In this week's Club Communications, you'll find information on youth player development programmes, a new independant charity focusing on grassroots rugby and a reminder on how to nominate your team for Try of the Month.

Also, find out about the latest coaching minimum standards.

Youth player development programmes

Nominations for this year's Girls Regional Game Series and Player Development Hub programmes are now live.

Both programmes (detailed below) act as a talent identification opportunity for players into regional and national representative programmes and are delivered by Scottish Rugby’s Rugby Development teams.

Girls U16 and U18 Regional Games Series - an entry point to the female youth performance pathway. This season’s RGS will see four regional teams created at U16 and U18 level – Caledonia, East, Glasgow North and Glasgow South. Coaches can nominate U16 and U18 players via SCRUMS, and are encouraged to nominate those players they believe are ready to take the next step into a heightened performance environment.

Boys and Girls U15 Player Development Hub Programme - an entry point to the male and female youth performance pathways. This season’s PDH will be delivered across 12 boys and six girls hub venues, with three training days and a festival towards the end of April. Coaches can nominate U15 players via SCRUMS and are encouraged to nominate those players they believe are ready to take the next step into a heightened performance environment.

Nominations can be made only by coaches who are registered on SCRUMS by clicking ‘Nominate Player’ on the SCRUMS left hand menu HERE.

To find out more about the programmes, their aims and the nomination criteria, please review the information on the website linked below.

Nominations open Tuesday 29 October and close Sunday 24 November 2024.

Player development programmes

Don’t forget to send your submissions for October’s Arnold Clark Try of the Month (Men’s and Women’s) to us by 31 October. Email us at tryofthemonth@sru.org.uk you can attach your video in the email, or include a link for us to download the clip.

Find out more.

The Grassroots Rugby for Everyone Awards Trust (GREAT) is a new independent charity set up to expand grassroots rugby in Scotland.

They aim to do this by receiving donations from people and organisations who care about and wish to improve grassroots rugby and they will award monetary grants to individuals, clubs, schools and communities.

The charity is holding a number of events at clubs across Scotland to help promote its name and its aims. Details can be found on the website where people can find out more information on donations and applications.

GREAT website

Ken Macaulay
Tributes have been made to Scotland Cap number 1215 Ken Macaulay who passed away on Sunday following his charity cycle of over 1000 miles to visit the 76 Scottish clubs he played at throughout his rugby career.

Thanks must go to those clubs he visited on his cycle where he was made to feel welcome and supported in his fundraising efforts for four charaties close to his heart; Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, Murrayfield Injured Players Foundation (Scotland) and Prostate Scotland.

The donation page is still open should peope still wish to donate.

Donation page

Coaching minimum standards
This season sees the roll out of the new coaching minimum standard for coaches of contact rugby in Scotland – U9 (P4) through to Adult Rugby.

The new minimum standard requires coaches to:

Be registered on SCRUMS
Possess a PVG (if coaching players under the age of 18)
Have completed RugbyRight, Scottish Rugby’s annual player welfare online course
Have a coaching qualification (minimum of Coaching Essentials or equivalent)

This is to ensure that every player is being coached by someone who can safely develop the tackle and deliver fun and engaging sessions.

What can clubs do?
The deadline for achieving minimum standards was 31 August. By 31 October 2024 all active coaches should have completed RugbyRight and have a qualification (or to be signed up to a course).

Clubs should also ensure that their ‘Active Coaching’ lists are up to date, ensuring any coaches who are no longer at the club are removed, whilst adding in new coaches.

A guide on how to do this can be found below.

Managing coach information (PDF)