University Cluster Partnerships

During the 2011-12 season, the RFU and SRFU will seek to establish partnerships between universities in clusters of 3-6 institutions. Within these partnerships, each university will be required to produce a whole club development plan.

Every university in a partnership will sign up to a joint  memorandum of understanding  with the RFU which will form the basis of an agreement  between the universities in each cluster.

The aims of the partnerships will be:

• Promoting health and wellbeing through participation in rugby union, resulting in sustainable involvement in the game
• Promoting social responsibility and providing more opportunities for students’ personal development through volunteering, refereeing and coaching in order to enhance student skills and employability
• Maximising the impact of local and national partnerships, both within the university and across the wider community
• Ensuring that there is a performance structure for students - an integral part of the RFU pathway

Universities contributing to the partnership will benefit from enhanced support from dedicated staff who will coordinate joint projects between the institutions, delivering a full range of opportunities, from volunteer development to touch and intra-mural rugby

For more information on university cluster partnerships, contact Peter Bath, National Students Development Manager peterbath@rfu.com