Retaining Transitioning Players
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Retaining Transitioning Players
A guide to keeping youth and school players in the game
. Achievement
. Enjoyment
. Respect
. Achievement
. Enjoyment
. Respect
Leadership . Engagement
Leadership . Engagement
Introduction
Preparing Individuals 4-6
Team Training 7-8
Environment to promote transition 9 - 10
11 - 14
Benefits 15 - 16
Transition Officer 17
Conclusion 18
Useful Links 19
Contents
Retaining Transitioning Players
Staying Connected 2
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Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Introduction
“Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful.
It’s the transition that is troublesome”. Annon
The purpose of this series of resources is to help clubs address one of the biggest participation issues in Scottish
rugby; the transition of youth players into adult rugby. 43% of our 18-year-old players fail to progress to adult
rugby.
Age of registered Players 2014/15
Number of players
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5000
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1000
0
10
11
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15
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35
>35
Player Upper Age (years)
Player numbers start to drop from age 15 but is greatest from 18 to 19. There are a number of possible reasons
for this, including;
• Leaving school
• Leaving home
• Starting work/studies
• Concerns over move to adult rugby
• Benefits of playing
• Transition officer
Possible Barriers
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Introduction
Retaining Transitioning Players
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Life
Transitions
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Further Studies
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The initiatives outlined in this guide are suggestions and each club and team should examine their own situation
to identify their specific youth retention rate, barriers to progression, and opportunities to smooth the transition. This
will help the club to decide how to best introduce their young players to the adult game.
To help increase awareness of the issue (of retaining transitioning players) and motivate clubs to think of possible
solutions, clubs are encouraged to answer questions relating to transition
www.scottishrugby.org/student-transition-questions
This should help to identify sections of this resource that may be of specific interest.
Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Preparing Individuals
“I don’t want people who want to win.
I want people who want to prepare to win.” Bob Dwyer
Aim
To ensure players feel ready to move into adult rugby. Their perception of readiness is more important than their
actual ability level, so it is important to increase their confidence levels alongside developing their ability.
Approaches
Confidence can be built in a number of ways:
• Through a player’s own accomplishments,
• Social encouragement and praise from coaches and others,
• From observing their peers successful transition
The goal is to try and build the confidence and ability of the individual, especially in relation to:
• physical attributes
• rugby skills
• life skills
All of which are important if youth players are to progress into the adult game.
Retaining Transitioning Players
Preparing Individuals
Some players will already have the required confidence and ability in all of these areas, but others may be
lacking in some or all of these. Providing a programme that is tailored to the needs of each individual is most
likely to be successful and see them move into adult rugby. This is a large and important task that may be too
much to add to a coaches duties.
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Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Once a player is 18-years-old there is no requirement for them to go through any testing, however the U18
into adult rugby Pre-Application Assessments for the overhead squat and press up might be of use. This can
boost players’ confidence and ensures that there is a sound basis to start further development. Undertaking
any physical training will make individuals feel more prepared. This may progress from body weight circuits to
specific barbell exercises and beyond.
There may be someone at
the club with knowledge and
experience to provide guidance
on training programmes. Further
information can be found in the
‘LTPD Coaching Youth Rugby’
resource or Scottish Rugby
Strength
and
Conditioning
resources.
Specific
Barbell
Exercises
Body
Weight
Circuit
Social encouragement can also be used to increase physical confidence and ability.
• Training partners or peer pressure can help encourage young player to undertake additional conditioning
work.
• Verbal
feedback from the coach can build belief that size isn’t everything and help players picture
themselves competing against any opponents.
• Using smaller adult players as role models and allowing progressing players to ‘measure themselves’ against
select club players will be beneficial. Care needs to be taken to ensure that the examples used will get the
message across.
When someone is nervous they are normally less confident. We want to address this physical preparation side but
do not want players that were previously unconcerned about this aspect to become anxious. This may happen
if at the end of the season there is a sudden change to emphasise to strength and conditioning. Starting in plenty
of time and gradually introducing and encouraging more physical training elements will avoid this.
