DEVON RFU are promoting a new strategy for maintaining and increasing participation in the 18-24 male playing group.

Last year we spent £4,000 supporting women & girls rugby in many clubs across the county. This year we are allocating £3,500 to support the male 18-24 age group. We will be marking three deadline dates providing opportunities to provide funding support. The relevant dates are 1st. September 10th January 2019 and 1st. April 2019 deadlines across the year to apply for funds.

These funds can be used to grow 18-24 participations in rugby within your club in many ways, for example by funding a ‘pitch-up-and-play’ session, to buy new equipment vital for sustaining your growth, or flyers.

To apply to access these funds you will need to apply on a form (see below or email John Drew for one) and submit to John Drew, Chairman of Player Development before January 10th 2019.

Your application should detail a growth action plan on how you would use a funding grant from Devon RFU to grow 18-24 rugby at your club, taking into consideration:

• Welcoming club environment

• Marketing and promotion

• Player recruitment

• Workforce

• Kit & equipment

• What is the return on investment

Once you have applied for funds your application will be passed to a committee who review all applications and will award the grant based on merit. We will prioritize funding for recruitment events that will grow the number male players aged 18 to 24 playing rugby at your club. Lower priority will be the funding of equipment. We will not usually fund kit (i.e. playing shirts).

If you are successful Devon RFU will then pay the grant award to your club, on the condition that you submit a report after the funds have been spent detailing the impact that the grant has made on growth at your club.

All RFU Accredited clubs in Devon are eligible to apply.

Please note that there will be up to one-month turnaround between the deadline and us being able to communicate the results of the round, to allow us to independently review all applications. Please bare this in mind with applying, so as not to have an event that would start before 01/02/19.

We would be promoting in your consultation process that your club involves your RDOs Rob Masters or Jason Luff so that we can prioritize RFU & Devon RFU Growth targets within your grant application.

 Please can I emphasize that the application must be submitted on an official form, which can be downloaded HERE.  All clubs have also been sent a form via email.