Oxfordshire RFU – October Newsletter

Congratulations to the U18s making the squad for Oxfordshire!

Purpose
Player Welfare, and making rugby as safe as possible, is the joint responsibility of all involved in the game. It is important that good practice is embedded across all clubs to support the promotion of a proactive approach to player welfare and safety. We are looking for someone to support rugby safe across the county and help our clubs to implement and maintain best practise. As such you will be the RFU focal point for Oxfordshire.

Although written from a club perspective key aspects of the role include:

1. First Aid / Immediate Care Pitch-side Provision
Support/Review our Oxfordshire clubs risk assessments and RFU’s recommended minimum levels of immediate care (IC) and/or first aid (FA) guidelines to identify what level of first aid/immediate care is needed. Assist clubs in creating plans to ensure that every training session and match is covered by an appropriately qualified First Aider/Immediate Care Practitioner.

2. Training & Equipment
Organise training to ensure all club appointed first aiders are trained and up-to-date with an appropriate level of qualification in line with RFU guidelines (e.g. RFU Emergency First aid in
Rugby Union course). Manage the stocking and general maintenance of first aid supplies and equipment, making sure the first aid equipment and kits are suitable for the level/amount of
activity and those trained to use it.

3. Emergency Action Plan
Along with key personnel in each club, develop an Emergency Action Plan to ensure there is a clear process in the event of an incident/injury. Develop a process to ensure that these
procedures are known and understood amongst appropriate individuals in the club.

4. Reporting
Ensure there are processes in place to keep records of player medical conditions, monitor injuries and report incidents/injuries as they happen in line with RFU regulations.

5. RugbySafe

Utilise the RFUs RugbySafe scheme and guidelines (e.g. management of concussion), work with other key personnel (e.g. coach coordinator and safeguarding officer) to support wider best
practice and ensure that all club volunteers and parents are aware of how to support player welfare.

Is this the role for you?
If you are practical, organised and have a passion for making sure that rugby is played in a safe and enjoyable environment with player welfare at the heart, this could be the role for you.

Please contact our secretary if interested/for more information.

As we head into the opening league weekend I would like to wish all of the County’s teams the very best of luck for the season ahead. Win or lose, I sincerely hope that we all fully embrace the values of the game that we love so much. While we may not currently agree with all the decisions the RFU have made of late, our core values form the backbone of what makes the game great.

I look forward to seeing you all around the County this year, and to hearing some wonderful tales of how we are implementing and supporting the development of the game in Oxfordshire. With the men’s World Cup on the horizon, this year is a great opportunity to build and promote rugby within your communities. We then have less than two years until the women’s World Cup and another fantastic opportunity to further grow and promote the game.

So once again I wish you all good luck for the season ahead and I look forward to seeing many of you soon.

Stuart Mount
President Oxfordshire RFU

Calling all Oxfordshire RFU members, volunteers and parents! Come and take part in our disability inclusion awareness course delivered by Access Sport. This training will help us to provide new pan-disability sessions to young people and adults in our community.

No coaching experience is necessary and open to 14 years and above!

Key Information:

• Monday 14th August
• 6:30-9:30pm
• Gosford All Blacks RFC, OX5 1UP

Registration for the event to book a place is:

https://www.wegottickets.com/event/588485/

We are looking to appoint the following positions for the Southwest Divisional U20s

Team Manager,

HONORARY TEAM MANAGER DIVISIONAL U20s XV

Head Coach,

HONORARY HEAD COACH DIVISIONAL U20s XV

Chairman of Selectors,

HONORARY CHAIR OF SELECTORS DIVISIONAL U20s XV

You would be appointed for season 23/24

Closing Date for applications 3^rd September 2023

Applications in writing by letter and a Rugby CV, should be sent to Shane Aldridge via email: shane.aldridge@virginmedia.com

For further information and/or an informal discussion, please contact the Divisional Player Development Chair for that role using the contact email above or phone:

Shane Aldridge – 07785 245851

We are looking to appoint the following positions for the Southwest Divisional U18s

Team Manager – You would be appointed for season 24/25, you would be expected to shadow the current team manager for the 23/24 season.

