Ilkley Rugby Club has been awarded the RFU’s Whole Club Seal of Approval accreditation.

The accreditation recognises the effort and achievement of volunteers in reaching the standard required in the development of rugby across the whole club, and to plan for the long term sustainability of the club and rugby union.

The RFU introduced the Seal of Approval programme in association with Sport England and the Clubmark scheme in 2002.

The Whole Club Seal of Approval accreditation was introduced in 2009 as a method of ensuring high quality provision of rugby in clubs. It builds on the established procedures of Mini and Youth Seal of Approval.

Clubs are assessed by the RFU and must demonstrate evidence of good practice in areas such as club management, player development and recruitment, child protection, sports equity, coaching, refereeing and volunteering.

Ilkley Rugby Club has worked closely with Hamish Pratt, their rugby development officer, and community development team, whose primary roles are to support clubs and the local community in developing the provision of rugby for players.

The club has developed strong links with the local school and FE/HE establishments supporting the education sector, which underpins the largest catalyst to a lifelong involvement in a safe, healthy and fun game.

This achievement will see even greater benefits as the whole club moves forward together, which in turn will help even more players, coaches, referees and volunteers enjoy the game to its full potential The RFU’s Community Rugby director Andrew Scoular said: “This accreditation will show all those with an interest in rugby and sports development that Ilkley Rugby Club is providing its players and community with a safe, well-organised and enjoyable environment in which to learn and play rugby.

“Our clubs are the focal point of the RFU club development strategies for many years to come.”

Ilkley club chairman Richard Scargill said: “This award places the club in the top few clubs nationwide to have achieved this accreditation. The club strives to deliver quality rugby at all age groups.

“The accreditation gives the club a roadmap to the future, which will be an exciting one, with the new development providing a focus for every member over the coming year or so.”

The club will hold its AGM on Thursday, July 9, at 7.30 p.m. Members are asked to attend and learn more about the award and the plans for the future.

In addition to this accolade, at the Yorkshire RFU AGM on Monday Ilkley were presented with the runner-up award for the annual President’s XV awards. This year they add the award for Girl Power to the Fundraising Club of the Year award picked up last year.

Their submission read: ‘Ilkley Rugby Club appointed a Community rugby development officer in April 2004 with the plan of increasing participation in the game at all levels.

Rugby union is now the prime winter sport at the local Grammar School and our CRDO has been given the title of director of rugby at the school.

The £20k+ per annum post is fully funded by the club, something quite unique for a small level 6 club.

In 2005 John Lawn, the RDO, helped us get a grant of £2,450 from Award for All for coaching girls’ rugby at the local grammar school.

This followed a successful year in 2004-5 of primary school coaching and Tag festivals which captivated the interest of both boys and girls in Rugby Union.

Coaching was delivered to both junior and senior girls at Ilkley Grammar School both in curriculum time and out of school hours.

Coaching was delivered by our community rugby development officer, Dave Duxbury and an enthusiastic group of qualified coaches, with significant input from Neil Spence, the local CRC and the WRFU Development Officer Gordon Piper.

The outcome is that Ilkley RFC now have active girls’ teams and in 2008-9 season they fielded the first ever ladies’ senior side. All are mad keen on rugby and are only hamstrung by a shortage of teams to play against.

The weather has not helped this winter with a number of ladies’ matches being cancelled. There are regular and well-attended training sessions held at the club on the floodlit pitch, which has enjoyed a major drainage project part-funded by the Rugby Foundation.

One under-18 player, Hannah Bradley, is in the Yorkshire elite group and a number of the ladies team have played representative rugby.

Sets of shirts, shorts and socks have been sponsored for each age group and the ladies side boasts a very becoming feminine pink flash to set-off against the club’s traditional colours of black and red.

The club’s ambitious development plan which is currently moving towards a start date includes ladies’ changing facilities.

All the ladies have joined the club in the appropriate membership category and have shown enthusiasm to join committees etc, something that will be addressed in the spring.

We believe this is a genuine case of from little acorns………thanks to Awards for All for their stimulus and to the RFU team for their encouragement.!