Stirling County RFC inspired some of these approaches, to prepare players for the adult game.
They have successful implemented initiatives including:
• Specialist skills sessions
• S&C sessions
• Available for all U16 players
• Increasing for U18
• 1 to 1 discussions with players on their desire and ability to progress
Retaining Transitioning Players
Preparing Individuals
• Once aged 18, competent players play an appropriate adult game prior to leaving Colts
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This has enabled Stirling to have the same number of registered players aged under 19 this year as
were under 18 last year.
Rugby Skills
The focus in rugby skills (similar to other areas) is on making sure that any weaknesses or barriers that the individual
perceives are addressed. This may be based on player profiling or one-to-one meetings with a transition officer.
General club training should address these areas but a little bit extra can make a big difference.
The ‘Key National Theme’ and ‘Specialist Skills’ resources may help provide activities and techniques on the
following skills:
• Line-out
• Role of the 1st receiver
• Off load
• Scrum half
• Hand catch
• Individual tackle
• Scrum
• Ball presentation
• Kicking
Players can also be encouraged to create their own practices, and perhaps given access to facilities and
equipment to implement them.
Using senior players to assist individual skills development programme could be very useful, especially if they are
able to relate to the player in some way (age, size, position, etc.). Not only could it provide young players with
a model to follow and increase their skill level, but it would also increase familiarity with the adult section (and
may also help adult players).
Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Life Skills Approaches
Rugby players are renowned for being well equipped with many important life skills. Playing rugby requires
teamwork, communication, resilience, organisation, goal setting, responsibility, and discipline, to name a few.
If rugby players need these skills it is important that we try to ensure that transitioning players have them, to aid
their progress in the game and life. Rugby might automatically develop these skills but with a little bit of effort
existing activities can be tweaked to specifically target life skills. Here are some examples from clubs of what
they do:
• Individuals setting team/unit goal for a session then planning and organising one activity to work towards
the goal.
• Responsibility given to individual players for specific task (filling water bottles, blowing up balls, setting up
pitch, collecting match fee’s, taking valuables, issuing/gathering strips, etc.)
• Players
consider the time required and agree suitable timings/durations for training blocks/make up of
sessions (fitness, general/individual/unit skills, and team tactics) and meeting times for matches.
• Player led code of conduct and discipline procedures
• Production and distribution of match report by players.
• Encourage speeches to be given by different team members and mixing with opposition players.
• Challenge groups of players to work out costs, create and implement initiatives to fund raise for specific
elements of a tour.
• Players keep an individual training diary and keep a record of progress.
• Have young player ambassadors represented at select committee meetings.
Retaining Transitioning Players
Preparing Individuals
Care should be taken in using these examples not to cause too much stress, reduce confidence, and put the
individual off. This shouldn’t happen and in the majority of cases the increased engagement and ownership
increases players’ life skills and enjoyment. There are lots of other approaches to embed life skills in rugby (or
there may even be value in including activities to develop these skills in isolation). These can be implemented
with little effort and in some cases may reduce the work load on coaches/club officials.
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Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Team Training
“The world is changing and I’m on the transition team.” Annon
Aim
The goal is to ensure that progressing players view adult training and games as attractive, familiar and achievable.
The approaches outlined in the ‘Preparing Individuals’ section will also help achieve this goal but this resource will
focus on how group training sessions can be used to promote retention.
Approaches
The APES principles (Active, Purposeful, Enjoyable and Safe) are relevant for all sessions, these should be well
known to coaches and so emphasis will be placed on other approaches to create non-threatening activities that
gradually integrates players. This is not to detract from the importance of making sessions enjoyable, but provide
supplementary ideas.
