At the start of 2015/16 season, Bingham RFC was approached by Nottingham Rugby Club to work in partnership with; Rushcliffe Borough Council and Rushcliffe Children’s Centre to pilot ‘Little Ruggers’. As a club, we were excited at the prospect of developing grassroots rugby with a view to offering a fun, rugby-based, non-contact activity programme targeted at boys and girls aged between 2 and 5.

Since 2015, we have grown each year and for 2023-24 we will run age groups from 3 years (Little Ruggers, age 3-4) up to U12 and have been nominated for various awards as well as achieving RFU accredited club.

We have a commitment to good fun and good rugby provided in a friendly, family orientated environment. The hallmark of the club is its inclusiveness and its warm, welcoming, and friendly family atmosphere.

• We put the children at the heart of everything they do and the decisions they make
• We encourage fun on the pitch through realistic expectations of your children
• We develop children’s character as players and as people and challenge any behaviour that conflicts with this
• We build the skills of our adults to provide a safe, healthy and respectful environment for our children
• We champion rugby’s core values and a life-long bond between children, adults, and sport.
• We are a community club run for and by volunteers.

All we ask is that parents attend, join in, help out & encourage & support all the children.

The Game

The RFU works to an age grade rugby framework for six to eighteen year olds.

This will ensure the game is player-centred, development driven, and competition supported. It will put inclusivity and each player’s skill development first, increasing the intensity of competition in line with motivations of our young players. It aims to help children develop and learn the game at their own pace, and make sure they have plenty of fun while playing competitively.

The youngest entry point for children at Bingham RUFC is 3 years where we will introduce them to Little Ruggers

A child’s age group is based on their age on 1 September, and so follows school years:

How the game changes through the age groups

At the U6 level, the emphasis is on fun and skill development and the children will be introduced to non-contact ‘Tag’ Rugby (a variation of the game whereby a ‘tackle’ is performed through the removal of a plastic ‘Tag’ that is otherwise attached to a velcro belt). There will be a gradual introduction to tag games, although this will be intra-group, as matches are not played against other clubs.

Through U7 and U8, we continue to play Tag Rugby whilst formal competitive games are introduced through playing ‘Festivals’ and via fixtures / joint training with other clubs. Festivals are hosted by Rugby Clubs and usually involve between 4-6 teams at each age group who compete against each other on a Sunday morning over a series of matches.

Contact rugby is introduced from U9 and each year thereafter, there are modest changes to the rules as children progress towards Junior Rugby. For example, in U9, there is no contest for the ball after a tackle, at U10 rucks and mauls are introduced, whilst kicking is only introduced to the game from U11 onwards.

Age Grade Rugby Brochure

The new updated document and rules of play for age groups and helpful information to keep our player’s safety at the front of everyone’s minds can be found in our documents section for Mini & Little Ruggers.

When and where we train

Minis play every Sunday during the rugby season; Little Ruggers & U6 from 9:15 am, U7 upwards from 10:00 am, and vary in length dependent upon the age group. Car parking is limited & we seek to use a grass area (subject to weather) as an overspill parking area. To help with parking, we ask parents to do what you can by walking, cycling, getting dropped off or parking on Forest Road or Wychwood Road (see separate car parking notice).

We recommend you arrive before your start time to ensure your child is ready to participate once the session starts. When games are being played at other clubs, your age grade coach will let you have details and we will post details on the website

The club is situated at Brendon Grove Bingham NG13 8TN – we ask parents not to park on Brendon Grove to respect the residents.

What you need to bring

All balls, tag belts, tackle bags and other equipment necessary for playing are provided by the club. All you need to bring are boots (studs should be rounded, and not have edges), be dressed for the weather, have a water bottle and, from U9 upwards, bring a gumshield which is essential to partake in contact Rugby.

Once you become a member you may decide to buy kit which you can do via our Online shop we have with Macron.

Our Coaches, Team managers, First Aiders are all parents and volunteers

Every age group has its own Coaches, first aiders & team managers. Most of our Coaches will have a child in the group they are coaching and whilst many draw experience from having played the game, there are those who are new to rugby but want to get involved in some capacity.

Volunteers are always encouraged & welcomed, for both On Field & Off Field activities. Coaches are supported through a variety of courses run by the club and RFU. All coaches, team managers, and first aiders are DBS checked. The club arranges First aid courses for First Aiders. All courses are paid for by the club.

Membership

To join the club you will need to register on both our website, the RFU database and pay the subscription. The season starts at the beginning of September. There is no need to pre-register before this date as we operate a ‘turn up and play’ policy for our new members. On your trial session(s) please go the clubhouse and register your son/daughter and ensure you have read our terms and conditions. Your child(ren) can then come to up to 2 sessions before you decide whether you would like to commit to the full season. You will then be asked to pay the annual fees (fees will be pro rata if you join from say December) and fully register with the club via the website binghamrufc.co.uk

Website: binghamrufc.co.uk
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1222524801124049/
Twitter: @BinghamRUFC