Ulster Rugby Annual Report

— Sponsorship — Child Welfare Officer training — Safe Rugby

groups took part in three club-based blitzes, with a strong focus on creating opportunities for social inclusion. 4. ‘Pitch Up and Play’ (134 participants): Hosted at nine rugby Clubs, the ten-week programmes introduced basic rugby elements to outdoor fitness sessions. All ability levels were catered for, but sessions specifically targeted males and females aged thirty plus. The ‘Your Club Your History’ project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, gathered momentum in September 2018 with the appointment of a Heritage Development Manager. The aim of the project is to encourage and equip Clubs to preserve, develop and share each Club’s unique heritage. This can be in the form of minutes, programmes, newspaper articles records, shirts, photos and digital media, as well as the collection of oral histories to try to capture some of the incidents and characters that have made the Club what it is. Part of the project focuses on the role that rugby and rugby Clubs have played in families, local communities and towns, through some very difficult times. Upon completion of the initial one-year development phase and if successful with the round two application, the project will engage with volunteers, community groups, Schools and other members of the local community in learning, outreach and education programmes in an effort to ensure that social inclusion, community cohesion, active ageing, health and well- being and education are interwoven throughout. As part of Ulster Rugby’s ongoing support for positive mental health, the ‘Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing’ initiative was promoted where possible. In order to continue to support the development of Strength and Conditioning services within Ulster, guidance was provided to ten Schools and Clubs leading to significant facility enhancement and investment. Subway Ulster Rugby Camps have now expanded into a full year programme of thirty-two offerings across the province, involving Halloween, Easter and summer activities. Over fifteen hundred participants attended one of the Junior, School of Excellence, Disability or Rugby Operations staff are responsible for all aspects of the administration of the game, supporting the various committees and working with Clubs and Schools to develop their off-field capability and capacity. Over the 2018/19 season members of staff have delivered a co-ordinated programme of Club information seminars and workshops across a range of topics including: — Volunteer succession planning — Volunteer “Best Practice” — Inclusion training — Anti-Doping Digital Skills Camps. Rugby Operations

The IRFU (Ulster Branch) understands the burden on all Club volunteers and extends its thanks to everyone who continues to drive the game at a local, regional and provincial level. In the 2018/19 season, five hundred and thirty six volunteers across fifty-three Clubs engaged in at least one workshop, with thirty-four Clubs engaging in three or more programmes. The successful Club Development Programme ran again in the 2018/19 season, with seven new Clubs commencing a season-long support project alongside the Club Services Officer. The Clubs involved were Dromore RFC, Ballymena RFC, Ophir RFC, Letterkenny RFC, Cooke RFC, Clogher Valley RFC and Bangor RFC. The aim of the programme is to increase capability, capacity and functionality within the Clubs involved, as well as aid their future development through the creation and implementation of an effective three-five year Club Development Plan. As a result of this programme, eight Clubs have achieved accreditation on the following award standards

IRFU Club Excellence

Ballynahinch RFC Ards RFC Bangor RFC Carrickfergus RFC Larne RFC Lurgan RF&CC Portadown RFC Randalstown RFC

Clubmark NI

It is important to thank all of the Clubs which participated and to recognise and record Branch appreciation of the efforts of all the volunteers in the Clubs and the Ulster Branch staff who worked so hard to ensure these successful outcomes. Spirit of Rugby As in 2017/18, a key focus of the work of Spirit has been in supporting Clubs to achieve ‘green status’ in minimum standards for safeguarding and to implement best practice. As part of this work, in addition to emails and phone calls, the Spirit of Rugby Officer met individually with clubs on thirty seven occasions to support Club Welfare Officers, to build their understanding of the vetting process, explain the use of the Safeguarding section of Clubhouse, and to provide compliance and safeguarding support. — Safeguarding Level 1 – thirteen workshops with two hundred and twenty four participants from thirty four Clubs and thirty three Ulster Rugby staff. — Safeguarding Level 2 – two workshops with twenty one participants from eleven Clubs. — Safeguarding Level 3 – one workshop with thirteen participants from nine Clubs. Over the course of the season, the following safeguarding workshops have been delivered:

— Young leaders — Officer training — Safeguarding — Management of the Women’s game — Funding

13