REDRUTH RFC MINI / JUNIOR SECTION
Parent and Players Pack
2011 - 2012 Season
Position / Elected Person / Telephone Number / Email addressesChairman / Chris Sidwell / 01209 219 091
07870 525863 /
Secretary / Dennis Moore / 01209 842089 /
Coaching Coordinator / Phil Olds / 01209 314092 /
Treasurer / Jude Jose / 01209 219477 /
Fixtures / Dave Wills / 01209 202481
07718 912898 /
Registration / Simon Barbary / 01209 214958 /
Child Safeguarding Officers / Phillip Grigg
Kelly Sidwell / 01209 213488
01209 219091
07807 524592 /
Volunteer Coordinator / Stuart Morrison / 01209 821184
07801 965303 /
Referee Coordinator / Shaun Maddern / 07837 521953 /
Clubhouse/ Catering / Andy Gallie / 01209 215520 /
Who’s who in the Mini/Junior Section
Mini/Junior Committee
Age group coaches
Age Group / Coach / Telephone Number / Email addressU7s / Mike Davis
Levi Webster / 07812 373982
07557 677485 /
U8s / Nick Oakes
Matt Stokes / 07850 746997
07400 545545 /
U9s / Shaun Maddern
Justin Thomas / 01209 315816
01209 213586 /
U10s / Rob Churchill
David Wills / 01209 219871
01209 202481 /
U11’s / Chris Sidwell
Julian Kitto / 01209 219091
07870 525863
01326 561774 /
U12s / Jeff Kitto / 01326 240356
07833 457712 /
Martin Weeks / 07968 932598 /
U13s / Simon O’Sullivan
John Simmons / 07577 736824
07831 696263 /
U14s / Phil Olds
Rhys Salisbury / 01209 314092
07535 715960 /
U15’s / Chris Jose
Dave Govier / 01209 219477
07512 742769 /
U16s / Adrian Rutter
Stewart Whitworth / 01209 214501
01872 553014 /
Chairman’s Welcome
To players and parents alike, I welcome you to the Redruth RFC mini Junior Section at the start of the 2011/12 season. Rugby is a great character building sport where many life long friendships are established. To this end the Redruth RFC caters for all standards and actively seeks to introduce new players and parents alike to the rugby experience.
Our priorities are therefore:
q Enjoyment: First and foremost rugby is a game to be enjoyed and great emphasis is placed upon this within the mini junior section
q Safety: Before all training sessions and matches we safety check pitches, equipment and players attire. All coaches and volunteers are CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checked and the club has in place a Child Safeguarding policy & 2 Child Safeguarding Officers in Phillip Grigg & Kelly Sidwell.
q Development: We are committed to the development of all players to their maximum potential and will underpin player development by completing the RFC Proficiency Awards again this season.
It is of note that a large number of 1st XV players have come through Redruth’s Mini/Junior and Colts sections.
Sponsorship of the Mini Junior teams continues to grow, for which we are very grateful. We do however need to keep the level of sponsorship going to maintain the high standards we have set for player appearance and training aids. This year we aim to provide a set of playing shirts for every age group from U7’s through to U16’s.
If you wish to help in anyway please make yourself known.
The remainder of this pack had been put together to ensure you have the information you need during the coming season including player registration, fixtures and how to pay membership fees.
Thanks again for all the support you have given in the past and let's all look forward to another great season for the Redruth RFC Mini Juniors.
Yours Faithfully
Chris Sidwell
Chairman of the Redruth RFC Mini - Junior Section
Player Registration
The first training session and player registration will both take place on the 4th September 2011. Training will commence at 10.30am with player registration taking place at 12pm in the clubhouse. The age group coaches will be available to answer any queries you may have. Please make every effort to attend.
As part of the registration process all parents/players will need to complete the following forms (sample copies included at the end of this pack and are available from your coaches for completion and return).
