Rugby Camp Applications

Research has shown that children that play and train regularly with a club or school benefit from a break during school holidays and in the summer months to avoid the negative impact that continuous rugby activity has on their long-term involvement in and enjoyment of the game. However, the RFU recognises that rugby camps during these periods provides opportunities to introduce the game to those with limited exposure to rugby who may suddenly discover its appeal.

However, the RFU require, in accordance with Regulation 15.9 that when such camps are organised at rugby clubs they have to be approved by the local Constituent Body, GRFU. Such camps may be organised by the club or, often, may involve a commercial organisation who hire the facilities or share any profits. In these circumstances, the club is required to seek approval of GRFU; not the commercial company.

A commercial company may run such camps on private or common ground. In these circumstances the commercial company is not obliged to seek approval from GRFU, but may feel there are benefits in doing so.

Some commercial companies run camps as part of a series of events that are located at rugby clubs or on private / common land across the country. Such regional camps have to be approved by the RFU’s legal department. Therefore, clubs should not formally agree the use of their facilities until the commercial company seeks and is given approval by the RFU’s legal department.

If a camp, either with or without a commercial company, is using a school’s or college’s facilities, the school or club must seek approval from their own CB, either ERFSU or ECRFU as appropriate.

What does approval provide?

• A rugby camp run at a club by club members. For this type of event approval from GRFU must be sought. Without such approval the club may put at risk its reliance on the RFU’s insurance for catastrophic injury during rugby activity and the RFU’s 3rd party insurance.
• A rugby camp run at a club, but in association with a commercial organisation. In these circumstances it is still the club’s responsibility to submit the required paperwork and seek approval. If approval is given by GRFU, this confers the RFU’s catastrophic rugby injury insurance on the camp, but not the RFU’s 3rd party liability. Therefore, as part of the application process the club will need to submit a copy of the commercial company’s 3rd party liability insurance policy and policies to cover any non-rugby activity planned.
• A rugby camp run on private / common land solely by a commercial organisation. While the commercial company is not obliged to seek approval from GRFU, such approval would mean that the camp is covered by the RFU’s catastrophic injury cover relating to a rugby injury, but again not the RFU’s 3rd party liability. Therefore, as part of the application process the organisation will need to submit a copy of its 3rd party liability insurance policy and policies to cover any non-rugby activity planned.

Approval process.

The application process should be submitted at least one month before the date of the camp and, ideally, well before that.

For a camp held at a rugby club run by club members use this [link]
For a camp involving a commercial organisation use this [link]