Reading Abbey
RFC Ltd.
WELCOME TO OUR CLUB
Thank you for your interest in our rugby club. Abbey RFC was founded in 1956 and some of our inaugural members still remain members of our club today. Abbey has a clear aim to remain an amateur club that maintains the core values of rugby throughout our 13 age groups, numerous teams including our newly established ladies side and 450+ players of various ages.
We are proud to have been awarded the RFU ‘Accredited Club status’, a scheme based upon six Key Drivers identified as crucial to a strong club:
1. Retaining & Developing Players
2. Recruiting New Players
3. Recruiting & Retaining High Quality Coaches, Volunteers & Referees
4. Effective & Efficient Facilities
5. Effective & Efficient Management and Governance
6. Integration with the Local Community
Each of these Key Drivers, together with the Core Values of the game, is represented within the Club accreditation scheme and together they represent the component parts of a strong, sustainable club. Club Accreditation will bring many advantages for our club, including the Sport England Club-mark for mini and youth section. It will give the club credibility with local authorities and educational establishments and confer the status of the RFU brand to attract potential sponsors.
Overview
Abbey RFC is proud to cater for players (male and female) of all ages and abilities and interest in the game.
Youth Rugby
We provide a great rugby experience for children (both boys and girls), from U6s to U19. We are an amateur, community Rugby Club and our aim is to ensure that players, coaches, parents, spectators and volunteers uphold the Core Values of rugby union: Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship.
These values will stand our young people in good stead both on and off the rugby pitch and are reflected in the RFU’s Code of Rugby. Abbey RFC supports its aims in that we:
Ø Play to win - but not at all cost
Ø Win with dignity, lose with grace
Ø Observe the Laws and regulations of the game
Ø Respect opponents, referees and participants
Ø Reject cheating, racism, violence and drugs
Ø Value volunteers and paid officials alike
Ø Enjoy the game
We passionately believe these are excellent life qualities to coach into our youth and senior players alike.
Age grades are set at the start of a season and define the age a player will become during that season. For example, a 7 year old on 1st September (the start of the season) is an U8 and will become 8 years old during or after that season.
Normally, children play within their age grade, but dispensations exist in the regulation to allow some flexibility.
Key Stage 1 / KeyStage 2 / Key
Stage 3 / Key
Stage 4
Education Year Group / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 and 13
Rugby Age Grade / U6 / U7 / U8 / U9 / U10 / U11 / U12 / U13 / U14 / U15 / U16 / Colts (U17-U19)
Academy and Junior Rugby
Abbey’s Mini and Junior sections are key areas to the long term future of the club. The junior boys’ sides compete in both the Berkshire Leagues and the Colts (U17-19s) play in the Oxon, Berks and Bucks leagues. A number of our age groups will regularly field two squads.
Mini Rugby
Abbey Minis section is one of the most successful in the area. We have a commitment to both enjoyment and fulfilment. This means that a key measure of success is shown through the players’, parents’ and coaches’ commitment. People only commit their free time to things they believe are worthwhile.
Mini rugby is a specially designed approach to rugby that introduces boys and girls to the key aspects of the game in a structured and safe manner. Children play in groups from U6 to U12, attaining new skills and gaining a wider appreciation of the game as they progress from age group to age group. Just as important, children learn about the camaraderie and the philosophy of rugby, making new friends from a wide range of schools and backgrounds.
The ambition of the Club is to play good rugby and to be successful on the field. But the basis of a good rugby club is the social side that playing the game can bring. Our ambition is for Abbey Youth Rugby to be the place that children know they will be developed both on and off the pitch. It needs to be a place that they feel they are proud to be a part of thriving environment
Things to Know When you Join Abbey
1 – Season Start: For mini and youth rugby this is always the first Sunday in September and usually each age group has a training session at Abbey on this date. For individual age groups please contact the Age Group Manage or Coach for more detailed information.
2 – Training and Matches:
Abbey minis train and play matches on Sundays from September through to the end of April from 10am to 12pm approx. The club produces training and match schedules for each season and this information is also in the Club Handbook. This will provide details of all training Sundays and all match Sundays. Minis do not play any matches until the start of October each season in accordance with RFU guidelines.
Abbey Juniors (U13 – U16) train each Wednesday evening at Abbey under floodlights. Timings can be obtained from the individual age group Manager/Coach. Matches are played on Sundays – mostly with an a.m. kick off.
Abbey Colts Train on Tuesday/Thursday evenings. Timings can be obtained from the age group Manager/Coach. Matches are played on Sunday afternoons.
Abbey Ladies – Train on Monday or Wednesday evenings and play on Sunday afternoons.
Abbey Seniors – Train on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (7.30-9pm) and play matches on Saturday afternoons.
Contact details for all Managers and Coaches are in the Club Handbook and on the website: www. AbbeyRFC.org
Types of rugby:
Rugby Age Grade / U6 / U7 / U8 / U9 / U10 / U11 / U12 / U13 / U14 / U15 / U16 / Colts (U17-U19)Mini Tag rugby / Tag rugby / Contact rugby based on new rules of play (NROP) as prescribed by the RFU / Full adult game rules with IRB U19 law variations
Most age groups will communicate with parents via email and text. Please ensure you have provided your age group manager with these important details when you complete your membership form each September.
