Ulster Rugby - Annual Report 2017-18

Coaching At the start of the season 84% of teams from mini through to adult were operating with the minimum of at least one appropriately qualified coach per team. As a result of targeted course delivery throughout the season, this figure increased to 86%. To ensure that coaches had the opportunity to attain qualifications the rugby development team delivered courses provincially through Stages One - Three of the IRFU LTPD and invited coaches to attend the nationally run Stage Four head and assistant coaching courses. The breakdown of courses and coaches attending is shown below: -

The IRFU remained the largest financial provider for the Domestic Game through the provision of an annual Service Level Agreement which contributed to the deployment of a significant number of development officers across the province. In addition, funding was also received from a number of other organisations to support the deployment of specific staff including: - — Sport Northern Ireland – Its ‘Sporting Clubs’ programme supported three posts within the Domestic Game. This funding continued from the previous ‘Performance Focus’ programme in contributing the lion’s share of funding to sustain the roles of the Rugby Development Manager & Rugby Operations Manager, so vital to the support of Domestic rugby in Ulster. This new programme saw a third role of Female Rugby Co-ordinator, added to the staffing profile to bring a focus to developing the capacity of female rugby in the province. — Department for Communities – The ‘Home for Lifelong Volunteering Programme’ delivered its sixth successful year of Club and volunteer development focussed activity in conjunction with the Irish FA and Ulster GAA. Funding to the value of £44,660 contributed to the employment of two dedicated roles up until the 31st March 2018. An application for the continuation of the project is currently being considered by the Department. In addition, other funds were accessed throughout the year to support the delivery of specific projects. These have included:- — SEUPB Peace IV – Ulster Rugby, in partnership with the Irish FA and Ulster GAA, secured £1.6 million (£0.5 million to Ulster Rugby) for a symbolic and unique cross-border project entitled ‘Sport Uniting Communities’ which utilised sport to promote good relations and reconciliation across the nine counties of Ulster. The project commenced at the end of 2017 and will be delivered for a four year period until August 2021. The collaboration project hopes to reach seventeen thousand people of differing backgrounds, particularly across the political divide, with the aim of changing perceptions and building sustained relationships. — Department for Communities – £27,950 was awarded by the Department for Communities through Sport Northern Ireland to deliver a legacy project associated with the Women’s Rugby World Cup (WRWC) 2017. The project aimed to enhance the capability and sustainability of rugby Clubs with female teams and to create participation opportunities aligned to the WRWC. Twenty one Clubs and over six hundred participants successfully completed the project, which involved three key elements. » Direct volunteer recruitment programme which included Club volunteer audits, development of bespoke role descriptions and production of case study videos.

LTPD Stage

Number of Courses

Number of Attendees

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4

5 4 2 1

139 108 41 295 7

Total

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In addition to the delivery of formal courses, coaches were also supported in several other ways including: - — Age Grade Coaching programme.Targeting age grade teams, rugby development staff worked with coaches in 85% of the Schools of Ireland Schools and in 90% of age grade Clubs within Ulster. This support of coaches and their development resulted in the delivery of three hundred and thirteen practical rugby sessions throughout the season. — Regional Rugby Forums – These forums were an excellent way of ensuring that our support was relevant to the needs of our coaches by bringing them together to share experiences and to highlight areas for future development. Throughout the season 25 forums were hosted with 184 Club and School representatives attending. — Coach Development Workshops – The development of coaches was supported through staff engagement at numerous workshops delivered across a variety of stages and topics. A breakdown of stage and delivery is listed below: - LTPD Stage Number of Number of Workshops

Attendee Coaches

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 All stages

10

288 78 67 137 570

6 2 5

Total

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Funding The Ulster Branch continued to work hard to identify and secure additional sources of funding to grow its own programmes and to support our affiliated Clubs and Schools.

IRFU ULSTER BRANCH ANNUAL REPORT 2017/18

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