Armidale Junior Rugby Union

Strategic Plan AJRU

3-Year Strategic Plan (2024-2027)

Background

Founded in 2012, the Armidale Junior Rugby Union Club has built an established place for children of all ages, genders, and backgrounds to experience Rugby Union as a game and a community. Notwithstanding its historical achievements, the organisation presently confronts challenges, including financial constraints, a downward or middling trajectory in participant engagement since lockdown, the absence of dedicated pathways for children to play representative Rugby, and a declining number of volunteers and coaching personnel.

In response to these challenges, the Armidale Junior Rugby Union Club is strategically aligning its focus towards forward-thinking initiatives with the main goals:

  • Financial stability
  • Player growth
  • Player Pathways

Through the implementation of targeted financial strategies, we aim to alleviate current funding constraints, fortify our fiscal foundation, and pave the way for sustainable growth. Concurrently, efforts to reverse the stagnating participation numbers are need, involving strategy with local schools and a long-term vision to establish an Armidale Junior Rugby Player Pathways Academy.

Recognising the pivotal role of dedicated pathways in player development, the club will actively engage in forging collaborations with NSW Rugby. This initiative is geared towards establishing clear and structured routes for our young athletes to seamlessly transition into representative rugby.

To achieve this, the recruitment and development of coaching personnel are paramount to our success. We are committed to a coach training strategy, incorporating community outreach programs, professional development opportunities, and the establishment of a coaching mentorship program to ensure the highest quality coaching staff.

The Armidale Junior Rugby Union Club acknowledges the current challenges and embraces a proactive, business-like approach to address them.

3 Year Strategic Plan

2024 – 2025 – Building Foundations

2025 – 2026 – Expansion and Diversification

2026 – 2027 – Sustainability and Integration

Year 1 (2024-2025): Building Foundations

In charting the course for the future, the Armidale Junior Rugby Union Club unveils a positive and forward-thinking agenda for Year 1 (2024-2025): Building Foundations. These strategic goals, rooted in financial stabilisation, targeted U12 participation, and coaching recruitment, embody the club’s dedication to establishing a robust framework for sustained success.

To achieve financial stability, the club will first identify potential sponsors and partners within the local community and businesses, crafting sponsorship packages which accentuate the benefits for local businesses and highlights the club’s commitment to fostering mutually beneficial connections. This sponsorship will be targeted towards traditional sponsorship with the aim to grow in subsequent years. Dynamic fundraising events further supplement existing funds while fostering community engagement, uniting supporters, and stakeholders in a collective effort towards the club’s growth. Sponsorship will diversify into the space of parents & friends sponsors within year 1. In addition, the club will identify key public and community grants to for the purchase of training, team and matchday equipment.

U6 – U12 participation growth takes centre stage within this model. Growing the base of the pyramid is the main target of the club over the next three years to ensure participation from U14-U18 is sustained and so pathways can be properly established within the Rugby Ecosystem. The club will push this agenda by collaborating with local schools to increase awareness of the club and expand its footprint with the Armidale region.

Coaching recruitment and development are the final targets for the first year of the new plan. The club will actively recruit and train new coaches through community outreach initiatives, broadening the talent pool and enhancing coaching quality. Professional development opportunities, including coaching workshops and certifications, underscore the commitment to staying at the forefront of best practices.

Year 1 Key Targets

  1. Financial Stabilisation:
    • Identify potential sponsors and partners within the local community and businesses.
    • Develop sponsorship packages highlighting the benefits for local businesses to support the club.
    • Organise fundraising events to supplement existing funds.
    • Seek public and community grants for the purchase of matchday and training equipment.
  2. U6-U12 Participation growth
    • Establish processes to grow the game and encourage new participants to the game.
    • Collaborate with local schools to create awareness about the rugby program and attract new participants.
    • Establish a Summer Sevens programme to expand Rugby offerings to all children.
    • Creation of Subsidised Rugby coaching clinics for school holidays
  3. Coaching Recruitment and Development:
    • Actively recruit and train new coaches through community outreach programs.
    • Provide coaching workshops, certifications, and continuous professional development opportunities to enhance the quality of coaching staff.
    • Create a coaching mentorship program to support new coaches.
    • Establish baseline training for all coaches in U6-U8 and U10-U12 with foundational activities for children based on player developmental pathways.

Year 2 (2025-2026): Expansion and Diversification

The Armidale Junior Rugby Union Club envisions a dynamic and positive trajectory in Year 2 (2025-2026). The club is not merely envisioning growth but is actively crafting a future of building inclusivity and community.

The club’s commitment to expanding its sponsorship base reflects a forward-thinking strategy to move past stability and into growth. By reaching out to regional and national businesses, fostering community engagement through events and workshops, and establishing a supporters’ club, the club is creating a holistic framework that integrates financial support with active involvement and a shared sense of community pride.

