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Information about playing Rugby at our Club. www.penrynrugby.com

Play Rugby At Penryn RFC

Rugby ….. is all about finding space ..... and using it! Ages Tag - U7 & U8 Minis - U9 & U10Midis - U11 & U12 Juniors - U13 to U16

Children can start training with us from the age of 5, but cannot play in matches until their 6th birthday.

Players usually join the team for the age that they were on the last 31st of August e.g. if they were 10 years old on the 31st of August gone, they join the Under 11’s.

There are dispensations to allow certain players to play outside their age group - namely players can play down one year within the Tag, Mini or Midi age-bands, and from U13, they can play up one year if required. Allowances can also be made on an individual basis under special circumstances – please talk to a coach if this might apply.

Teams We run a team for each age group from U7 up to U16 – that’s ten teams in total ….. so Sundays can be very busy!

Most of our coaches and team managers have children in the team that they coach and move up with them every year.

We have close contacts with Penryn College and often help with the training of school sides.

After leaving the U16’s players can continue with the club by playing with the Colts (who run U17, U18 & U19 teams) before moving on to represent one of our Adult sides.

Whatever their age we do expect all teams and players to treat others with respect and to abide by our Players Code of Conduct.

Equity Penryn RFC is committed to ensuring equity across all of its activities.

Our Equity Policy states that :-

“The club respects the rights, dignity and worth of every person and will treat everyone equally within the context of their sport, regardless of age, ability, gender, race, ethnicity, religious belief, sexuality or social/economic status.”

Girls are welcome however, due to RFU rules, can only play in the same team as boys up to and including U12’s. We are happy for girls to join any of our teams up to this age.

We do not currently run any girls teams for older players, but are hoping to start a girl’s team in the near future.

Registration New players can come and train with us for a month to see if they enjoy rugby, with no commitment, financial or otherwise to the club.

However to play in matches players must complete registration for -

THE RFU - All players must be registered with the RFU - this is a one-off process that requires the filling in of a simple form and providing several passport type photos.

THE CLUB - Players are also required to register with the club - again a simple process all covered by the one form. This club registration is done each year.

After a month we ask players to decide whether they wish to continue and to pay our subscription if they do (see over).

Registration Day Registration Day is usually held on the first Sunday in September between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon.

The Youth Section Registration Secretary can be found at the club on most Sundays at the beginning of the season.

Children can register at any other time during the season - contact the coach for your age group, who will have all the forms and information required.

Once registered the player details are recorded on an official ID card, which follows them through the youth section and is held by their coach. ID cards ensure that checks can be made that players are playing in their correct age group.

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Kit - For a child to try rugby for a few weeks the minimum of kit is required - a pair of football or rugby boots (see below), any rugby shirt or T-shirt, shorts or joggers and socks are all that is needed (no zips please). In the long term – Playing kit: The traditional colours of Penryn RFC are a red and black hooped shirt, black shorts and black socks.

Most Tag & Mini teams require players to provide their own kit for both training and matches. A full range of kit can be obtained from our own shop, which is open on Sunday Mornings when the Mini teams are home.

By the time players reach the Junior Section, many teams provide playing shirts for matches and other items of team wear with the help of local sponsors. There may be a small charge made for the laundry of this kit at the discretion of the individual team.

Observing A Minutes Silence Before The Game Against Falmouth On

Remembrance Sunday

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Mouth Guards: We would strongly recommend that all players wear a mouth guard. There are basically two types – • custom-fitted by a dentist

(cost ~ £30-40) • boil and bite

(cost ~ £5-15) Opinion seems divided as to which is best as; custom fitted provide a closer fit, but as soon as teeth are shed need to be replaced; boil in the bag do not fit quite as well, but can be re-molded regularly. Many feel that a good quality boil and bite guard provides the best compromise of fit and adjustability. Whatever type you choose we feel that all players should wear a mouth guard for all games and any training where contact is likely.

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Scrum hats and other forms of protection: Scrum hats, shoulder pads and shin pads are allowed providing they have the IRB logo on the label to show that they have been approved. In practice we have never known a referee check for the logo, but apparently some do, and it is a sign that the product will give a reasonable standard of protection. We regard protective gear as optional, and a matter of personal choice. Many of our coaches strongly advise the use of scrum hats in contact situations.

