil Parker, now Twickenham Venue Operations
Manager, and below, with him when he was a policeman
WEIR BECOMES RFU INDEPENDENT
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Helen Weir CBE has been appointed to the
RFU Board as an Independent Non-Executive
Director. An exceptional businesswoman
who combines a high calibre career spanning
multiple sectors with a passion for rugby,
she is the Group Finance Director at John
Lewis Partnership and was previously Group
Executive Director for the UK Retail Banking
business of Lloyds Banking Group and also
their Group Finance Director.
She has also enjoyed successful and varied roles in leading
British businesses such as Kingfisher, B&Q Plc and McKinsey
and Co. An experienced Non-Executive Director, she is
currently on the Board of SAB Miller and is also a Trustee of
Marie Curie Cancer Care.
A sports enthusiast, she has been involved in both her local
rugby and netball clubs. Her passion for rugby
means that she has served as treasurer of
Beaconsfield RFC, managed a local mini rugby
team from U7 to U11, and been involved in
Wasps Community Foundation.
Helen Weir said: “I’m delighted to be joining
the Board of the RFU at such an exciting
time for the sport. Having been involved
in grassroots rugby with my local club, I
appreciate the importance of a strong base on
which to build the success of rugby all the way to the highest
level. I very much look forward to being able to contribute to
this success.”
Said RFU Chairman, Bill Beaumont, “We extend a warm
welcome to Helen and look forward to her joining the England
Rugby family.”
TOUCHLINE – DECEMBER 2014
3
WREATHS LAID AT CORE
VALUES STATUE
PATRICIA MOWBRAY
AWARDS FOR
ENGLAND WOMEN
At the QBE International England v New Zealand the RFU remembered all the rugby players who
have died for their country, including the 27 England and 13 All Black internationals who lost their
lives in the Great War.
As people across the nation paused to reflect on the sacrifices of our servicemen and women,
at Twickenham wreaths were laid in front of the Stadium’s West Stand memorials to fallen rugby
players, and also at the foot of the Core Values statue in front of the South Stand.
There was also a moment’s silence before kick-off and the names of the All Blacks and England
players from World War I featured around the mid-tier LEDs.
Many wore poppies, the England players’ shirts had them on the sleeve. The Royal British Legion
Poppy Appeal was created to help those returning from the Great War and, at the match, the sale of
poppies raised almost £8,000.
JULIA HUTTON
World Cup winners England Women have
been honoured for their achievements this
year, picking up two prestigious awards at starstudded ceremonies.
Adding to their 21-9 World Cup win against
Canada in August, England Women have been
crowned The Sunday Times and Sky Sports
Team of the Year.
Head Coach Gary Street was named the
High Performance Coach of the Year at the
UK Coaching Awards which took place in
Glasgow in the presence of Her Royal Highness
Princess Anne.
The Team of the Year accolade depended on
a public vote, England Women fighting off stiff
opposition from England Cricket, who retained
the Ashes this year, Great Britain’s 4 x 100
athletics relay squad who became European
champions and rowers Helen Glover and
Heather Stanning who blitzed the coxless pairs
event at the world championships in August.
Street’s opposition for the coveted Coach of
the Year crown was equally fierce with Rory
McIlroy’s coach Michael Bannon nominated
alongside John Conlan (Northern Ireland
Boxing), Jo Coombs (Welsh Gymnastics) and
David Sommerville (Scottish Judo).
Street said: “It is fantastic that the team
continues to be recognised for our achievements
this year. There have been some fabulous
performances by women’s sports teams, while
personally I am honoured to be among some
esteemed coaching company. Receiving awards
like this makes what we do very special but,
what is also important, is that women’s sport and
England Women’s Rugby continues to stay in
the national spotlight.”
BEDFORD
ATHLETIC
FLANKER
REACHES 100
PAUL BOLTON
Bedford Athletic flanker Luke Levitt recently
made his 100th consecutive first team
appearance in the Midlands One East win
at Newark.
Levitt has not missed a league or cup match
for Bedford Athletic since March 2011, a
remarkable sequence in which he has not been
injured or been unavailable through family or
work commitments.
Levitt, 25, was an ever-present in the side that
won the Midlands One East league title two
seasons ago and he has also played in the centre
and on the wing during his unbroken century
of appearances.
He is one of six players in the current squad to
have passed 100 appearances for the club
but none of the others has matched Levitt’s feat
of doing them consecutively. His dedication
was recognised with the honour of leading the
team out at Newark for a match that they went
on to win 25-5.
ADULT COMPETITION REVIEW
Following approval of the Adult Competition
Review recommendations by the RFU
Council in June, an Implementation Group
has been set up and work is underway
to develop detailed plans covering all 21
recommendations.
This work is a major step in shaping the
future of the game and will be monitored
closely by the Community Game Board, which
is responsible for overseeing the changes.
Any necessary regulation changes will be
approved by the Governance Committee
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TOUCHLINE – DECEMBER 2014
and communicated to the game in good time
before coming into effect.
The main points to highlight are:
• Moving to a flatter structure with fewer
teams and reinvigorated cup competitions
will provide more opportunities and
advantages for clubs, both in terms of travel
and rest periods, and also in providing
greater variety of matches and opposition.
• Packages of incentives will be developed
to ensure that clubs benefit from playing
in cup competitions, which are likely to
include travel costs and a reward structure.
• In the current structure clubs have 13
guaranteed home matches; under the
new structure there will be a guaranteed
minimum of 12 home matches, with more
possible depending on progress in the
cups.
• One key area will look at strengthening
and supporting 2nd and Lower XV
competitions to secure more playing
opportunities.
The Implementation Group is working
to a strict timescale and will report back to
the Community Game Board at each of its
meetings, and to RFU Council. The changes
to the league structure will be implemented
at the start of season 2016-17 to ensure that all
clubs have a full season’s notice and know the
implications of promotion/relegation.
The RFU is aware that there will be
understandable concerns when any changes
are introduced and regular updates will be
provided to the game over the coming months.
OPPOSITION SOUGHT FOR SEAFORD WOMEN’S TEAM
It has taken 75 years for Seaford RFC to acquire
a women’s team but a few months into their first
season they are already starting to impress and
adding to the buzz at the club.
