Club Accreditation
Club rugby lies at the heart of rugby in England. It is where the game is played in huge numbers and it is the environment that the RFU Development Department is committed to supporting by ‘strengthening clubs and growing the game in the communities around them’.

Part of this commitment is to introduce a new Club Accreditation scheme that will help all club sections to become stronger, more effective, more efficient and more enjoyable places in which to play rugby. Unlike other accreditation schemes, this one provides a framework for a club to show what it is doing, how it does it, and where it can improve.

The RFU hopes that clubs will be both challenged by the process and enjoy it. It will allow clubs to exhibit all that is good about rugby in their adult sections, mini and youth, women and girls and touch rugby, while demonstrating that this is all achieved in a friendly, welcoming environment.

The Club Accreditation scheme is based upon the six Key Drivers identified as crucial to a strong club:

Retaining & Developing Players
Recruiting New Players
Recruiting & Retaining High Quality Coaches, Volunteers & Referees
Effective & Efficient Facilities
Effective & Efficient Management and Governance
Integration with the Local Community
Each of these Key Drivers, together with the Core Values of the game, is represented within the Club Accreditation scheme and together they represent the component parts of a strong, sustainable club.

The scheme is straightforward and designed to both recognise and assist a club to continually improve, while demonstrating a real commitment to providing all that’s best in rugby union. The RFU’s Community Game Board, a partnership between executive staff and volunteers, sees the scheme as an exciting development in the way the RFU supports its member clubs.

Said Steve Grainger, Rugby Development Director: "In the lead up to Rugby World Cup 2015 we are all aware that our clubs are at the forefront in growing and developing the game. We want to help them to make sure they are at the very heart of their communities, welcoming new players and volunteers, while developing those they already have. To do this successfully they will all be looking to provide the kind of facilities that attract members and to a club that is well run.

Said Rob Udwin, Community Game Board Chairman and Middlesex representative on the RFU Council: “We have tried to ensure that the new system is simpler for clubs than the Seal of Approval. That system will end with the launch of Accreditation and the 85 clubs that have worked so hard to achieve Whole Club SoA status will be automatically accredited, while Rugby Development Officers will work with those who have earned mini and junior status to ensure that they too achieve Accreditation. They are the standard bearers and will continue to be role models for all clubs.”

Club Accreditation
Club Accreditation will bring many advantages for your club, including the Sport England Clubmark for your mini and youth section. It will give your club credibility with local authorities and educational establishments and confer the status of the RFU brand to attract potential sponsors.

There are two ways to register your interest in the Club Accreditation scheme:

A Way of Life
Clubs will be expected to undertake an annual self review as part of the accreditation process with a more formal review with the RDO every two years. This process will form part of the club’s annual development plan