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.

Click on the following link for a list of the clubs that have achieved the new Club Accreditation Award (Excel 24kB).

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

  1. Retaining & Developing Players
  2. Recruiting New Players
  3. Recruiting & Retaining High Quality Coaches, Volunteers & Referees
  4. Effective & Efficient Facilities
  5. Effective & Efficient Management and Governance
  6. Integration with the Local Community