They played their first full XV friendly
against Reading Abbey ‘Nuns’ at The Salts,
Seaford, putting in a massive effort in their first
outing and going down by 5–21 in front of a
sizable crowd.
Motivation has been high, with training twice
weekly under the guidance of head coach
and club chairman Ian Newby, and their first
away match against Tonbridge Juddians Ladies
2nd XV brought a spirited performance and a
22-10 result.
With more fixtures to come, including a
return match with Reading Abbey this month
(December) and a trip to play Guernsey Ladies
in the new year, the squad is still looking for
appropriate matches to help their development
and to promote women’s rugby in the area. So if
your women’s team is interested contact Richard
Jones at [email protected]
HOSPITALITY PARTNERSHIP
CONTINUES
The RFU is continuing the long standing
partnership with Compass Group UK
& Ireland, through the joint venture,
Twickenham Experience Ltd (TEL).
The partnership, which has existed since
2000, provides all match day catering,
hospitality and bar services, as well as nonmatch day catering, conference and event
management at Twickenham Stadium.
The new 10-year contract is worth over £30m
in annual revenues to the RFU Group, profits
from which facilitate investment back into the game at all levels. To date, revenues from hospitality
and catering represent the RFU’s highest single revenue stream.
Chris Morris, Managing Director, Twickenham Experience Ltd, said: “As a department within
the RFU we look forward to working with all our colleagues to deliver excellence, inspiration and
innovation to every event at Twickenham Stadium.”
The RFU’s £76m investment in the stadium has included in the past year 17 public bars being
upgraded alongside continued improvements in the West Fan Village facilities and technology to
enhance customer experience.
Last year TEL’s public bars and catering units served in excess of 1 million event-day guests, at
19 events and over 49,000 hospitality covers on match days. It’s worth noting that TEL’s non-match
day Conference and Events is thriving, with revenues of £4.5m from events of all sizes, including
international conferences, product launches, weddings and awards dinners.
DEVELOPING YOUTH
PLAYERS IN THE NORTH
EAST
HOMOPHOBIC ABUSE INVESTIGATION
WILL CHIGNELL
Following the RFU’s investigations into the allegation of homophobic abuse aimed at referee
Nigel Owens at the QBE International against New Zealand, two people have received a ban
from all matches at Twickenham Stadium for a period of two years. In addition, they will pay
£1,000 each to a charity of Nigel Owens’ choice. There is a second investigation still ongoing.
RFU CEO Ian Ritchie said: “While instances of this nature are exceptionally rare, the RFU takes
rugby’s values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship very seriously, and
is determined to uphold them. We are all guardians of these aspects of the game, on and off the
pitch, and it is these values which make the sport special.”
The RFU will continue to underline what is expected of supporters. At international matches
the RFU will put messaging in the programme, in every ticket pack, on mid-tier LED boards and
big screens throughout match day. This season a new confidential text service (Text HELP to
60886) is available to report any anti-social or discriminatory behaviour at the stadium. There
are 850 stewards on hand to help ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all fans.
A recent RFU U18 Emerging Schools Festival
in Northumberland saw six schools competing
on two sites: Northern FC, where they recently
switched on new floodlights, and on Druid
Park’s 3G pitch in Newcastle.
All but one of the competing teams were
from the All Schools programme and said
Rugby Development Officer Dave Reed,
“This age group is a key area in which we are
working and having six schools sign up to the
first event of the season was testament to the
development efforts in their schools.
“This boost to playing numbers, thanks to
All Schools, is also enabling new Colts sides
to run out at Gosforth and Northern rugby
clubs, with some pupils playing at Blyth and
Percy Park too.”
It is all part of fulfilling the RFU’s Strategic
Plan aim of transforming the 15-year-old rugby
player into the 25-year-old rugby player and is
great for the future rugby in the north east.
YORKSHIRE REFEREES FUTURE IS BRIGHT
Following funding support from Yorkshire RFU to grow the
number of young referees across the county and with more
schools and clubs playing rugby, Tom Gilchrist (CRC) has
been working with Harrogate Grammar School to deliver,
train and support the Refereeing Children L1 Course to 14
pupils from the school and local area.
Opportunities to referee in local festivals, girls’ rugby
matches and internal school games have given many of
these pupils increased confidence, leadership skills and
a greater understanding of the game and the role of the
referee.
Says Will Halford (Area Training Officer): “It’s great to
have the next generation of referees starting out at Harrogate
Grammar. The support the school staff, including the
headmaster, has given to the pupils has had a real impact.”
It is expected that many of these students will go on to
complete the next stage of their training by doing the L2
Refereeing the 15-a-side Game course in coming months
and in their new shirts, provided as part of the Yorkshire
RFU scheme, they certainly won’t be missed when refereeing
across the region!
TOUCHLINE – DECEMBER 2014
5
THE YOUNG MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Whether he’s playing or refereeing
Callum Thornton loves his rugby and, at 15 years old, he can’t
get enough of it, whether he’s playing or in the middle with a
referee’s whistle. He helped with coaching at 13, liked refereeing
youngsters so qualified to refereeing adult matches under
supervision from his Referee Society who closely mentored him
at age 14.
He plays for Cornwall A team at U16 and has played in various
tournaments as a member of Exeter Chiefs Academy. This is why
Callum thinks other young players should take up the whistle…
“Gary Randall, my sports teacher at GEMS Bolitho in Penzance
coached the U8s at Penzance & Newlyn RFC and asked if I fancied
helping out. I really enjoyed it and as few of the coaches wanted to
referee the matches, I was asked to try it.
“It just felt natural. I covered a lot of games and am still involved
in coaching the age group now they are U10s. I did the refereeing
course but it seems a lot of youth coaches stick to covering their
own age group for Sunday youth rugby. I was keen to referee
the 15-a-side game and Cornwall Rugby Referee Society took me
under their wing.
WILTSHIRE WINNING WAYS
IDRIS MARTIN
North Dorset Rugby Club hosted both of the Twin Counties senior
knockout competitions at their Slaughtergate ground, with both of
the winning clubs progressing into RFU national competitions and
it turned out two victories in favour of Wiltshire.
