1890-2015 “Celebrating 125 Years in Rugby” PRESIDENT HUW DAVIES JP EASTERN COUNTIES RUGBY UNION ANNUAL REPORT TO CLUBS 2015/2016 ECRURugby.com www.ecrurugby.com@ECRURugby Facebook.com/ECRURugby EASTERN COUNTIES RUGBY UNION LIMITED CONTENTS AGENDA ......................................................................................................................................3 EASTERN COUNTIES 1890-2015 - AN ABBREVIATED HISTORY .......................................................4 PRESIDENT...................................................................................................................................5 SECRETARY ..................................................................................................................................6 CHAIRMAN ..................................................................................................................................7 HONORARY TREASURER...............................................................................................................8 COMPETITIONS..........................................................................................................................10 CB CLUB/COMMUNITY PLAYER DEVELOPMENT GROUP (CCPD) ..................................................12 CB PLAYER PERFORMANCE PATHWAY DEVEVELOPMENT GROUP INCL. CLUB EC & COACHING ....15 COMMUNITY .............................................................................................................................23 RFU COUNCIL.............................................................................................................................25 GOVERNANCE............................................................................................................................26 SAFEGUARDING .........................................................................................................................27 DISCIPLINE .................................................................................................................................28 MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS............................................................................................29 RDOS .........................................................................................................................................31 REFEREES...................................................................................................................................33 NORFOLK...................................................................................................................................34 SUFFOLK ....................................................................................................................................35 CAMBRIDGESHIRE......................................................................................................................36 2 | P a g e EASTERN COUNTIES RUGBY UNION LIMITED ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Friday 3rd. June 2016 19.00 The Nelson Hotel, Norwich, NR1 1DX AGENDA 1. To consider and approve the minutes of the last AGM on 5th.June 2015. 2. To review and approve a report from the Committee on the affairs of the Constituent Body since 5th. June 2015 3. To receive a Financial Report. 4. To consider any other motion or business duly proposed in accordance with Rule 8.5 Proposal One: That we should consider combining the AGM with the Dinner, as in past years Proposal Two: That we should consider competing in the Lower Level in the Bill Beaumont Series 5. To answer specific questions about our activities to Committee Chairmen 6. To receive a short explanation of our PFR process (CB Planning) 7. To elect Officers and Committee for the ensuing year 8. Presentation from Alun Powell, RFU Head of Regional, Academies The nominations of the Officers and Committee Chairmen are: - President Ian Forton to serve in seasons 2017-18 and 2018-19 (Ian’s candidature is supported by the ECRU Management Committee) Officers Committee Chairmen Chairman John Phoenix Governance Richard Watson Honorary Secretary Roger Pierson Finance Pamela Clarke Honorary Treasurer Pamela Clarke Player Development Group tbc Club Player Group Ross Cowie Club Development John Winders Marketing & Communications Russ Clarke Discipline Declan Gallagher Competitions John Mackay Safeguarding Manager James Pepper Chair of Coaching Chris Capps-Jenner 7. To consider any other business of which due notice has been given. Note: no notice of other such business had been received by the Hon. Secretary by the due date (30.04.16) 8. To hear any other relevant matter for the consideration of the Committee during the ensuing year, but on which no voting shall be allowed. By order of the ECRU Ltd. Committee Roger Pierson, Hon. Secretary, ECRU Ltd. 22nd.May 2016 3 | P a g e EASTERN COUNTIES RUGBY UNION LIMITED EASTERN COUNTIES 1890-2015 - an abbreviated history Founded at a meeting in the Great Eastern Hotel, Liverpool St. on 28 October 1890, Eastern Counties Rugby Union started life as an affiliation of the Counties of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. With a Mr H R Ladell of Norfolk instrumental in helping to found the Union. Cambridgeshire joined in 1928. It seems that primarily the interest was in fielding Representative Teams to compete in the RFU County Championship, and some of the later Teams were involved in Touring in Europe. Between the years of 1921 and 1997 the record shows that 21 Senior EC Players were awarded International Caps. By the end of the 1950-1 season, EC had 93 ‘Clubs’ of which 30 were Schools, and 13 were Old Boys Associations. Essex had 38 Clubs, Cambridge 6, 6 in Norfolk, and 8 in Suffolk; at one time Hertfordshire (6 Clubs) was included in our area. Many Clubs struggled to survive during the early years, with some casualties; St. Helens RFC re- formed as Ipswich RFC, and they are our ‘Oldest’ Club. Recent years have seen the demise of Downham Market, Chadacre College, Swanton Morley, Eccles & Attleborough and Ransomes/Orwell, but the overwhelming trend has been to see new Clubs formed and thriving; our current number of Clubs sits at fifty-one, as well as the Counties. The departure of Essex, in 2003, has had a mixed effect on ECRU – with a wide-spread geographical area to administer, this was probably a positive outcome, as it allowed us to improve the quality and depth of the support that we should give to our Member Clubs, this being the major reason for our being. For the record, Eastern Counties has provided three Presidents of the Rugby Football Union; Dickie Jeeps (1976-77); Sandy Sanders (1989-90); and Brian Williams (2008-9) - the hundredth to assume this Office. For those of a practical historical ‘bent’, in 1890 a Try was worth 2 points, queen Victoria was in her 53rd year on the throne and pint of beer cost 1½d. (that would work out to about 70p a pint today adjusting for inflation). 4 | P a g e EASTERN COUNTIES RUGBY UNION LIMITED PRESIDENT From the President Having been appointed as President of Eastern Counties Rugby Union for the seasons 2015- 2017, I would like to thank those who believed I would make a success of the appointment. I have been involved with the game since I started playing as an 11-year-old at school in North West England. I played Youth rugby in South Wales and adult rugby in NW London. I refereed and then became a referee adviser for The London Society and on moving to Suffolk I continued as a referee adviser until I took over the chairmanship of the Discipline Panel in 1998. During the first of my two years of Office I haven’t visited as many clubs as I’d have hoped, but those I have were extremely hospitable and I hope to visit many more during my final year as president. As we all know the RWC was disappointing for England as hosts and the fact the team didn’t progress into the knock out stages of the competition had an impact on clubs who had hoped to bolster their coffers by showing the games. However, there is no doubt that the competition was extremely well run not least due to the band of volunteers a number of which came from within Eastern Counties. It has also been an important year for ECRU where we have been celebrating our 125th year, with a number of events, including a senior XV game against Essex and the highlight so far for me being a President’s Lunch held at Bury St Edmonds RFC ahead of an U20s fixture against Kent. We were privileged to have seven past presidents join us at the lunch (see photo). Our celebrations culminate with our Annual Dinner on the 1st July, at which Current RFU President, ex England, Lions and ECRU Huw Davies, Bill Rollings, Mike Youngman, Norman Potter, Brian Williams legend Jason Leonard will be our guest Rod Jones, John Taylor speaker. On a final note Rugby at our level is almost totally reliant on the huge number of volunteers who, from managing the everyday running of the clubs to the coaching of minis and upwards, are to be acknowledged as the backbone of Constituent Body Rugby. Age-group rugby is hugely important as it is the foundation of the continued success of our clubs. I will continue to do everything I can to support the volunteers and make their task as easy and enjoyable as possible. Without them rugby will be unable to flourish as it does and we hope will continue to in the Eastern Counties. Hugh Davies JP President 5 | P a g e EASTERN COUNTIES RUGBY UNION LIMITED SECRETARY Another year of change, with the appointment of Chloe McMorran as the RDO for Cambridgeshire and Suffolk, following Jonathon Pearce’s decision to seek pastures new. We say ‘goodbye