ELV's Presentation 14th August Herts Sports Village

A further opportunity to hear about the ELV’s will take place at 7.30 on Thursday 14th August at the University of Hertfordshire Sports Village for Referees and Coaches in the Adult game when the speaker will be Alan Biggs Midlands Referee Development Officer and Premiership Touch Judge.

May 2009 Tournaments

The following Girls Tournament dates at the end of next season have now been confirmed:

• Sun 3rd May: Worthing Festival.
• Sun 10th May: Dorking Festival.
• Sun 17th May: Herts 7's (Venue T.B.C).
• W/e 23-24th May (Sat or Sun T.B.C): National 7's (Venue T.B.C).

Herts Sports Partnership courses for coaches

Summer courses:

29 July Coaching Methods & Communication (at University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield) Click here
5 August An Introduction to the FUNdamentals of Movement (at University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield) Click here
11 August An Introduction to Long Term Athlete Development (North Hertfordshire College, Hitchin) Click here
12 August Equity In Your Coaching (at University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield) Click here
18 August Developing Partnerships with Clubs and Schools (North Hertfordshire College, Hitchin) Click here
21 August Safeguarding & Protecting Children (North Hertfordshire College, Hitchin) Click here
3 September Fitness & Training (at University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield) Click here

All of these courses cost just £10! (Except FUNdamentals, which is £15.) They run from 6.30pm to 9.30pm.

Clubmark courses:

Is your club working towards Clubmark accreditation (or its equivalent) or re-accreditation? Do you or your colleagues need to attend the courses that are required for accreditation? The Herts Sports Partnership is running a number of relevant courses in the coming months (all courses are at the University unless stated):

12 August Equity In Your Coaching (Further information & booking form)
21 August Safeguarding & Protecting Children (at North Hertfordshire College, Hitchin) (Further information & booking form)
28 September First Aid for Appointed Persons (Further information & booking form)
1 October Safeguarding & Protecting Children (Further information & booking form)
17 November A Club For All (Further information & booking form)
26 November Equity In Your Coaching (at West Herts College, Watford) (Further information & booking form)

To book, click on the links above. To see our full programme of courses, visit our website:
http://www.sportinherts.org.uk/deliveringsport/courses

HPA's

Following last weekends High Performance Academy Trials (HPA's) at Brunel University congratulations are due to the following Herts Players on being selected:

U15's : Courtney Arberry (Welwyn) who now joins the School of Rugby at Felsted School Essex for the next season, which starts this Summer.

U18's : Claire Shutler (Saracens) who now progresses to the Talent Development Group (TDG) Trial taking place later this month.

Herts Women County Trial Sunday 10th August St Albans RFC

Sunday 10th August is the date of the first ever Herts Womens County Trial. It is taking place at St Albans RFC starting at 1.00.

Please ensure all Senior players in your Clubs know about this, and those players going up to Seniors next season will of course be eligible to Trial if they are already 18 on 10th August.

Herts Womens County Team will be entering the L&SE County Championship against Essex, Sussex, Kent, Middx, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, and Buckinghamshire.

If you have any questions please contact Sammy Field by e-mail: sammyfield@aol.com

Womens International Rugby: Nations Cup

Girls Schools Age Bands: Important changes

The competition structure of the RFUW aims to support all players and teams with clear guidelines to enable participation at all levels.

It was agreed last season that the for the forthcoming 2008-2009 season the age-bands in schools would mirror those played in the club environment.

The following age-bands apply to schools, clubs and a colleges playing girls rugby in England. Any breach of theses age bands could lead to disciplinary action of coaches and clubs.

Age at 1^st September of the year playing

U12 Schools– playing to continuum guidelines	Year 7 – can be mixed sex , but we encourage the playing of girls only rugby at this age group where possible
U15	Aged 12,13 or 14 on the 1st September 2008 (normally School Years 8, 9 and 10) – laws as shown in RFUW handbook
U18	Aged 15,16 or 17 on the 1st September 2008 (normally School Years 11, 12 and 13) – laws as shown in RFUW handbook
FE / HE Colleges.	Under 19- 3 year age band OR Under 20 - 3 year age band Both teams MUST be playing the same band. Laws as shown for U18 in RFUW Handbook

All laws and regulations covering the RFUW age bands are available through the RFUW Hand book and through the Women’s rugby section of www.rfu.com/women resources section.

RFUW: Regional coaches, managers, physios needed!

RFUW REGIONAL PROGRAMME 2008/09

PLAY YOUR PART!

Coaches, managers, physios needed

The RFUW Regional Programme has been going from strength to strength for the past few years and this year promises to be even better.

The Senior, Under 18 and Under 15 programmes provide many opportunities for volunteers from all over the country to get involved, be it as a coach, manager or physio. With support from the RFUW Regional Development Managers and the Club Coach Officers, you will be instrumental in delivering yet another successful programme

Last season saw the West Midlands triumph at both U18 and Senior levels, winning the Youth Festival and Senior Finals respectively and East Midlands winning the U15s Youth Festival.

