It has been a frantic few weeks leading up to Christmas with lots going on. One bit of very good news is that we are finalising the pilot of a Level 2 coaching qualification (equivalent to an independent club coach) – this is aligned to the UK Coaching Certificate and recognised by the UK government’s skills agenda. Once this first pilot has been completed the course will be open for new candidates in the spring of 2016. We will also be developing a series of bolt-on modules to support different sorts of delivery in 2016-17 and in 2018 we will be looking to develop a Level 3. Becoming a Level 2 Coach is not just about coaching wheelchair rugby, it’s about providing a fantastic experience for those who want to play our sport and helping athletes to excel. The UKCC qualification pathway will enable those who want to coach to use their passion and talent for wheelchair rugby to support and develop all skill levels – from beginners through to those who aspire to be part of the performance pathway leading to the GB squad. Thank you to Kirsty Clarke and Paul Arnold who have led this work and to the first group of coaches who piloted the course – Steve Palmer; Darren Matthews; Jonny Collingwood; Graham Kamaly-Asl; Gary Banks; Chris Perkins; Dave Durston and Luke White. Thanks also to the Technical Coaching Group who led on the work to create the technical components of the course: Rob Tarr; Paul Jenkins; Paul Shaw; Steve Palmer; Mike Spence; Paul Arnold and Lorraine Brown. And finally I must not forget Nick Scott (RFU) and Julie Macintosh (SCUK) who have supported us through the process. To have a properly recognized, accredited course in place for the sport is an enormous achievement.
Lorraine and I have spent the past few weeks working on our initial UK Sport funding submission for the Tokyo cycle. Our deadline for submission was 1pm yesterday – 21 December – and we worked on it all weekend but still managed to submit it with only about 10 minutes to spare! It has been a complex piece of work which sets out our plan for what it will take us to win Paralympic medals and a detailed budget which costs every element including staff, equipment, competition, travel and training. We hope that we have presented a strong case for continued investment in the sport at elite level but it will be a while before we know the answer to this. We are one of the first sports to submit our plan and we will get feedback from UK Sport in late January which is designed to help us prepare our final submission which we have to present by 14 March 2016. We will not know the final decision until this time next year and our performance in Rio will be a further, and very important, element in the final decision making process. As with coaching above, we have come a long way since 2012 and under Lorraine’s leadership now have a strong performance system in place and a group of young and talented athletes coming through, so we have every reason to be optimistic about the future.
You may have noticed that last week the government announced its new strategy for sport which was launched by Minister of Sport, Tracey Crouch. In making the announcement she said that ‘we will invest in sport and physical activity that shows how it can have a positive impact on people’s lives and how it brings communities together’. I think this is pretty good news for us as we all understand our sport is much more than just playing the game, it brings many other benefits to people’s lives, and not just for those who play, but to the many volunteers, coaches, officials and those of us who are privileged to lead and manage the sport. In the New Year we will hear how Sport England will translate the government’s commitment into a strategy of engagement and then we will start to shape our own plan for the next 4 years. Unlike the UK Sport investment which I highlighted above, I do not anticipate us having to present our plan to Sport England until the summer but as you would expect, we are already starting to shape our thoughts and will be consulting with you on these in the coming months.
Whilst all of this planning work goes on its good to remember what it is all about – creating fun opportunities for you to play! And we end the year with the new Super Series under way with Storm leading Division 1 with Crash close behind them and RGC in third place at the end of the first series. The Bulls lead Canterbury in Division 2 with Burn in third place ….but there is a very long way to go yet and Series 2 starts the weekend of 17-18 January.
So I think that’s it for now. Can I end by thanking everyone who puts so much into our sport, especially the many volunteers who make things happen in the clubs and alongside our programmes. My thanks also to our Trustees and staff who go way beyond their remit to try and provide great opportunities for everyone to enjoy the game, and to our many partners who have supported us over the year, especially BT, Roma Sports, the RFU, Get Kids Going, Middlesex Sports Foundation, Peter Harrison Foundation, Saracens Foundation, Harlequins Foundation, Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust, Sport Wales and of course our main funders, UK Sport, Sport England and the Lottery.
Finally, I would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and every blessing for 2016.
David Pond
