Hello everyone,
I hope this message finds you well! It’s been a busy and exciting month at Harlow Rugby Club, and I wanted to take a moment to share some of the highlights and updates with you all.
On The Field Rugby Activities
Our teams have been working hard, and I’m thrilled to see the progress and dedication from everyone. We recently conducted a mini and youth parent survey to gather feedback and ensure we’re meeting the needs of our younger players and their families we are reviewing the feedback and will be in touch with the actions we will be taking.
The RFU has released an exciting plan for Women’s & Girls’ Rugby, which includes a speech by Alex Teasdale, the executive director for the women’s game. You can read more about the plan [here] and Alex’s speech [here]
Time for the Trumpets!
Earlier this month the RFU announced that that we owe a huge congratulations to Tracey Wedd for being named one of the 25 Female Pioneers of Rugby!
This is such an outstanding achievement and a well-deserved recognition of all your years of hard work, dedication, and commitment to the game. Thank you from everyone at the club for everything Tracey has done for the club and continues to do to inspire others and make a lasting impact on rugby. Take a look at the full article [here]
Playing Chairs Meeting and Progress
I was delighted to see how our teams are developing their own culture, with the 3s putting on a nativity play on 12th December. This aligns perfectly with our goal to enhance our club culture and develop our “Club Calendar.” Some ideas we’re looking to implement include events during the Autumn Internationals & 6 Nations, a Boxing Day Game for university students, Captains Day with various competitions, and reimagined presentation nights. We’re also considering a Burns Night event and celebrating our 70th/75th Anniversary with members wearing their oldest Harlow kit. A big thank you to Becca Middleton for helping us put this calendar together. We’re eager to hear what your teams are doing to develop their culture and how it can connect to the wider club. Please let us know how we can support your fantastic work.
Off The Field Activities
We’ve also been making strides off the field. Our sponsorship meeting was productive, and we’re seeing great progress in securing support for the club. The Trading Company meeting also went well, and we’re continuing to promote our catering options in the Match Day Programme, on chalk boards, and via social media, thanks to Hayley Adams and our bar & events team.
We are scheduling a marketing team meeting to realign our social media presence. Our next meeting is set for Wednesday, 10th November at 7:30 pm at the club. Would you like to join this group?
Community Game
Bill Sweeney, RFU CEO has issued this update on the community game. I’m not sure they are reducing the admin burden of running clubs and teams, however I did attend one of the “Competitions Engagement sessions” in late October to provide feedback. More information available [here]
Meet the Chair
I have scheduled a “Meet the Chair” event on Thursday, 13th November at 9 pm. Please come along with any questions you have and let’s have constructive and open dialogue.
Reviewing Our Membership Arrangements
We’re continuously reviewing our membership arrangements, we have a group, Nichola Shambrook, Nina Harris, Linda Eynon, and Hayley Adams, who been working diligently to correlate and update our membership payment records. They’re helping us compile a comprehensive list of current members and those who need to be chased for payments. Hayley Adams and Taylor Harvey are also exporting and validating data from the till system to provide weekly reports. Nina Harris is helping us address an error in social membership payments, where older members have been paying an out-of-date fee and will be adjusting this to £40 a year. Those members affected will be contacted directly. Additionally, we will be cancelling discount cards for non-paying members, monitoring failed payments, we will be following up as needed so if you haven’t paid your membership now is a good time to get up to date and avoid an unnecessary challenges getting your discount at the bar.
Get Ready for a Red & Green Christmas!
The perfect Harlow Rugby Club gifts are waiting for you in the Club Shop. Sliders, cosy bobble hats, sturdy umbrellas, and club-branded mouthguards are all available to order. Swing by and take a look, or look online: harlowrugby.club/ram-shack/
Questions or orders? Email clubshop@harlowrugby.club Wrap up your Christmas shopping the Harlow way!
Open roles
We are in need of volunteers to help at the top of the club Chair of Rugby and Honorary Club Secretary.
Chair of Rugby
Since Kev Harman stood down in August, I have been undertaking the role of Chair of Rugby. There is so much more we could do that would make a huge difference in the way we deliver rugby across the club and build and develop our players. I am in need of some help to help deliver all we can and add real value to those who play, coach, manage and referee at the club.
The Chair of Rugby is accountable for the playing and development of Club Rugby; specifically, the recruitment, development and management of players, coaches, managers and referees. The role can be broken down into Strategic, Tactical and Administrative areas and could be undertaken by a number of people willing to work together.
The focus is very much on the Rugby side our operation as such is heavily supported by The Chairs of Rugby sections, Women & Girls Representative, Youth & Mini Chairs. Club Coaches, Captains. Rams, Saints Representatives, Colts Manager, Safeguarding & Welfare Officer, Club Coaching Coordinator, Referees Coordinator. Senior, Youth & Minis Fixtures Secretary Grounds Manager.
Honorary Club Secretary
Ken Potter has done an outstanding job as Honorary Club Secretary, but his term will end this year. We urgently need someone to step into this role, which involves managing club correspondences, processes, and documents, organizing meetings, and ensuring adherence to our Club Constitution and RFU Compliance. If you’re interested in taking on some or all of this role, please contact me ASAP. We’ll work on a handover program to help you grow into the position.
There’s much more happening at the club, and you can stay updated by visiting our [news page]
Don’t miss the JOCA Outdoor Swim on 7th December and the launch of The Scrum Club, thanks to Jim Beavan and Ross Loveday. More info is available [here]
JOCA
Fancy a dip? Take a look at how you can support your/our mental health:
https://harlowrugby.club/joca/
We continue to build our club culture, this month’s message focuses on activities that help us build a culture of pride, connection, and shared purpose that will carry us forward for years to come. If you are interested in helping build this culture, please drop me an email chairman@harlowrugby.club we’d love to have representation from all our teams. Let’s build this together.
Looking forward to seeing you all around the club soon or at the meet the chair session on 13th November.
Paul Eynon
Chair & Interim Chair of Rugby
Harlow Rugby Club
