Key dates for 2006/7

County dates:

U14s

• 17th September (Selection at Stevenage)
• 15th October (Training at St Christopher School)
• 12th November (Inter-county tournament at TBC)
• 3rd December (Inter-county tournament at Westcliff)

U17s

• 17th September (Selection at Stevenage)
• 27th September (Evening training at Sports Village, Hatfield)
• 15th October (Training at St Christopher School)
• 18th October (Evening training at Sports Village, Hatfield)
• 12th November (U14 & U17 squads: Inter-county tournament at Grove RFC, Oxon)
  (U17 Barbarians: Training at Old Albanians)
• 22nd November (U17 squad: Evening training at Sports Village, Hatfield)
• 3rd December (Inter-county tournament at Westcliff)

Regional dates:

Seniors

• Trials: 3rd December (St Christopher School, Letchworth) and 28th January (King's School, Ely)
• Training: 3rd February, 17th February, 10th March (all Culford School)
• Fixtures: 11th February - v South East (Basildon)
  25th February - v North East (Ely RFC)
  18th March - v East Midlands (Coalville)
  31st March - Senior regional finals (Wasps)
  

Juniors

• Trials: 28th January (Ely RFC)
• Training: 11th February, 25th February, 11th March, 22nd April (all Culford School)
• Fixtures: 18th March - v East Midlands (Aylestone St James)
  1st April - v Yorkshire & North East (Ely RFC)
• National Festival: now 6th/7th May (Rugby School?)

England dates:

• Six Nations: England v Scotland - 3rd February (Old Albanians)
• Six Nations: England v Italy - 10th February (Twickenham)
• Six Nations: England v Frabce - 11th March (Old Albanians)

Club dates:

Festivals

• Beckenham festival: 8th October
• Rochford festival: 22nd October
• London North senior regional tens : 28th April. (Colchester RFC)
• London North U17 regional tens : 28th April. (Hemel Hempsted)
• National tens (U17 & senior): 12/13th May ("Midlands" - TBA)
• "Regional" (Hertfordshire?) Sevens: 20th May
• National Sevens: 26th-27th May (Leighton Buzzard)

National Knock-out cup

• Round one: 26th November
• Round two: 4th February
• Final: 15th April

Schools dates:

• 3rd-17th September: "World Cup projects and development days"
• 3rd-11th February: "Six Nations projects and trips"
• 18th February-10th March: "Preparation for U14 emerging schools - local competitions, Six Nations trips, and projects"
• 11th March: U14 Emerging Schools qualifiers
• 18th March: "Six Nations projects and trips"
• 5th May: Emerging Schools Finals (tbc)

Promoting girls' rugby - USA style

USA Rugby have come up with a new and interesting recruitment poster. The simplicity of style of interesting compared with those from RFUW. Which is more effective?

What is even more interesting is that the recruitment posters for boys and adult rugby follow the same style - and that the adult poster gives equal prominence to men's and women's rugby!

Coaching "beyond Level 1"

Also new this season are a series of coach training evenings called "Beyond Level One", aimed at extending the abilities of Level One coaches who may feel reluctant to go straight for a full Level Two qualification (though they will also provide candidates a good base before they start their Level Two course). The sessions will cost £10.00 per candidate and you can pitch up on the night, but obviously if possible it would be good if your club could advise approximate numbers.

All courses will take place at Welwyn RFC, due to its central position within the County.

• Principles of Attack Wed 27 September
• Understanding Defence Wed 18 October
• Building a Scrum Wed 8 November
• Lineout- Technical and Tactical Wed 13 December
• Continuity Skills Wed 10 January
• Coaching Process Skills Wed 21 February

Contact your club's coaching officer or Peter Engledow (peterengledow@rfu.com) for more details.

Be more than just a spectator!

Calling all parents! Do you spend hours standing on the touchline every season? Well, now there are more opportunties than ever that will allow you to become a more active in helping your team.

If you are interested contact your club first - they will have a coaching officer who will have application forms. They may well also pay your fees for you.

But if you wish to book independently course close 3 weeks before start date. Forms are available from Peter Engledow (peterengledow@rfu.com) and need to be returned to him at University of Hertfordshire Office A/ 561, College Lane , Hatfield, Herts AL10 9AB. Cheques payable to RFDL.

START RUGBY
A new introductory course designed to give volunteers some basic ideas for drills and games-orientated coaching, especially for players new to the game. £25.00 per candidate.

