2024 NLD Conference

Richard Lightbown presented the RFU Recipes for Success – nine key ingredients for success identified from the RFU sponsored study to establish what has contributed to operating successful community clubs.

Tim Bembridge, NLD Discipline, Paul John, NLD Referee Society, Jeff Mapp, NLD Chair

Club officials will know that there can be significant sanctions for clubs not adhering to the rugby’s core values throughout their organisation, including the loss of league points or worse. More importantly, we know that bad experiences on the pitch, on the touchline and in the clubhouse can lead to people leaving the game.  

We cannot expect to attract new match officials, players, supporters or volunteers if we cannot guarantee that matches are played in a safe environment and that we all seek to maintain the game’s core values during our time at our rugby clubs. 

The NLD Referee’s Society and NLD Discipline Committee offered ways to help clubs demonstrate rugby’s core values on the pitch and in the clubhouse. This should help clubs establish a safe environment to help them retain players, match officials, volunteers, supporters and parents while also avoiding sanctions due to poor behaviour. 

NLD Youth Council with Tim Wilbraham, NLD Head of Age Grade Rugby.

The NLD Youth Council is a group of young volunteers aged 16 to 23, who represent young people from Minis and Juniors through to the transition from U18 to adult rugby. They want to promote the idea of clubs appointing their own Youth Council representatives.

During this conference session, the NLD Youth Council talked about how they operate and the projects in which they are involved; principally they talked about the Club Youth Representatives Forum.

In addition to the presentation material, the Youth Council have provided summary notes from the session

Alan Staines and Richard Marelli covered the NLD Schools Charter, shared learnings for establishing club-school links, insights into how clubs may retain college and university students, and more…

Also, below is the Age Grade to Adult Transition Guide

Useful ideas and resources related to acquiring and retaining volunteers