HONORARY TEAM MANAGER, DIVISIONAL U18s XV

Assistant Coach – You would be appointed for season 24/25, you would be expected to shadow the current team manager for the 23/24 season

HONORARY ASSISTANT COACH, DIVISIONAL U18s XV

Chairman of Selectors – You would be appointed for season 24/25, you would be expected to shadow the current team manager for the 23/24 season

HONORARY CHAIR OF SELECTORS, DIVISIONAL U18s XV

Closing Date for applications 3^rd September 2023

Applications in writing by letter and a Rugby CV, should be sent to Shane Aldridge via email: shane.aldridge@virginmedia.com

For further information and/or an informal discussion, please contact the Divisional Player Development Chair for that role using the contact email above or phone:

Shane Aldridge – 07785 245851

REGIONAL PLAYER PATHWAY GROUP CHAIR ROLE DESCRIPTION

REPORTS TO:

Player Development Sub Committee

KEY RELATIONSHIPS:

Divisional Player Development Chairs, Constituent Body Pathway leads, RFU and Regional Academies staff.

Overview

In 2015 the RFU Council approved recommendations of the U16s Pathway Strategic Review, which included a proposal to introduce Regional Player Pathway Groups (RPPGs). The establishment of these groups would address a weakness in the landscape, namely the absence of a single forum of key stakeholders to coordinate CB and Regional Academy player and coach development activities and manage the playing programmes of identified players.

NATURE & SCOPE OF ROLE:

The applicant should be able to demonstrate that they understand the landscape that is Age Grade Rugby and its interactions across different environments. The successful applicant will work to ensure collaborative working to achieve the outcomes of all Age Grade Rugby recommendations. Applicants must be well organised and able to cope with the administration that is essential to the success of the programme. Applicants will also be responsible for maintaining and developing relationships with key stakeholders.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• To provide strategic leadership for the RPPG
• To champion the best interests of the games talented young players
• To ensure that the terms of reference for the RPPG are adhered to
• To support the identification and recruitment of appropriate group members
• To communicate and share all relevant information between stakeholders
• Organise meetings and meeting agenda with the Academy Manager and RFU PPO
• Ensure invites are sent to all attendees 14 days prior to date
• Confirm minutes are sent out within 7 days
• To escalate any appropriate issues to the most appropriate RFU staff member

SPECIFIC FUNCTIONS:

1. Annually schedule CB and Regional Academy player development activities across the Region, ensuring that these are aligned to the Age Grade Playing Calendar and designed to alleviate programming conflicts on players. The following should be taken into account in developing these plans: School, college and club fixtures, CB representative programmes, ERDPP, PDG, Regional Academy fixtures
2. Oversee the implementation of the ERDPP across the region, to include approval of the delivery plan and budget for RFU PPO authorisation.
3. Receive and disseminate the published PDG and EAP (England Academy Player) lists in order to plan and agree the competitive programmes of identified EPDG/EAPs (up to and including U18s) and those involved in the aspirational pathway. Ensure that all stakeholders respect the priorities.
4. Coordinate CB and Regional Academy coach development activities.
5. Oversee the appointment process to DPP and Regional Academy U16s positions. 6. Oversee the process of player release from Academy or PDG
6. At all times to champion the best interests of the games talented young players.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

The post holder is accountable to the Player Development Sub Committee for the successful delivery of the responsibilities outlined above.

The term for the position is 5 years subject to annual review.

Applications in writing by letter and a Rugby CV, should be sent to Shane Aldridge via email: shane.aldridge@virginmedia.com

For further information and/or an informal discussion, please contact the Divisional Player Development Chair for that role using the contact email above or phone:

Shane Aldridge – 07785 245851

Closing date for applications 6^th August 2023

(c) Andrew Condie 2023

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