• Wed 11 Oct – Welwyn Rfc 7pm -9.30pm
• Sat 14 Oct – Fullerians Rfc 10am -12.30pm

TAG RUGBY
The basic introductory game generally played at club level by U8s and below, but also used as a means of bringing new players into the game throughout the primary school age group - and sometimes beyond up to U14 level. This form of the game is also used at all county Youth Games - an excellent recruitment ground for girls' rugby. £25.00 per candidate.

• Wed 18 Oct – Old Verulamian RFC 7pm -9.30pm
• Sat 21 Oct – Hertford Rfc 10 am -12.30pm

Win a training session with the England women's team

Fancy testing your skills against some of the finest women's rugby players around? The BBC are giving girls the chance to train with the England women's rugby team at their base in Loughborough on 16 August.

The Women's Six Nations champions will be preparing for the Rugby World Cup in Edmonton, Canada, which begins on 31 August. The winners will have lunch with the entire squad before lacing their boots up for a training session with members of the England team.

To win this fantastic prize, all you have to do is: Explain, in no more than 50 words, why they should choose you to train with the England women's rugby squad. Be as original as possible with your answer, we want something that stands out from the crowd.

Ideally, they would like the winners to have previous rugby experience, but it's not essential - a passion for the game, however, is a must. A runner-up will receive a signed England shirt and a bag of rugby goodies.

But note : the closing date is Monday 7 August.

More details and entry form at http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/get_involved/5194002.stm

Regional fixtures 2006/7

East region's fixtures for 2006/7 have now been released. U14s and U17s this year will play the same opponents:

Sunday 18th March: East Midlands vs East (Coalville?)
Sunday 1st April: East vs North East vs Yorkshire (TBA - but somewhere in East Region)
Sunday 6th May: U14 regional championship (TBC - Rugby School?)
Monday 7th May: U17 regional championship (TBC - Rugby School?)

Support the region: coaches and managers wanted

Application are invited for a range of posts at East Region (and - come to that - every other region as well). Posts for which applications are requested include:

• Programme manager
• Team coach (all age groups)
• Team manager (all age groups)
• Welfare manager

A small remuneration is available for each post, along with travel and other expenses. For application forms and further details contact Claire Sanderson (ClaireSanderson@rfu.com).

Failure to apply for anything disbars anyone from making any complaints about all the posts being taken by people from Essex!

Regional Programme Review - make your views known

The RFUW is forming a Regional Programme Review Group to to look at the design and rationale behind the programme and are inviting comments on the current format and suggestions for the future.

The suggested main areas for discussion is "Development vs Talent Identification"

Although it does act as a Talent Identification System for both Youth and Seniors, it also plays a role in allowing women and girls to play the full sided game and receive new coaching ideas to feed into their clubs. However, is there too much emphasis on Talent Identification and should the programme be all about development? Alternatively do you think the programme does not reflect the competitive needs of those aspiring to be England Players of the future?

Questions to consider:

Youth

• Selection: Should Trials be open or through County/Club nominations? Are the trials in their current format suitable?
• Developmental or Talent Identification? Is it possible to combine the two? How?
• Should all Youth Players selected for a Regional Squad have the right to equal playing time within the programme or should the emphasis be on allowing the more talented players time on the pitch?
• Should the ethos for the programme be about performing to the highest level or about having fun? Is it the same for both age groups?
• Should the Royal Sun Alliance Tournament be about winning or about ensuring that everybody gets at least 1 game?

Senior

• Selection - Trials and/or County/Club nomination? Should there be a guideline on which players would be suitable?
• Should the Senior Programme be development or Talent Identification orientated?
• Should players who have climbed the Pathway to England and are on their way down be eligible?
• Should Representative players (i.e. England U19s and England Students) be considered for the relevant age-groups? Should players selected for Super 4s and Super League but not selected for the England 44 be allowed to trial for Senior Regional?
• Should there be an age-limit for Senior Programme candidates e.g. U23s or U25s?

NB These questions are not exhaustive and are a guideline for your suggestions. If you wish to discuss one of the questions, clearly state which one in your feedback. If you wish to discuss elements of the programme not included so far please feel free to do so. RFUW greatly appreciate suggestions as well as constructive criticism.