Underpinning the club’s commitment to excellence, the focus on building an Armidale Junior Rugby Club Player Pathways Academy, forging partnerships with NSW rugby associations, and hosting inter-club tournaments demonstrates a dedication to elevating the standard of play and providing clear pathways for aspiring athletes. This not only enriches the player experience but also solidifies the club’s position as a key player in regional rugby development.

The introduction and promotion of a girls’ rugby program is a transformative step towards fostering inclusivity within the club. By actively recruiting female coaches and players, the club is creating an environment where diversity is celebrated, talent flourishes, and barriers are dismantled. This initiative not only expands the club’s offerings but also contributes to the broader landscape of women’s rugby.

Plans are developing to initiate a strategic expansion into the Northern and Eastern regions of the New England Zone, fostering increased participation and solidifying New England’s position as a thriving hub for growth and development.

  1. Sponsorship Growth and Community Engagement:
    • Expand the sponsorship base by reaching out to regional and national businesses.
    • Foster community engagement through events, workshops, and partnerships with local organisations.
    • Establish a supporters’ club to involve local community members in the club’s activities.
  2. Rugby Pathways and Representative Teams:
    • Increase the number of holiday clinics for children.
    • Introduce the talent identification day at expanded clinics for children with identified talent within the region to expand their Rugby skills.
    • Establish a rugby academy, providing specialised training for representative teams.
    • Forge partnerships with NSW rugby associations to create clear pathways for players aspiring to play representative rugby.
    • Host inter-club tournaments to highlight talent and provide exposure to scouts.
  3. Targeted Girls’ Rugby Program
    • Introduce and promote a girls’ rugby program to diversify the club’s offerings.
    • Recruit female coaches and players, fostering an inclusive and supportive environment.
  4. Regional Growth
    • Begin groundwork for Northern expansion within the New England Zone, starting by running four Armidale gala days for New England children to play on uncommitted gala days.

Year 3 (2026-2027): Sustainability and Integration

The Armidale Junior Rugby Union Club sets forth a positive and transformative agenda for Year 3 (2026-2027): Sustainability and Integration.

The club is poised to evaluate and refine fundraising strategies, ensuring a sustainable financial trajectory. The proactive measures to establish an endowment fund or seek grants represent and lay the groundwork for a stable financial future, allowing the club to flourish and invest in the development of its young athletes.

Recognising the importance of a unified rugby community, the club will explore partnerships with local senior rugby clubs. This collaborative approach extends beyond the junior ranks, creating joint events and initiatives that foster a sense of community and shared purpose between junior and senior players. This integration not only strengthens the rugby fraternity but also creates a cohesive and supportive environment for players of all levels.

To bring a different sense of community to the club, we will establish ‘sister’ clubs within Australia to create yearly billeted gala days to expand sponsorship opportunities and seek sponsorship from local economic stimulus packages. In addition, partnerships with an overseas Rugby club in Japan will allow for children to experience Rugby in a different country and foster more links with inclusiveness while also letting the children understand the worldwide impact of Rugby and, alternatively, highlight Armidale as a destination for others to visit.

In summary, the Year 3 goals encapsulate the Armidale Junior Rugby Union Club’s positive and strategic mindset.

  1. Financial Sustainability:
    • Evaluate and refine fundraising strategies to ensure long-term financial sustainability.
    • Establish an endowment fund or seek grants to secure a stable financial future.
  2. Growth and Youth Development Continuation and Integration with Senior Clubs:
    • Strengthen ties with local schools and expand the junior program to include more activities for all age groups.
    • Initiate partnerships with senior rugby clubs for seamless transitions of players from U18s to senior levels.
      • Begin establishing internal U14s-U18s competitions within zone for growth.
  3. Partner Clubs
    • Establish ‘sister’ clubs for the Armidale Junior Rugby Club within Australia and with established Rugby Clubs in other countries like Japan for billeted exchanges every 2-3 years.

Other Considerations

In consultation with community members in 2023, the further following specific points were identified for review within the club and in consultation with the wider community:

  • Training times
  • Reduced cost for registration
  • Increasing participation at the National Rugby Camp
  • Individualised long-term strategy for internal competition within the Armidale District (as part of the Strategic Plan)
  • Creation of a yearly implementation plan to make the process of starting a year simple for volunteer staff.
  • Re-establish Try Rugby sessions leading into the beginning of the competition.
  • Aim to purchase an Armidale Junior Rugby Club ground and lights.
  • Creation of a coaching curriculum
  • Explore options for merging of Central North and New England
  • Investigate segregation of committees for juniors and seniors