In the Senior Cup Final, Swanage and Wareham lost out to
Salisbury by 15 points to 18 and the Wiltshire side will now
play their Berkshire counterparts in the RFU Intermediate Cup.
Swindon College Old Boys had a somewhat easier victory beating
Blandford by 34 points to 6 and will progress into the RFU Senior
Vase, again against Berkshire opposition.
FARNHAM TO HOST
EUROPEAN VETS
TOURNAMENT
Farnham RUFC is to host Europe’s premier Vets’ rugby
festival, with more than 30 teams from all over Europe taking
part, including squads from France, Belgium, Germany,
Poland, Hungary, Sweden, Spain, Portugal and Italy.
Over the opening weekend of the Rugby World Cup there
will be matches and entertainment, including screening
of World Cup matches, beer and wine festival, gala dinner
and participating teams given the opportunity to purchase
tickets for one of RWC2015 games over that weekend through
England Rugby Travel.
Paul Brooker, Chairman of the European Veteran Rugby
Association 2015 Organising Committee, said “We’re
absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to host the
festival. Much of the planning and preparation is already long
underway, to ensure not only a fantastic weekend of rugby,
but also first-class entertainment. We want to make sure that
everyone attending, whether they’re playing or not, has a really
memorable time.”
Places are limited and filling up quickly. To enquire about
attending EVRA2015 or registering your team’s interest,
please visit www.EVRA2015.com or email
[email protected]
For further information on EVRA, please visit:
www.evrugbya.org
6
TOUCHLINE – DECEMBER 2014
“Coaching sessions, match analysis in person and on video all
helped build my knowledge and confidence. A really big help were
the older experienced players who have been good on the pitch
and off. If I was not delivering, they would soon get frustrated,
so I know it’s important to listen and keep improving. I know as
a player how frustrating it can be to have a weak referee, so the
honeymoon period is very short!
“The last couple of years have been a massive learning curve.
Reffing the U8s was fine, even when I did it in front of a 3,000
crowd at half time at Cornish Pirates v Bristol, but my first adult
match was frightening. All the pre-match work was new, coaches
and captain talk, the lot. Then there was the game, being vocal,
moving around, being in the right position. I copied what I saw in
higher level games, but was soon corrected – you can have that
luxury when you have two Assistant Referees!
“Playing was much less stressful. Errors could be fixed by the
next positive play and you are a team working together, sharing
experiences. As a referee all eyes were on me. The pressure
diminished during my first season, largely because I was really
enjoying it. Pre-match preparation, the game, banter with players
during the game and the post-match talks in the clubhouse. I’m no
longer affected by nerves, but I still don’t want to talk in the car on
the way to the match! I mentally get into my comfort zone, even
more so when reffing than playing.
“The Cornwall Rugby Referee Society have looked after me well,
coaches and assessors attending and giving feedback. Fixtures
allocated have been to protect and help me develop. I think I am
earning respect in the way I referee. Apart from the key issue of
safety, I chat to players during game, looking to encourage an
enjoyable and fair environment for them without seeking to be the
centre of attention.
“Refereeing is making me a better player and I think playing
makes me a better referee. I’m a front row player and aware of the
pressures on the pitch, I am conscious of emotions and tensions
– as a referee that is vital in knowing how and when to intervene.
As a prop, I am used to a battle of strength, refereeing I have to be
very mobile – when that winger breaks away, I need to be on his
shoulder as he dots the ball down. So refereeing Colts and sevens
is tougher than you think.
“My dad reckons spectators and coaches only watch 15 players
and the ref in games. And of course, errors are only made by
the ref! Watching me has even changed how he watches rugby,
looking at all 30 players in more detail.
“I think every coach, player and supporter would benefit from
doing a bit of refereeing. My profile for someone looking to
develop as a ref is someone who is
• not easily annoyed/upset/swayed
• is not stressed-out under pressure
• can resolve conflict without effort
• is patient
• not concerned with being centre of attention
• does not over-think past events
And crucially is passionate about the game.
“I have benefited from my refereeing experience – the challenge
has pushed me on a lot, I have become more confident generally,
more willing to start conversations and have made lots of friends.
Why don’t you give it a try?”
SOUTH
WEST BOYS
DEVELOPING
SKILLS
Three Saltash RFC Under 13s were delighted to make the
Cornwall county selection to join the England Development
Programme.
Back row player Jack Mills (left) attends Ivybridge College and
plays at 7 and on occasion, at 8. He also is an academy tennis
player, plays club football, basketball and is a keen sailor. Prop
Dylan Layer (middle) attends Saltash.net School (Cornwall) and
Under 13 captain Kristian Davis (right) is a pupil at Devonport
High Grammar School, plays at fly half and is a passionate Exeter
Chiefs supporter.
TAG TO TWICKENHAM FINALE
STEPHANIE GILES
As the competition pathway for
Primary School aged pupils, Tag 2
Twickenham has given more than
40,000 children the chance to play
tag rugby in local festivals through
to the National Festival, held at the
famous Rugby School.
Finishing top at the National
Festival were St Lawrence Primary
School, Shropshire, and Balfour
School, Brighton, who were playing
in the QBE International England v
Australia curtain raiser and formed
the guard of honour as the players
ran out.
Congratulations are also due to Batt
C of E Primary School, Oxford for
earning the most core values points
throughout the National Festival,
having consistently demonstrated
rugby’s core values: teamwork,
respect, enjoyment, discipline and
sportsmanship.
Both finalist schools have been
winners before, St Lawrence running
out at Twickenham in 2010 and
Balfour in 2013. Who knows some of
them could be playing for England
themselves one day!
YOUNG SHARKS SEEK SPONSOR
DALLAGLIO
FOUNDATION’S
TRANSFORMATION
EFFECT
The Dallaglio Foundation held its inaugural RugbyWorks
tournament at Grasshoppers RFC recently, with players from
14 Pupil Referral Units playing in highly-skilled and fiercelycontested touch rugby matches.
The RugbyWorks programme engages young people at
increased risk of long-term unemployment or criminality to make
them more employable. It runs in Pupil Referral Units catering
for those excluded from mainstream education, and many pupils
are statemented for emotional or behavioural problems such as
ADHD. The scheme is currently delivered in 11 London boroughs
as well as Newcastle, Bristol and Rhondda Valley.
