Old Reigatian RFC

1. Old Reigatian RFC 5 Year Strategic Plan

2. Mission Statement • To be a pre-eminent sports club promoting rugby football union football, sports and recreation whilst encouraging participation in sport and leisure by all the community regardless of age, ability, race and status.

3. Content • Current Activities • Background • SWOT • Achievements • Sporting Objectives • Outside and Hire Events • Financial • What sort of Club do we need? • Ground • Clubhouse • Bar • Website • Financial • Action Plan

4. Current Activities • The club currently runs 3 senior sides and is planning to reinstate its veteran’s side. • The club’s 1st XV is presently in London South West 2 at level 7. • The Mini and Junior sections of the club have developed exponentially since their formation in the 1980’s. The club runs all age groups from under 6 to under 18 offering the opportunity for pupils from some 50 schools to play rugby on Sundays. • The club has identified the development of an under 21 team as a vital link between school and senior rugby. • Following the opening of the new clubhouse an enthusiastic girls and ladies section is developing.

5. Background • Players have a shorter playing career • Schools cutting investment back • Local shortage of pitches • Greater than ever disconnect between members and the senior end of the game (new members are not fans) ? • Becoming a Seniors Club on a Saturday and MAJ Club on a Sunday • Volunteers proving difficult to find

6. SWOT • Strengths • Facilities • Excellent facilities • Long established, well respected club • Asset rich • Significant club membership • Strong Minis and Juniors, emerging Ladies section • Good standard of senior rugby • Newly acquired 12 acre field • Weaknesses • Mainly a winter weekend operation • Communications/website • Attitudes – easier to employ than to volunteer • Insufficient volunteers • Historic reliance upon financial subsidy from President • Expensive running costs • Website • Polarised club with inadequate link between Saturday and Sunday activities • Failure to retain members from Juniors to Seniors and after retirement from playing.

7. SWOT Page 2 • Opportunities • Floodlit playing pitch • Relationship with RGS • Reigate Rugby Club (is Reigate large enough for 2 rugby clubs?) • Development of summer activities • Non-rugby related revenue • Development of multi-sport facility • Potential national/international Tens Tournament • Maximise the benefit of Fonthill • Relationship with Rugbytots • Threats • Financial sustainability • Controlling expenditure • Rugby is seen as a dangerous sport • Lose the use of Fonthill • Is the management of a £500,000 business too big to be run by volunteers with limited time available? • Possible legal action in respect of gym contract.

8. Achievements • The club now boasts a magnificent new facility with excellent provision for players and spectators and including an integrated gymnasium • The 1st XV pitch has been levelled and a full drainage system installed. • Permission has been granted for the installation of floodlights of a significantly better standard than the existing floodlights which will be retained. • The club has recently acquired 12 acres of agricultural land adjoining the club pitches, that has been levelled and seeded in readiness for use in the season 2017/2018. • Improvements have been achieved on the playing front at senior and junior level.

9. Sporting Objectives • To create a centre of sporting excellence. • To arrest the decline in numbers of senior playing members. • To continue to increase the number of senior playing members without resorting to paying players including the increase in the number of teams at senior level. • To achieve promotion from London South West 2. • Links with external guest coaches eg Harlequins • To increase and develop the Minis and Junior sections developing a pathway into senior rugby. • To develop a functioning ladies section. • To develop and increase participation with the club’s gymnasium – strength and conditioning. • To install new floodlights. • To consider a 4G pitch for Affordability, Financial support, Planning permission, Level of demand and Annual maintenance • To utilise the physio room • To develop liaison between strength and conditioning and medical support.

10. Rugby - Senior • We will not pay players - Even player sponsorship needs to be discussed • Richie Andrews believes we could get to Level 5. Note that RFU are suggesting a salary cap of £50,000 for this league!! • Going up before we consolidate our strengths could be damaging and dissuade players from remaining with the Club. Playing at level 6 and getting too many hammerings will not be good for the Club. • RA inputs - • Player development is difficult as we promote a “One Club Ethos” however we should be targeting elite young players. The promising 15 year old now will be key players in a 5 year programme. • We can engage a select number of players to attend Gym sessions with our S&C Coach looking at their fitness and nutrition. Involve the guest coach to target age groups. • Premiership Clubs will have benchmark fitness level for certain age groups to work to. RA - I’m sure we can talk to Harlequins or Irish to form an elite player development group. • This should be treated with consideration as Rugby is their hobby and is done for enjoyment. We should be mindful these lads need to enjoy themselves and for it not to get in the way of studies. • Maximise attraction of Fonthill • First Objective to run 4 sides and in 5 years five.