Core drills used across club
Separate levels for contact but combined for non-contact
Progress from simulated contact (with pads) to live contact
Offer players a ‘safe’ option
Core Drills
Using a set of core drills and terms across all teams will ensure that activities are familiar and will remove
concerns about not knowing what to do. As this can be applied to activities done in separate teams/groups it
is appropriate for all types of activity, including contact. There may be the need of some modification to ensure
activities suit the level of the group, this can be done by appropriately altering: time/speed/space/pressure, etc.
Retaining Transitioning Players
Team Training
The Long Term Player Development Coaching Resources (stage 1-5) could be a useful source of these core
drills.
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Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Combining teams for non-contact parts of a session can:
• Introduce players and coaches to those that are moving up
• Provide young players with role models, in relation to:
• Technical performance
• Participation of peers
• Allow youth players to inspire senior players
• Senior players often envy the fitness/energy of youth
• Facilitate efficient practice by:
• increasing player numbers
• allowing a greater focus on specific skills
• provide relevant opposition to practice attack and defence at the same time
Fitness elements (including warm up and cool down) and handling sessions are easy to combine if teams train
at the same time/venue. If not, it is valuable to have specific sessions dedicated to youth and adults working
together; these may take the form of social touch tournaments, fitness testing or non-contact skills activities.
Progressing into contact
Once players are aged 18, contact activities can be done with the adult section; however it is important to
progressively introduce them (ideally before they leave colts). This could start with simulated contact using
shields and pads and progress to contact at low speed and intensities before ‘live’ activities. Moving on from
each stage should be done once players are confident and competent to do so.
Differentiation
While this guide focuses on team/group activities it is worth highlighting that individuals within the group will be
at different stages of readiness. Alan Solomons (Head Coach at Edinburgh Rugby), often uses differentiated
options to allow for different levels within the session (This is to accommodate for players fitness rather than
young players moving up). This can be done by having one task with a number of options that the performers
can select from, perhaps with guidance from a coach. For example in a 1v1 drill players (depending on their
confidence/fitness) could choose to play live, play with adjusted speed/space, against pads, or touch.
Ensuring that at least some of these ideas are implemented should make young players familiar with the adult
game and more confident about playing.
Least amount of transfer will occur where adult and youth players train at a separate venue, at different
times, doing different activities with different coaches.
RHC COUGARS
Retaining Transitioning Players
Team Training
Some of these approaches have been adapted from existing good practice that is seen in many
clubs, including RHC. While they do not implement all of these RHC have seen 88% of their U18 players’
progress to adult rugby (31% more than the national average).
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For RHC it is not possible to align the timing of training sessions of U18 and adult teams but they
combine a full day of pre-season training (three sessions) to initiate the progressive integration of youth
players.
They ensure that progressing players have a familiar face in the adult club by having someone from the
adult club coaching at every age group. Players are invited, in small groups, to join the senior training
for around three weeks, after this some will be signed off and play an adult game but others will return
to the youth team until they are ready.
Other approaches that RHC implement include having a breakfast club strength and conditioning
session for youth players and building links between youth and adults through content on the
webpage. More detail on these type of approaches are provided in the Preparing Individuals and
Staying Connected sections.
Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Environment to promote transition
“Performance more often comes down to a cultural challenge, rather than
simply a technical one.” Lara Hogan
Aim
To create an environment that attracts players to join and stay at the club. Both physical and social factors
influence the environment and culture at a club; retention of youth players is likely to be greatest when these
combine to create a culture that is familiar, welcoming and creates a sense of belonging.
Retaining Transitioning Players
Environment to promote transition
Approaches
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Physical Environment Lack of resources may limit
what can be achieved with the physical environment.
However, as there is a much greater number of sport/
fitness facilities and organisations that can draw away
players, it is important to make the most of what is on
offer. Keeping facilities and equipment clean and in
good condition is an obvious part of this and can help
to reinforce the value of respect that rugby prides
itself on. Using colour, club logos, mantras on facilities
and equipment can help to create a brand and
loyalty to the club that is often effective in maintaining
participation.