“The programme works through long-term relationships,”
said Lawrence Dallaglio, whose Foundation has recently taken
on four full-time coaches to cover London. “Our sessions are in
curriculum time, and our staff are with the young people every
week of the academic year, building up trust and mutual respect,
which allows them to be able to give the best advice on personal
development and employability skills.”
Foundation CEO Rachel Roxburgh believes what also
distinguishes RugbyWorks from other schemes are the
opportunities afforded. “From work placements at world-class
advertising agencies to a tour of the Google head offices and
interview training with Shell, through our amazing corporate
partners and supporters we’re able to offer our young people
extraordinary experiences and training not usually available to
them.”
And though the scheme is still in its first few months, the effect
is already pronounced. Ben, 16, says: “The Dallaglio Foundation’s
RugbyWorks has helped me focus after I came out of jail for
stabbing someone. I need to turn my life around, and the coaches
are helping me stay focused and learn that hard work pays off. I
want to be an engineer now.”
The difference is clear to teachers, too. Craig Gildea, from
Pathways in Bexley said: “What a day! The five students who
represented Pathways have a completely new respect for the
coaching they have received and the game of rugby as a whole
since attending the tournament, and as staff we have been
amazed at the transformation and effect on those students in so
short a time.”
The Dallaglio Foundation is the RFU’s official Social Delivery
partner. To learn more visit: www.dallagliofoundation.com
The fast-growing youth section of Ilfracombe Rugby Club is
looking for sponsors to give the eager youngsters, known as the
Sharks, a new identity. A kit design has been drawn up, following
a competition among junior players, and now the club is calling
on local businesses to help make it a reality.
Dan Turton, club treasurer and one of the youth coaches, said:
“We’ve only just started our youth section and it’s amazing to see
50 keen kids running around on a Sunday morning. Wayne Reed,
the RFU Community Rugby Coach, has supported us in getting
the Junior section started again at our club which was great!
“We wanted them to have their own kit and thought it was
important to have their input so we ran a competition for them
to design it themselves. We had loads of great designs, but
the winner came from Josh Rumson and features a huge shark
STEWARDS STAND DOWN
Don Hodgson and David Taylor recently
retired as Twickenham Honorary
Stewards, Don having served for 46
years from the 1968/69 season when
his playing days for the Honourable
Artillery Company (HA) were coming to
an end. One of his earliest matches was
England v France and, prior to kick-off,
together with a Police Constable and an
RSPCA Inspector, he helped catch loose
cockerels, to the amusement of the crowd.
In 1996/7 when John Richardson was
President, Don joined Colonel George
Evans, one time Director Of Music of the
Mounted Band of the Household Cavalry
and recently retired from Kneller Hall, as
a Steward to new President’s Suite in the
West Stand.
David Taylor a retired Colonel in the
Parachute Regiment, joined Don in 2000,
having become an Honorary Steward in
1995 and a Twickenham tour guide in 1997.
Don and David both say that it has been
a great honour to have served the RFU, “in
a truly wonderful stadium for the greatest
of sports.”
leaping over a set of rugby posts. It’s great for Josh and his family
because he’s the third generation to play rugby for Ilfracombe.
Now all we need is for some local sponsors to come on-board and
help make it a reality.”
Josh Rumson’s design was made into a giant cardboard cutout and presented to the junior section at their training session.
Ilfracombe Rugby Club chairman, Miles Higginson, said,
“Starting something new like this is always such a difficult task,
so we are very grateful to the coaches and parents who have
made Sunday mornings so enjoyable for these youngsters.
Getting this new kit will be a really big step forward and give
them a sense of identity.”
Anyone interested in contributing towards the new Ilfracombe
Rugby Club Sharks kit can contact Dan Turton on 07818 450697.
READERS’
CHOICE
Lanner RFC were recognised as 2014
Club of the Year at the recent Cornwall
Sports Awards, sponsored by A Game
Sports Ltd, Tempus Leisure and Truro
& Penwith College.
Readers of the West Briton, Cornish
Guardian and The Cornishman voted
for the club and, at the event, they were
joined by special guest Chris Attis,
Invictus Games Athlete and Help for
Heroes Ambassador, who was born and
raised in St Austell, Cornwall.
RENARD APPOINTED
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE
RDO
PAUL BOLTON
Ian Renard has been
appointed the new RFU Rugby
Development Officer for
Northamptonshire. Renard, 27,
plays club rugby as a centre for
Northampton Old Scouts and
previously played for Rugby
Lions. He succeeds Sam Rouse
as RDO for Northamptonshire
having previously worked for
the RFU as Community Rugby
Coach for Huntingdonshire
and Peterborough.
Renard, who studied for a BSc (Hons) in Sports Coaching Science at
Worcester University, joins Sam Clapham, the RDO for Bedfordshire,
in East Midlands and will work as part of the larger RDO team in
Area 4 (Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire, Eastern Counties, East Midlands,
Leicestershire and Warwickshire) managed by Alan Royer.
He will be working on recruiting new players, retaining current
players, recruiting and retaining coaches, volunteers and referees and
ensuring that clubs across Northamptonshire have effective and efficient
governance, facilities and integration with the local community.
TOUCHLINE – DECEMBER 2014
7
ENGLAND DEAF VISIT
PARLIAMENT
PAUL BOLTON
The England Deaf
team helped to
raise awareness
of deaf rugby
during a recent
trip to the Houses
of Parliament
when players and
officials from the
England Deaf
Rugby Union,
including two
members of the
England Deaf
Women’s team,
enjoyed a day
of activities
organised by
Parliament’s Outreach Service, in partnership
with the British Deaf Association.
The England Deaf rugby party were
welcomed to Parliament by Stephen Lloyd
MP, chair of the Parliamentary Group on
Deafness, and the visit was also supported
by Andrew Griffiths, the Conservative MP
for Burton, Mark Pawsey, the Conservative
MP for Rugby, Glyn Davies, the Conservative
MP for Montgomeryshire, Dame Anne Begg,
Labour MP for Aberdeen South, Ian Davidson,
Labour MP for Glasgow South West, Jim
Fitzpatrick, the Labour MP for Poplar and
Limehouse, and Lord Addington.
