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?

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]