11. Rugby – Junior and Mini • Competing factors – football, school commitments • Historically the Minis and Juniors are drawn from some 50 different schools.  • Objectives • To improve existing links with schools particularly secondary schools – specifically: • Reigate Grammar School • Potential long term relationship – RGS will want “security of tenure”. • What financial package would RGS offer? • What assistance can RGS offer in respect of work on the grounds? • Would RGS financially support the construction of a 4G pitch? • Dunottar School • Potential regular use. • Dunottar have very limited external sporting facilities • St Bede’s • Potential regular use. • St Bede’s have very limited external sporting facilities • Royal Alexander and Albert School • Action – establish sub-committee to address school utilisation of 12 acre field. • To maintain and increase School liaison • Increase numbers of volunteers involved in school liaison – coaching and refereeing • Increase numbers undertaking coaching courses and referee qualifications

12. Rugby – Ladies and Girls • Where you see the Club in 5 years? • With sustainable stand-alone girls squads at all age groups U18, U15, U13 and U11 • With a growing number of girls in the other mini’s age-groups, either in mixed-mini’s or as stand-alone girls squads (based on the choice of the parents/child) • With a women’s Contact Rugby team and a Touch Rugby squad • What we need to do to get there? • In the short term we should continue our current cluster arrangements to give our existing players pitch-time and better training opportunities • We should advertise our girls teams more widely and pro-actively • We should increase our relationships with local schools through the schools liaison officer • Work with girls that pass 18 to give them contact rugby opportunities until we establish our own ladies contact team • What changes we need to make to succeed? • Advertising budget • Well established Schools Liaison structure

13. 3 Outside Hire and Events • We need to provide more aggressive marketing • Raise hire charges to increase net income, our margins are not high enough • Clubs • To develop the community use of the club’s facilities. • To improve and develop relations with local sporting clubs specifically with regards to the use of the 12 acre fields. • Opportunities with near neighbours Reigate Priory Cricket Club, Reigate Priory Tennis Club, Reigate Priory Croquet Club, Reigate Priory Football Club. • Focused opportunities – Old Reigatian Netball Club, Old Reigatian Football Club. • Others – lacrosse, golf (driving range), disabled sport. • Non-rugby related activities • Proactive marketing of the club and its facilities • Promotion of the club and its facilities • Significance of website to promote and market club events and opportunities

14. Financial • 2016 Budget Figures • Overheads £100K: Grounds £16K; Clubhouse 52K • Profit £114K: Youth £23K, Bar £22K, Catering £12K, Events £10K Senior £-3K • Overall objective to be free of PRH financial support. This year so far has not been encouraging in this respect. • Even now we are spending too much and not encouraging our membership to volunteer and reduce staff costs. You only get out what you put in. • Investment should be from sponsorship and fund raising events, not subscription increases. • SNAP – review needed

15. Financial • Financial • To manage and achieve financial sustainability of the Club’s facilities without being reliant upon donations and financial subsidy. • To develop a clear understanding of the profitability of club activities and events • Managing staffing • Controlling cleaning and heating expenditure • To ensure that the margin on bar sales is maintained and improved • Subscriptions – to ensure that all regular users of the club pay membership subscriptions • By means of discount membership cards • By means of accurate membership information • By means of accurate membership information on the club website • Match Fees? • Sponsorship • Existing sponsors – managing the relationship and achieving renewal • Snap – new sponsorship opportunities

16. Therefore, what Club do we need? • 4.1. Grounds • Big question is a possible artificial pitch, but this only makes sense . If we have RGS support and can go it alone without the support of the RFU. Need an Analysis and a business case for a 4G pitch • Would it be the A XV pitch that we change? • Need a long term solution to the Car Park Entrance and surface • 12 Acre Field to be fully operational and use in the summer • Support facilities for 12 Acre pitches

17. 4 Therefore, what Club do we need? • 4.2. Clubhouse • Increased use (especially on Sunday) means that we should be budgeting for frequent redecoration • 4.3. Bar • More of the same but we need to reduce staffing costs. Volunteers needed. Establish Bar Committee • 4.4. Website • To achieve a website that • Is fit for purpose • provides up to date and accurate information in respect of • future fixtures, • events and activities • data in relation to members and subscriptions. • answers the need for focused communication within the club • To develop effective internal communication with the objective of developing closer relationship between senior and junior club – Saturday/Sunday club.

18. So – what do we do now? Action Plan - current • Website - Develop effective website and subscription process • Financial model -Clarify profitability of events and hirings • Establish Bar Committee • Form Sub committee for development of 12 acre field • Complete new Floodlights • Progress with Committee Succession planning • Consider a new Committee structure • Continue to build links to the local community and schools • Monitor 4G pitch opportunities • Improve benefits from agreement with SNAP

19. Action Plan Medium Term • Find a balance between our operation as a Venue for Hire and a Rugby Club • Further work to bring the Seniors and MAJ together • Develop the business case for a 4G pitch • Remind all of our members that we are a volunteer run ‘membership’ club that only works if all of our members contribute something over and above their membership fee • Progress state of Car Park entrance and surface relaying • Future Clubhouse extensions review

20. Action Plan Long Term • Development/extension of rugby related activities • Improve our personnel recruitment and facility marketing • Start process of obtaining funding for a 4G pitch • Review Pitch drainage requirements • Pursue Support facilities for the 12 Acre Field