1. Redruth RFC – Mini/Junior Membership Form 2011/12
2. Redruth RFC Mini Junior Section - Medical Details/Consent Form
All new players or players transferring from another club must also be registered with the RFU. RFU Registration forms can either be downloaded from www.community-rugby.com (select: schools and youth / youth registration) or are available from your age group coaches.
Completed RFU Registration Forms and two passport size photograph should be given your coach. The player will be registered and your coach will retain the registration cards. Please note that these cards are inspected at every festival, cup game or tournament. Players will be barred from playing if they do not have a valid registration card. Please note that registration cards need to be updated with an up to date photo every 3 years.
Membership Fees
This season the membership for Redruth Mini Juniors has stayed at £40 with a reduction to £30 for subsequent playing siblings.
Please make cheques payable to REDRUTH RFC Mini Junior Section.
We believe the membership cost fairly reflects the actual running costs of the junior section. So what do you get in return?
q Match shirt for use during season (to be returned at the end of the season)
q No further cost’s throughout season i.e. match or training fees (unless individual groups use subs as a fundraiser)
q Parents are able to use club facilities on mini - junior training and match days.
q After match food for all home games.
PLEASE NOTE THAT PAYMENT HAS TO BE MADE WITHIN 45 DAYS OF REGISTRATION IN LINE WITH RFU GUIDELINES. IF NO PAYMENT IS MADE, NO PLAYER WILL BE ABLE TO PLAY OR TRAIN.
Child Safety
o All coaches and volunteers will be CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checked
o Pitches are checked before training sessions and matches.
o All players must have boots with aluminium studs carrying the IRB kite mark. Scrum hats, body armour, gloves etc, can also be worn at the player's discretion provided that they carry the IRB kite mark.
o All players must wear a gum shield when either playing or training in contact rugby (age 9 upwards). It is also strongly recommended for tag rugby.
o No player can wear any form of jewellery during training sessions or matches.
o Boots and gum shields may be checked by referees before matches and if not present or carrying the kite mark will lead to the player being excluded from the match
How can parents help us?
We actively encourage parents to get involved and this can be in any capacity, some are happy to stand back while others would like more involvement. Basically it is up to you. If you want more involvement let your coach know!
There are areas where you all can help to make a difference:
q Please ensure that you have completed the relevant forms as soon as possible.
q Please read the code of conduct for players, parents and spectators (included in this pack), as this is part of the RFU Seal of Approval.
q Can all parents introduce themselves to their coaches and ensure contact details are provided and kept up to date. Mobile contact numbers are particularly useful as the coaches can use texting to let you know about game arrangements and availability.
q When travelling to away matches please help by driving/car sharing
q Please drop off / collect your child at the correct times. Training is on Sunday’s from 10am to 12am for the mini section, juniors train on various week nights between 5.30pm -7.30pm
q If you or your child is unavailable for a game please let your coach know in advance whenever possible.
q During the colder months of the season please ensure that the players have suitable clothing (woolly hat, gloves, and extra layers of clothing). Likewise always ensure that players have plenty of fluids during warmer weather.
q We often have social events to raise funds for the mini - junior section, please support us as these funds help pay for club tours, kit and coaches to away fixtures for your child.
Coaching and the Rugby Continuum
As part of process of achieving the RFU seal of approval, the mini junior section will be introducing the Rugby Union Proficiency Awards this season.
The Rugby Union Proficiency Awards are an important tool to help players, teachers and coaches assess rugby union skills. They are designed to be enjoyable methods by which players can identify which of their skills are strong and which of their skills that they need to develop. They can also assess a player’s fitness for Rugby Union. Each Award contains a series of tests suitable for each age banding in the game for under 7s to adult. Points are scored for each test and the total for the whole award is banded into bronze, silver or gold level. Certificates are available for each award which are as follows:
· Introduction to Rugby Award: Running, handling and introducing the Tag tackle activities
· Tag Rugby Award: Running, handling and Tag tackle tests
· U8 to U11 Fitness Award: Speed, agility, power, anaerobic endurance and speed endurance tests
· Mini Rugby Award: Running, handling and contact tests
· Rugby Skills Award: Running, handling, contact and kicking tests
We will provide more details regarding the proficiency awards over the coming months.