Lord Addington and Nick Banton, a House
of Commons information officer, who are
both members of the Commons and Lords
rugby team, then gave the England Deaf party
a behind-the-scenes tour of both Houses of
Parliament. The party also attended a deaf
awareness session at the Abbey Centre in
Westminster.
Said Lyndon James, secretary of EDRU,
“Parliament and politicians are making great
strides towards becoming deaf-aware and
responsive to the needs of the deaf and hard
of hearing community and EDRU is anxious
to support this initiative.
“Very special thanks to Lord Addington who
not only provided an outstanding tour but also
took time to present a cap to Paul Cooper of
Thames RFC, along with Mark Pawsey MP.
The whole day was hugely enjoyed and the
England Deaf players and staff were provided
with a better understanding of the work of
Parliament.”
England Deaf will again play home and
away internationals against their Wales
counterparts this season after two warm-up
matches, the first against Leicestershire Police
at South Leicester RFC on Sunday November
30 (1.30pm) and the RAF at RAF Brize Norton
next month. The match against Leicestershire
Police is also helping to raise awareness of the
work by Police Link Officers for Deaf People
(PLODs) in the Leicester area.
Among the new players likely to face
Leicestershire Police is Jake O’Leary, an
18-year-old lock from Henley Hawks and the
son of former Wasps stalwart Sean O’Leary.
The England Deaf Rugby Union was formed
in 2003 to provide opportunities for deaf and
hard of hearing rugby players to play for their
country. MILLFIELD LIFT
SCHOOLS CHAMPIONS
TROPHY
Millfield School won the Schools Champions
Trophy beating The Grammar School at Leeds
31-24 in a thrilling inaugural final at Allianz Park.
Millfield full back Darren Atkins joined an
early attacking move and released wing Harry
Close to score within the first minute. Leeds
struck back as a set lineout move saw hooker
Sam Ward wrap around and surge through the
defence to score. Leeds then endured wave after
wave of determined attacks, until a Millfield
maul allowed captain Bailey Ransom to cross
despite firm Leeds defence.
The final play of the half saw a chip through
from Millfield bounce well for fly half Adam
Hastings, who hacked on to score a converted
try and 19-7 at the break.
In the second half, Millfield prop Henry Peck
hit a well-judged inside line to score, before
Ransom scored his second from another maul
shortly afterwards. But Leeds started getting
over the gain-line with more regularity until lock
Harry Francis was rewarded with a try for his
tireless efforts. Centre Tom Gorman then scored
in the corner, brilliantly finishing off Leeds’
controlled attacking play.
HARRY’S A TWICKENHAM VIP
Harry Orland is a member of Slough Rugby Club’s
U9s team and wrote to Touchline about a great day at
Twickenham organised by Buckinghamshire RFU Council
member Peter Kyte and Bucks CB.
“In August I was diagnosed with leukaemia and started
my treatment which will last for 3½ years. During this time
I am not allowed to play contact rugby as I have a tube in
my chest which my medicine goes through. I am able to
stay close to my team though by helping the coaches and
learning to referee.
“Slough Rugby Club have been great. The President
arranged tickets for me and my Dad to watch England v
South Africa at Twickenham. The big surprise was a red
badge that let us to go into the Members Bar, meet the
President of the RFU and sit in the Queen’s seat in the
Royal Box.
“The highlight for me was meeting the players – amazing!
None of this would have been possible without everyone at
Slough Rugby club and the kindness of the RFU.”
RFU President Jonathan Dance, England, England
Women and South Africa players were delighted to meet
young Harry, who is a shining example of a team player.
ESSEX SCHOOLGIRLS
ENJOY THURROCK
FESTIVAL
Thurrock RFC recently hosted a girls rugby tournament
for over 200 girls from various schools in Essex. It was the
second annual Essex Festival organised by Bob Whittle,
Essex Secretary, and Mercedes Foy, Thurrock Ladies
T-Birds Captain, and school teacher William Edwards.
The event was a great success with girls from years 7-10
enjoying a day of rugby games. Schools that entered were
William Edwards, Robert Clack, All Saints, Gable Hall,
St Cleres, Hedingham and Woodlands.
8
TOUCHLINE – DECEMBER 2014
With Leeds trailing by 12 points, Gorman
seized a second try, the Yorkshire Academy
player going round what looked like the entire
Millfield defence to cross from 70 metres.
But Leeds were beaten by the clock and a
determined Millfield.
Said winning captain Bailey Ransom: “I can’t
fault our first half display. We let it slip a bit at
the end, but credit to Leeds, they showed the
talent that got them to the final. I just can’t put
into words what this means to us, the emotions
are running high at the moment.”
Grammar School at Leeds Head of Rugby John
MacKenzie added: “Hats off to Millfield, they
were the quality side we thought they’d be. We
fell off too many tackles, and didn’t compete at
the breakdown as well as we normally do. We
just couldn’t stop their momentum. But when
we had concerted possession, and pressure, I
thought we showed how much of a threat we
can be.
“Millfield were the better side over the 70
minutes, but we weren’t a million miles away,
and we’ll take heart from that.”
YOUNG VOLUNTEERS IN THE ENGLAND CAMP
Few people get the chance to put their
questions to England internationals Joe Marler
and Jack Nowell at the England training camp.
But 18 young rugby volunteers were delighted
to get that change, among them, 14 Young
Rugby Ambassadors and four members of the
National Youth Council.
Lucy Moore, of the National Youth Council
described the day.
Prior to the Q&A session, like kids in a sweet
shop, we got to explore the England Camp at
Pennyhill Park. We saw first-hand where the
England team are put through their paces by
Stuart Lancaster and his team, and of course
no one could resist having a go on the scrum
machine and tackle bags before attempting to
score a conversion on the pitch.
Following our run around test camera shots
were taken and then we were all ready to step
up and become the next Sonja McLaughlan.
The afternoon consisted of two hours with
the players where, in between the banter, we
discussed both Joe and Jack’s early rugby career
through to their current experiences playing
for England.
The World Cup next year was a hot topic, and
the impact this will have on grassroots rugby.
