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Here for Scotland’s ClubsRBS Club Support Pack 2013/2014

The starting XV3 Supporting Scotland’s clubs from the front row

4 RBS Locker Room

5 RBS RugbyForce

7 RBS Club of the Month

8 RBS Club Volunteer of the Month

11 RBS Try of the Month

12 Here for you all season

14 Support from your RBS branch and Rugby Rep

15 The Bill McLaren Foundation

@RBS_Rugby_Lad RBS Scottish Rugby

Supporting Scotland’s clubs from the front rowHere at RBS, we know that running a rugby club is a year-round business. Thousands of people the length and breadth of Scotland invest time, money, passion and expertise in their local side all season long, from the moment the fixtures are announced until the very last one is played.

We’re here for Scotland’s clubs every step of the way and recognise the vital role they play in communities up and down the country. For the past three years we’ve strived to create a package of support that makes a meaningful impact where it’s needed most – the clubhouses, training pitches and youth sections of every team in the RBS domestic leagues. As part of our commitment to supporting rugby in Scotland from grassroots to the national teams, we’ve acted on what clubs have told us about the real pressure points in their season, from getting everyone together and pulling in one direction for the new campaign, to topping up kit and equipment when the rough and tumble of the league season begins to take its toll. We’re proud to:

• Help clubs throw open their doors to the local community with RBS RugbyForce

• Give clubs access to vital kit and equipment through RBS Locker Room

• Sponsor the men’s and women’s leagues and knock-out competitions• Deliver RBS Finals Day as the climax to the men’s and women’s cup

competitions• Award RBS Club, Club Volunteer and Try of the Month to celebrate

hard work and success• Twin clubs with their local RBS branch for marketing support• Team up clubs with an RBS Rugby Rep to help get the word out about

their fixtures and events• Run sustainability workshops to guide clubs to a thriving future Read on to find out more about how your club can benefit from every aspect of our support. To keep up to date with all our activity throughout the season, head to the RBS Scottish Rugby Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @RBS_Rugby_Lad

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RBS CLUB SUPPORT HERE FOR SCOTLAND’S CLUBS

RBS Locker Room

We want to make it easy for clubs to concentrate on winning matches and growing the game instead of worrying about how they’re going to fill the gaps in their weaponry. And that’s where RBS Locker Room comes in. We’ve teamed up with two other Scottish Rugby partners, Macron and Gilbert, to give you access to a range of match-day and training essentials like hit shields, tag belts, physio bags, subs coats and training bibs as well as a vast range of clothing..

Each club will be able to select products to suit their individual needs. We’ll be in touch with clubs shortly with full details of what you can order and how to go about it. RBS Ambassador Chris Paterson says:

“RBS Locker Room is all about providing practical support. Clubs spend a lot of hard-won income every year on basic items needed to put on training sessions and matches, and this initiative is designed to take away some of that burden.”

Whatever the size of your club, there’s considerable time and expense involved in making sure that all your teams have access to the right kit and equipment throughout the season. Jerseys rip, subs jackets get lost, and the groundsman’s dog could well be tempted to sink its teeth into the odd ball.


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RBS RugbyForce

The initiative used to be all about enabling volunteers to get involved with DIY activity around club grounds. Now our ambitions are even bigger: we want to help you extend a hand to your local community and inspire in them a real and lasting connection with the club game. RBS RugbyForce provides a fantastic chance to let people see what the club does for the local community. It’s an opportunity to draw people in, and show them that your club can also be a great place to socialise, host events, meet

friends to watch sport on TV, enjoy a drink or dinner and bring the kids to get some exercise in safe, friendly surroundings. RBS RugbyForce 2014 is set to be even bigger and better. As soon as the registration window opens, we’ll post on the RBS Scottish Rugby Facebook page and Twitter feed @RBS_Rugby_Lad as well as contacting clubs directly.

A record number of Scottish clubs signed up to take part in RBS RugbyForce 2013. With the help of some 6,000 volunteers, and a squadron of Scotland internationals, 149 clubs used RBS RugbyForce weekend to throw open their doors to the local community, taking advantage of the opportunity to attract new players, supporters, members and sponsors.



RBS Club of the Month

How to put your club forward

Get involved and tell us all about the great work happening at your club. If nobody puts them forward, they can’t win! Fill in the simple online nomination form at www.scottishrugby.org/clubs-schools/nominations by the last day of the month for which you are nominating. A selection panel from Scottish Rugby and the RBS Rugby team evaluates all the nominations and decides on each month’s winner, based on clubs’ performance, discipline record and efforts to grow the game.