Social Environment The environment that is created
by the people is often more important than the
physical surroundings. Any club can change their
culture and it doesn’t have to cost anything. That
doesn’t make it easy! The culture and atmosphere
is created by the way people act and behave. An
existing code of conduct may provide some rules to
govern behaviour but it is important that the code
if brought to life in everyday interactions. This should
involve everyone at the club from players and club
officials to parents and supporters.
Social Conventions
The following common practices are ways in which some clubs create a culture:
• Using a common language
• Using the same terms for moves and activities helps brings the group together
• Players can feel excluded if different terms are used between teams
• Having a common dress code
• For training/post match for all teams, can help create a sense of belonging
• Welcome everyone
• Glasgow Warriors use shaking hands with everyone on arrival every-time to break down barriers and
make people feel welcome
• Make players responsible
• The All Blacks famously use ‘sweeping the sheds’ to create an environment where they tidy up after
themselves and encourage players to take responsibility and maintain humility
• This may not directly relate to improving transition rates but it can only help the club in general and
could prevent successful youngsters being put off by entering the adult game at a level below
where they expect
Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Positive Coaching Environment
Positive Coaching Scotland (PCS) is a programme supported by Scottish Rugby.
“PCS educates and equips coaches, parents, club
leaders, teachers and young people to generate
and capitalize on a positive environment, swaying a
reduction in drop out and an increase in participation
and performance, as well as the development of life
skills through sport.” sportscotland
Positive Coaching
Scotland
Try of the month
The Bill McLaren Rugby
Programme
Created in conjunction with
Positive Coaching Alliance
Positive Coaching Scotland is based on research and has 3 key principles (Honour our sport, Redefining winning,
and Filling the emotional tank) through which it tries to create an environment where:
• The focus is on mastery rather than results, with an emphasis on the effort and learning
• Players improve themselves, the team and the game
• Resilience and a growth mind-set are developed
Retaining Transitioning Players
Environment to promote transition
See Scottish Rugby’s PCS programme for more information and details on how to become a PCS accredited
club.
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Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Staying Connected
“Effective teamwork begins and ends with communication.”
Mike Krzyzewski
Aim
To be able to have regular interactions, with everyone that has been involved at the club, to maintain interest
and involvement. To do this it is important to keep in mind:
• Who you are connecting with
• What the interaction is about
• How often they are being contacted
Staying connected with players (once they leave youth rugby) is especially important, it can:
•
Make players feel valued
• Inform them of opportunities to get involved
• Keep them participating regularly
Should they lapse regular communication will encourage them to:
• Return to the game
• When their personal circumstances allow
• Participate in occasional events
• Support/donate to the club
Remember not to just pursue those that are likely to play for the 1st XV, all players have potential to add
to the club (socially, financially, and with time/effort). There are many ways of ‘staying connected’ but the
three main approaches that will be promoted here are:
• Tracking
• Social Media
Retaining Transitioning Players
Stay Connected
• Alumni Activities
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Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Tracking
Tracking the destination of youth players’ sounds
like an easy task but very few clubs know what
has happened to all of their players once they
move on from youth rugby. In order to take
action to ‘save’ those that drop out it is essential
to know:
• How to contact players
Hamilton RFC Tracking Lessons
• Start gathering information early
• Online methods (survey monkey etc.) can save
having to collate details and avoid handwriting errors
• Paper version can be gathered while in a group
setting before or after training/game/meeting
• Where they are and what they are doing
• It will take more than 1 ask to get done
• What barriers are inhibiting their
• Email and mobile numbers can follow players
that move, although parents/home contact can
be useful as a fall back
participation
Hamilton RFC have successfully tracked players
which resulted in them having more U19 player
this year that there were U18 last year. Some
lessons from Hamilton RFC experience in tracking
are detailed in text box.
Having someone dedicated to the tracking
task (see transition officer section) may be more
successful that adding another task to an existing
role.
Some successes will be immediate in retaining
players but some will be long term. A player who
leaves and keeps playing is much more likely
to return than a player who leaves and stops
playing.