Any suggestions and comments will be considered by the Review Group, and their findings will be presented to the RFUW Board once the consultation is completed. The Development & Performance Departments will then examine ways in which these findings can be implemented for the future running of the Programme.

RFUW are also interested in thoughts about the current format. As always funding is limited, but suggestions on how we can make the most of the funding available are also welcome.

Expressions of interest are also invited from those wishing to be considered to sit on the Regional Programme Review GroupThe Review Group is expected to meet no more than four times over the next season with the first meeting on Saturday August 12th. (other dates will be: Sat 7th Oct, Sunday 12th Nov, Sunday 1st April).

Comments to the review and expressions of interest should be forwarded to Claire Sanderson on clairesanderson@rfu.com. Please include “Regional Programme Review” in the subject line of all e-mails.

Become the most important person on the field

It does not matter how many players you have , how well trained they are, and what positions they play in - without a referee they'll never get a game.

The girls' game in particular is always short of officials - so why not encourage a few volunteers at your club to get qualified?

A Mini / Midi Referee Course is being run at University of Hertfordshire De Havilland Campus(Hatfield) on Saturday 7th October. Coaches, parents and ex-players are all welcome.

You owe it to yourself and the players under you to make sure you are fully up to date with the Laws of the Game and covered with reference to the Child Protection Act and “Duty of Care” .. no matter if it’s Mini/Midi or the 15-a-side game – junior or adult then here’s a chance to obtain full official accreditation from the Rugby Football Union

Whether it be only to referee members of your own club or join a referee society and referee at the highest levels, then this course will get you an RFU accreditation to help you do so!

Contact: Bill Ractliffe 01727 766987 or 07710 058187 or bill.ractliffe@ntlworld.com for details.
The Mini / Midi Referee course on the 7th is designed for anyone wishing to referee any game from Under 7s through to Under 12s, but there are other courses coming up as well for other age groups. Contact Bill for details.

Please note the closing date for the above course is Monday 11 September. Cost £30 – includes all course literature, worksheets, Law Books and official RFU Accreditation documents.

Club co-ordinators' meeting

For the development of your club the Herts Rugby Development Team have organised a development evening, ‘Tackling Safety’ for your Club Coach Coordinators and Club Reps.
The session will be held at a venue TBC on the 4th Sept and will start promptly at 19:30 hrs, so please be early. The likely venue will be the University of Hertfordshire or a central club like Welwyn.

The areas that will be covered are as follows:

• Tackling Safety/Contact
• Coaching Database
• Non-Award Courses
• Best Practice
• Q & A.

The session will be split into 3 sections:

• Intro / Booklet
• Practical
• Q & A/ feedback

Therefore it will be important that the attendees are able to feedback and deliver the Non-Award Courses to your club coaches. Please feel free to invite club members who you feel might be the best persons at your club to deliver to your club coaches.

If your club is still to identify a Club Coach Coordinator please do so and contact Peter Engledow with details.

To confirm you attendance, (with names of attendee(s)) email Peterengledow@rfu.com

Peter Engledow, Jamie Traxon & Ben Taylor
Herts Rugby Development Team

Relive England's Six Nations triumph

You can now relive the highlights of almost all of England's Six Nations campaign at SportUK.TV. This free website - officially supported by RFUW - has recently been redesigned and gives video highlights of all of England's home games, as well as most away fixtures.

So if you are suffering from rugby withdrawl symtoms you can help alleviate this by not only reliving the two victorious days at Old Albanians, but also by watching highlights of England's wins at Murryfield and Paris.

(And for those who weren't at OAs - yes, it really was as cold as it looks.

No - thinking about it - it was colder!)

Can you help to run the new adult county team?

Can you spare time to help the an adult county team?

The U17s and U14s had a great start last year, and now we want to give the same opportunities to adult players in Hertfordshire. But the teams do not run themselves and a few volunteers are needed to step forward and make it happen. Basically we need coaches and administrative support:
County Coach details:

There are vacancies for a Head Coach and both a backs and a forwards coach

The W & G RDO , with the Herts Sports Partnership, is seeking to appoint a Head Coach and both backs and forwards coaches for a County Senior Women’s Team. The coaches should have experience of coaching women in rugby, and will be able to deliver a coaching programme suitable to ensure further development of the players. The Head Coach will be at least a level 2 coach, working towards level 3, and the assistant coaches ideally will also be level 2. They will work as a team to organise a trials and selection process and then deliver suitable coaching plan.