Fixtures and Tournaments – Definitions
Assessment
Abbey RFC is committed to the highest level of coaching that any amateur club can provide. An important part of high quality coaching is being able to understand and highlight progress both for players and teams.
Training
Training sessions form approximately half of the overall sessions in a season and are integral to the skills development, fitness work and preparation for formal matches and tournaments. Session plans are created by the coaching team taking into consideration the physical and psychological maturity of the players and the building process across a full season.
Fixtures
Fixtures are the club’s opportunity to test itself against other clubs. The Home team is responsible for planning how the sessions will run. On the whole there is a training element where the players from the two clubs can be mixed together and ending with a formal match situation. The older the age-group the more the time is focused on the formal match.
Tournament
Abbey host one of the biggest and most successful youth tournaments in the region (The Abbey Shield) and its reputation has travelled far and wide. It takes place usually in March. These events give clubs a chance to show their strength in depth across the age groups, and build their teams by playing a series of matches in a single day. They are great social and sporting occasions for players and spectators alike
Safeguarding Players - responsibilities, codes of conduct, use of photography
The club rightly puts a great deal of emphasis on the safeguarding of the children and takes the matter very seriously. Our Safeguarding Officer works hard right across the club to ensure that everyone knows their responsibilities. Any breach of the guidelines below will be appropriately challenged as soon as they are highlighted.
All breaches will be reported to the Management committee.
Specific responsibilities - Coaches (and other volunteers)
Our volunteer coaches are the lifeblood of the club. Without their time, energy and commitment we would not be able to operate such a successful set of age groups and teams. In common with many roles that are responsible for providing a safe place for children they have.
A duty of care - Comprehensive training for all head coaches and managers.
Full Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks - All coaches and helpers must complete a CRB check. The process is straight forward. 3 forms of address evidence and proof of personal identity, e.g. utility bills and a passport must be presented to the club Safeguarding Officer. The forms can take a few weeks to be processed so early submission of the forms is necessary to ensure the club, RFU and national regulations are complied with.
Specific Responsibilities – Parents
Your child’s safety and wellbeing is paramount. It is the Club’s policy that either a parent or an assigned guardian is present pitch side at all training, fixtures and tournaments for U6-U12s. It is up to every parent to arrange ‘cover’ as required and ensure the coaching team know of any changes.
Please refer to the current ‘Parental Attendance Rules for Mini/Midi & Junior Members’ (which can be found in the Document section of the website, www.abbeyrfc.org)
First Aid
The need to administer first aid in the non-contact sport of Tag Rugby does occur from time to time. A first aid kit will be available at every training session. Abbey RFC is committed to provide all age groups with adequately trained first aiders so you will find a number of coaches and parents will be volunteer first-aiders. Any parents that holds a first aid qualification or who would like to be considered for the club’s first aid course should make themselves known to the manager and/or head coaches.
Coaching Continuum
The Director of Rugby oversees all aspects of the club's playing ethos, approach and development and we look to drive a consistent and complementary approach to the coaching of all players.
The Youth section currently boasts a significant number of Level One coaches within the Youth section, a handful of which have achieved their Level Two qualification, which is standard required to coach a senior side.
Code of Conduct -
We all have a responsibility to do the right thing in rugby:
Players, Parents and Volunteers will
ü Show respect for officials and other players
ü Encourage in your support
ü Be courteous to all
ü Applaud good play
ü Hold back if you are an un-qualified referee
ü Remember victory is only one reason for playing rugby
ü Children play for their own enjoyment
ü Enjoy yourself and make sure others know you’re happy
Sometimes it’s easier to say what NOT to do:
T Forcing someone to play is counter-productive
T Stay off the pitch
T Do not verbally abuse match officials - remember, they are volunteers
T Do not verbally abuse players or other spectators
T Do not use bad language
T Do not threaten or intimidate
T Do not become involved in physical aggression
If you insult, humiliate or discriminate - expect immediate punitive measures
Photographic acceptance
Abbey RFC recognises the need to ensure the welfare and safety of all young people in Rugby Union. As part of our commitment to ensure the safety of young people we will do our best not to permit photographs, video or other images including those taken via mobile phones of young people to be taken or used without the consent of the parents/carers and the young person.
All parents completing membership forms for their children should also sign within this form their photographic permission form (found on the website) authorising the Club to use images of their children. If, for whatever reason, you do not want pictures or video taken of your child, please make yourselves known to your age-group manager who will do their utmost to ensure that this does not occur.
Membership Options
Family Membership
Family membership is only available for parents/guardians of children in the Youth section (U67 to U17) and Colts. It is designed to allow them to enjoy the same benefits as a full playing member, but without needing to play! Thus Family Membership includes voting rights and ability to enter the ballot for International tickets. All children within the family are covered by this subscription, but information needs to be completed for each playing child on the new membership form. Family membership does not cover senior players.
Youth Player Membership
Youth Player membership is aimed at parents/guardians with one child in the Youth Section, (U6 to U17) or Colts who do not wish to enjoy the benefits available to full members. This membership only covers one child; therefore a separate Youth player membership would need to be taken out for other siblings. In this case a Family membership would provide more benefit and costs less, so would be highly recommended.
Honorary Life Member