- Stoke achieve Whole Club Seal of Approval
- Club is first in West Midlands to achieve top RFU grassroots status
Stoke have become the first club in the West Midlands region to achieve Rugby Football Union Whole Club Seal of Approval status.
Stoke, and volunteers Tim Dyer and Jeremy Edwards in particular, have worked hard over the last six months to meet the stringent criteria required for the Whole Club Seal of Approval and are among the first 20 clubs in the country to achieve the award.
The Whole Club Seal of Approval award recognises the effort and achievement of volunteers in achieving the standards needed in developing and sustaining rugby union in their clubs.
Introduced last year and building on established Seal of Approval awards for provision of youth rugby, the new accreditation requires clubs to provide evidence of good practice in areas including club management, player development and recruitment, child protection, sports equity, coaching and refereeing, as well as the recruitment and management of volunteers.
Andy Lees, the RFU's National Club Development Manager, said: "To earn the Whole Club Seal of Approval accreditation is a major achievement that that underlines a commitment to sustaining a club for future generations.
"The Whole Club Seal of Approval process is designed to encourage rugby clubs to assess where they are and provide ideas and templates for them to move forward."
Stoke, who celebrated their 125th anniversary last season, were also the first club in the country to achieve Mini & Youth Seal of Approval, which recognised the dedication and efforts of a group of individuals in getting youngsters playing rugby in a safe, effective and child-friendly environment.