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Boots: Both blades and studs are acceptable as footwear for rugby. In both cases there should be no sharp edges to the stud or blade. Studs can be metal or plastic but must be under 21 mm in length and firmly tightened. We recommend the use of Aluminum studs with a kite mark. Boots should not be missing studs – especially from the toe end. Most coaches will routinely bring spare studs and a stud spanner to the match. New & Second hand boots are sometimes available from the Youth Section.

There is a wide range of good ki t available from our shop and other sources .. . . but to try rugby for a few weeks you need very lit tle

CLUB ACCREDITATION Penryn RFC is accredited with the RFU’s Club Accreditation - an ongoing scheme to ensure that clubs strive constantly to improve and develop. As part of that process we have written -

Procedures and Codes of Conduct - highlighted in blue throughout this leaflet.

Copies may be found on our website and youth section notice board

WHY RUGBY? Rugby is a great game to play!

Fed up with footballers diving and feigning injury, or shouting abuse at the referee? - it just doesn't happen very often in our sport. The RFU has identified 5 core values of Rugby in their "This is Rugby"

campaign that we as a club, do our best to promote – TEAMWORK

RESPECT DISCIPLINE

ENJOYMENT SPORTSMANSHIP

A full range of kit can be obtained from our own shop at competitive prices.

Open most Sundays when Minis are home.

Teamwork is essential for success Penryn Colts scrum down against Wadebridge Camels

Costs The Current Annual Subscriptions are –

• U6 £30

• U7 - U10 £50

• U11 - U12 £55

• U13 - U16 £60

A discount is given for additional children from the same family - as a result the second child pays £5 less, the third £10 less and so on.

The subscription fee covers most training and match expenses, the provision of food after matches, fixture lists and awards at the end of the season amongst a host of other expenses. It also includes a Family Social Membership of the main club, entitling parents to use the club facilities such as the bar.

These fees have changed very little over the past 5 years and at around £1.50 per week we feel that this represents very good value for money when compared with other sports and activities.

We are now very lucky to be able to train on the all weather pitch at Penryn College on Friday nights during the depths of winter. Although we have to pay around £2000 per year for use of this facility the subscription fees also cover this expense – so there are no extra charges for training on this facility. Subscription fees must be paid before a player can play in matches – for most players this will be before the end of September.

Any parent who experiences difficulties in paying the subscriptions, please let us know as provisions can be made to pay in installments, or through exceptional circumstances to reduce or waive the fees. Our main aim is to allow all enthusiastic children to play Rugby if they want to.

Training and Coaching

Training During the season training sessions usually take place for all teams on a Sunday morning 10.30 am - 12 noon, when there is no game fixtured.

Junior and Midi teams will also often train on Friday evenings - please see the individual team coach or our website pages for details. During the middle of the winter these sessions may take place on the new all weather pitch at Penryn College. Players are inevitably going to get wet, muddy and thirsty due to the nature of game. We therefore ask all parents to ensure that players • arrive for training and matches in

appropriate wet weather kit to stop them getting too cold

• bring a towel and change of clothes as showers are available and encouraged after training and games

• bring a drink of water with them when training, as water bottles are only supplied on match days

Coaching Coaches tend to move up each year with their team as most have a child playing for the team.

All of our coaches have or are working towards a recognised coaching qualification - such as the RFU Coaching Level One Certificate. All coaches are also CRB checked before they are allowed to train the children. We expect all of our coaches follow the Coaches Code of Conduct Coaches put a lot of time and effort into their teams. We do ask that you try to ensure your child turns up on time and that you inform the coach in advance if they cannot play or train.

Matches The youth rugby season runs from the 1st of September until the 31st of April. Minis and Midis are not allowed to play matches until October. Matches are generally held on Sunday mornings during the season and start around 10.30 a.m for Minis/Midis and 11.00 a.m for Juniors. Matches are played both Home and Away. Away games can be to any of the other clubs in Cornwall and may be as far afield as Launceston, Bude or Saltash for the Juniors. Although the Minis & Midis tend to not have fixtures with these more distant clubs, they do for example play at Liskeard, Wadebridge and Penzance. For U7’s & 8’s, a parent or guardian is expected to travel with their child. For older age-groups lifts may often be available through the team for players who’s parents cannot travel; although we do hope that all families will do their fair share in supporting their child’s team and if they can’t give lifts they would help in some other way. Coaches can advise as to the provision of lifts and on directions. A Fixture List is provided for all players at the start of the season -

Fixtures are subject to change and we ask parents to check each week with their coach or team manager. For away games we advise meeting at Penryn RFC before traveling in case of late cancellation. Most games are played on a friendly basis - there is no league structure, but there is a festival for all age-groups from U7 upwards and Cup and 7’s competitions for the Junior teams. Food is provided free for all participating players after each game and we do ask parents to participate in a kitchen rota to give a hand serving.

