Ulster Rugby Annual Report 2016-17

to bring forward proposals to address them. Contained later in this report are examples of some of the initiatives which have been trialled in an effort to address these challenges. This report also demonstrates the breadth of work that is carried out across the Domestic Game by countless volunteers in clubs and schools with the support of our Domestic Rugby Staff. Without this joint approach it would not be possible for us to deliver the level of activity that we see throughout the year. Rugby Committee At the start of the season the Rugby Committee established three working parties to investigate and make recommendations for 2017/18 around the three key strategic issues of (1) Coaching (2) Volunteering (3) Player Transition and Retention. Each of the working parties was made up of a combination of Ulster Rugby staff, members of the Rugby Committee and volunteers from clubs and schools. Their recommendations were as follows: — — Coaching. Support to student teachers within teacher training colleges; introduction of a stage 4/5 coaches’ forum to provide opportunities for senior club and schools coaches to share good practice and to identify areas for further support. Implementation of the U12 game regulations to enhance the support of core skill development with players at this age. — — Player Transition & Retention. Establish transition as an area of priority within clubs. Development of trust & collaboration between schools & clubs to successfully migrate players from one to the other. Ensuring that young participants receive a ‘Quality of Experience’ that will keep them coming back. All stakeholders must do more to promote, market and sell Domestic Rugby. — — Volunteering. Long-term investment in specific programmes of support. Build capacity of clubs and schools to recruit and retain volunteers. Encourage clubs and schools to work together through initiatives such as Duke of Edinburgh or GoldMark. Player Welfare Player welfare continues to be the most important issue within the game. In May 2016, the IRFU (Ulster Branch) established a ‘safety of the game committee’ to oversee player welfare in Ulster. The committee is made up of staff from across the organisation as well as representatives from the club and school game. Over the course of the last twelve months the Ulster Branch has produced a Provincial Player Welfare Plan. This has linked together various national and provincial initiatives to ensure that activities are delivered and communicated in a co-ordinated way. The plan is also closely aligned to the existing IRFU coach and referee education pathways. The number and range of activities, as well as the number of participants, is listed in the table below:-

Area of Focus

Activity No. of

No. of

Courses Participants

IRFU

11

419

Concussion

Coaching Courses – online modules Concussion 10

196

Seminars

SAFE Rugby 7

151

First Aid

Courses Medical

1

59

Medical

Professionals Conference (club & school doctors and physios)

Rugby Operations Rugby Operations staff are responsible for all aspects of the administration of the game, supporting the various committees and working with clubs and schools to develop their off field capability and capacity. Over the course of the season members of staff have delivered a co-ordinated programme of club information seminars and workshops across a range of topics including:- — — Online Safety — — Volunteer Succession Planning — — Goldmark Awards — — Officer Training (Volunteer Co-ordinator, Grants Officer) — — Updates on the IRFU Clubhouse system — — Safeguarding — — Club Support Scheme The IRFU (Ulster Branch) recognises the burden on all club volunteers and wishes to extend our thanks to everyone who has taken time out of their busy schedules to attend. The content is specifically designed to assist clubs in improving their own practice and to share experiences. This season, three hundred and eight volunteers across forty seven clubs engaged in at least one workshop, with twenty eight clubs engaging in three or more programmes. Following on from last season’s successful Club Development pilot, funding was secured from the IRFU to put in place a full time position to continue the work in this area. Matthew Holmes was appointed as the Club Services Officer and as well as supporting the initial eight pilot clubs, he has also been able to support other clubs in the areas of (1) club development planning, (2) accreditation in Club Excellence and (3) support with submitting funding applications. The Rugby Operations staff has also been involved in co-ordinating a number of trial programmes specifically targeted at transition and retention of players. These — — Funding ‘State of Readiness’ — — Child Welfare Officer Training — — Safe Rugby

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