1. (Bristol & District Referees’ Society)
RFU MAJOR INITIATIVES
(Bristol & District Referees’ Society)
10 Jan 18

2. MAJOR INITIATIVES RFU Strategic Plan.
Facilities – Artificial Grass Pitches.
Payment of Players in the Community Game.
Age Grade Rugby.
Women & Girls Development.
Mitsubishi Volunteer Recognition Programme – Opportunities for the Society.
General Data Protection Regulations – Implications for the Society.
Match Officials Development.
GRFU Priorities.

3. RFU STRATEGIC PLAN (2017 – 21) Strategic Priorities:
PROTECT everything that makes rugby in England special.
ENGAGE and inspire new audiences while developing deeper relationships with those already involved in the game.
GROW the game by providing more opportunities for more people.
WIN by putting sustainable success at the heart of the professional game.
Enablers:
INNOVATION:
Develop a culture that celebrates innovation.
Provide the tools that enable innovation.
Drive innovation through our leaders.
PEOPLE:
Develop talent.
Embrace and promote diversity and inclusion.
Develop world class leaders.
TECHNOLOGY:
Create an environment to embrace innovation in technology.
Harness the power of data..
Place our people at the heart of our technology.

4. RFU STRATEGIC PLAN – PLANNED INVESTMENT
2017/18
2018 /19
2019/20
2020 /21
Professional Game
£69m
£58m
£61m
£65m
Community Game
(AGP)
£38m
(£14m)
£37m
(£11m)
£39m
(£5m)

5. ARTIFICIAL GRASS PITCHES
RUGBY TURF (60 PITCHES).
RUGBY SHARE (40 PITCHES).

6. PAYMENT OF MALE PLAYERS IN COMMUNITY GAME
Level 3: £275,000 (about £250 per match per player) to include the payment of player coaches save that only £12,500 of the costs of each of the first and second player coaches will be excluded in calculating whether or not the threshold has been exceeded.
Level 4: £157,500 (about £150 per match per player) to include the payment of player coaches save that only £10,000 of the costs of each of the first and second player coaches will be excluded in calculating whether or not the threshold has been exceeded.
Level 5: £65,000 (about £50 per match per player) to include the payment of player coaches save that only £7,500 of the costs of each of the first and second player coaches will be excluded in calculating whether or not the threshold has been exceeded.
Level 6 and below: Clubs at these levels will be permitted to engage one paid player coach only up to a maximum of £10,000 and no more than 50% of which shall be in respect of his/her playing duties.

7. AGE GRADE RUGBY NEW PRINCIPLES: Player Centred. Development Driven.
Competition Supported.
AGE GRADE COMPETITION CALENDER:
15-a-side rugby from U14s upwards.
Designated weeks for school competitions, club competitions & representative rugby.
No competition winners until U13s.
CODES OF GOOD PRATICE:
Adopting a player-centred approach.
To restrict over- and under-playing.
The science and research behind playing out-of-age group and combining age groups.

8. WOMEN & GIRLS DEVELOPMENT
KEY PRIORITIES (over next 4 years):
Engage 100,000 new players (currently about 25,000).
An additional 8000 matches per annum.
A clear, easily understood player pathway.
Recruit 1,650 new match officials, coaches & volunteers referees (both male & female) willing to regularly referee the female game.
Improved and increased pitch and changing provision enabling female teams to play and train at a time in the week that they want to.
Change the perception of female rugby.

9. MITSUBISHI VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
MITSIBUSHI FANS VILLAGE AT TWO 6 NATIONS INTERNATIONALS AT TWICKENHAM (Applications by 21 Jan 18).
MITSIBUSHI VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR (Applications by 25 Feb 18).

10. GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATIONS (GDPR)
Data laws are changing.
Legislation detail (comes into force 25 May 18).
In preparation:
Look at what you use members’ data for (eg do you do anything more than using it for running the society, such as sending out messages on behalf of sponsors?).
Look at where you hold individuals’ data (eg just on “Who’s the Ref” on someone’s desktop, on spreadsheets?).
GDPR is new and represents a reshaping of the data protection landscape, giving consumers more rights and placing an increased onus on businesses to secure private data.
The detail of the legislation, particularly how it impacts sport, is currently being debated in parliament, so at this stage it is not possible to give detail of how it will effect rugby
In the meantime, for any data protection queries relating to your society, contact the RFU Legal Helpline on

11. MATCH OFFICIALS’ DEVELOPMENT
DIRECT FUNDING TRIAL FOR TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT.
REFEREE DEVELOPMENT PATHWAY.
ENGLAND RUGBY REFEREES’ ASSOCIATION – MANDATORY REGISTRATION / ACCREDITATION.

12. GRFU PRIORITIES GROWING THE WOMEN & GIRLS GAME.
MORE PLAYERS PLAYING MORE OFTEN (2nd and Lower XVs).