Ulster Rugby - Annual Report 2017-18

present. Over the course of the season the following safeguarding workshops have been delivered: — Safeguarding Level 1 – nine workshops with ninety nine participants from twenty Clubs. — Safeguarding Level 2 – two workshops with twenty participants from seventeen Clubs. — Safeguarding Level 3 – two workshops with twenty five participants from nineteen Clubs. The Spirit of Rugby Officer also met individually with Clubs on twenty three occasions to support Club Welfare Officers in building their understanding of the vetting process and the use of the Safeguarding Section of Clubhouse. In addition to the workshops and meetings a number of resources were developed and circulated to clubs including pavement signs and a pack for delivering a ‘Sideline Behaviour’ event. The Sideline Behaviour initiative was promoted during Parents in Sports Week and again during the Final Weekend of the Six Nations to tackle the increasing reports of inappropriate behaviour from parents and spectators at age-grade training and matches. A small number of Clubs participated in this initiative and felt that it gave the players a chance to think for themselves as well as encouraging parents and spectators to reflect on their

and thirty five additional playing opportunities for social players. Clubs involved regarded X7’s as an excellent way to re-engage with lapsed participants, with at least twenty one players recorded as having gone onto appear in formal Club matches during the season. In total, thirty one of our fifty four affiliated Clubs took part in these modified formats. The Branch is most appreciative of all the Clubs which participated and recognises the efforts of both volunteers and staff who worked extremely hard to ensure that these activities took place. Spirit of Rugby With the appointment of the ‘Spirit of Rugby Officer’ Clubs were afforded a huge amount of support during the 2017/18 season, particularly in relation to safeguarding. The focus of work has been in supporting Clubs to achieve “green status”, the minimum standard for safeguarding and to work through the Club Action Plan in order to implement best practice. The season began with a Club Welfare Officer New Season Seminar attended by twenty two participants from sixteen Clubs. This was followed by a series of Local Area Forums, hosted by seven Clubs across Ulster, encouraging the development of local networks of Club Welfare Officers who can provide support for each other as well as being supported by the Branch. These were attended by thirty two participants from eighteen Clubs and were very well received by those

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