The RFU is committed to the ongoing promotion of the welfare of all its participants, including children, young people and all adults, including those at risk. All participants are entitled to feel safe and protected from any form of abuse or neglect and have the right to take part in a safe, respectful and enjoyable environment.
We take our responsibility for the welfare and wellbeing of everyone involved in our game very seriously and want the rugby environment to be an inclusive, safe and enjoyable one. The core values of teamwork, respect, enjoyment, discipline and sportsmanship are important, both for children in rugby and all the adults they meet, who we hope will serve as role models providing a positive experience.
These values lie at the heart of what we do. The RFU is committed to developing a culture that lives and breathes the core values, is free of abuse, discrimination and harm, where everyone feels safe and able to raise any concerns they have, and challenge any concerns they see or hear.
To help clubs ensure we are creating safer and inclusive environments for participants, the RFU have written a Code of Conduct template for clubs that they can approve and adopt as part of their constitution. This Code of Conduct should be in place for club committees to help create a culture of accountability amongst their members, contributing to safer cultures. This Code of Conduct has been written in conjunction with the principles of the UK Coaching Code of Practice, the Age Grades Codes of Practice, and the RFU Core Values of Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship and we would encourage everyone to familiarise themselves with these documents.
The UK Coaching Code of Practice outlines principles that constitute good practice in coaching. Part of these principles include rights, relationships and personal and professional standards. These principles have been applied to the conduct of all individuals in rugby, including coaches, officials, and spectators, which extends to parents and guardians/carers and participants, and have influenced this Code of Conduct.
This Code of Conduct template has been designed for club committees to review, and simply cut and paste their name into the designated sections if they wish. We would encourage clubs to adopt the Code of Conduct at a meeting of its committee or of all members, and publicise the adoption of the Code of Conduct to all members.
We intend that this Code of Conduct will help clubs to create these safer environments, where people are empowered to speak up about and address any concerning behaviour they witness in their club. Remember, if you have seen, heard, or experienced anything that has made you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, please get in touch with the RFU via our Speak Up Policy.