Contacts

Mini Section Manager (Ages 6-12) : Dawn Case - Telephone 0191 4411545

Junior Section Manager (ages 13 - 18) : Mike Scott - Telephone 0191 4411273

Youth Development Officer : Cheri-ann Scott - 0191 4411273.

Matches & Training

It is important that all players attend both training sessions and matches. If for any reason you are not able to attend please let either your coach or manager know as soon as possible.

Mini Section Training takes place each Sunday morning from 10am, can you please be ready in your kit for this time.

Junior Section Training on Wednesday nights at 6.30pm

All training and home games are held at the club house in Hedley Lawson Park, all players must have been washed/showered before entering the club house each week.

Matches for both the minis and junior squads take place on a Sunday morning KO usually at 11am (if this is to change your team coach will notify you of the change in the previous training session).

On cold days plenty of layers, if you get hot it is easier to take layers off to cool down than it is to warm up. For the junior players please wear a club shirt and tie (which are available from the club) - to get these use the order form in your handbook and when completed return to your team manager.

Personal Hygiene

Gateshead RFC and its volunteers are advocates of Healthy Lifestyles and place high on its agenda Personal Health & Hygiene. Our aim is to have all players washed/showered and changed into clean clothes at the end of both training session's and matches. Could you please ensure that your child brings with them a towel and a change of clothes each week. Players will not be allowed to access the facilities unless they have washed/showered and changed their clothing.

Equipment

Equipment needed by each player for their training and matches are as follows:-

• Boots - these must be fitted with rugby studs not the football ones
• Shorts/Tracksuit bottoms
• Socks
• Suitable training top
• Gum shield or any other protective equipment
• Water bottle
• And a towel for use after training session

Please note not expensive clothing for training, and any other clothing for health and safety must be free of zips or other sharp fastenings. For match days the club colours are white shorts, navy blue socks, with red rugby top, with pale blue band surrounded by navy blue band. The players are to provide their own shorts and socks, however the top is provided by the club.

Transport

Transportation will be provided for away fixtures for the players but we would appreciate any help where possible from parents at both home and away fixtures.

Coaching

Young players are coached within the guidelines of The RFU's Continuum.

The teams are mixed for both boys and girls up to and including the Under 12 age group, where if girls wish to continue within the sport they must join Gateshead District Girls Rugby which is based at Ryton RFC.

All coaches are at present taking part in various courses from 'Equity in your coaching' to 'good practice & child protection'. Each coach also has a Full Enhanced Disclosure (CRB Check) as inline with child protection policies which are implemented within the rugby club and the RFU Guidelines.

Age Groups

The age groups we use are set down in the RFU's Continuum for all Rugby Clubs and they are based on the player's age at the start of each Season (September). They correspond to school year groups as follows:

Club Team	School Year
Under 7	Year 2
Under 8	Year 3
Under 9	Year 4
Under 10	Year 5
Under 11	Year 6
Under 12	Year 7
Under 13	Year 8
Under 14	Year 9
Under 15	Year 10
Under 16	Year 11

Membership & Subs

All players must complete a Gateshead RFC and RFU Registration Form (club application forms are included in this handbook and RFU forms are available from your Team Manager).

Players are asked to pay their subs each week, £2.00 per week for Junior Section Members and £1.50 per week for Mini Section Members this is payable to their Team Manager, also each player must register at the beginning of each session. All monies that are raised within the section are given back to the youth section in the form of training equipment, selection boxes, cost of food and various other ways which benefits your child. Should a parent wish to pay their child's subs weekly/monthly etc please speak to child's team manager for details

Contributions Required

We really need contributors to this Youth Rugby page to get it going. If you can help with anything to go on this page please email webadmin@gatesheadrfc.co.uk.