Hertfordshire RFC’s GoPlayRugby Campaign

Since the introduction of professional rugby union the game appears perilously close to a sense of humour failure and it seems to be fast losing the charm, goodwill and sense of humour that marked it out from just about every other game on the planet.

Inadequate player recruitment and retention at all levels of the game, including schools, has resulted in steadily declining numbers over a sustained period of time. If we are to keep the best team game on the planet thriving we must nourish its roots to ensure we leave behind a positive legacy for future generations to enjoy.

In support of this objective the RFU are investing in a national recruitment campaign with a target of recruiting 6,000 players between the ages of sixteen and thirty. This will engage some 600 clubs, 100 universities and will involve a dedicated RFU support network. It has been planned to coincide with the Rugby World Cup 2007 and the RFU will leverage the event with an aggressive national and regional media campaign.

In support of this the majority of our constituent clubs have seized the opportunity to benefit from this welcome RFU initiative and by working closely with the County Campaign Team significant progress has already been made in Hertfordshire.

Our campaign was launched on April 18 at the University of Hertfordshire Sports Village. Over twenty clubs attended and with Andy Farrell, Saracens RFC and England, fully backing our campaign the evening was a great success.

Follow up workshops covering such topics as, Players Recruit Players, Welcoming New Players and Volunteers and How to Organise Rugby World Cup Events, have taken place in May, early June and a final one at beginning of July just prior to the national launch on July 9.

Our target is to recruit 160 new players across Hertfordshire and I am sure with the enthusiasm shown by clubs attending the two most recent workshops that we will achieve our goal.

Ross Hopcroft

Hertfordshire GoPlayRugby Campaign Leader

GoPlayRugby hits Cinemas

Hertfordshire Rugby Football Union

Press Notice

 

RUGBY HITS BIG SCREEN WITH CINEMA CAMPAIGN

The Go Play Rugby campaign to recruit more players hits the big screen this week with an advert being shown in 294 cinemas in England.

The 20 second commercial will be screened before the Bourne Ultimatum movie on August 17 to 31 and reach an audience of more than 1.2million.

Fans will also get the chance to watch Rugby World Cup games for free in 20 selected Odeons in September and October as part of the Go Play Rugby recruitment drive.

Players from the Cinderford, Old Patesians, Bredon and Cirencester clubs took part in filming for the cinema advert at Hartpury College in Gloucestershire last month.

The action follows one former player, George Brooks, who experiences a range of emotions as he's welcomed back into the sport and back onto the field.

"We wanted to look at someone going back to the game, to make it realistic and have a character people in our target audience could identify with," said director Simon Tate.

"We follow him through the trepidation he feels, to being welcomed into the dressing room, going on to the field and feeling the joy and elation of playing again, then in enjoying the social side as he’s accepted back into the fold.

"That emotional journey is reflected in the way that the film is shot with colours washed out at the start and gradually introduced to give a feeling of warmth he feels more comfortable."

The Go Play Rugby team opted to run the commercial alongside the Bourne Ultimatum as the film most likely to fit the target audience of male former players aged 16-30.

It also fits in with a innovative media campaign being followed up by local clubs who have trained recruitment teams armed with resources like banners, posters, beermats and business cards.

The aim is to make contact with former players and encourage them back into the game by directing them to the www.goplayrugby.com website and to find their nearest Go Play Rugby clubs by texting their postcode to 64411.

A longer two-minute version of the film will be screened as part of a promotional package before Rugby World Cup games are shown in Odeon cinemas during the tournament that kicks off next month.

The 20 Odeons involved are at: Bath, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Covent Garden, Guildford, Huddersfield, Hull, Kingston, Leicester, Liverpool, Maidenhead, Maidstone, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Sheffield, Southampton, Taunton, Weston-super-Mare, Wimbledon.

Entry to these licensed venues will be free and all the games involving England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are being shown as are all of the knock-out stages.

"It should be a great opportunity to watch the game on a large screen, in a comfy chair and in a great atmosphere," said Go Play Rugby team leader Andy Lees. "It's also a unique opportunity for clubs to recruit and target rugby enthusiasts."