Now for the extras

In addition to a £1,000 grant, the RBS Club of the Month will receive a tailored package of support from RBS. The winning club can invite 10 guests to attend the Club Awards Dinner at Murrayfield at the end of the season. The club also receives up to £500 towards travel and accommodation for the dinner.At the Awards Dinner, each club is in with a chance of being named RBS Club of the Season. Ayr won this prestigious honour in 2013, with Howe of Fife scooping the award the previous year.

‘Rugby Lad’ makes sure the Scottish rugby community hears all about the winning clubs through the RBS Scottish Rugby Facebook page and Twitter feed, and we’ll help with some local PR. For more on nominating, and terms and conditions, check out www.scottishrugby.org/clubs-schools/nominations

Giving great clubs the recognition they deserve

Each month a Scottish club receives the RBS Club of the Month award. This award celebrates local club success and is based on performance, discipline and development. The club doesn’t need to be the best at everything: it’s a balance of all three areas that makes a club sustainable. Some clubs focus on developing young players, and the performance of their first team isn’t a fair reflection of how well they’re shaping the next generation. It’s the long-term view that counts.

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They’ve each had a great story to tell, and this season we want to hear an even bigger variety of voices. To keep things fresh, we’re creating some specific monthly volunteer categories like “Coach of the Month” and “Fundraiser of the Month”, recognising the key roles in club life and rewarding those who carry them out to such a high standard. As usual, the eight monthly winners will all be in contention for the RBS Club Volunteer of the Season award, claimed in 2013 by Allan Wilson (Irvine) and in 2012 by Andy Jackson (Bishopton).

Keep an eye on the RBS Scottish Rugby Facebook page and Twitter feed and the Scottish Rugby website for full information on the new categories and how to nominate.

What’s on offer

RBS invite each winner of RBS Club Volunteer of the Month to attend the end of season Club Awards Dinner at Murrayfield, along with nine of their guests. They can choose who to bring with them - fellow volunteers to share the recognition, or members to celebrate the award as a club.

Each winner also receives up to £500 towards travel and accommodation to enable them to attend the dinner. At the Awards Dinner, all winners of RBS Club Volunteer of the Month are in with a chance of being named RBS Club Volunteer of the Season. The overall winner receives a valuable £1,000 grant for their club. ‘Rugby Lad’ gives all winners a shout out on the RBS Scottish Rugby Facebook page and Twitter feed @RBS_Rugby_Lad.

For more on nominating, and terms and conditions, check out www.scottishrugby.org/clubs-schools/nominations

It’s easy to focus on the 1st XV. But the people out of the spotlight make a huge contribution to clubs as well. For the past two years, we’ve recognised and celebrated the fantastic commitment that volunteers show to keep the plates spinning at clubs all over Scotland.

RBS Club Volunteer of the MonthSpeaking up for unsung heroes

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“It was a great team try - I was the lucky person who started it, and after it passed through the hands of several players it came back to me to score. If the club hadn’t put the try forward for RBS Try of the Month in the first place, I wouldn’t have been nominated for the seasonal award so it’s definitely worth people getting involved.”James Doig, Musselburgh, 2012/13 RBS Try of the Season


Get involved!

To nominate a score for RBS Try of the Month, fill in the online nomination at www.scottishrugby.org/clubs-schools/nominations. You’ll also need to upload footage of the try. We need to receive your nomination and footage by the last day of the month for which you are nominating.

A selection panel from Scottish Rugby and the RBS Rugby team evaluates all nominations and decides on the RBS Try of the Month. We also award RBS Try of the

Season at the annual Club Awards. James Doig of Musselburgh (pictured left) won the 2013 honour after Scott Johnson and Stevie Scott endorsed his score following a poll on the RBS Scottish Rugby Facebook page.

Now for the extras

The player who wins Try of the Month receives two tickets to a Scotland international game at Murrayfield. The footage of the try is posted on the RBS Scottish Rugby Facebook page so everyone can get to see it!

As an extra incentive to nominate, the person who supplies the footage of the winning score for each RBS Try of the Month will also receive two tickets to a Scotland home international. For more info on nominating and the terms and conditions, check out www.scottishrugby.org/clubs-schools/nominations

There’s exciting action happening every week on pitches all over Scotland. Now here’s your chance to share your team’s finest moments. We’re on the lookout for brilliant tries: whether it’s a top team score or a fine solo effort, we want to spotlight the first-class rugby being played across the RBS leagues and knock-out competitions.

RBS Try of the MonthA great prize for great scores

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Here for you all season

RBS Finals Day is always one of the highlights of the season, as clubs from around the country arrive at Murrayfield to do battle for the RBS Cup, Shield and Bowl.

