Login Children are the lifeblood of the game and it is crucial that they are cared for in the correct manner. Any player under the age of 18 is classed as a child and should be respected as such.
As a parent you will no doubt want your child to enjoy their involvement in rugby union in a safe, friendly environment where there are opportunities to learn and develop rugby skills whilst also having fun.
Cheshire RFU works with the RFU, member clubs and schools to ensure that young people enjoy rugby union in a constructive environment.
In order to provide young people with the best possible experiences and opportunities in the sport of rugby union, it is imperative that everyone operates within an accepted ethical framework and demonstrates exemplary behaviour.
This not only ensures the game makes a positive contribution to the development of young people, safeguards them and promotes their welfare but also protects all personnel from allegations of abuse or poor practice.
The RFU provides a wide range of advice, policies and guidance notes that will help clubs to operate safely and effectively.
Children are the lifeblood of the game and it is crucial that they are cared for in the correct manner. Any player under the age of 18 is classed as a child and should be respected as such.
As a parent you will no doubt want your child to enjoy their involvement in rugby union in a safe, friendly environment where there are opportunities to learn and develop rugby skills whilst also having fun.
Cheshire RFU works with the RFU, member clubs and schools to ensure that young people enjoy rugby union in a constructive environment.
In order to provide young people with the best possible experiences and opportunities in the sport of rugby union, it is imperative that everyone operates within an accepted ethical framework and demonstrates exemplary behaviour.
This not only ensures the game makes a positive contribution to the development of young people, safeguards them and promotes their welfare but also protects all personnel from allegations of abuse or poor practice.
The RFU provides a wide range of advice, policies and guidance notes that will help clubs to operate safely and effectively.
announce the new online RFU Safeguarding Referral Form is now live! Many thanks to those of you who tested this out for us.
The online form replaces the PDF and allows individuals to report concerns securely via computer, tablet, or smartphone – ultimately, it is an easier and quicker way to report concerns to the RFU Safeguarding Team. From a club/CB perspective, although the method of reporting has changed from PDF to an online form, it’s business as usual!
How does the online RFU Safeguarding Referral Form work?
What does this mean for me as a CBSM/Assistant?
What do I need to promote this?
We recognise that there will be a period of transition and may still receive PDF referrals where CSOs are not aware of the changes. The PDF form is embedded within several documents and training, so we will be working across this next period to implement these changes.
Thanks for your ongoing support and if you have any questions on the online form or process, please contact safeguarding@rfu.com.
To ensure the highest level of safeguarding in English rugby, and to support its numerous safeguarding volunteers, the RFU offers a range of safeguarding courses at clubs across the country. To view a schedule of all the designed for club officials (Managers, Coaches etc) ‘Play it Safe’ Courses and the ‘In Touch’ course designed for Club Welfare Officers Workshops that have been arranged so far this season, please visit the RFU’s safeguarding website (RUSAFE).
Application forms for existing courses, booking forms and contact details for the RFU’s safeguarding department are also available through the RUSAFE website, as is further information on how to get involved with the RFU’s safeguarding programme.
There is also a library of resources for volunteers involved in the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults.
Courses
All Courses to be booked via RDO
Current available courses can be found via https://www.englandrugby.com/run/safeguarding/safeguarding-courses
For further information about Cheshire RFU’s Safeguarding Policy, please contact our Acting Safeguarding Manager Colin Free, Mobile: 07770 362117 Email:safeguarding@cheshirerfu.co.uk
Useful Contacts
RFU Child Protection Helpline
24hr Answerphone – 0208 831 6655 – (non-emergency)
NSPCC Helpline
0808 800 5000 – www.mspcc.org.uk – (for adults 24 hours)
Safeguarding
concerns or queries – 0208 831 7479 – rmg@therfu.com
Child Protection in Sport Unit
0116 234 7278 – www.thecpsu.org.uk
DBS queries
0208 831 7454 – DBSeapp@therfu.com
Childline
0800 1111 – (for children – 24 hours)
RFU Safeguarding Training Courses
RFU Information for parents and volunteers
Information for parents and volunteers
Contents:
1. General Regulation and Playing Principles
5. Playing Out of Age Grade Table
7. England Academy, Player Development Group, England U18 Players and Representative Rugby
8. Season and Out of Season Activity
9. Approval of Competitive Activity, Rugby Camps and Tours
11. Duration of Matches, Coaching and Training Sessions
Regulation 15 is supplemented by the following documents:
Teamwork • Discipline • Respect • Enjoyment • Sportsmanship
Everyone involved in rugby in England, whether as a player, coach, referee, administrator, parent or spectator is expected to uphold the Core Values of our sport.
