The good news on the rugby front is the return to training for our DHL Stormers. After four months of training on their own, the players are now back together on the field. These training activities are still guided by national regulations as approved by the government.
On the club rugby front, we are ever so proud of our clubs. This past week again saw several of our clubs continue with their outreach projects and this happening under very difficult conditions. Many clubs have support from their previous players and sponsors and this has allowed for the club management and players to follow through on the projects they are busy with.
In some cases clubs have tied up with local organisations which are currently active with outreach projects, this has allowed for these clubs to support according to the needs of the organisation. Some clubs have chosen their charities and brought players and supporters together to work on their own chosen initiatives.
In the absence of game time, several clubs have proceeded with planning sessions to keep their members engaged. These engagements not only include rugby-related matters such as laws and technical matters but also planning around the needs of the players and the local communities. Please send us the details of your projects and initiatives with an email to ffelton@wprugby.co.za
The success of WP Club Rugby has always been attributed to good administration. We all to often think of this as logs and fixtures and other matters relating to matches, but the truth is that club rugby success is based on policies and several other administrative components such as constitutions, financial management, facilities management and more. Over the next few weeks, we will begin the process of regional online meetings to bolster the administrative capacity of our club structures.
The online sessions will look at various requirements and plannin
g for the remainder of the year. Once the planning meetings have concluded we will begin our schedule of online workshops on finance, constitutions and other capacity-building initiatives such as our sponsorship, media and marketing workshops.
We have been hosting the media workshops for several years now and much of this has borne fruit. Today we see several clubs with successful sponsorships, databases and media platforms. These factors are now more important than before and are vital to keeping members and sponsors engaged. The workshop sessions will run weekly in segments which will allow for more intimate engagements. This year will see participants receive a certificate of attendance after completing a few basic questionnaires on the details included in the workshop.
Our referee recruitment drive continues and clubs are again reminded to put forward the names of two individuals from their club to join the referee’s society and become a referee. Although we are a long way from playing rugby it should not stop you from signing up and beginning the journey, as most of the preparation as a referee is online and now is a good time to familiarise yourself
with the laws.
Our members are reminded of the fantastic benefits with African Bank and to enter the competition to win a signed DHL Stormers Rugby Ball and go in the draw to win a Signed DHL Stormers Jersey. The process is very easy, sign up for any of the African Bank services by simply send the word “Hi” to 060 094 2028.
We again remind all our members to adhere to the health and safety protocols to combat the spread of COVID-19. These include washing your hands, practising social distancing and wearing a mask.