Rugby Smart, is a new course that the RFU have developed as Continuing Professional Development available for all coaches from Rugby Ready level onwards. The course is 60% classroom and 40% practical and covers the following areas;
• Understanding the responsibilities of safeguarding the welfare of all players, including children
• Increase awareness of Community Rugby Injury Surveillance Project (CRISP) and its implications on Rugby Union
• Awareness of common injuries and the risks placed upon players by coaches
• Reinforcing good practice in coaching
• Basic understanding of concussion and best practice in managing incidents of concussion
• Awareness of current issues / sanctions in Anti-Doping

The cost of each of the above is £15. Bookings can be made individually online via http://www.englandrugby.com/my-rugby/courses/however we are now also able to make a block booking as a club. Therefore I will collate names for the above courses. If you wish to attend a course, please send me an email with your name as per your RFU registration (if you have one) and the course you want to attend. I will need to have numbers very soon for the Rugby Smart course as the RFU tend to cancel courses if not sufficient attending 5 days before a course, and any cancellations may also impact on us running more courses at Southport.

To answer a question from earlier on the week about age limits, the minimum age for the entry level in both coaching and referee courses is 14, with the proviso that the individual is “directly supervised by appropriately trained adult when coaching / refereeing until age of 18 is reached”.

For those seeking to complete further coaching courses, such as Level 1, Level 2 and CPD events, all the details are on the RFU website above.