CODE OF RUGBY
A PDF of the Code of Rugby can be viewed and downloaded
The RFU’s aim is to create a culture where everyone feels confident to raise legitimate concerns without prejudice to their own position. Concerns about the behaviour of coaches, officials or any members of the paid and volunteer workforce which may be harmful to a child or vulnerable adult in their care must be reported to the RFU Safeguarding Team through the Club Safeguarding Officer or CB Safeguarding Manager.
While remembering that it is the safety and welfare of children and vulnerable adults that is of paramount importance, there will be times when those responsible will need to exercise discretion and common sense to ensure their wellbeing. This guidance is designed to provide information on a number of different topics which CBs, clubs and their volunteers and employees may find useful and will help them to create safe, friendly and welcoming environments for children and vulnerable adults. Further guidance is available from the Club Safeguarding Toolkit, when it is published or from rfu.com/ManagingRugby, or the RFU Safeguarding Team.
Mandatory Vetting of Volunteers and Employees
Adults working with children and vulnerable adults in a voluntary or paid capacity in rugby union must have an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (DBS) disclosure processed and risk assessed by the RFU.
Please read the related document below for further information on Vetting Volunteers and Employees.
Putting RFU Policy into Practice – Safe Recruitment
It is essential when considering an incident or concerns involving a vulnerable adult to, where possible, obtain the consent of the vulnerable adult before referring the matter to a statutory agency.
STAY CALM – REASSURE – NO PROMISES – FEW QUESTIONS – FOLLOW GUIDE
Safeguarding vulnerable people is everyone’s responsibility. This means that everyone in rugby has a responsibility to respond to any concerns that they or others, may have about a child or vulnerable adult, or the behaviour of an adult.
Please refer to the related document below for more information
https://www.englandrugby.com/run/safeguarding/sharing-concerns
The RFU Safeguarding team recognise how valuable parents and volunteers are to the rugby club. They offer time, effort and expertise and we want to ensure that parents and volunteers are fully equipped to be best suited to support the rugby club.
We want to ensure that parents understand just how impactful they can be on their child’s development in rugby. We would strongly encourage parents to do the following:
For volunteers in rugby, as well as parents, we have put together the below resource library. This library contains guidance notes that take mandatory expectations from the RFU Safeguarding Policy and Regulation 21, and supplements them with additional information and advice that clubs may find useful. It is recommended that these guidance notes are adopted by clubs, unless exceptional circumstances arise.
The DBS process is a crucial part of an effective recruitment process. Any club operating rugby for those under the age of 18 is deemed a children’s service provider, which means that certain legislation and commitments must be adhered to.
Regulation 21 describes the requirements of the RFU DBS process, further information is provided in the RFU SafeguardingAdultspolicyandprocedures of the requirements within a rugby setting.
One significant aspect of providing a children’s service is ensuring that a thorough recruitment process is followed, including interviewing potential volunteers, seeking references, checking qualifications are valid, on-going monitoring and carrying out DBS checks via the RFU.
All DBS applications must be obtained through the RFU Safeguarding Department and DBS disclosures issued through other Registered Bodies are not accepted.
The DBS issue a certificate for ALL DBS applications – therefore, simply having a DBS certificate does not mean applicants have been approved by the RFU. The certificate is sent directly from the DBS to the applicant’s home address and the RFU does not receive a copy of the DBS disclosure. All applications and results are, however, actively monitored by the RFU Safeguarding Team.
