NLD U18 Girls Extended Representative Development Programme

This will be a season long programme of development activities to closely align the needs of both the NLD U18 Girl’s and Senior Women’s Squads that includes 3 x County Rugby playing opportunities. We propose to trail this programme for 2024-25 with a view to making this the default programme for U18 girl’s Representative Rugby over the following seasons.

Having spent time over the past 2 “post-covid” seasons looking at ways to improve the rugby offer for U18 Girl’s the NLD Representative Rugby Team feel this new ERDP initiative is the best way to move forward in driving continuity and playing standards with the NLD Female Representative Teams and wider NLD clubs. To do this we need your support. If you are a player who wants to develop their own skills and knowledge of rugby, a club that has facilities you can offer, individuals who want to give back to this wonderful game of rugby or an individual/company who just wants to get involved. We need you/your support.

Our aim is to drive levels of rugby within NLD through the development of individual skills, technical understanding, game management and decision making.

The programme will be designed, with collaboration from various NLD Senior Coaches, to provide continuity and progression, (for players not currently involved within the current RFU Girls Player Pathway), from U16’s into NLD Senior Women’s squads and higher levels of rugby.

We will initially look to select a squad of 30/35 players. We will hold a trial session to which players will be invited to attend, via self-nomination. We will also look to club coaches/U16 DPP and NLD U18 2023/24 coaches. Successful players will then be invited to participate in the U18 ERDP programme.

Sessions will be a mix of mid-week and Sundays, skills focused, looking at topics such as “Kicking from Hand and Tee”, “Line-outs and Lifting”, “Reading the game/decision making” and a programme long focus on player fitness and conditioning.

We will employ guest “specialist coaches” alongside the U18 Girls Representative Coaches to deliver the programme.

Please note:

The 2024/25 Girls U18 Representative Teams will be selected from this programme alone. Nominations to go forward to the RFU Player Pathway Trials, (from the Representative team), will be made from this programme alone.

Players may be added to or deselected from the programme at any time by NLD U18 Girls Representative coaches following appropriate assessment of the players skills/progress/commitment or following a player moving into the RFU Player Pathway.

Players wishing to be considered for the ERDP must nominate themselves using the online form HERE.

We will be looking at previous season NLD/RFU U16DPP and NLD U18 Rep programmes. We are asking that club coaches have realistic conversations with their players as this will be a big commitment for players/parents in terms of time/travel and effort to develop their own skills and knowledge.

There is an expectation for players to have a fair level of skill; passing accurately off both hands 10M, dominant tackling, positional play etc.  As well as running this programme we are looking to select a team to play County matches.  County players will only be selected from the ERDP squad.

Selection for ERDP is via a Trial/Assessment session in Oct.

There is NO automatic selection to the ERDP programme and NO automatic selection to the NLD U18 County Team.

Player application Deadline date is: 15.9.24

Player’s commitment to fully participate in this programme, including session attendance, match participation and completion of goals set by the coaching team.

We will provide appropriate venue, coaching, support and constructive feedback that will enable you to develop skills and knowledge within the XV-a-side game.

Volunteer applications for Coaching/Manager roles are open and can be made by completing the on-line form via the link HERE (preferred method)

Alternatively, you can email [email protected] attaching a short covering letter and current “rugby CV”.

Volunteer application deadline date is 2.9.24

We are also looking for “specialist” coaches to work with our ERDP coaching team to deliver specific sessions:

Kicking (1 or 2 sessions)

Scrum development (1 or 2 sessions)

Strength and Conditioning (3 sessions, (start/middle/end season), along with development plans/assessment of players progress).

If you are interested in applying for any of the “specialist” positions please contact Neil Clack by email at [email protected] or by SMS on 07734 179339

We are urgently looking to clubs within NLD to support the U18 ERDP/County programmes. If you already have a Female rugby offer at your club/want to advertise a fledgling Female rugby set up/happy to support AGR in any way, we are interested in talking to you.

Our needs are small:

1. 1 x Full pitch under lights (mid-week) (Sunday afternoon)
2. Access to clubhouse and 1 x changing room from 18.30 till 21.30 on a weekday evening and 13.00 till 17.00 on a Sunday.
3. Match day food only for approx. 100 people. (approx. £4 per head)

Clubs may raise revenue from these events in anyway that is appropriate to AGR, (except for parking charges on match dates). 100% of any revenue raised by the club is theirs alone.

If you are a club interested in supporting the Girl’s U18 ERDP, please contact Neil Clack, W&G’s Female Rep Rugby Lead via:

Email: [email protected]

or

Text on: 07734179339

I look forward to discussing details and how we can support Girl’s AGR and clubs within NLD.

As with all programmes there is a cost. Along with everyone else/ individual’s/businesses alike we are facing uncertain economic times. Our RFU funding has been reduced and we are looking for partners to help fund certain programmes; Representative rugby, (male and Female County programmes), being one.

We are open to discussion on how we could make a partnership work, (levels of sponsorship, what we can realistically offer to help you advertise your business etc), or if you are individual who wants to give something back to the community; we would love to hear from you.

If you would like to start an informal discussion, please contact the NLD office via email: [email protected]

or you are welcome to contact me via email:

[email protected]