RFU Club Accreditation Scheme
The club undertakes a simple self review of its activities in line with the fifteen statements below. This can be done before
you meet with the RDO or you can do this together. Since this is your accreditation, the RDO will simply ‘coach’ you
through the session, asking questions and probing detail in order to elicit information that will strengthen your review.
Statement
Demonstrates and promotes rugby’s core
values
Has appropriately qualified coaches with
recommended coach/player ratios for all
teams
Has appropriate systems in place to
minimise injury and to support injured
players
Meets the needs of players by providing
regular, relevant and enjoyable
competition
Actively addresses succession planning by
recruiting players in targeted areas
Club Review
Teddington continues to be successful and forward looking rugby club that
sits at the centre of the local community. It proudly communicates the core
values of rugby amongst its membership and to the surrounding community
and also to its education and business partners. This is all achieved via the
club website, the clubs dedicated social media feeds, e-newsletters, club
notice boards and via club meetings, festivals, tournaments, open days,
taster sessions and other face to face engagements.
The club has an extensive team of qualified coaches and coaching assistants
who operate across the various sections of the club. These coaches are all
controlled by the Club Coaching Co-ordinator (CCC). The club and CRC provide
appropriate coach development training courses for every coach and even
though certain sections of the club have grown over the last 24 months the
target ratio of 1 coach per 6 players is being achieved in all but the senior
men’s teams.
The club has numerous first aid qualified volunteers throughout all age
groups and sections. These first aid volunteers are controlled by the clubs
First-Aid Co-ordinator, who ensures the correct first aid and ELS training is
received by each first aider and also that first aid kits are kept fully stocked
and supplies are ordered in a timely manner. The First Aiders are supported
by the clubs two physios who not only provide enhanced pitch side first aid,
but also provide rehab treatments and medical referrals when required. All
senior men and ladies players are concussion scored at the beginning of each
season by the physios and any significant head impacts or injuries received
are immediately assessed and the appropriate action taken if required. The
club is also currently rolling out a voluntary programme of heart screening for
all players aged between 14-35 in association with the charity CRY (Cardiac
Risk in the Young). The club also has readily available a defibrillator. Notices
explaining emergency medical procedures, the location of the defibrillator, a
first aid kit and contact details of the first aid co-ordinator and club physios
are clearly displayed around the clubhouse and also on the dedicated physio
and first aid section of the club website. The circumstances and nature of all
player injuries are recorded and reported to the clubs first aid co-ordinator
This all helps to minimise injury and support injured players. .
Teddington RFC has a large player base; having over 500 mini and Junior
playing members, which since the last review includes an active girls section.
The clubs senior section provides rugby for 4 senior men’s teams and two
women’s teams. The club also has a very successful O2 Touch Rugby section.
Competition for all teams is regular and well organised throughout the
season with onsite and offsite playing and training areas allocated to
accommodate this huge playing membership
The club facilitate a number of “Get Ready for the season” meetings to
ensure the smooth operation of a training schedule for all teams and also
where required league, friendly and cup matches throughout the year.
The club continues to work closely with the CRC and CB to establish links with
local schools, to promote and recruit new players in the U6 and U12 targeted
areas. This has been the same with local schools, colleges and University to
promote and recruit players in the 16-24 age group. The club runs an U21
Welcomes and encourages new players
from all sectors of the local community
Provides regular support and training
opportunities for volunteers, coaches and
referees
Regularly recognises and rewards the
efforts and achievements of volunteers,
coaches and referees
Actively addresses succession planning by
recruiting new referees, volunteers and
coaches
Has secured regular access to appropriate
facilities to meet players’ needs
male team during University holidays to actively encourage returning
students to keep in contact with their rugby club throughout their education.
The club also provides a coach and kit sponsorship to the local University
Ladies rugby team, this again helps promote the club and helps recruit new
players in the targeted age groups. The Clubs O2 Touch Rugby section is the
ideal vehicle to provide novice players and people totally new to the game
or returning after years away from it with an opportunity to develop their
skills and fitness and in some cases develop into the full contact game. The
club accommodates two local secondary schools by providing pitches,
training areas, changing rooms and meeting rooms for their in curriculum
and after school sports activities, this actively promotes the game and the
club.
Teddington is a local, community based unstuffy open rugby club that
welcomes all. It regularly provides free rugby taster sessions, open days and
pitch up and play events to encourage new players to engage with rugby. The
club also communicates via newsletters, social and local media and website
articles to engage the local community, promote the game and provide
opportunities for people from all social and cultural backgrounds to get
involved with rugby.