For new players and parents you may be wondering what to expect in coaching and matches. To ensure that players develop in line with their physical and developmental capability the mini junior section follows the RFC Rugby Continuum.
The Rugby Continuum is aimed at ensuring that every youngster gradually acquires the skills and confidence required for the full 15-a-side game by the age of 13. This is achieved through three stages – mini tag, mini and midi rugby.
Through the Rugby Continuum, we also promote the “spirit of rugby” - the enjoyment of learning a challenging team sport that values effort, fair play and good attitude as much as achievement and success.
The table overleaf highlights each of the continuum stages, game characteristics and the skills that will be developed by following the continuum.
Continuum Stage / Game Characteristics / Skills learntStage 1 Under 7s/8s
Mini Tag – 7 a side / · Tag tackles
· No contact
· No kicking
· Developing understanding of spirit of Rugby
· Playing against opposition in training matches
· Fun & enjoyment / · Running
· Evasion
· Passing
· Support
· Tag tackling
· Teamwork
· Basic rules of on and offside
· Communications
Stage 2 Under 9s/10s
Mini Rugby – 9 a side / · introduction to contact
· tackling
· 3 person scrums & 2 person line-outs, uncontested at U9, contested at U10
· still no kicking
· playing opposition and taking part in rugby festivals in county and at Bath
· even more fun and enjoyment / · Build on skills learnt in tag rugby
· How to safely make a tackle
· How to fall when tackled
· How to work as a team including positional play, forming a defence, working together in attack and defence
Stage 3 Under 11s/12s
Midi Rugby
· under 11s – 12 a side
· under 12s – 13 a side / · larger pitches
· 5 person scrums
· 4 person line-outs
· kicking for position
· conversions from in front of the post / · Build on skills learnt in mini rugby
· Kicking and catching a ball
· Understanding tactics and positional play
· Ball retention and phases of play
Many of our youngsters work their way through the Rugby Continuum and progress into the 15 a side junior teams from under 13s to under 16s. Many players in the mini & junior section move on to the hugely successful colts section – and indeed onto playing for the Redruth first team or playing at an international level
For more information on the continuum and the rules please go to the RFU website as follows: http://www.rfu.com/regulations/Rugby%20Continuum.pdf
The Good Coaches Code
Coaches of players should:
o Recognise the importance of fun and enjoyment when coaching players.
o Understand that most learning is achieved through doing.
o Appreciate the needs of the players before the needs of the sport.
o Be a positive role model - think what this implies.
o Keep winning and losing in perspective - encourage players to behave with dignity in all circumstances.
o Respect all referees and the decisions they make, even if they appear to make a mistake, (remember it could be you refereeing next week) and ensure that the players recognise that they must do the same.
o Provide positive verbal feedback in a constructive and encouraging manner to all players, both during coaching sessions and matches.
o Provide rugby experience which is matched to the players’ ages and abilities, as well as their physical and behavioural development.
o Ensure all players are coached in a safe environment, with adequate first aid readily to hand.
o Avoid the overplaying of the best players by using a squad system which gives everybody a satisfactory amount of playing time.
o Never allow a player to train or play when injured.
o Ensure good supervision of players, both on and off the field.
o Recognise that players should never be exposed to extremes of heat, cold or unacceptable risk of injury.
o Develop an awareness of nutrition as part of an overall education in lifestyle management.
o Recognise that it is illegal for players under 18 to drink alcohol and those under 16 to smoke.,Coaches should actively discourage both.
o Ensure that their knowledge and coaching strategies are up to date and in line with RFU philosophy.
o Be aware of, and abide by, the RFU recommended procedures for taking young people on residential tours at home and abroad.
o Be aware of and abide by the policies and procedures outlined in the Policy and Procedures for the Welfare of Young People in Rugby Union.