Along with the improvement of facilities, the RFU runs many schemes for young players. They are aimed at getting as many people involved in the game as possible and then training these people to high levels. Examples include Rugby A to Z workshops and “R U ready 4 RU”, which targets areas with little rugby and provides an insight into the game and gets many youngsters participating.
After attracting the young players, it is then important to provide a structure and pathway to higher levels. I believe rugby has a very effective and organised development arrangement, which starts at school level. Rugby is taught in primary schools from around the age of seven and players develop and move on to secondary schools. Often a local club has connections with these schools and children are encouraged to join the clubs. The clubs hold training days at the targeted schools and pupils are invited to open days at the club including a training session and hospitality such as barbeques. This all helps to persuade the players, and parents, to join. Examples of clubs that held these days are Amptill and Rushden + Higham.
Most clubs have their own pyramid of progression in place, which allows players to reach high levels within the club.
Typical Club Pyramid Scheme
1st XV
2nd XV
Colts (U19)
Youth Teams
Mini Teams (from aged 7)
Along with this, England Rugby has a very strong structure of country, to regional, to national squads. County squads are introduced at under 14 level, and are organised by the local authorities. In This area they are the Northamptonshire Rugby Association and the Bedfordshire Schools and Youth Rugby Association. These allow players with the most potential and ability to play together and improve further. At under 16, the East Midlands Schools Team is established. Two development evenings are held and the pick of the players are invited to a three-day camp at Stave School, where a squad of about 50 players is selected and two teams are created. This continues to under 20 level. However, each year new trials are held, providing opportunity for new players to get involved, along with last year’s squad.
Regional Development Squads Scheme
U20 East Midlands
U18 Clubs U18 Schools
(U17 Clubs)
U16 East Midlands Schools
U15 U15
U14 U14
NSRA Beds Sch. & Youth
Selection to the East Midlands squad leads on to an England trial. There are England sides at under 19 and 21 levels, and then A squads and the full England RFU team. Scouts of major clubs also target this structure and often players playing in these teams are also involved in academies, the two local clubs being Bedford Blues and Northampton Saints of the Zurich Premiership. These players can then go on to earn contracts and become professional players at the highest level.
Other areas of rugby such as the women’s game and disabled rugby are also developing quickly, although not to the extent of the men’s game. This is most likely to be due to the fact that there are few women or disabled people who want to play rugby, and therefore it will never develop to the same extent. However, for those who do play, the RFU offers funding and runs many schemes to get as many people involved as possible. Most clubs have women’s teams, and the national and regional structure is very similar to the men’s. For example, there are under 16 and 18 regional squads being run for young players. As with men again, the elite teams play Premiership’s 1 and 2, wWasps and wSaracens, being two of the top teams- these are the same clubs that provide the best teams in the men’s leagues. As a result of this provision, England’s women’s rugby team is ranked second in the world.
The disabled game has many forms, all of which are provided for in Britain. While there are few people who wish to get involved, those who do are given good opportunities and funding to do so. Wheelchair rugby is particularly popular and is now played at the Paralympics, while the Welsh deaf rugby team are world champions. As an example of the RFU’s provision for all forms of the game, they are sending the U-17 wheelchair rugby squad on tour with the Haslemere junior rugby club around the world to promote the unity and spirit of the game.
The RFU’s local and national provision as a whole is clearly an effective scheme, which provides ample opportunity and funding for all ages and abilities of players. The incentive schemes and school’s encouragement get huge numbers to participate and these players are filtered thoroughly to find the best and potential stars of tomorrow. I believe it is no coincidence that the English rugby team are arguably the best in the world at the moment and the English league is now attracting the best talent from overseas raising the level further. As a result of the national team’s success, they have gained more sponsorship and media coverage, resulting in more money, more funding and therefore more development in an upward spiral.
Word count – 1,136