Go Play Rugby, the largest recruitment drive ever mounted by a sport in the United Kingdom, aims to bring former players back into the game and is timed to coincide with this year’s Rugby World Cup.

The £1m campaign involves more than 700 clubs and 130 universities and colleges, and is funded by the Rugby Football Foundation and National Sports Foundation with the support of commercial sponsors Chelsea Building Society and O2.

Go Play Rugby will remind former players what they are missing and how they can get back to enjoying rugby and all it can offer. The aim is to bring 6,000 players – the equivalent of 400 new teams – back to the game this season.

ends

For more information about the Hertfordshire Go Play Rugby campaign contact Ross Hopcroft at rhopcrof@csc.com or Peter Engledow at peterengledow@rfu.com

Herts Skipper selected for England Counties

Hertfordshire's skipper, Dave Archer, has received just reward for his outstanding performances in the resen County Championship by being selected for the England Counties XV for the inaugural FIRA/AER Festival to be held in South West France from September 5/13, 2007.

The England RU Counties XV, the representative flagship of the County Championship and the game outside the Premiership, have stayed true to their development ethos by naming 14 previously untried players in their squad of 26. The Counties XV, which included Hertfordshire's Chris Rainbow, recently returned from a successful first trip to Russia, but only six of the squad that beat Russia in the Test match that wrapped up that three-match visit will be on duty in France.

Because of the impact of the National Division One league programme and the promotion of Esher to that section, the squad for France is drawn from National Division Two and below, hence the significant change of personnel.

One message the survivors will surely be passing on to the newcomers, however, is that the opening game of the three-match programme, against Russia in Fleurance, near Auch, will be a serious test of technique and temperament.

The Counties XV defeated Russia 23-21 in their most recent game, but had to defend doggedly to hold on for the win, which was only secured when an injury time conversion attempt by the Russians went wide.

Says Counties XV Manager Jim Robinson: “All three Russian sides were extremely competitive on home soil and I’ve no doubt that when they come to this festival, they will be just as passionate and skilful. Their links with France have helped to shape what is a very exciting and ambitious style and it offers us a serious challenge. Of course part of our remit is player development on both sides of the scale and I know we learned plenty from the Russian trip. Now we take on our old friends the French Amateur side, who will be very keen to redress the balance of recent results have gone our way, while we will also be extending our horizons by playing Spain for the first time.

“The festival is a first for all the teams taking part and I know it will be a competitive, challenging affair which our players will learn from. Most will be wearing an England shirt for the first time and I know they will rise to the occasion and wear the jersey with pride. The players have been chosen because of their form in the County Championship and I’m excited that we have a squad with so many young players who have already made their mark in the competition.”

The England Counties XV itinerary is: September 6: England v Russia in Fleurance (17.00); September 10: England v Spain in Morlaas (17.00); September 13: England v France in Saint-Paul Les Dax (18.00).

The England Counties squad is:

Craig Aikman (Halifax & Lancashire), David Allen (Blackheath & Kent), David Archer (Henley & Hertfordshire), Thomas Bason (Blackheath & Kent), Dan Cooper (Durham University & Durham), Glenn Cooper (Redruth & Somerset), Kyle Dench (Otley & Yorkshire), James Doherty (Wharfedale & Yorkshire), Daniel Hyde (Otley & Yorkshire), Darren Jacques (Redruth & Cornwall), Thomas Jarvis (Stourbridge & Gloucestershire), James Jenner (Stourbridge & Gloucestershire), Peter Joyce (Redruth & Cornwall), Chris Malherbe (Wharfedale & Yorkshire), Paul Mooney (Otley & Northumberland), Frankie Neale (Blackheath & Kent), Matt Owen (Manchester & Cheshire), Matthew Payne (Henley & Oxfordshire), Tristan Roberts (Cinderford & Kent), Chris Rowland (Stourbridge & Somerset), Nicholas Royle (Fylde & Lancashire), Alastair Simmie (Durham University & Durham), Alex(Jack) Smales (Tynedale & Northumberland), Richard Snowball (Otley & Yorkshire), James Tideswell (Stourbridge & North Midlands), Liam Wordley (Henley & Staffordshire).