All the coaches will need to have good communication and organisational skills, both verbally and written, and will be on e-mail. References as to suitability and experience will be taken and as some players at senior level may be under 18 years of age, coaches will need to agree to be CRB checked.

The coaches will need to be willing to work with the Herts Girls and Women’s Rugby Development Group, at least one of them attending each meeting of the group. The Group meets about every 6 weeks during the season.

The RDO is committed to supporting and developing coaches and follows the guidelines set out by the Herts Sports Partnership for the employment and deployment of coaches across the county.

Administrative support:

There are vacancies for a Team Manager, Press Officer, Kit Manager, and Fixtures Secretary.

The W & G RDO , with the Herts Sports Partnership is seeking to appoint a team, comprising of a Team Manager, Kit Manager, Fixtures Secretary and Press Officer, to help run a Senior Women’s County Rugby Team.

Excellent communication and organisational skills are essential, as is an understanding of women’s rugby. Successful applicants must be on e-mail and will have good verbal and written communication skills. References as to suitability for these positions will be taken.

How to apply

For further details and an application form, please contact Amanda Bate by e-mail: A.1.Bate@herts.ac.uk, or phone on: 01707 281008, or write to: Amanda Bate, Active Sports, Rugby Development Officer (Girls and Women), Hertfordshire Sports Village, De Havilland Campus, Hatfield Business Park, Hatfield, Herts AL10 9EU.

Closing date: 15th August.

Athlete Support Programme: Contact numbers

We've now had the first three sessions and - after a good initial turnout - there have been a few no-shows.

This is inevitable - people are ill - but if you have any problems getting to any future sessions it is essential that you contact Fiona or Amanda as soon as possible. Do not leave this until the last minute. Essentially you are also expected to attend unless you are actually ill in bed as even if that just means you watch the active sessions you will still gain something!

If you have any problems at all you must phone as soon as possible - Amanda can be reached (or texted) on 07871 589454. You can also reach Fiona via the Sports Centre reception on 01707 284466.

This is the first year girls have been involved with this, so the impression you give will be remembered. Failure to attend not only jeapodises your place on the programme, but the future involvement of all girls. So work with each other to make it a success - encourage each other, and if a friend of your's has travel problems (for example) see if you can offer them a lift!

One last thing is that you need to remember to bring with you the books you were given. Few of you did, apparently.

Girls U14 Emerging Schools 2006/7: Start planning NOW!

Details are beginning to emerge about the new Girls U14 "Emerging School" championship", which will run next season.

The Emerging Schools tournament - sponsored by The Daily Mail - has been running for some years, and the schools final at Twickenham is now an established (and very successful) event. Last year - for the first time - some girls schools were included in a relatively small scale pilot event, but it caught the headlines and so next season its going national.

Grants will be available through Herts Sports Partnership (ie. Amanda) to get coaches into schools across the county. The plan is to have district level events in the autumn, leading to a county tournament in February. The best teams from that will go onto regional finals on 11th March and the national final at Twickenham on 5th May.

Clearly a base of girls playing rugby at school must benefit clubs, so if at all possible you will be (indeed probably are already being) encouraged to work with your local schools to get this going.

But clearly NOW is the time to start. If you leave it until September then local PE teachers will already have their plans for the year in place and you're going to miss out. To get schools up and running sufficient for the district and county tournaments you really need to be able to hit the ground running at the start of the Autumn term.

One thing in everyone's favour will be that the World Cup in Canada will be taking place at the beginning of September, with a real chance of England success that can be used to develop interest in the game (its always good to be associated with a sport that England can win at!).

So try to have a word with your local PE teachers now - they'll probably be pretty supportive. If you have girls from your club at a particular school obviously that will give you a great base to build on.

This really is a brilliant opportunity for us to use. A new national junior tournament building on a successful international team just at a time when all the other, higher profile, international teams are an embarrassment. What more could we want?

U14 "Emerging Schools" Competition rules:

Basically as standard RFUW U14 rugby, but with a few odd tweaks:

• Half pitch
  (You will recall that the club game is going full pitch)
• Full contact
• Uncontested scrums
  (No option for contested - unlike the club game next season)
• Tactical kicking is allowed
• Hand-offs permitted chest and below
• No conversions
• Re-starts after tries are scrums, put in to the conceding team
  (Possibly the most significant difference)
• Size 4 ball
• 12 a-side (at present 5 in the scrum but RFUW are looking to change this to 6)

Local newspapers highlight Hertfordshire award success

I guess I should mention that local newspapers covering most of north and central Herts (including the Comet, Advertiser, Crow, Herald and Times series) include a report on the county's success at the East awards "do" a few weeks back.

