Berkshire Youth Report April 15 th 2015 March 2014

Agenda 1) 2014/2015 Review 2) 2015/2016 County/DPP Programme 3) 2015/2016 OBB/BB/BYL Leagues 4) Age Grade Competition Review 6) Any Questions Player centric – Development driven – Competition supported

Berkshire Youth 2014/2015 Review Player centric – Development driven – Competition supported Berkshire U18s and Under 16s Programme completed. Jacob Atkins, Conor Hayhow and Cameron Gray all selected for England Counties U18s. Ben Loader selected for England U16s v Wales. U15s/U14s/U13s programmes have all been successfully implemented. Berkshire U14s had ties presented by Nick Kennedy.

Berkshire/London Irish 2014/2015 Review Player centric – Development driven – Competition supported Relationship with London Irish much improved.  Release of players for U18s CB Matches. London Irish DPP Programmes have been implemented:  U13s/U14s sessions have not been mandatory  Sessions have been cancelled  Little disorganised  Skill levels have improved  Coaching Courses not happened (May 2015)  Young Berkshire Coaches being developed. London Irish recognise more work needs to be done to build relationships with clubs – 2015/16 focus.

Berkshire Youth 2014/2015 League Review Player centric – Development driven – Competition supported OBB Leagues – issues where clubs enter more than one side – playing A Team players in B Team Matches. Berks/Bucks U16s League a great success U15s/U14s – players getting rugby at an appropriate level. U13s Finals Day at Reading Abbey on Sunday 26 th April.

Berkshire Returning Students/Under 21s Player centric – Development driven – Competition supported Berkshire Invitational 10s held at Windsor RFC on Easter Saturday 6 Clubs invited (Marlow, Windsor, Tring, Redingensians, Reading Abbey, Maidenhead) Great success and will take place again next season on Easter Saturday but will be expanded to 8 Teams.

2015/2016 County Programme ‘ Player centric – Development driven – Competition supported DPP  Under 13s/Under 14s Fortnightly  Break Dec to Feb  DPP Programme finishes in May 2016  London Irish Silver Group will be based in Berkshire for Berkshire Players U18s/U17s/U16s/U15s/U14s Programmes will be similar to previous seasons U13s CB Activity will be minimal and will be post Xmas Programmes to be published in due course.

2015/2016 League Programme ‘ Player centric – Development driven – Competition supported OBB U18s Colts  Clubs will only be able to enter 1 side.  3 Divisions to be retained Berks/Bucks U16s to be expanded to include 3/4 Clubs from Oxon U15s/U14s BYL will remain in current format U13s to be a Berkshire Cup with a Finals Day. But this could all change dependant on Age Grade Review submitted to RFU Council 17 th April 2015

RFU Age Grade Competition Review 13 Key Proposals Mixed contact rugby finishes after Under 11s U13 Dual Age Band for girls does not include U11s 15 A side rugby starts at U14. U13 New Rules of Play to be implemented in 2016/2017 Line Out Introduction delayed until U14 A nationally defined menu of national and county competitions per age group No Formal Leagues before Under 15s No Tournaments (that find an overall winner) before U12s.

Competitions and Rep Rugby at all levels to be played in specific nationally consistent windows in a season Formation of Regional Player Development Groups to drive player pathway programme Divisional Representative replaced by Regional Level Programmes at Under 16 ( from ). No representative rugby before U15 No District Programmes at U16s RFU Age Grade Competition Review 13 Key Proposals

‘ Mini Tournaments will need to be reviewed – Festival with no winners Should all clubs now adopt U12 New Rules of Play for the 2015/2016 season which will lead to a better transition to U13s 2016 – 2017? BYL will be scrapped at U14s and replaced by a Cup Competition (i.e. same as U13s) U16s League Structures will need reviewing 2016/2017 season with CB activity moving to Jan/Feb/Mar. RFU Age Grade Competition Review Implications

U13s CB Programme will be scrapped for the 2015/2016 season. DPP Trial Process to be managed by London Irish and not CB U14s CB Programme to be scrapped if changes are effective from 2015/2016 season. If changes are effective from 2016/2017 Under 14s CB Programme will remain for 2015/2016. CB Rugby will start to disappear and be controlled by the professional game/academies. RFU Age Grade Competition Review Implications

If approved on Friday 17 th April 2015:  Communication to be sent to clubs  Club Youth Chairman’ s Meeting - tba for end of April/beginning of May. RFU Age Grade Competition Review Next Steps