The club CCC, CrefC and First aid co-ordinator regularly organise relevant
coaching courses, training events and workshops to ensure all club coaches,
referees and first aiders are well trained, current and motivated.
The club recognises the hard work and dedication of volunteers, coaches and
club referees at the annual club dinner and awards night. Certificates are
provided by the RFU and our sponsors provide gifts. The club also holds
regular volunteer recognition social events which are supported by the CB
and the RFU. For outstanding service to the club the nomination and
appointment of Vice Presidents and Life members is also offered as a
recognition of the achievements of club volunteers.
The club works very hard to provide the facility for coaches and referees to
develop. The club has implemented the club coach development spreadsheet
to keep an accurate and live database of current coaches, which are also
updated on the RFU’s GMS. The club uses its close ties with a local university
by providing in course opportunities for undergraduates embarking on
specific sports management or teaching qualifications. The club then
develops these students into age group rugby coaches, physios and game
administrators. The club uses the Middlesex RFU Leadership Academy to
identify and develop the clubs future leaders and managers.
In September 2014 after many years of planning and fundraising a new
clubhouse facility was finally completed. The project costing in excess of
£800,000 was financially supported by The RFU, The RFF, sponsors and the
clubs membership. The new clubhouse provides correctly segregated
changing and bathroom facilities for both male and female players of all ages
and also the disabled. Further funding has now been secured in partnership
with a local school to install a state of the art drainage system and new
playing surface on the clubs second pitch. This pitch has been blighted over
many years by its constant waterlogging and poor surface causing many
matches and training sessions to be postponed or cancelled. The project is
due to be completed in September 2016. Because of the limitations on
evening training within the Royal Park the club uses a range of off site
facilities to provide floodlit training venues for all senior teams, ladies team
and youth teams. The club is currently working hard to identify and secure a
permanent home for all midweek training and weekend overflow pitches.
Operates a disciplinary process to deal with The club has a code of conduct which is publicised on the club website and
contraventions of RFU regulations
has a discipline procedure in place for dealing with contravention of
regulations.
Manages club finances effectively and files Since the last accreditation review the club has become incorporated as a
annual figures to meet current RFU
limited company and has also become VAT registered. This ensures that its
regulations
officers are protected and its financial processes are clear, open and robust
and exceed the RFU criteria. The club submits annual financial reports has a
newly written constitution, a streamlined management structure and a short
and long term business plan. The club has regular financial reviews and
budget planning meetings to ensure that the club remains in a good financial
position.
Maintains and operates a health and safety The club publicises its Health and Safety criteria on its website, as well as
policy and practices complying with
proactively ensuring the safety of its members, their guests and visitors to the
statutory requirements
club and the events its organises with appropriate risk assessments and H&S
notices placed within and around the clubhouse.
Has a transparent constitution
The club has an updated constitution which sits alongside its articles of
incorporating an equity policy in line with association (a requirement of being incorporated) . These together form the
RFU regulations
structure around which the clubs organisation and management sit and
which in turn operate in a transparent and accountable way.
Has a clear understanding of the local
Teddington continues to be a proactive community based rugby club. It works
community and ensures that rugby makes hard to establish and maintain good community links, with the help and
a positive contribution to its wellbeing
assistance of RFU and CB personnel. It liaises closely with local partners to
ensure a positive contribution to the community. This includes the running of
a local business group (inTouch), running club open days, festivals,
tournaments and also pitch up and play events, attending school fetes and
taking a full part in community activities.
Additional Mini & Youth Statements
The Club Safeguarding Officer and Deputy are fully updated on all current
safeguarding protocols and procedures and attend all Safeguarding training
Has an RFU trained Safeguarding Officer courses provided by the RFU and CB. All parents and carers are made aware
who follows RFU CRB requirements and
of the identity of the CSO and her deputy at the beginning of the season and
ensures the club has a safeguarding policy
they make it their job to visit all age groups in the first month of the season,
starting with the youngest. The CSO also attends the Club operations
Committee.
