Tours / Festivals / Cross Border details

Please can I remind you all, that consent is required to run a Festival. This can be obtained from the North Midlands Hon Sec – Robert Bray (email: northmidsrfu@gmail.com) – Please pay particular attention to completing a risk assessment and that the event reflects the appropriate Age Grade Regulations. You need to attach competition rules and insurance cover.

At a Safeguarding Conference, issues arising from alcohol consumption during tours was highlighted as being more significant last season! That was both adults and youngsters. In preparing for a tour,  please make sure your coaches have copies of the RFU Tour Guidance. A detailed risk assessment should be completed. If things do go wrong, as well as checking DBS status, the risk assessment is one of the first documents the RFU Safeguarding Team will ask for.

Foreign tours need consent from CB Hon Sec as above. Similarly consent is required for cross border fixtures. These consents need to be applied for in good time. Last minute submission is not acceptable because it does not allow time for  amendments which then can lead to rejection.

In recent seasons travel insurance has been an issue. We strongly suggest, for foreign tours especially, you take out a party policy for everyone through the company the RFU uses – Perkins Slade. (details on RFU website) It only adds a few pounds to the cost per person but will give tour organisers and the party members peace of mind that everyone will be covered adequately.

As an example, one of the North Midlands clubs went to France on tour recently. They had purchased a policy through Perkins Slade. They had a player who had to have an operation on his leg and one of the parents suffered a cardiac arrest. Both were treated without issue – the wife of the adult was flown out to join her husband and both parties were repatriated through the insurance. I understand both are recovering well.