Coronavirus (Covid-19) Update

Distribution list: Tuesday 30 June

Constituent Bodies Chairs, Constituent Bodies Honorary Secretaries, Constituent Bodies Treasurers, Club Chairs, Honorary Secretaries, Treasurers

Please find below the twenty-ninth edition of our Coronavirus (Covid-19) update.

We have now published resources to support those clubs who may wish to re-open their facilities from Saturday 4 July.

We have also provided more detailed information regarding a return to competitive playing for the 2020/21 season.

Please visit our dedicated web portal on the England Rugby website to access coronavirus information and updates here.

Past editions of these twice-weekly updates can be found on this part of the website. Click here if you need to find a previous edition.

RFU headlines

Guidance to re-opening clubs and facilities

As restrictions across the country begin to ease, we have produced resources to support those clubs who may wish to re-open their facilities from Saturday 4 July. Click below to access our support guides, including risk assessments and checklists.

Support Guides

Return to competitive playing for the 2020/21 season

Last week we announced adapted community competition plans for adult and age grade rugby in the 2020/21 season. Today we have published more detailed information – click below to read.

More Details

Call for diversity and inclusion volunteers

Are You Passionate about Rugby being an inclusive sport?

If the answer is yes then we want to hear from you. The RFU Council has a newly formed Diversity and Inclusion Working Group that is actively recruiting for two volunteer members from the game to participate in an implementation group that will deliver ten agreed recommendations over the next two years. The focus will be on volunteer leaders and governance at Club, Constituent Body and RFU Council level.

The time commitment is expected to be about six meetings a year, at least 50% of which will be virtual, along with some ad hoc calls, etc in between.

Rugby is a sport founded on inclusion however, there is more we can do to improve diversity and these roles offer a great opportunity to deliver critical change. Click below to read the job description and apply. Please ensure that you enclose your CV as part of the application.

Job Description Apply

Other important updates

Webinars & Podcasts

Wednesday 1 July - Virtual Workshop - Volunteer Experience

England Rugby is working with Club Matters to deliver club support virtual workshop sessions on a number of topics. These will run for a maximum of two hours and will be limited to 15 attendees, allocated on a first come, first serve basis. Click below to see the full programme and register for the first Volunteer Experience Workshop scheduled for next Wednesday 1 July. This session will help participants gain top tips in recruiting, retaining and rewarding volunteers. England Rugby is working with Club Matters to deliver club support virtual workshop sessions on a number of topics. The workshops will run for a maximum of two hours and will be limited to 15 attendees, allocated on a first come, first serve basis. Click below to see the full programme and register for the first Volunteer Experience Workshop scheduled for next Wednesday 1 July. This session will help participants gain top tips in recruiting, retaining and rewarding volunteers.

Full Programme Workshop 1

Wednesday 8 July - Legal Structures - Are you considering your legal structure?

This virtual workshop gives guidance on which legal structure may suit your club best. It also examines whether CASC or charitable status is worth exploring for your club. Click below to register.

Webinar from EY now available to watch on demand - The Impact of Covid-19 on consumer behaviour – and what it means for your club

The Covid-19 crisis has changed the way people live. It will have a lasting impact on how they shop, what they buy and how they consume everything. EY has been surveying consumers every four weeks during the crisis and the outputs provide a 360-degree perspective on the changes in consumer behaviour. This webinar delivered by our partner EY presents the latest outputs from this survey and discusses what this means for your club as you seek to navigate the challenges. Register to watch the webinar on demand.

Catch up on previous webinars

For those who want to catch up on previous webinars, these are available on the England Rugby website. Please click on the links below:

Club Webinars Referee Webinars Coach Webinars

Rugby community doing great things

Many clubs turned to helping their communities during the coronavirus crisis. Onsite kitchens supplied meals for the vulnerable and NHS front-line workers, food banks were helped, prescriptions collected for people shielding and money was raised for struggling charities or the NHS. Clubs stripped of their usual income in what would have usually been a busy and profitable part of the season are also trying to help themselves and raise funds to secure survival. Click below to read about some of the activities that are taking place to help clubs survive.

Community Spirit

Two RFU Injured Players Foundation clients and fitness experts have been making sure that players seriously injured playing the game have had plenty of support in lockdown in maintaining their mental and physical wellbeing. Dani Watts and Ross Morrison have been running virtual sessions twice a week to keep everyone motivated and connected. They were also joined on one of their sessions by former England captain, Lewis Moody. Click below to find out more.

IPF Support

In addition to clubs helping their communities, next week we are beginning to highlight clubs’ self-help initiatives, as well as activities being undertaken to improve diversity and inclusion at clubs, on englandrugby.com.

Mitsubishi Motors in the UK are proud supporters of the rugby volunteers across England who make up an integral part of the game. Help us recognise your work by sharing your club and individual stories and videos with [email protected] or [email protected].

Click below to find out more about the Mitsubishi Motors Volunteer Recognition Programme.

Recognition Programme

Other news

Be in with a chance to win a Dove Men+Care goodie bag

Together with Dove Men+Care, we're able to bring you a series of exclusive on-demand webinars with England players Ben Youngs, Mako Vunipola and Jack Nowell who will be discussing the key skills and attributes that go into playing their positions at the highest level.

Click below to watch the first webinar with England Rugby scrum half Ben Youngs. Anyone who registers will be in with a chance of winning a Dove Men+Care goodie bag. Terms apply.

Ben Youngs Dove Men+Care

2020 Rugby Calorie Challenge

Old Albanian RFC is supporting the launch the first Rugby Calorie Challenge on 11 July to raise money for three worthy causes: NHS Charities Together COVID Appeal, Show Racism the Red Card and the Injured Players Foundation.

Open to any rugby clubs that wants to take part, the aim is simple, each team has to burn as many calories as possible through exercise. Click below to register your club.