However, as well as providing a competitive structure, the programme is fundamental in the player pathway. The Regional Programme has been the crucial stepping stone for club and county players into the England U20s; England As and England Senior Squads. Would you like to be part of it? You could discover and develop the star of the 2014 Rugby World Cup!

The Senior programme starts with the trials in December 08, continuing over six weekends from 1^st February until Finals Day on 22^nd March. This year culminates in a Final and a 3^rd / 4^th play-off.

The youth programme commences with the trials in January 2009 and continues over a six week period through February and March, finishing with the Regional Programme Festival on the weekend of March 15^th & 16^th.

The RFUW will cover expenses for the duration of the programme as well as providing the opportunity to contribute to the largest Women & Girls’ Rugby Programme run in England.

You will be required to attend staff training within your region, and will receive ongoing support throughout the programme from your team of volunteers and RFUW professional staff.

Opportunities that are available can be found on the Expression of Interest Form by following the link along with details of roles and responsibilities. Please be aware that these roles vary from age-group to age-group and from region to region. There is also a sheet of FAQs should you require any more information.

With the programme attracting quality players and volunteers across the country, volunteer opportunities are limited, therefore please send your form to regionalrugby@therfu.com by Thursday 31^st July.

Click on the following links for more information and to complete the form.

Staff Expression of Interest Form 200809

Regional Manager Roles & Responsibilities.doc

Regional Programme Manager Roles & Responsibilities.doc

Regional Coach Roles & Responsibilities.doc

HPA's 12-13 July Brunel University

Good luck to the following Girls and Women who play for Herts Clubs and who are attending the HPA (High Performance Academy) Trials at Brunel University this weekend:

Under 15:
Courtney Arberry (Welwyn)

Courtney is Trialing at the HPA for a place on next season's School of Rugby which Claire Shutler and Sam Voyle attended last season.

Under 18:
Hayley Guilder (Letchworth)
Sasha Acheson (Letchworth)
Claire Shutler (Saracens)
Alice Nee (Saracens)
Sam Voyle (Welwyn)
Georgia Peedle (Welwyn)
Frankie Dawson (Welwyn)
Casey Shults (Welwyn)

The HPA Trial is the first part of two Trials to join the Under 18 TDG (Talent Development Group) where these Players are aiming to join 3 Herts Players who are currently part of the TDG, Hannah Gallagher, Alex Robertson and Megan Williams (all Welwyn).

Women:
Tia Arberry (Welwyn)
Sophie Tyler (Welwyn)

RFUW issue statement on ELVs in women's and girls' rugby

The RFUW today issued a statement on the introduction of the ELVs in English women's and girls' rugby.

The content includes notthing that is of any surprise, though it does clarify that - as women's teams outside the Premiership and Championship play to U19 rules they (like U18 and U15 teams) will not play to the new ELV on mauls (so pulling down a maul remains illegal ourside the top level leagues). What will happen if a lower level team plays a high level team isn't covered.

The full text of the statement is:

Experimental Law Variations

The RFUW will be supporting the IRB in trialling the 13 Experimental Law Variations (ELVs) for the 2008/09 season.

• Premiership and Championship leagues will play full IRB Laws and will trial all 13 of the ELV’s.
• National Challenge 1 and below will play to the IRB U19 laws and will trial all the ELV’s with the exception that they will NOT TRIAL Law 17 The Maul
• All U18s Competitions will play IRB U19 laws and will trial all the ELV’s with the exception that they will NOT TRIAL Law 17 The Maul.
• All U15s Competitions will play to the RFU Under 14s Variations and will trial some of the ELV’s. They will NOT TRIAL Law 17 and Law 19 number 9 and 10, for Law 19 please refer to the RFU U14 Variations

Law 6 – Match Officials
1 – Assistant referees are able to assist the referee in any way that the referee requires

Law 17 – Maul

2 – Remove reference to head and shoulders not being lower then hips.

3 – Players are able to defend a maul by pulling it down.

Law 19 - Touch and Lineout

4 – If a team puts the ball back into its own 22 and the ball is subsequently kicked direct into touch, there is no gain in ground.

5 – A quick throw in may be thrown in straight or towards the throwing team’s own goal line.

6 – There is no restriction on the number of players from either team who can participate in the lineout.

7 – The receiver at the lineout must be two meters away from the lineout.

8 – The player who is in opposition to the player throwing in the ball must stand in the area between the five metre line and the touchline but must be two meters away from the five metre line.

9 – Lineout players may pre grip a jumper before the ball is thrown in.

10 – The lifting of lineout players is permitted.

Law 20 – Scrum

11 – Introduction of an offside line five metres behind the hindmost feet of the scrum.

12 – Identification of scrum half offside lines.

Law 22 – Corner Posts

13 – The corner posts are no longer considered to be touch in goal except when the ball is grounded against the post.

For a full break down of the Experimental Law Variation please go to http://www.rfu.com/elv/pdf/irb-elv-guide.pdf