Cirencester RFC - The Club House

Fundraising challenge for all at Cirencester Rugby

Run for Ashley !

Shout out to all CirencesterRFC senior players, social members, minis and youth, mums and dads.

We are going to be attemp to run from The Whiteway to every single Premiership Rugby Club ground to raise money for the Ashley Scrivens charities and stay healthy and fit for when rugby returns. Plus have some fun too!

It’s simple. Every time you go for a slow plod, jog or anything more athletic, use your running tracking app to track your distance and then senior captain Ollie Gibson a screenshot of your run, either on Facebook or on email oligibson95@icloud.com

Please encourage friends & families to donate any spare pennies to this great cause: here at Virgin Giving page:
https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/OllieGibson

The challenge is LIVE now and ends 20 June.

It is about 1140 kms so let’s get moving all and stay healthy and raise money.

We can do this Ciren! Thank you all and good luck 🙏

DoR Andy Deacon steps down after five years at the helm at Cirencester Rugby

Cirencester Rugby Statement:

DoR Andy Deacon steps down after five years at the helm at Cirencester Rugby

20 May 2020 - Cirencester Rugby DOR Andrew Deacon and former Gloucester Rugby prop forward has announced his decision to step down from his senior rugby role at the club after five years, in a bid to bring further resources into the club when rugby does return.

Luke Stratford (forwards coach) and Harry Cochrane (backs coach) will also not be accepting the club’s offer to continue in their respective roles for the 20/21 season.

Andy Deacon said: “It was an extremely hard decision to make when I handed my resignation to the chairman and president, but I feel it is time to move on in my rugby career and hand over to a new (or old!) face while I consider other opportunities. I have had a fantastic experience overseeing the senior rugby at the club, with many highs and a few lows, meeting some great people along the way and creating friendships that will last beyond my time at the club. After five seasons I believe a new face and voice will re-energise the players and I leave Ciren in good shape with regards to the way it has been professionally run; the facilities and set-up are fantastic for any player and the strong youth section will deliver dividends in the coming years.”

Nick Theakston, president said: “I thank Deacs for everything he has done during the last five years. Over and beyond running the rugby side of the club, he has been a great team player and dedicated committee member. I wish him all good fortune in his next rugby role.”

Deacs went on to say: “Together with the coaches I have overseen a generational player change at the club, which was extremely challenging, but we did it. The young players that have come into the senior playing set up have acquitted themselves well and will continue to develop which will encourage further growth of the senior section.

Chairman Dave Reeves added: “Deacs has been a huge part of the club over the last five years and it will be sad to say farewell to such a fantastic character. His selfless commitment, hard work, determination and above all humility are just a few of the many qualities he has bought to Cirencester in his role as DoR. Throughout his tenure he has maintained a professional and can-do approach to the development of the players and wider club; overseeing a significant period of change within the senior squad that he has tackled with his usual enthusiasm and no-nonsense style. As a result, Deacs leaves the club in great shape, full of young and eager players looking to continue Cirencester’s success. The club and I wish him the very best of luck in his future endeavours and that the friendships he has forged during his time at Ciren endure for many years to come.”

Concluding Deacs said: “I wish all at Cirencester the very best when rugby is back with us and for the opportunity to have played a big part over the years. Thanks also to the Executive Committee for their full support, along with Alasdair Wood (team manager) who has been there with me throughout my time at the club. Good luck for the new season ahead.”

www.crfc.co.uk

Deacs lo

Cirencester Rugby AGM 2020

Notice of Postponement Annual General Meeting

We hope that this notice finds you all safe and well.

The Chairman has published a newsletter outlining actions taken by the executive during these challenging times, as posted below on the home page.

Considering the ongoing COVID-19 emergency and the current restrictions that are in place the Club Executive Committee has taken the decision to postpone the Annual General Meeting normally scheduled for June until the restrictions have been lifted.

You will be notified in due course of the date of the meeting.

Stay safe and we look forward to seeing you all at the club soon when rugby returns.

Sharon Owen

CRFC Secretary

An update from the Chairman

All

Firstly I hope that you are all enjoying the Easter break and that this email finds you all well and safe at this incredibly worrying and challenging time. Undoubtedly the situation will have affected each and everyone of you in differing ways but I'm confident that we will get through this and start rebuilding a new normality. I have purposely resisted writing too early to everyone as the situation was quite fluid in the early period of lock down, but it is clear now that we will be wrestling with the restrictions in some from or other for sometime yet.

Given the uncontrollable circumstances we find ourselves in, myself and the committee, have spent the early weeks closing down as many aspects of Club activity as possible. This has been done to ensure that the Club has minimised any avoidable financial outlay including, standing down staff, deferring loans/subscriptions and reducing utility payments etc. The Clubhouse and grounds have been tidied and secured until such times as we can begin to reopen. Where appropriate we have sought the free grants and financial assistance from formal sources, such that I am confident that the Club will not be unduly impacted and we can continue to meet our formal obligations.