• Find out their target destination, can you support
them getting there or to an equivalent
• What barriers to their participation are they
experiencing, can you help remove them?
• Having a wider goal than keeping players at club
will pay dividends in the long run
• Check and update contact details periodically
• Use the information (see following sections)
• Try, try and try again. Be there when they are ready
Social Media
Other forms of communication may be effective in ‘staying connected’ with players but there is probably most
to gain from providing information on social media as:
• There is the greatest need for training
• It is the method the target audience use
• It has the greatest scope for attracting interest
• visual appeal
• size of audience
Retaining Transitioning Players
Stay Connected
It is important to point out that, while social media is important, people are good at tuning out corporate
messages. It is individuals that influence decision making, but social media can help engage individuals. The
social media strategy must be supported by other communication and activity on the ground (to feed into and
on from posts). Don’t lose sight of the ultimate goal.
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Facebook is still the most used social media site and Twitter was the fastest growing. It is likely that someone at
the club is already proficient in using social media and can be recruited to help (don’t be scared to try things
on your own but it is better if 2 or 3 people are active). This person will probably be young (exactly who you
are trying to target) which will help make the message appealing (peer to peer communication is best). Some
general guidelines are:
Plan
• Follow/Like similar organisations, learn from them
• Know your audience (what do they like/want)
• Who can help? Get help
• How much time can you spare, and when
• Structure (‘public page’ to attract, ‘closed group’ to organise)
• What are you going to post, what’s the key message
• Prepare batches of posts and schedule release
• Know what you are aiming for and measure it
Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Post Content
The planning will count for nothing if you don’t follow through with action and post some content.
Some recommendations for making your posts successful:
• Headline not article, can link to more
• A picture speaks 1000 words (a video even more?)
• Make conversations not just announcements
• mention and interact with others in their ‘own language’
• Be positive, show successes (they’re shared more)
• don’t post anything that can cause offense
• Keep public and outward facing (its purpose is to generate interest and support
• use closed group for mundane organisational posts
• Find the ‘goldilocks’ number of posts (too often-switch off, too few – don’t see. Just right depends on type)
There is nothing to fear from jumping in and having a go at social media but doing so in a more planned fashion
is likely to lead to better structure and content with more consistent activity. Dipping your toes in the water will
not have an effect, it doesn’t take much time but it should be regular.
Monitor and Evaluation
Having planned and implemented a social media strategy it can be very valuable to monitor and evaluate
what you have done. Social media can provide you with information not available through other methods of
communication.
It is possible to tell, how many people have seen it, how much it has been liked or shared. Knowing this
information can make it easy to learn what posts work best and set targets and grow your target audience.
A word of caution, increased engagement in social media activity does not guarantee increased playing
activity but it is a step in the right direction.
Club Website
Club
Website
Youth Instagram
Youth Twitter
Youth YouTube
Club Instagram
Club Twitter
Retaining Transitioning Players
Club
Facebook
Page
Club YouTube
Women’s Instagram
Women’s Twitter
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Women’s YouTube
Stay Connected
Women’s
Section
Page
Public
Private
Women’s
Group
Club
Facebook
Group
1st XV
Group
2nd XV
Group
Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Youth &
Minis Groups
1955
1970
Rugby Generations
1985
2000
2015
“Networking is not collecting contacts. Networking is about planting
relations.” MiShaat
Alumni Activities
Having implemented the previous two initiatives there should be an increasing pool of contacts to call upon.
Offering a range of different types of activities will appeal to a greater number of former players and associates
encouraging them to feel part of something and engage with the club.
These activities could range from:
• Regular news letter
• Key social events
• Challenges from different groups within the club
• Reunions of teams
• Replay of classic matches
• Activities for big matches
• Networking opportunities
• Name the players in photo’s
• Exclusive offers
Care is needed to ensure that the frequency of activity and communication does not become off putting.
Varying the method of communication may help achieve this; try to only use direct/invasive communication
for important or very specific events that the target audience would be interested.
