Steele Puts Rugby at Heart of Rfu Business
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SEPTEMBER 2010 / issue 127 RFU THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE TOUCHLINE RFU AND RFUW O2 RUGBY REUNION FINALE THE O2 Rugby Reunion finale took place at Kneller Hall, Twickenham on September 5th. The culmination of this summer’s O2 Rugby Reunion regional events, ‘The Big One’ gave 34 teams from across the UK the chance to play in front of some 500 supporters and to meet members of the England Rugby squad. The winners were: Nottingham Police in the STEELE Corporate Competition; Saiyan in the Cup; with Parched As lifting the Bowl and Inappropriates the Plate. PUTS O2 Rugby Reunion, a nationwide initiative supported by the RFU to encourage players who have drifted away from rugby to get back playing RUGBY AT the game, used a specially created Facebook application which let friends put a team together and sign up and play at one of the nationwide touch rugby events. HEART OF ‘The Big One’ at Kneller Hall was followed by the Women’s Rugby World Cup final at The Twickenham Stoop. Commenting on the initiative, 2003 World RFU Cup winner Mike Catt said: “As both a coach and past England player I truly believe in the importance of keeping young players in the game. Rugby is a fun, sociable sport for players and fans BUSINESS alike and through O2 Rugby Reunion more John Steele – RFU Chief Executive players have reunited with their old team mates and rediscovered their love of the game.” Dave Barton & Peter Thomas The O2 Rugby Reunion regional events took JOHN STEELE started as the RFU’s Chief Executive on “These are hugely exciting times for rugby. On my first weekend place in Newcastle, London, Bristol, Manchester, September 6th, vowing to put rugby ‘at the heart of the back in rugby I watched the Premiership double header, visited a Coventry, and Dorset said Jenny Simms, RFU union’s business.’ community rugby playing initiative and watched the Women’s Sponsorship Account Director, “The Play On The former Chief Executive of UK Sport said: “This is a huge World Cup final. There is so much good work going on around campaign is all about getting people back into the day for me. It really doesn’t get any better. I have had a lifetime in the country but I believe there is still a lot more that can be done sport, an important strategy for the RFU. The O2 rugby, right back to my mini rugby days in Cambridge, and I have to develop the game.” Rugby Reunion touch events were created to a massive passion and, I believe, empathy for the sport. Steele, a former Northampton fly-half who became the Saints ensure the best possible links to local clubs and “As a union we have one goal and that is to develop the game Director of Rugby and then Executive Director, is looking forward the regional rugby communities and to reach a at all levels across the country. To do this we need to put rugby to the 2015 Rugby World Cup as a unique opportunity for English wider audience via the O2 Rugby Reunion and at the heart of everything we do. The RFU is here to serve and rugby, saying: “2015 and a home World Cup in the sport I am Facebook activity." lead rugby and we will continue to build on firm foundations. passionate about is something very, very special for the game To find out more about the RFU’s retention “The business is on a sound financial footing, which is a and the whole rugby family. It is a means for us to grow and campaign, Play On visit: www.rfu.com credit to my predecessor Francis Baron. But we need to make develop the game at all levels and a focus all our combined sure that we invest in the right way to put rugby at the core of efforts on delivering the best tournament ever. our organisation.” “In terms of 2015 we are still in the planning stage but already RFU Chairman Martyn Thomas and Steele will be visiting we know that it will give us all a once in a lifetime opportunity to grassroots clubs around the country to meet the 50,000 get players into the game. We want to work closely with everyone volunteers in the sport and he promised: “We will be listening in the game to ensure that we are all ready to develop a joined up to everybody to discover what we are good at, what we can do approach that brings new players into our clubs for the long term better, how we can work better with our partners in the and which will help us create sustainable success over the next interests of rugby. decade and beyond.” WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP A RECORD BREAKER ALTHOUGH England were unable to end rugby game filled the Stoop is ground breaking. New Zealand’s stranglehold on the Women’s Such a thought would have been regarded as Rugby World Cup on Sunday September 5th, going nonsense before this tournament began. down 10 – 13 to the defending champions who “New Zealand were excellent today but our secured their fourth successive world title, the defence matched their attack, and I thought we match did much to promote women’s rugby. had the momentum at 10-10 to take the win, but ceive England came tantalisingly close to taking unfortunately for us they eventually won by the Click here to re rugby’s ultimate prize with a magnificent effort in smallest of margins.” E front of a record-breaking crowd of over 13,000 With attendance over the tournament’s five TOUCHLIN people at the Twickenham Stoop, drawing level match days at over 30,000 and viewing figures ight to your inbox with the Black Ferns in the last quarter. Only a late for the 13 matches televised live on Sky likely to stra penalty from the boot of centre Kelly Brazier took build interest in broadcasting the women’s game, each month the victory out of England’s reach. said RFUW Managing Director, Rosie Williams, England Head Coach Gary Street said: “I am so “The whole tournament exceeded everyone’s proud of the players. At the moment we are all so expectations. We are delighted it was such a disappointed but I genuinely believe in the bigger success and believe it has helped the IRB to put picture of this result. The legacy this tournament women’s rugby firmly on the map.” Catherine Spencer will leave behind is huge. The fact that a women’s Continued on page 2 1 HQ NEWS WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP COMMONWEALTH GAMES 7 s A RECORD BREAKER Simon Mills Continued from front page… ENGLAND will be out to take the final step to end New to reach the final. Mathew Tait was acknowledged as the Zealand’s domination of the Commonwealth Games player of the tournament after scoring a hat-trick against Sevens in Delhi in October when 7s makes its fourth Samoa, touching down again against Fiji and getting appearance. New Zealand have claimed gold medals at England on the scoreboard with another long-range strike Kuala Lumpur (1998), Manchester (2002) and Melbourne in the final. But despite further scores from Andrew Vilk (2006), and are yet to lose a game. and Ben Gollings, England went down 29-21 against New England pushed them closest in Melbourne with a great Zealand and had to settle for the silver medal. run, topping their pool thanks to a 14-12 win against This time round England will have a squad of specialist Australia, then powering past Samoa 17-14 and Fiji 21-14 sevens experts including Gollings, who also appeared at the 2002 Games, and Isoa Damudamu, and will be out to At the final, a nervous start by England put the home side on the recapture the form that saw them beat New Zealand in the defensive with a knock on from the kick off which handed New finals of the Wellington and London tournaments in 2009. Zealand an early opportunity to exert their dominance. Immediately They face Australia once more in a key pool clash on Day the Black Ferns showed why they are world class, making England One of the tournament after taking on Sri Lanka and defend furiously. An incredible effort in defence, including try-saving Uganda. The competition will be tight with Australia and tackles by Danielle Waterman and Margaret Alphonsi saved an early New Zealand already assembling exciting squads – Hosea score by the visitors. Gear and Lachie Turner among them – and Samoa go into New Zealand also had their first opportunity at the posts within the Games after capturing their first IRB Sevens World eight minutes but Brazier missed the target, as did Emma Jensen six Series title. minutes later, letting England off the hook. England started their build-up in July and head coach Ben With New Zealand in explosive form, England were unable to get Ryan said: “The objective for these players now is to deliver into their stride and were constantly on the defensive, though they for a winning England team at the Commonwealth Games. had their first real chance following the sin-binning of fly half There will be big guns in New Delhi like New Zealand, Anna Richards. which means we’re certainly not going to be the favourites. Some good immediate pressure by England got them into New But we believe and trust in the players selected and that our Zealand’s 22 for the first time, but just like England’s defence, New preparation will be right going to Delhi so that we’ll be in Zealand held firm.