National Youth Council Member

The RFU National Youth Council (NYC) is a group from across England, who act as a consultative body for the RFU at a national level. Involved in all aspects of the game, they provide youth perspective and help shape the development of rugby. All NYC roles are voluntary.

What’s involved?

• Actively participate on RFU sub-committees & working groups to provide a youth perspective.
• Support RFU staff on development projects, as identified by the NYC.
• Collate and produce an annual report, with the opportunity to present to RFU council.
• Build networks, within and outside of RFU, to support the development of the game.
• Act as an ambassador and promote the core values.

Who are we looking for?

• Understanding of, and passion for, sport and/or volunteering.
• Self-motivated and able to work under own direction but also enjoys working as part of a team.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Ability to analyse problems and identify solutions.
• Ability to travel across England independently.

What you’ll get from it:

• Chance to meet others who have a passion to develop sport.
• The opportunity to make a difference and help shape the future of rugby.
• Develop personal and professional skills & enhance your CV.
• Networking opportunities.
• Appropriate expenses for NYC related travel.

What are the time commitments?

• 6 NYC meetings per season (3 virtual/3 face to face).
• Attendance at relevant sub-committee meetings or working groups (circa 6 per season, majority online).
• Contribution to ongoing development of projects throughout the year.

What’s the role duration?

Two seasons with opportunity to extend for an extra season.

Key Information:

Successful candidates will be expected to attend all RFU NYC meetings to ensure maximum impact can be achieved. We appreciate there may be unexpected situations which mean you’re unable to attend, however it is important that applicants are able to make the October meeting, to help build a successful team. If you know you are unable to make any of the dates below, please include this in your application.

• Saturday 3 & Sunday 4 October: Face to Face (Twickenham)
• Tuesday 17 November: Virtual
• Saturday 16th January: Face to Face (Midlands)
• Thursday 4 March: Virtual
• April (date TBC): Face to Face (Midlands)
• Tuesday 18 May: Virtual

There will also be an informal, optional meeting on Saturday 15th August in the Midlands, providing the opportunity for departing, current and new members to meet. Face to Face meetings will be held at a range of locations across the country. All NYC roles are voluntary, however, out of pocket expenses will be covered.

A key part of each of the roles will be to gather opinion from other NYC members & young people to feed into the discussions that take place at sub-committee meetings. These sub-committees have different focuses and the opportunities available next season are outlined below.

CB & Club Development (Sub-Committee)

This sub-committee focuses on creating policies that help rugby clubs become strong, sustainable parts of their local communities. Its work supports clubs in being financially secure, well managed, and supported by skilled volunteers. The Sub Committee also supports the development of Constituent Bodies, so that these organisations can support clubs in achieving their goals. We’re looking for someone with experience of volunteering in rugby clubs or Constituent Bodies, who understands the communities they serve. They should be passionate about supporting long-term sustainability and future growth, and able to communicate confidently and clearly with a wide range of stakeholders.

Schools, Colleges, Universities, and Age-Grade Rugby (Sub-Committee)

This sub-committee focuses on strengthening the player pathway across all four areas. In recent years, it has prioritised keeping young people involved in the game and improving the link between school and club rugby. It also looks closely at ensuring age-banding is appropriate for both boys and girls, and creating strong educational pathways for committed young players. We’re looking for someone with experience of rugby in one or two of these areas, an understanding of (or willingness to learn about) age grade rules and regulations and the ability to clearly articulate thoughts & ideas, analyse problems and provide solutions.

International Tickets (Sub-Committee)

This sub-committee helps to develop policies and strategies to increase interest in rugby by engaging a wider audience in attending international matches. In addition, the group advises on how to balance commercial needs and revenue generation with keeping the sport open and accessible, ensuring that members of the rugby community can attend internationals and support England. The role offers the chance to build your commercial awareness. We’re looking for someone with experience or ideas of how to grow interest in rugby union and engage different audiences, particularly from a fan perspective, whilst also having an understanding of how to balance priorities of different stakeholders.

Additional Information:

This is a voluntary role. Please note that a DBS check will be required. We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential. If there is anything we could do to support you through your application or to provide the best environment for your interviews, including assistance or adjustment, please reach out to recruitment@rfu.com.

During your application, we will ask questions about your identity. This information is considered highly confidential and will not be seen by hiring managers. You can find out more about why we ask these questions here. If you are a trans candidate applying for a job that requires a DBS check, please reach out to recruitment@rfu.com or directly to our safeguarding team (safeguarding@rfu.com) to use the confidential sensitive application route. This will provide applicants with the choice not to have any gender or name information disclosed on their DBS certificate.

Application Information:

Please submit a CV. Please anonymise your documents (i.e. remove personal details). In lieu of a traditional cover letter, please submit a document answering the following questions:

• a) Please tell us: Why you would like to join the National Youth Council. What impact would you like to have and why.
• b) What skills and experience you would bring to the youth council & examples of when you have successfully used these? (this can be from rugby, education, volunteering & other sports).
• c) From your own experience what do you see as the biggest challenges rugby faces in engaging young people today, and what is one practical change you think would make a big difference?
• d) There are several available on the NYC this year, please state your top two choices & why.

To reiterate, the available roles are: CB & Club Development (Sub-Committee), International Tickets (Sub-Committee).

Please upload the above documents in the section where you’re asked to ‘attach a resume’; there are two boxes where you can upload a CV and your document answering the questions above (instead of a cover letter). The closing date for applications is Wednesday 8th April at 5pm. Interviews will be held in the week commencing 4th May. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications. Applications may be considered whilst this vacancy is advertised.