Retaining Transitioning Players
Stay Connected
• Providing/hosting volunteers
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Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Benefits
“The evidence supporting sports participation for young people is
overwhelming... it has the power to combat everything from racism to low
self-image to the high school drop-out rates.” Sue Castle
Aim
Provide players with motivation (in addition to enjoyment) to stay in the game
Approaches
The main approach to achieving this aim is to increase awareness of the benefits of participation. This awareness
might be established through:
• Informing
club officials and disseminating the message
through them
• Using promotion materials, of the benefits, around the club
and when staying connected
• Implementing
activities that highlight and promote the
benefits.
Increased awareness may relate to the benefits in the areas of:
Rugby Fraternity, Employability, and Health
“Rugby gave me confidence.
I was quite shy and
relatively timid, but it gave
me the confidence to be a
little bit more out-going and
back myself a bit more.”
Brian O’Driscoll
Rugby Fraternity
Benefits
Retaining Transitioning Players
This section shall outline some of the benefits associated with being
part of the rugby fraternity
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Friendship
• Friendships
made in rugby often last a lifetime and are
immediately re-kindled when reunited.
• Sport can widen the social network of a young person
• Many
look back on their experiences playing rugby and
remember them as the ‘time of their lives’
Community
• Rugby teams/clubs often have a strong sense of community that supports each other
• This support is world wide
• Rugby can bring together a group or local community and improve cohesion
Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Employability
This section shall detail how playing sport can affect a players employability, this shall be done under the
headings of skill, qualities, and outcomes.
Qualities
Skills
Outcomes
• Leadership
• Hard working
• Earn more money
• Teamwork
• Determined
• Have better exam results
• Communication
• Responsible
• Less likely to be unemployed
• How to win/lose
• Disciplined
• Have larger social network
• Confident
The full World rugby infographic expands on the specific rugby statistics, about the benefits of playing, shown
below.
Health
Some of the main health benefits of being active are outlined below. These benefits may not be very motivation
to young players who do not feel the threat of poor health but participation during the transition stage is crucial.
This is when patterns of activity are established. Participation here is a better predictor of long term participation
than high levels of activity as a child.
Mental
Physical
• Improved fitness
• Positive outlook
• Reduce risk of:
• Improved concentration
• obesity
• Better self image
• heart disease
• Combats depression
• type 2 diabetes
• osteoporosis
QUALITY LATER LIFE
30% reduced falls
36-68% reduced hip fracture risk
38% reduced cognitive decline risk
30-50% reduced onset of
functional limitations
 Delayed dementia
 Decreased loneliness
 Enhanced mental wellbeing




REDUCED MENTAL
HEALTH RISKS
Why Sport Matters
To Individuals
 Reduced onset of mental health
issues
 20-30% reduced incidence of
depression & dementia
 38% reduced cognitive decline
risk
 Reduced anxiety
 Avoidance of mental illness
MENTAL HEALTH
IMPROVEMENT
Research shows that participating in sport/
being active can provide these benefits:
(Print versions of infographics available by clicking on the image)
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Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
5. Benefits
Retaining Transitioning Players
SKILLS & PERSONAL QUALITIES




Teamwork
Problem Solving
Communication
Self-discipline




Integrity/Respect
Initiative
Leadership
Responsibility
REDUCED HEALTH RISKS







30% reduction in premature mortality
31% reduction in stroke
33% reduction in heart disease
30-40% reduction in type 2 diabetes
20-30% reduction in colon cancer
20-40% reduction in breast cancer
30-50% reduction in recurrence of
these cancers
FUN &
ENJOYMENT
Research shows that participating in sport/being
active can provide these benefits






30% enhanced wellbeing
Improved mood
Reduced anxiety & depression
Increased confidence & self-esteem
Improved sleep
Reduced stress
 Quality Later Life
 Reduced Mental Health Risks
 Mental Health Improvement
LEARNING





Increased educational attainment
Improved concentration
Improved attendance
Increased commitment to school values
Reduced behavioural referrals
 Learning
 Employability
 Health Improvement
 Reduced Health Risks
 Skills & Personal Qualities
HEALTH IMPROVEMENT





Increased life expectancy
Feel healthier
Improved quality of life
Improved immune system function
Improved cardio-respiratory fitness
EMPLOYABILITY
 4-5% improved work
performance
 7-8% higher earnings
 27% fewer sick days
 Increased productivity
 Reduced job stress
#whysportmatters
Transition Officer
Aim
To have someone responsible for
smoothing the transition of players. The
transition of players into adult rugby is
key but it could also include players:
• Entering the club
• Moving between all grades
• Being promote/demoted to teams
• Moving position
• Changing to a non-playing role
Approaches
Adding a transition officer position to a club structure is a simple and effective way of addressing the issue that
will create clear lines of responsibility and have tangible impact on the retention of players.