“at around £1.50 per week we feel playing Rugby is extremely good value”

Evening training on the All Weather Pitch at Penryn College

Penryn U15s v Penzance U15s on our Second Pitch

Progress Through The Years

Penryn RFC follows the RFU Regulations for Minis and Midis and the Guidelines for Juniors. These lay down the progression and development of the rules of the game for young players. Details can be found on the RFU website at RFU Rules and Regulations Major milestones have been - * See note below U7 & U8 - play tag rugby - there is no contact or tackling. 5 to 7 players U9 - tackling is introduced, along with uncontested 3 man scrums and lineouts. Up to 9 players. U10 - Scrums and lineouts are now contested. Up to 9 players U11 - The scrum and lineout now consists of 5 players. Kicking out of hand is allowed and conversions are taken from in front of the posts. 12 players playing across half a pitch. U12 - A sixth forward is added to the pack - No. 8. 13 players playing across half a pitch. U13 & U14 - Fifteen players and a full pitch. No lifting at the lineout and the scrum half must remain behind the tunnel. Conversions from the lateral position of the try. U15 - the scrum half can now come past the tunnel. U16 - lifting is allowed in the lineout *Clubs in Cornwall are currently taking part in the “New Rules of Play” where contact is introduced more gradually from the age of U9 upwards.

Accidents

Rugby is a contact sport and whilst we make every effort to minimise risks during training and games, accidents do occasionally happen. We have a written procedure for dealing with accidents. We ask that :- All parents tell coaches of any injuries their child has sustained, within a 48-hour period before their child starts any training session or match, (e.g. any head injury, asthma attack, visits to casualty, etc). Any accidents or injuries sustained whilst training or playing matches must be entered in the accident book, located in the registration room or clubhouse. This is the responsibility of both the coach and parents present.

We feel that the benefits gained in fitness, health and mental discipline by playing Rugby, vastly outweigh the risk of injury.

Touring

There is a long tradition of touring in Rugby and the Youth Section participates in this by both hosting touring sides and sending sides on tour.

Destinations vary and recently have included visiting our neighbours in Devon and Somerset, experiencing Welsh Hospitality both on and off the pitch and more exotic locations such as The Channel Islands and South Africa. Our U15 side has recently completed a very successful tour of Canada.

Tours are organised both by the section and by individual teams and do not take place every year. Fundraising often results in the trip being heavily subsidised for the players and most thoroughly enjoy the experience.

All tours are organised and run following RFU guidelines.

Awards & Honours

Awards

We have an awards evening at the end of each playing season in which each coach nominates the players of their choice for a number of awards, the winners receive a trophy. All players receive recognition of their participation usually n the form of a team poster and a medal.

Honours

Cornwall RFU run a development program for young rugby players that starts around the U14 age. In past years many of our players have been successful in passing through this system, representing Cornwall and gaining County Honours .

We currently have around a dozen players at our club who are playing for a County Side. Several players have also entered the Exeter Chief’s Academy as part of the RFU’s elite training program.

Parental Support

The youth section relies on parental support for fundraising and a variety of jobs that need to be done to keep the section ticking over.

Kitchen Duties

After every game at home or away, players receive a free meal. There is a Kitchen Rota in which we ask parents from each team to take turns in helping cook and serve food. The rota is supplied to parents every year and a copy is posted on the website - we do ask that parents try to help when it is their team’s turn.

Support We encourage Parental Support on the sidelines at matches as it adds to the atmosphere and encourages the players. There are however limits to the degree and nature of the support that should be given, and we ask all parents and supporters to read and abide by our Spectators Code.

The Committee

The Youth Section is run by a Committee, which is mainly made up of the parents of players. There is a great deal of work that goes on behind the scenes and we are often in need of help to run the Club.

Details of current committee members and coaches including contacts are given out every year with the fixtures and can be found on the Youth Contacts page of the website and notice board.

Please do consider volunteering - there are lots of ways to help without committing yourself to one of the major posts and an hour here and there can be very valuable to us.

We would very much like parents to attend the committee meetings held four times a season at the club - on a Monday at 7.30 p.m. You do not have to be a committee member to attend.

If you would like to help in any way please just ask!.