Although the Club is shutdown we are continuing to plan in the background for when we can reopen. While some of this is administrate there are also the inevitable work parties required to ensure routine tasks and maintenance are completed in time for the new season. We cannot offer any dates yet and to avoid having to reschedule we will not formally promulgate anything until we have certainty of the date. However there are plenty of small jobs that need doing at the Club, so if there are any volunteers who may be able to help out please get in touch as these can all be managed on an adhoc basis. Note that the NatWest RugbyForce work party is scheduled for Saturday June 27 and we wait to see if this stays possible. It usually is a great time to do lots of DIY around the clubhouse and grounds.

Whilst all events have been cancelled at the Club for the remainder of the Season we will use this time to look ahead and plan for a fresh start in September in the hope that normality resumes. The annual Beer Festival August Bank Holiday is our first key event, however we are considering a more formal sit down Club Dinner in September for everyone to attend with partners/friends. Again this is all subject to what restrictions may or may not be in place at the time, but for now we will remain optimistic and plan accordingly. Should anyone wish to get involved in planning please feel free to get in touch. Likewise if anyone has any great ideas of what we should do to kick start activity at the Club again please feel free to share your ideas.

The Club AGM has also been cancelled and we will look to reschedule the 2020 AGM as soon as lock down is lifted along with news on the new rugby season. Of note we finished 6th in Gloucester 1 according to the RFU processes for finalising team positions. You will also have noted the Car Park has paused. We assume this will resume in due course as and when restrictions lift.

Hopefully this update has been helpful and provided some insight into both current and future plans. Naturally there is more detail behind all of this, so should anyone wish to know more please dont hesitate to get in touch with me or any of the Execs. Please keep on eye on our website home page, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram social medias feeds as Cat will post news there as soon as there are any developments when we know more.

Please stay safe and well and I will provide further updates in due course. I have copied in a wide range of Club Members past and present to this mail so please distribute widely within your age groups, across the seniors and current/former members.

Kind regards

Dave

Chairman CRFC

07977 147888

RFU confirm end of league, cup and county rugby 2019/20 season in England

Today, in a letter to the rugby clubs in England, Bill Sweeney, RFU CEO, has confirmed the end of the 2019/20 season for all league, cup and county rugby in England with the exception of the Gallagher Premiership, which the RFU is in active discussions with.

The decision to confirm the end of the season was taken to assist with long term planning and provide clarity to the game at a time of continuous change.
The RFU continues to work on a range of options to support clubs at this challenging time and aims to outline these in more detail by mid-April.

Below is the full letter from RFU's Bill Sweeney:

When current government advice on social distancing measures changes, we will naturally encourage rugby training and friendlies to recommence.

I would like to personally thank everyone for their swift actions in suspending rugby activity, this is not an easy time and I know many of you will have concerns that go beyond the game.

We are working through the implications of ending the season early and have instigated a thorough process to ensure fair and balanced outcomes for the game. We will communicate these outcomes by the middle of April. While we would like to provide all the answers now, we need some time to get it right for the best interests of the game. Rest assured we are working on this as a priority and we will continue to send weekly updates to clubs.

The three areas of focus for the RFU right now are Welfare, Implications and Reboot.

Welfare

We are ensuring colleagues and communities are given support to follow government advice and are providing recommendations on how to stay fit and healthy using individual training programmes. We are also talking to government about how we can deploy and mobilise our own resources across England to support the vulnerable.

Implications

Every union is different, with unique structures and challenges and the RFU needs to manage its own particular complexities. Our business model is similar to most rugby clubs - we earn revenue from events on and off the field and we invest that back into the game. We benefit from strong Twickenham Stadium revenues but we are also exposed if there is widespread cancellation of games and events.

In this extraordinary situation we are working through a range of potential financial scenarios dependent mainly on the length of this crisis. This was already budgeted to be a loss making year within a 4 year cycle due to the costs of the 2019 RWC campaign and only hosting two home Six Nations games. The loss will now be considerably more as we face challenges similar to businesses across the entire country. There may well also be much longer term financial implications which we are assessing now. It is therefore taking us some time to develop a considered position on how we can support clubs and the rugby community, which we will do.

We have already undertaken financial measures to safeguard the business enabling us to review all options and programmes to provide support for clubs in these difficult times.

We welcome the measures announced by Government which could provide crucial support to professional and community clubs and the RFU. We are in regular contact with Sport England and The Sport and Recreation Alliance to understand how business rate relief and hardship funds can be accessed by clubs and will be providing assistance to make sure every club who is eligible will be supported.

The implications for all areas of rugby will be thoroughly worked through and solutions discussed and developed with the clubs.

Reboot

Our welfare advice before the start of next season will switch to offering guidance on how players at all levels can reboot and get match ready.

We will work closely with constituent bodies to support clubs, competition organisers and the wider rugby community in preparing to re-start rugby in what is likely to be a challenging environment.

In recent days we have all been inspired by the many stories across the rugby family working together to support those who are the most vulnerable in their community – this encapsulates the unique spirit of rugby. I am confident that this spirit and resilience during these tough times will ensure we will come through this together and emerge stronger.

Take care and stay safe,

Bill Sweeney

RFU