Age Grade Rugby at the Brods

Our junior section
Head down to the Brods on a Sunday and you will be in no doubt over the importance of rugby to so many of our young players, and to the commitment of the club to support those players in their rugby journey. For nearly fifty years, under the stewardship of countless committed and enthusiastic volunteers, we have built a junior section which we are rightly proud of, and which continues to be the steppingstone to senior rugby and beyond – building lifelong bonds of friendship through this sport we all love.

So many of our senior players started their rugby journey as minis or juniors at Woodhead Park, developing skills and friendships that last a lifetime, and often go on to contribute to this great club off the field once their playing days are behind them.

The RFU defines a junior as someone under 18 and organises the rules and expectations of players according to age in an Age Grade structure that we follow. Girls can join in until they are 12 when the genders must separate, and they can join one of our girl’s teams.

There are several key principles that underpin age grade rugby at the Old Brodleians, and we continue to strive to hold ourselves to the highest possible standards both on and off the pitch. These things include:

1. Respect – Whether respect for rules, opposition, officials or each other, respect is a core part of how we want our players and parents to always conduct themselves in a fitting manner. We also recognise the role parents and guardians play when it comes to setting examples, reinforcing key messages or just supporting in an uplifting and positive manner.

2. Commitment – The club and its volunteers are here to ensure that the players who spend time at the club do so in a safe and positive environment. Teams have several coaches and a manager who are dedicated to their specific age group. The age grade Chairman oversees the age grade committee which oversees all relevant matters for the wider age grade.

3. Safeguarding – We have a nominated Safeguarding office at the club, and a safeguarding policy in place, which you can read here, which outlines the key objectives and responsibilities. We also have a Coaching Coordinator who takes specific responsibility for driving the development, upskill and consistency of coaching across the club to ensure we can provide the best possible support and coaching for our players.

4. Enjoyment – We want our players to enjoy their rugby at the Brods, whether on the field or off it. Many of our members are lifelong Brodleians, and we want players to continue to be part of our club long after they have hung up their boots.

We love the game of rugby, and we are passionate about the Old Brodleians, and the role it plays in the lives of our players, parents and our community. You can find more information about our age grade rugby below.

Registration and Membership

The RFU, the sport's governing body, requires players to be registered online each season from U7’s upwards.

**REGISTRATION PROCESS**

Register your child on the RFU Game Management System (GMS). You will either need to login to your existing RFU account if you are renewing or register a new account if you are registering for the first time. You will need to register your child as a player to Old Brodleians. There is a link here to explain how to do this.

Volunteering

We are a club that lives and breathes because of our amazing volunteers, and all of the roles within the age grade set up are volunteer positions. There is always room for more fabulous people though, so if you think you can help in any way please speak to your coach or team manager. We only achieve what we achieve because we do so together and we would love for you to join us!

Transport

It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to transport their child to and from the club or meeting point. Should parents make transport arrangements between themselves this is a private arrangement and will not be covered by the clubs’ safeguarding procedure.

PLEASE DO NOT BE LATE WHEN COLLECTING YOUR CHILD.

It is not the coaches’ responsibility to take care of your child once the session has finished. Should this happen the club Safeguarding Officer will be contacted, and the parent will be reminded of their responsibility to collect their child promptly.

Parking

You must only be in designated areas, and make sure that emergency access to all playing and training areas clear at all times. Parking at the club remains at a premium while we are developing new facilities at the site so, please be patient while we work on creating more space for our growing membership.

First Aid

In the event of an injury, the age group first aider will provide initial pitch side assistance.

It is then the responsibility of the parent or guardian or, in their absence, team officials, to decide if further medical help is required.
At the Old Brodleians our age grade groups have trained volunteers that have been advised how to treat common injuries and some rugby specific injuries such as concussion. They carry the RFU standard issue medical kit which will be pitch side for all matches and training sessions.

Concussion protocols MUST be followed, and any suspicion of concussion will result in a player being removed from training or play.

Players MUST follow the RFU use return to play pathway with a minimum of 23 days exclusion from play.

It is the parent’s or guardian’s responsibility to seek further medical advice regarding injury.

Dogs

Whilst we do permit dogs on lead at the club, they should not be allowed on match day pitches as they represent a health risk to all players and age grade players in particular. You must return your dog to your car if asked to do so.