Both the players talked in great detail about
how much they owe to the volunteers that
helped them in their early careers at their local
clubs. The YRAs from Burgess Hill RFC even
took the opportunity to convince Joe Marler to
agree to attend their upcoming YRA event!
We got let in on the post-match routines and
what it felt like to walk out in front of a home
crowd at Twickenham.
Overall it was an unforgettable day for all
involved and we all came away having laughed
and learned a lot. We would like to thank both
the players and everyone at England Rugby for
the opportunity.
FYLDE TO HOST ENGLAND COUNTIES
XV INTERNATIONAL
PAUL BOLTON
FUNDING BOOST FOR
CANTERBURY YOUNGSTER
Canterbury Rugby Club’s successful Junior and Minis section have been given a £25,000
boost from Ashford-based Invicta Food Group, enabling the club to further develop the 350
plus young players, through coaching, equipment purchase and recruitment.
Canterbury’s Director of Youth Rugby, Andy Jordan-Smith said: “We are very grateful to
Colin Norton and Invicta Foods for their fantastic generosity. This donation will help the youth
section grow bigger and stronger,.
“Not only will this support the children but also the list of coaches, which now stands at 80
and is still growing. We can support their development, aided by new playing equipment,
coaching courses and the like. What with the Rugby World Cup starting in September 2015,
this puts the club in an excellent position so that it continues to grow and support rugby within
East Kent.”
Colin Norton, Managing Director of Invicta Food Group said: “The company is delighted
to support the Canterbury Mini and Junior sections and all the hard work of the coaches and
club officials.”
The section runs teams of all ages, from Under 6 girls to Under 18s and is one of the most
successful in Kent. Games and training are played throughout Sundays.
REFEREES HELP
INJURED PLAYERS WITH
A FLOURISH
Digital and direct marketing agency Flourish
has created a multifunctional rugby referee
app www.rugbyrefereeapp.com available from
iTunes and Google Play with all proceeds going
to the RFU Injured Players Foundation.
Rich Hartson, Flourish’s co-founder and
Managing Director, coaches and referees a
junior rugby team in Gloucestershire, and saw
an immediate need for a multifunctional referee
app to make his Sunday morning a lot easier!
Rich explained his vision to Flourish’s app
development team and challenged them to
come up with a self-contained, customised app,
that could be used by referees at all levels of the
game – Rugby Referee was born.
Rugby Referee enables referees to take
complete control of a match, by putting
everything they need to successfully marshall
a game at their fingertips. The easy-to-use
interface means no more fumbling for a pencil
or notebook or scrambling around for red and
yellow cards.
Key features include:
• I nput team and captain names
• Q
uickly record tries, penalties, drop goals
and conversions with an easy-to-use interface
• B
uilt-in timers mean you can stay focused on
the match
• S
how yellow and red cards using your phone,
and keep a track of the players involved
• Customise length of game (ideal for junior
matches and training games) and sin bin
period
• Email match statistics to keep records of
your games
• All proceeds go to the RFU Injured Players
Foundation (Registered Charity no. 1122139)
Rich says: “The best innovations are driven by
need, and from my own experience as a referee,
I knew there was a genuine need for a simple
solution for referees.”
The app is available for 99p and Flourish have
covered all development costs and are donating
ALL proceeds to the RFU Injured Players
Foundation – the Rugby Union charity that looks
after seriously injured players at all levels, for
life, and helps prevent future injuries through
research and education.
Liam O’Reilly, RFU Injured Players Foundation
Fundraiser says: “Rugby Referee is a great way
for referees to keep track of everything that
happens in a game and we are delighted that
Flourish has decided to donate all proceeds from
the sale of the app to help support
injured players.”
England Counties will play their first-ever
match against the Scotland Club XV at Fylde’s
Woodlands Memorial Ground on Friday
February 27 (7.30pm).
The England Counties XV is the flagship
team of the community game in England and
offers players from the National League One
and below the opportunity to represent England.
They have also undertaken an extensive
touring programme to emerging rugby nations
including last summer’s successful trip to
Georgia as well as previous visits to Chile,
Belgium, USA, Canada and East Africa where
they also helped rugby’s development by
coaching in local communities and schools.
Fylde have provided a number of England
Counties XV players in recent seasons including
Nick Royle, Oli Brennand, Sam Beaumont, Mike
Waywell, Scott Barrow, Gareth Rawlings, Chris
Briers, Chris Johnson, Adam Lewis, Jonny
Roddam and Ben Rath.
This will be a first visit to Fylde by England
Counties XV and the announcement of the
fixture was welcomed by the National One club’s
chairman Andy Hiles, who said, “We are greatly
honoured to be chosen to host this fixture and
will be pulling out all the stops to make it a great
success. Our belief in and support of county
rugby is second to none.”
Fylde have plenty of experience of hosting
major representative matches having previously
staged an England Trial in 1964, North of
England matches against touring teams in 1970
and 1994 and England Colts internationals
in 1984 and 1991. England Under 19s played
Scotland at The Woodlands in 2004, England
Under 16s played Wales in April 2011 and
in 2012 Fylde hosted England Under 18 and
England Deaf internationals.
Tickets for the England Counties XV v
Scotland Club XV international at Fylde on
February 27 can be obtained from: Fylde RFC,
The Woodlands Memorial Ground, Blackpool
Road, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire FY8 4EL.
Telephone: 01253 734733 or e-mail:
[email protected]
NEWCASTLE SCHOOL FOR BOYS
FLYING WITH FALCONS
NSB Rugby took another step forward recently
as the 1st XV were invited to play on the
Newcastle Falcons new pitch as a curtain raiser
to the Falcons v Gloucester match.
An entertaining match against Yarm School
was enjoyed by a healthy crowd before the
Falcons’ defeat of Gloucester, the school’s
forwards coach Ally Hogg captaining the
Falcons to victory. One week later, the team
was in NatWest Schools Cup action qualifying
for round six and the last 32 of the competition.
This represents huge progress for a school that
approaches its 10 year anniversary in 2015 and
has only had a 1st XV for five seasons.
Further success during November included 10
of the 1st XV being selected for Northumberland
County and two of them achieving North of
England trials. Five of the squad also continued
their involvement with the Falcons Academy.