Thanks to Amanda for submitting the article which, for some reason the "usual channels" somehow neglected to do.

Can't think why.

The photo might be a clue though...

Summer rugby courses

Just a reminder that across the county this summer your local district councils will be organising summer events, and in many areas these will include rugby courses.

Always open to girls as well as boys, often at a bargin price, and invariably aimed at relative newcomers to the game these courses will be ideal for many up-and-coming U14s.

Typical of such an events, for example, is one being put on by North Herts District Council at Hitchin RFC from 31st July to 4th August. At this course girls (and boys) aged between 8 and 13 will get five mornings of coaching for only £25.70 - a fraction of what you would normally pay at commercial Rugby Camps.

So have a look through the brochures that schools will be handing out about now - and if you are a bit concerned about the course being flooded by boys, get together with a few friends and teammates and go as a group. What else had you got planned?

England U19 trials

England U19 trials will be held on Saturday 7th October at somewhere in the Midlands (venue still to be confirmed - watch this space) .

Any girls aged between 16 and 18 on 1st September 2006 can attend - you do not have to have previously attended summer camps etc. - but RFUW request that you should be of "regional standard". If in doubt ask you club coach.

Information - including trial forms - will appear on the RFUW's website next month and have to be returned to RFW by 18th September.

Support England... Promote the Women's game... (and annoy the blokes a bit!)

The RFUW are offering some rather neat car stickers with the slogan "Six Nations Grand Slam Winners 2006" on them and (in slightly smaller type) "Next challenge: Women's World Cup Edmonton".

There is also an accompanying poster with similar wording and action shots from the Six Nations campaign. Just to emphasise the point that at least one England rugby team is capable of winning things....

Both are - by the looks of it - free (the RFUW's latest mailing doesn't actually say one way or the other).

So drop RFUW a line and order now. The stickers are sticky on the back so can be used not just on cars, but also bags, exercise books, lockers, bedroom doors, and a multitude of other similar places. And the poster would look great on your club or school noticeboard!

In addition the "Girl Power" posters have been updated with a new (and rather better) text - again copies available from RFUW in both A3 and A5 sizes.

Beckenham Festival to include U14 competition

Exciting news just received about the Beckenham Festival - for the first time there will be a U14 competition as well as the usual U17 event!

As in previous years it is emphasised that this will be a "development" event, so slightly simplified rules (details expected later).

Beckenham RFC are sendig invitations to clubs in the region this week (all clubs who took part in Herts 7s are likely to be contacted). With two age groups now taking part entries are likely to be taken very quickly, so don't miss out!

Coaching courses: 2006/7

The following are the dates of RFU coaching courses in Hertfordshire next season. All courses wil be held at the University of Herts de Haviland Campus in Hatfield. For more information or to make a booking please contact:

Helen Bridgeman (RFU Regional Administrator London North), East Midlands Rugby Union, The Rugby House, Wellingborough School, Irthlingborough Road, Wellingborough, NN8 2BX Tel No. 01933 222218, Email : admin@emru.co.uk

Level One (£88.13):

• 3rd & 17th September 2006 (closing date: 3rd August 2006)
• 8th & 22nd October 2006 (closing date: 8th September 2006)
• 4th & 18th November 2006 (closing date: 4th October 2006)
• 3rd & 17th December 2006 (closing date: 3rd November 2006)
• 14th & 21st January 2007 (closing date: 14th December 2006)
• 11th & 25th February 2007 (closing date: 11th January 2007)
• 4th & 18th March 2007 (closing date: 4th February 2007)
• 1st & 15th April 2007 (closing date: 1st March 2007)
• 6th & 27th May 2007 (closing date: 13th April 2007)
• 10th & 24th June 2007 (closing date: 10th May 2007

Level Two (£126.25)

• Part One – 9th/10th September 2006
  Part Two – 9th/10th December 2006
  (closing date: 9th August 2006)
  
• Part One – 27th/28th January 2007
  Part Two – 2nd/3rd June 2007
  (Closing date: 18th December 2006)

Level Three

• Please contact Helen on 01933 222218 for information