Provides an appropriate number of
coaches and volunteers who have
undertaken safeguarding training in line
with RFU recommendations and size of the
club
Manages an up to date record of
parent/carer contact details
The club satisfies these criteria, all coaches and volunteers are correctly
vetted with DBS which is administered by the safeguarding officer and her
deputy. The club with the assistance of the RDO and CB reps provide regular
coach training courses to ensure it maintains a cadre of qualified coaches
who are all safeguarding compliant. The targeted ratio of coach to players of
1:6 is being achieved across the mini and junior sections.
Following registration weekend, all contact details are collated by the age
group manager and copied to the CSO. Parents are also asked for their
consent for normal rugby activities. The CSO makes sure that all coaches and
managers of the mini/youth section are aware of their responsibilities with
data protection. This is managed centrally via an online database.
Provides coaches / managers with relevant This area is managed during the registration process and all coaches and
up to date medical information of all
volunteers relevant are informed of special needs for any player concerned
players
Meets the needs of parents/carers by
providing regular and appropriate
The club has an active and up to date interactive website. This is aligned to
the database of section and age groups players which is held online. This
communication utilising modern methods
of communication
enables the club to send out individual and team and section specific email
communications to the parents of all youth section players and their family
members., as well as a weekly news roundup for the whole club. The club
also uses its social media feeds to inform all club members of club news, club
events and other general club information.
The club operates a fair policy to provide value for money to all members
including offering Student discounts, family memberships and payments by
Operates a pricing policy that allows all
instalment. Any cases of financial hardship affecting the ability to pay for
members who wish to play with an
opportunity to do so, ensuring families are annual membership or other additional items are assessed and dealt with on
catered for appropriately
a discreet individual basis and in certain cases involve a significant discount
or removal of fees completely.
Additional Women & Girls Statements
Manages an up to date records of female
player registrations complying with
statutory requirements of the RFU
Meets the needs of female players by
providing regular, relevant and enjoyable
competition whilst also signposting those
talented players towards the player
development pathway
The ladies have upwards of 50 senior adult players registered and regularly
review and update this list using the club website an d RFU GMS. The playing
base caters for the 1st XV playing at RFU Championship 2 level. The Ladies
2nd/Development XV also offers a chance for new and developing players to
play friendly and Griffin Cup games throughout the season. The Junior Girls
section is developing and player numbers are slowly increasing at every age
group and these players are registered via the club and the RFU.
Every season a large number of the ladies team represent Middlesex while a
smaller number represent Surrey. This is replicated in the Junior Girls section
of the club at U15 and U18 county level for both. In season 14/15 Teddington
nominated numerous players to be part of the RFU’s Academy structure –
one player made it through to represent the South East in the divisional
competition. This process is being repeated this year. Whilst the 1st XV play
at Championship 2 level the development team will have played numerous
friendlies throughout the season as well as entering the Griffin cup, In fact
the ladies development team are the current Griffin cup holders. The junior
girls play friendlies where possible as well as an informal cluster coaching
session with London Irish Girls that allows them a chance to play in more
structured competitions.
The head coach of the ladies section is Level 2 qualified and she is working
towards a Level 3 qualification over the coming season. The Ladies forwards
coach is an ex-international player qualified at Level 2. The Ladies also use
the services of a guest coach who attends roughly once a month; He is a Level
Has appropriately qualified coaches with 4 qualified professional coach. There are always a minimum of two coaches
recommended coach/player ratios for all present during ladies training sessions.
female teams
The Junior Girls section is led by a coach currently working towards her Level
2 qualifications. The Junior girls also avail themselves of coaches made
available to them via the clubs ongoing relationship with Lions Sports
Academy. The Ladies management actively encourage existing players to
become coaches for the Junior section.
With the new clubhouse in full operation since September 2014 the ladies and
Has secured regular access to appropriate girls now have access to their own dedicated and fully segregated changing
facilities to meet female players’ needs
and bathroom facilities The ladies use St Mary’s University for their midweek
training sessions. Here there are fully compliant changing facilities.
Key Actions Plan:
1)
Continue to clean club GMS data and maintain accurate snapshot of club
2)
Continue to grow and develop girls rugby offer at U13 and U15
3)
Club Name
Club Contact Name
Continue to grow and develop Adult 15 a side recruitment
TEDDIGTON RFC
Gareth Cross
I confirm that the club named above has provided all the necessary
evidence and an appropriate Key Actions Plan for RFU Club Accreditation
Date
30/03/2016
Signature
RDO Name
Ty Sterry
I confirm that the club has undertaken the RFU Club Accreditation
Signature
Date sent to
Twickenham
Ty Sterry
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