The 2013 RBS Finals Days saw some truly epic ties. In the women’s competitions, Hillhead/Jordanhill capped an excellent season by winning the Sarah Beaney Cup, while Melrose took the RBS Shield and Morgan Women the RBS Bowl.

In the men’s competitions, Oban Lorne won the RBS Bowl, Marr claimed the RBS Shield and Ayr walked off with the RBS Cup after a last-gasp score wrenched the silverware from the grasp of Melrose.

There were also standout performances across the RBS leagues, Ayr completing an impressive double by being crowned RBS Premier Division champions. Glasgow Hawks secured a return to the top flight by

winning the RBS National League, while in the women’s game, Hillhead/Jordanhill were again the team to beat.

Wherever you’re playing or watching in season 2013/14, enjoy your rugby!

As well as initiatives like RBS RugbyForce and RBS Locker Room, we support the club game by sponsoring every one of the men’s and women’s RBS leagues and knock-out competitions.



RBS CLUB SUPPORT WE’LL HELP YOU SHINE

Throughout the season, RBS Rugby Reps will be out cheering on their local teams, encouraging nominations for RBS Club, Club Volunteer and Try of the Month and providing a local point of contact for initiatives like RBS RugbyForce and RBS Locker Room. Over the past few years, some of the Reps have really got into the role and become a key part of their twinned club. It’s not just about loving the sport; it’s about caring for the communities where we live and work.

The branch twinning and Rugby Rep initiative have given us the opportunity to get close to clubs up and down the country, and over the year ahead, we’ll continue to build valuable relationships between RBS and local clubs.For instance, your RBS Rugby Rep may be able to help you or your treasurer if you need some hints and tips about the club’s finances. Your Rep can also make sure your club is advertised in branch, and keep staff, customers and the local community in touch with fixtures, results and club events.

Clubs across the RBS leagues are twinned with their local RBS branch and have a nominated RBS Rugby Rep to help with advice and practical assistance. Let them know what’s happening at your club and they’ll do whatever they can to get the word out. People from all walks of life use our RBS branches, making them a great place to promote your club to a broad cross-section of the community.

Support from your RBS branch and Rugby Rep

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The Bill McLaren Foundation

Bill McLaren was a man who represented all that is best about rugby union. He was known as “The Voice of Rugby” not just because of the beauty of his tone and the delight of his imaginative phrasing, but because he portrayed our game as we would always wish it to be. The Foundation raises funds through dinners, events, auctions and the reproduction of replica copies of Bill’s big sheets.

They also help clubs raise money themselves through partnership events and other fundraising. The Foundation are happy to receive offers from around the globe to be part of one-off or annual fundraising events. We’ll be promoting the Foundation through our sponsorship activity – keep an eye on the RBS Scottish Facebook page for details.

For further information on the Bill McLaren Foundation and how to get involved with forthcoming events, head to www.billmclarenfoundation.co.uk

Show your support

If your club does not currently have a chosen charity, why not join us in supporting the Bill McLaren Foundation? Email John Thorburn: [email protected] for more details.

The Bill McLaren Foundation is registered in Scotland SC372026 and Scottish Charity No. SC041238

Honouring a legend

We’re proud to be partnering with the Bill McLaren Foundation to support their fantastic work. The Foundation raises funds to support the development of rugby and its values and also to recognise the contribution the late, great commentator made to the sport through education and the development of an interpretative centre.



Congratulations to all our 2012/13 RBS Club Award winners!

RBS Try of the Month

Month Winner Club

September David Donaldson Currie

October Shona Kirk Caithness

November Ryan Beattie Morgan Women

December Olive Lyall Broughton

January Jim Adams Allan Glen’s

February Mike Robins Hillfoots

March Allan Wilson Irvine

April The Sinclair Family Ross Sutherland

RBS Volunteer of the MonthMonth Winner

September Glenrothes

October Livingston

November Ayr

December Marr

January RHC Cougars

February Blairgowrie

March Carrick

April Mackie

RBS Club of the Month

Month Winner Club

September Lee Armstrong Hawick

October Warren Kearney Peebles

November Martin Cruickshank Peebles

December Keith Buchan Boroughmuir

January Tom Steven Glasgow Hawks

February James Doig Musselburgh

March Colin Goudie Heriot’s

April Fraser Thomson Melrose

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Documents

month11 rbs

rbs rugby rep

local rbs branch

rugby club

month8 rbs club volunteer

rbs finals day

rbs domestic leagues

clubs access