TOUCHLINE – DECEMBER 2014
9
PAUL BOLTON
POTTERIES CLUBS BENEFIT
FROM UNIVERSITIES LINKS
Potteries rugby clubs are benefiting from close links with three
local universities. Student players from Keele University and
Staffordshire University’s campuses at Stoke and Stafford
attended a recent Freshers session held at Stoke’s Hartwell Lane
ground which was attended by representatives of the host club,
Newcastle and St Leonards.
As a result of the event, which featured a series of matches, four
players joined St Leonards helping them to secure the future of
their Second XV and four joined Stoke and are now playing either
first or second XV rugby.
A link between Keele University and the Stoke club has seen two
Stoke first team players, captain Chris Rowley and Sam Christmas,
become coaches of the university.
Keele University also brought their Freshers XV to Stoke to play
the club’s Colts team in a curtain raiser to Stoke’s Midlands One
West match against Worcester Wanderers. Thanks to their links
with Keele, Stoke hope that students will provide half of the fourth
XV which they hope to be fielding by Christmas.
SHROPSHIRE
REBELS SHINE
PAUL BOLTON
Tim Stimpson, the former England and Leicester Tigers full back, was guest of
honour at the Shropshire Rebels Tag Rugby Club’s Awards night at the Park
Hotel in Telford.
The Shropshire Rebels were set up in 2006 as a joint initiative with Telford
Hornets RFC and the Wooden Spoon charity, who offered financial support in
2010, to provide a sporting opportunity for young people aged between eight and
18 with moderate or severe learning difficulties.
Stimpson, an ambassador for Wooden Spoon, helped to recognise a year
of outstanding achievement for the Shropshire Rebels by presenting three
main awards.
The Coaches’ award was made to Harry Cope for demonstrating growing
maturity with his team-mates. Katie Hinton’s consistent improvement was
recognised with the Player of the Year Award and Emily Clarke was the Most
Improved Player for her hard work during the year.
Past coaches of the Shropshire Rebels include Kieran Spencer, who is now the
RFU Rugby Development for Hampshire, who attended the awards evening with
his fiancée Rebecca Morgan, the RFU Judicial Secretary. Next year Shropshire
Rebels will host the UK Tag Rugby Tournament, sponsored by Wooden Spoon,
at Telford Hornets’ Town Park ground. Teams from England, Scotland, Ireland
and Wales will compete in the tournament which will be part of the 2015 Rugby
World Cup celebrations.
TENS FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS GROWTH OF RUGBY IN NORTH
The growth of rugby across the north of England was celebrated with a successful U18
College and School Tens Festival, with 15 teams from 14 different colleges and schools
across the North East, Cumbria and Teesside taking part.
Games were played at two venues. The young players got a taste of life on the Premiership
stage by playing on Newcastle Falcons’ new 3G pitch at Kingston Park, while some games
were also played at Bullocksteads on the campus of Northumbria University. To add to the
excitement, the games played at Kingston Park came just hours before Falcons’ clash with
Cardiff Blues in the LV= Cup that evening.
There was a wide range of ability on show, with some well-established and school teams,
and others just getting back into the playing. The tens format playing across the pitch
resulted in some fast tempo rugby with teams creating and scoring lots of tries. With squads
of up to 15 and unlimited substitutions, approximately 225 players took part.
Matches were officiated by members of the Northumbria and Durham Referees, who
enjoyed the matches as much as the players and commented on the commitment and passion
of all the teams.
COTTON PRESENTS LEGACY
CHEQUE TO IPF
During the half time interval of the England v South Africa match at Twickenham,
Fran Cotton presented a cheque for over £1,400 to the RFU Injured Players
Foundation.
The money had been raised by the Rugby World Cup Legacy Group for Area 5
during their World Cup Legacy launch dinner, held in the presence of the Webb
Ellis Cup, earlier this year. During the dinner, World Cup champions from clubs
across the region gathered to hear plans for the upcoming Rugby World Cup and,
importantly, for the legacy it can bring to rugby in England.
During the evening, supported by Sale Sharks players and England’s Sarah
Hunter, the team took the opportunity to raise funds for injured players. Fran
said, “It was a great opportunity to gather so many activists from clubs across the
region. Having the trophy there helped build momentum for the World Cup and
importantly for the opportunities it brings to make a huge difference to rugby
in England. That we could raise money for those who have been seriously hurt
playing our game added to a very special event.”
Dave Phillips from the Injured Players Foundation said “Rugby is a great sport
and the World Cup will be a massive occasion. It is fantastic that while preparing
for this Fran and his team took the time and effort to think of those players who
have been injured and raise funds to support them.”
Special thanks were offered to The Moat House Hotel in Stafford and Knights
Solicitors of Newcastle-under-Lyme who generously supported the event.
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ENGLAND PLAYERS UNITE BEHIND NATWEST RUGBYFORCE 2015
PAULA ROWE
England teammates James Haskell, Mike Brown and Billy
Vunipola dropped in on Camberley Rugby Club to film an ad for
NatWest RugbyForce 2015.
Over 200 club members showed their support for the film, a
light-hearted call for clubs to sign up for this year’s NatWest
RugbyForce, which is about ‘Getting behind England’ as well as
being a weekend of DIY.
The players and club members joined together for several
hours of filming before Billy, Mike and James took part in a Q&A,
posing for photographs and doing a signing session as a thank
you to the club.
This year NatWest RugbyForce 2015 is offering so much more.
Clubs that register by 11th January 2015 could be selected to
attend the new and improved programme of free workshops and
receive more support and benefits than ever before, including
financial support and a package of ‘Get Behind England’
materials. There is also the chance to be selected for one of six
‘Ultimate Club Experience’ prizes.
VOLUNTEERS RECOGNISED
AT TWICKENHAM
The always popular NatWest RugbyForce DIY weekend is on
June 27 – 28 next year. It’s a great opportunity to bring the rugby
family and local communities together to get the local rugby
club ready to be the place to watch England take on the best in
the world.
To register your club for NatWest RugbyForce 2015 go to:
www.englandrugby.com/NatwestRugbyForce
To see the advert click here
WEAR THE ROSE WITH O2
At the Investec International when England beat Australia 26-17 a group of very important people were
welcomed by RFU President Jonathan Dance. The volunteers from across the country were at the match
with Presidents of their CBs to recognise all the work that rugby volunteers put in and to say thank you.