Only when an individual appears on GMS with a “current” DBS status are they deemed “approved/cleared” to work unsupervised with U18s, so it is crucial that clubs monitor GMS, have an up-to-date Child Workforce list and manage those engaged in the youth game.
If a DBS returns containing information, the RFU will instigate the rfu_dbs_disclosure_management_process and failure to comply with this process will result in the individual being removed from coaching U18s.
On occasion, the RFU will contact a club requesting a reference for an individual. It is imperative that written communication is supplied upon request so that the RFU can carry out a thorough risk assessment when managing a DBS disclosure.
Applicants (and clubs where necessary) will be informed of the outcome of the DBS Case Management Process in writing. Additionally the GMS site will be updated to reflect a Current or Rejected DBS status.
Only when a “current” status appears against an individual on GMS are they deemed “DBS cleared” by the RFU.
All adults who have regular supervisory contact with young people must undertake DBS disclosure through the RFU within Four Weeks of their appointment to a position which involves regular supervisory contact with young people. The RFU does not accept DBS’s obtained through third parties, e.g. schools, local authorities or other sports governing bodies. All staff and volunteers must renew their RFU DBS disclosure every 3 years
To qualify for an Enhanced DBS check, the employment or position must be classed as a Regulated Activity. Within a rugby setting, the position must meet the following criteria in order to be deemed Regulated Activity –
Activity: Teaching, training, instruction, care or supervision of children, carried out by the same person frequently (once a week or more often), or on 4 or more days in a 30-day period, or overnight, all on an unsupervised basis.
Age Grade Rugby (up to U18) – Player Registration, Forms and Record Keeping
Following a range of queries about procedures I hope the following will answer many frequently asked questions.
The regulations state : 15.15 Player Eligibility and Player Registration
15.15.1 Each Club must ensure all its Age Grade players are registered as youth players by completing the RFU Youth Player Registration Form and are registered on the RFU’s data system within 45 days of their first joining the Club.
15.15.2 Constituent Bodies and/or event organisers may require Registration cards and copies of any special dispensations issued to be taken to each Club match or festival. Team managers must produce these documents for inspection by the opposition or Match Officials if requested.
15.15.3 Subject to competition regulations, a player may qualify to represent an Age Grade representative team in a Constituent Body for that season if the player meets one of the following criteria:
(a) he/she attends a School affiliated to that Constituent Body;
(b) he/she resides in that Constituent Body for any part of that season;
(c) he/she was born in that Constituent Body;
(d) he/she is a registered playing member of a Club affiliated to that Constituent Body;
(e) he/she played for that Constituent Body in a representative fixture the previous season.
15.15.4 Membership of a Constituent Body’s Developing Player Programme (DPP)/ Elite Player Development Group (EPDG) or an Academy does not entitle a Player to play for that Constituent Body if the Player does not satisfy one of the previous criteria.
15.15.5 Where a Player has not been selected for a Constituent Body the Divisional Chairman of Selectors may allow the Player to play for another Constituent Body for which the Player is not qualified if it is in the interests of the Player’s development.
Photo ID Cards
The RFU advice is that as young players change physically it may be appropriate to change the photograph from time to time and every 3 years is the suggested update point.
So that assuming a young player starts at U7 then the photograph would be renewed at :U10, U13, U16
Anyone joining the team at intermediate ages would catch up with a new photo in these changeover seasons.
Age Grade Regulations
Regulations in respect of playing out of age grade are set out in the regulations and can be found at
If a player leaves Club or moves permanently into Adult Rugby – then all their records can be destroyed under confidential conditions although it would be sensible to retain a record of the unique RFU ID Number as if they then change their minds and return their basic registration with the RFU can be recovered.
Storage of Photo ID Cards – this is a matter for individual club policy. The Photo ID Card does contain some confidential information but mainly comprises a photograph, name, RFU I.D. Number and date of birth so there is no direct contact information on the card. Obviously every effort must be made to look after such I.D. Cards but this could be the responsibility of team coaches or team managers, or they could be centrally controlled by the club. Many clubs recover cards at the end of the season, keeping and reviewing them ready for issuing them again at the start of the following season.