Herts County rugby: options for the future

With the Westcliff tournament now over, the main representative focus now turns to regional rugby. Hopefully we'll still be able to offer something at county level for those juniors that do not make regional squad (ie. most of them!) - certainly something like last season's inter-county sevens tournament, perhaps.

But this is also a good chance to take stock and look at where we are and where the county programme should go in the future.

At U14 level the county programme is a lifeline for many girls as it often provides the only opportunity they get to play competitive full sized rugby. Hopefully this will get better in the future, but at present there seems little dispute about the purpose and organisation of the U14 programme.

At U17 level its a different matter mainly because we in Herts we are being so sucecssful - both on the field in terms of results (yesterday's "blip" against Essex aside!), but also in terms of attracting players.

Amanda Bate, our "leader" (whatever her real title may be!) is shortly to move on to greater things in the RFUW and as a parting present she has gathered together some questions that have been floating around recently which are very pertenant to the question of What Happens Next. Taking this as an opportunity her ideas have been expanded below to include some of the other views that have been expressed or discussed informally of late.

In the end there are no "right" answers here. The county programme is a curious thing in some respects as it has more evolved that been created by the centre, and maybe as a result RFUW give little guidance on these matters. So at the minute its up to us - up to you. Be you players, coaches, parents, or adminsitrators its YOUR programme. What sort of animal should it be?

You can add your views to this blog and start an open discussion here, or maybe talk about it at your club and send a representative to the next meeting, or exchange views by email. Up to you. But the main thing is to make your views known. And also maybe consider how fortunate we are to be in a position to ask these questions - to have so many options is a sign of strength.

And you may have ideas and views above and beyond what appears here. If so - lets hear them!

1. What is the county team for?

As is mentioned above, at U14 level this is currently very clear - but at U17s it is less so. Is it an elite programme, or a development initiative. Can it be both? or are the two aims incompatible?

Amanda thinks it can do both as it develops girls who want to go far, and it is also a place for the best players in the county. What do you think? Can one programme/squad achieve both aims? Regional rugby is now seen as an "elite" programme - what should the priority be at county level?

2. Is it about winning, or taking part?

This is related to the above, so once that is decided, what do should the philosophy of the U17 programme be? Much the same as this year - a squad coached and managed to win? Or (as with the U14s, and come to that most counties other than maybe Herts and Essex!) an emphasis on participation, on strenghening the base by giving higher quality playing opportunities for girls of the right standard?

Is "playing to win" appropriate for this level (both considering the age of those taking part, but also the position of county rugby in the RFUW's development scheme)? Is concenbtraing on development only popular outside of Herts and Essex because other counties' have low numbers at club level?

3. 1st and 2nd XVs - or separate County and Barbarian/Development squads?

Amanda asks whether we run a separate Barbarians/development side in future and if so whether it should have its own kit, management, etc. - and, as numbers grow, its own selection policy?

Or do we follow the pattern from the boys' junior game and merge the county and Barbarians so as to have a much bigger county squad from which two teams - a 1st and 2nd XV - are selected for each tournament or fixture?

Arguments for the current pattern include the fact that it fits in the regional programme, and that (returning to the first question) it allows the County Squad to be an elite programme while the Barbarians concentrate on development. Would a larger squad be more difficult to manage and risk diluting the quality of the team? Would it restrict the opportunities for new players who appear on the scene after county trials but can now join the Barbarians?

On the other hand the alternative side asks whether this is selling the Barbarians short? Given the "scratch" nature of yesterday's side, and the similarly impressive performance of 12 months ago, there are more players capable of playing at county level in Hertfordshire than the squad of 25. Would a larger squad - fielding two fifteens - be better able to bring on this talent and produce a second string that capable of beating many other counties? Might one year we finish a tournament with a Herts 1:2?

What is best for girls on the fringes - maybe just good enough to get into the county squad by not the starting XV? Are they be better served by training with the elite, or would they be better making a name for themselves as part of a county squad's 2nd XV.

Are players slighly lower down the ladder better served in a separate Barbarian squad? Or would a single squad make it easier for players develop and move between sides? Are the girls better served with players able to "relax" and concentrate on training knowing which team they are in from the start, or by having to constantly compete for places in the 1st and 2nd team?

Would a larger squad allow county rugby to continue throughout the year - ie. even if 15 girls were lost to region from a 40 or 45 player squad, enough would be left to make a viable squad.

[PS - Late additional information. Worcestershire appear to have a U17 squad of 46, with six coaches, drawn from three clubs]

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