Biggar RFC initially raised the idea of a transition officer and utilising the development officer have managed to
see 67 players aged 19-20 registered at the club last season. Rather than adding someone’s role (D.O./coach/
office bearer) it is recommended one person takes on the role of transition officer. Ideally, this should be their
only role, in order to prevent other tasks distracting them.
The following will provide an example job description that may be useful in trying adopt this approach.
Job Description for Rugby Transition Officer
The following example of a job description may be useful in adopting this approach
Key Accountabilities:
• Create and implement initiatives to help retain young players
• Meet with every transitioning player
• Establish players plans and contacts
• Identify individuals needs
• Signpost opportunities to them
Retaining Transitioning Players
Transition Officer
• Coordinate delivery of an individually tailored programme
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• Using a variety of coaches, other players, conditioning exercises, skill practises…
• Organise guest coaches to visit from other teams
• Plan for session (or part session) to be combined between teams
• Highlight role models and mentors for young players
• Arrange reunion activities for groups
• Demonstrate and promote behaviours to create a positive environment
Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Conclusion
Improving the transition of young players into the adult game is one of the biggest participation issues for
Scottish Rugby. Hopefully this guide will encourage clubs to examine their own situation and take action to
keep our young player in the game.
This may take the form of:
• Preparing individuals, to ensure they feel ready to move into adult rugby
• Ensuring transitioning players see team training as attractive, familiar and achievable
• Creating a positive environment that attracts players to join and stay at the club
• Staying connected in order to have regular interactions with everyone that has been involved at the club
• Promoting the benefits of playing to provide players with motivation to stay in the game
• A transition officer to smooth the transition of players
Conclusion
Retaining Transitioning Players
These suggestions are based on existing good practice of clubs, but there will be other approaches that will be
successful in retaining transitioning players. If you wish support, to share any of these ideas, or have any other
comments then please email [email protected]
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Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Useful links
Pre-Application Assessments
http://www.scottishrugby.org/male-u18-%E2%80%93-adult-rugby-age-banding
LTPD Coaching Youth Rugby
http://www.scottishrugby.org/get-involved/coach/resources
Scottish Rugby Strength and Conditioning Resources
http://www.scottishrugby.org/coaching-strength-conditioning
Key National Theme’ and ‘Specialist Skills
http://www.scottishrugby.org/get-involved/coach/resources
The Long Term Player Development Coaching Resources
http://www.scottishrugby.org/get-involved/coach/resources
World rugby infographic
http://www.scottishrugby.org/sites/default/files/editor/docs/irb_benefit.pdf
Why Sport Matters Infographic
http://www.scottishrugby.org/sites/default/files/editor/docs/why_sport_matters_1_page_0.pdf
Transition Questions
Useful Links
Retaining Transitioning Players
www.scottishrugby.org/student-transition-questions
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Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect
Retaining Transitioning Players
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Leadership . Engagement . Achievement . Enjoyment . Respect