SUZI MURRAY
Wear the Rose is O2’s virtual reality experience that puts you in the middle of the scrum.
It uses Oculus Rift technology so you can feel what it’s like to get a team talk from Chris
Robshaw, get tackled by Tom Youngs, or receive a pass from Mike Brown.
Now O2 are giving rugby clubs across the nation the chance to win their own Wear the Rose
experience for the 2015 RBS 6 Nations. To enter click here
NATWEST SCHOOLS CUP SEES RUTLISH GET RUGBY FEVER
You only have to look at Rutlish School for
proof of the adage where there’s a will there’s
a way.
Three years ago, there wasn’t even a set of
rugby posts at the 1,100-pupil comprehensive
school in Merton Park, where football ruled for
over 100 years. But, as Touchline went to print,
Rutlish’s U15s were just two games away from
a national quarter-final as they prepared to face
Brighton College in Round 6 of the NatWest
Schools Cup – despite only five of the players
having played rugby before joining the school.
Rutlish, never having progressed beyond
Round 2, had already accounted for Reed’s
School, King’s College School, Wimbledon,
and Glyn School before facing Hampton School
in the fifth round. Tries from Diell Zejnullahu
and Khush Akhtar helped Rutlish to a nailbiting 21-17 victory over a school that have
twice reached the tournament’s national
knockout stages.
And PE teacher Luke Shanahan, a
Schools Cup quarter-finalist himself with The
Campion, Hornchurch in 2006, believes that his
team’s success has had a positive effect on the
entire school.
“The headmaster is very supportive of the
rugby here. He always lets everyone know in
assemblies how the team is getting on. The
boys have been getting a lot of praise and lots
of teachers have become more interested in the
rugby as the season’s gone on.
“The camaraderie between the guys is
amazing. They’re always throwing a ball around
at lunchtime and the Year 7s are looking up to
them now thinking, ‘I fancy a bit of that’.”
Things were very different when, at 22,
Shanahan joined in 2011. Rugby wasn’t on
the curriculum but headmaster Alex
Williamson wanted rugby improving and
Shanahan and other PE staff selected a group
of boys from Years 7 to 11 for Monday night
training sessions.
Some highly dedicated coaches at nearby
Old Rutlishians RFC helped and continue to
assist with training. The oval-ball game grew in
popularity and the school quickly established
house rugby matches.
Fast forward to 2014 and Rutlish teams are
fulfilling up to 18 fixtures a season, including
on Saturdays, with participation voluntary.
One of the U15s, Lucas Smyth, is a member of
Harlequins’ Elite Player Development Group,
while three of his team-mates have gained full
Surrey colours.
Shanahan explains, “It’s a cliché but, at the
moment, we’re taking it one game at a time.
Brighton College have an outstanding sporting
tradition and will be an enormous challenge.
There is definitely a desire to keep pushing the
rugby at Rutlish. The head is very pro-sport and
we get fantastic support from Mike Stallard and
the coaches at Old Ruts.
“We want to increase house rugby and
introduce more boys to the game. To turn
up at the likes of City of London Freemen’s
and Whitgift and beat those teams is
exceptional and we want to keep building on
what we’ve achieved.”
TOUCHLINE – DECEMBER 2014
11
SAMSUNG TRY OF THE MONTH TAKES OFF
RAF Flying Officer Lloyd Owen of Henley Hawks was been crowned the winner of the inaugural
Samsung Try of the Month competition, World Cup winner Richard Hill judging that Owen’s
blistering speed to complete a team move that started in Henley’s own 22 was the best grassroots
try across the country in October. Owen’s try came in Henley’s 32-22 victory over the Cornish All
Blacks (Launceston).
November’s winning entry, selected by Ugo Monye, was scored by Grammar School at Leeds centre
Tom Gorman. Although his team lost to Millfield in the inaugural Under 18 Champions Trophy final,
Tom’s try was truly outstanding.
Each month an England legend will act as judge and the winning club, school or university will
receive £1,000 worth of Samsung technology and a Samsung smartphone for the try scorer.
Visit www.englandrugby.com/samsung-totm closing dates are the last day of each month.
Click here to see a video of this month’s winning try.
BOOKS
FROM
THE
RUGBY
STORE
POSTER BOY BACK AT
TWICKENHAM
PATRICIA MOWBRAY
Mark Fitzgerald is not the man he was in 2011 when he was among 16 Cumbria policemen
celebrating the forthcoming marriage of a colleague, Graham Coles.
That jester-hatted figure features large on the side of Twickenham Stadium but when Mark
returned with his wife Carole he was four and a half stone lighter.
A detective sergeant at Barrow in Furness, Mark was once a professional rugby league player
but later played for 20 years for Hawcoat Park TUFC, formerly Vickers, as it drew from the
shipbuilding community. He is now club photographer so admired the Twickenham picture
but his wife Carole, who runs the club website, says she likes the new slim version.
Three books for rugby
fans have recently been
published and are available
from The Rugby Store at
Twickenham or via the
official online England
Rugby Store at
RFUDirect.com /
0871 222 2003*.
Last Christmas order
dates are 22nd December
(Standard Delivery),
23rd December (Express
Delivery).
You can read about the
journey of Peter Cross, aka
Mr England, one of England
Rugby’s biggest and most
famous supporters. Pore
over the pages of Behind
the Rose, a complete history
of the England rugby
team by leading rugby writers Stephen Jones and Nick Cain. Or let Phil McGowan take you on an
illustrated tour of Twickenham Stadium and its history
*Calls cost up to 10p per minute, telecoms providers dependent. Mobile and other provider charges
may vary.
Mr England click here
Twickenham click here
Behind the Rose click here
THE RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION WOULD LIKE TO THANK
THE FOLLOWING WHO GENEROUSLY SUPPORT THE GAME
TOUCHLINE
Editorial input with pictures to: Touchline Editor, Patricia Mowbray
Email: [email protected] Direct Line: 0208 831 6514
Correspondence 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: [email protected] 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.com
Photography 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.
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TOUCHLINE – DECEMBER 2014