Mini & Youth - Out of Season Training

Please click HERE for Dorset & Wilts guidance on M&Y out of season training. If you have any questions please refer to your RDO or the 'Youth' HERE
Dave Wookey can also be contacted at dwrfu.youthadmin@ntlworld.com  mb: 07850 625018

A message from Arthur Bowden, Dorset & Wilts Chair of Governance

To Officers of all D&W Clubs – Senior & Junior/Mini Sections

Fellow Volunteers in Rugby:

Recent incidents in games of U14s, U16s and U18s are giving us great cause for concern.  There have been several assaults that have involved some Police intervention and may result in criminal records.  This is because the general standard of behaviour is very poor – including extreme abuse of referees and invasion of the playing area, even though the rules and regulations require them to be roped off.

Senior games have the usual numbers of players appearing before the Disciplinary Committee.  It is the younger sections that seem to have embraced the wrong culture: with over-zealous coaches; the ‘win at all costs’ attitude; referee abuse, which drives away our referees; and other selfish and uncontrolled behaviour.  It takes all the fun and enjoyment out of Rugby – for everyone.

Senior sections of clubs are responsible for the behaviour of their junior and mini sections.  All games played at the club should be monitored.  The Club Disciplinary Committee should not be reactive, but proactive: enrol other club members to help on a rota basis.

If you want guidance - D&W RFU has its 4 Daves to advise you -

• Dave Dove and Dave Beck to help you with Disciplinary matters
  (Alistair Morrison can also advise about Youth & Schools Discipline),
• Dave Wookey – Junior/Minis Regulations, Player Registration of all sorts
• Dave Harris - Safeguarding, Health & Safety.

Unless we respond firmly to bad behaviour on the pitch and on the touchline, this problem will get out of control.  Clubs must discipline their players, officials and spectators.  Referees are quite right to abandon games when behaviour deteriorates; and please remember that clubs and individuals will be called before the CB Disciplinary Committee if their conduct brings the game in to disrepute.  There, if offences are admitted or proven then the “appropriate punishment” shall include, but shall not be limited to:

1. For a person: a reprimand, a financial penalty or suspension from playing and/or administration; 
2. For a Club: in addition to the sanction set out in section (a) above, financial or other compensation, deduction of league points or relegation, exclusion or disqualification from any competition.  Where a competition does not fall within the jurisdiction of the RFU a Club may be required to withdraw from that competition

The RFU distributes posters (such as The Code of Rugby) to all clubs and these reminders should be on prominent display in Clubhouses.  Coaches and others who foment trouble must be banned from the touchline.  Clubs will know their potential ‘trouble-makers’ and might suggest that they attend Anger Management courses, if need be.  They only bring their club into disrepute and are unsatisfactory role models to the youngsters under their control.

To those clubs which already take a firm control and deal with these problems – I thank you.

Yours sincerely,
Arthur Bowden
Chairman of Governance.

Important Message from Dorset & Wilts - Referee Abuse

Dorset & Wilts RFU and the D&W Referees society are concerned about an increase in the number of cases of ‘Referee abuse’ being brought to our attention. This can involve cases on the field of play but also instances of ‘abuse’ from the touchline and also within match reports contained in press/website reports.

Rugby is unique in the core values it promotes and upholds and this should apply to everyone involved in the game. One of the values is ‘Respect’ which applies to everyone, especially the referee.

There is an old saying ‘Without a Referee, there would be no game’ and this holds very true. The D&W referees society is stretched to cover all games that take place over a weekend, whether it is Saturday or Sunday and if the Referee is not enjoying the game, there is every risk he will stop giving up his free time to referee.

If the level of ‘Abuse’ continues then some clubs could run the risk of not only not having a society referee appointed for games, but they could also be asked to appear in front of the D&W Disciplinary committee to answer for the actions of their players/coaches/parents/spectators.

The level of sanctions that could be imposed upon clubs can range from individual fines, through club fines into player suspensions and ultimately clubs being banned from playing for a period of time. If this arises and for instance you have league matches, you do not get the chance to ‘postpone’ the game, if the club is banned then all sides would have to concede the match, resulting in the standard 5 point deduction. This could be the difference between gaining and missing promotion for example. Clubs may even have ‘points deductions’ imposed on them by the Disciplinary committee.

Clubs have a duty both on and off the field of play to encourage referees and they must deal with anyone who ‘oversteps’ the line and enters, what can best be described as the ‘football mentality’.

Finally can we draw to your attention appendix 6 in the D&W Competitions handbook on Touchline protocol- copies can be viewed via the D&W website.

"Rugby, well run, improves society"

Bob Reeves, the RFU President, officially opened the new Trowbridge RFC club house at Doric Park, Paxcroft, Trowbridge today, 4 January, 2014 and also presented the 1XV Cup and players' medals following the club's 25-12 win over Corsham in the Final that took place at Warminster on 21 December, 2013.