The first Club in the East Midlands to achieve the RFU Whole Club Seal of Approval

Wellingborough RFC has become the first club in the East Midlands to be awarded the prestigious RFU Whole Club Seal of Approval. The new accreditation requires clubs to provide evidence of good practice throughout the club. The Whole Club Seal of Approval award recognises the effort and achievement of volunteers in achieving the standards needed in developing and sustaining Rugby Union in their clubs.

Brian and Derrie receive the award at Twickenham

Introduced in 2009 and building on established Seal of Approval awards for provision of youth rugby, the new accreditation requires clubs to provide evidence of good practice in areas including club management, player development and recruitment, child protection, sports equity, coaching and refereeing, as well as the recruitment and management of volunteers.

Wellingborough Rugby Club has worked closely with Alex Hadley, Rugby Development Officer for Northamptonshire, whose primary role is to support clubs & the local community in developing the provision of Rugby Union.

Wellingborough RFC has developed strong links with the community notably with the Ladies section developing a strong relationship with Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service. The club also works closely with Wellingborough and East Northants School Sports Partnership, hosting competitions and training sessions for schools in the local area.

The RFU’s Alex Hadley said: ‘‘the club have worked very hard to ensure that the club is safe and effective at all levels. It gives East Midlands Rugby Union and the RFU great pleasure in awarding the club with Whole Club Seal of Approval’’.

George Shipman, Wellingborough’s Seal of Approval Lead added: "Like all clubs we rely on the hard work of volunteers and this award recognises all the work that takes place by volunteers at the club. As a club we are always striving to develop and improve for the future and the Whole Club Seal of Approval was an ideal format for us to do this."

Andy Lees, the RFU's National Club Development Manager, said: “To earn the Whole Club Seal of Approval accreditation is a major achievement that underlines a commitment to sustaining a club for future generations.”

“The Whole Club Seal of Approval process is designed to encourage rugby clubs to assess where they are and provide ideas and templates for them to move forward.”