Share what your Rugby Club does well?

[Prodigy]

Maybe get Nick Phipps on board just like Drew Mitchell is for balmain.

Not 100% sure, but I think Nick Phipps is involved with Petersham - I think he was their colts coach in 2010.

Barbarian, I am the First Grade Coach at Epping and we have had similar problems in recent times - especially attracting coaches. Actually this year, we had a few interested parties, but because we don't offer payment for players or coaches, they moved on to other clubs.

We promote a cashback scheme for players who bring a mate - $50 cashback for every mate you bring as soon as they have paid their rego. It works with alot of the younger guys - the older guys rarely claim the cashback. I reckon for every 10 players brought to the club, we hand out about 4 cashbacks.

We also offer free rego for getting the club a sponsor (over $1500 in value), as well as an opportunity to win your rego back with a draw for all fully paid players prior to our second last trial.

There are alot of things that we could do better, but we have a committed committee and player base who work hard to make things work. We need to improve our communication and our website, as well as giving our sponsors more.

We'd love to attract a number of larger framed players, but we work with what we have and are quite competitive.

In fact, Barbarian, we are playing you guys in a trial on March 10. Would love to catch up for a beer afterwards.

Lachie Turner was an Epping Junior and we have had him down at training occasionally which pumps up the boys.

We try to get an article in the local paper every week, win, lose or draw. They are good contacts and usually are happy to run the article if you write something and include a picture.

 

[Keithy]

We love the Nags.
I know subbies clubs that get the players work and they can then pay for accom. Doesn't cost the club any cash from the bank account just a little work from the club. Plenty of English and Welsh expats in town. Kings generally has a good network for jobs is that still the case?
The Home ground at Parra is a tough one. All the Kings players i know live nowhere near Parra. In fact they are closer to Glebe and this might be why they play lower grades at Uni or Norths instead of old boys rugby.
On the coaching front, turn back the clock and introduce the CAPTAIN COACH.

 

[Keithy]

Not 100% sure, but I think Nick Phipps is involved with Petersham - I think he was their colts coach in 2010.

Nick Phipps is the Rebels/Wallaby halfback who is a Kings Old Boy and his Father is the sports master at Kings.

 

[Prodigy]

Keithy,

Just suggesting a quick check - as I have just done.

From Hodgie's Bit, a weekly wrap on the Subbies website (June 20, 2011):
Siblings
The Shute programme last Saturday also mentioned that Epping topped Sydney Uni’s pairs of brothers – at 12! Talking of siblings; Petersham fielded brothers in the 3rdgrade last week. Sam and Lucas Cordingley! SMH liked it:http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/union-news/mud-larks-cordingley-brothers-get-together-on-field-at-last-20110618-1g8zh.html A bit ironic that the Rebels star half back Nick Phipps who replaced Sam is also connected to Petersham as Colts Coach last year.

 

[suckerforred]

Yeah, both good ideas. At the end of the day there is no substitute for legwork, and contacting past players takes a while but will be worth it.

As for the letter drop, one of our problems as a club is we have no real catchment area. We train in Glebe and play out at Kings at Parramatta. So we have guys from the hills, city, the east, the west. It has its good points and bad points. SO we have no real target area, which makes it hard to be targetted in recruitment.

Maybe give all your current players a handfull and get them to do the few blocks around where they live. And do the areas around you training grounds and playing grounds. (Is there a reason you do not train where you play or vice versa?). As I said, not being in Sydney I really don't know how the community works, but I am very good a asking questions.

Maybe also get a couple of members / players to go and sit at your pub for a few afternoons / days / evenings and strike up a conversation with anyone who comes in a sound them out for possibilities.

I have a feeling that it will be a long road ahead.

 

[barbarian]

Prodigy, thanks for that, some great ideas. The cashback and mate referral is stuff we will probably be bringing in this season.

One other thing we are thinking of is a way to bring in props. What deal do you guys think we should be offering? A discount in fees is good, but really who starts playing rugby because the fees are cheap? We are thinking stuff like discounted meals, merchandise, etc. But still not sure.

Yeah, definitely keen for a beer in March. Shit it is getting close isn't it??? Might have to dust of the boots and go for a run or something. Think we start preseason soon anyway.

 

[barbarian]

We love the Nags.
I know subbies clubs that get the players work and they can then pay for accom. Doesn't cost the club any cash from the bank account just a little work from the club. Plenty of English and Welsh expats in town. Kings generally has a good network for jobs is that still the case?
The Home ground at Parra is a tough one. All the Kings players i know live nowhere near Parra. In fact they are closer to Glebe and this might be why they play lower grades at Uni or Norths instead of old boys rugby.
On the coaching front, turn back the clock and introduce the CAPTAIN COACH.

Yeah it is something that we have looked at, our jobs network is good but probably not quite good enough for that at the moment. Plus our priority at the moment is reclaiming our base more than looking overseas.

And the home ground thing has been a constant battle. The advantage of playing at Parramatta is it doesn't cost us a cent, and keeps our connection with Kings. But it is certainly inconvenient. However finding a free ground on a Saturday in inner Sydney is nigh on impossible, and we have tried.

And the captain coach is an option, but we don't really have anyone qualified enough at the moment. We can fix that if needs be, but we aren't considering it yet.

 

[barbarian]

Maybe give all your current players a handfull and get them to do the few blocks around where they live. And do the areas around you training grounds and playing grounds. (Is there a reason you do not train where you play or vice versa?). As I said, not being in Sydney I really don't know how the community works, but I am very good a asking questions.

Maybe also get a couple of members / players to go and sit at your pub for a few afternoons / days / evenings and strike up a conversation with anyone who comes in a sound them out for possibilities.

I have a feeling that it will be a long road ahead.

Good ideas, and yes it will be a bit of a slog. But we have a pretty committed committee so hopefully we will get there.

 

[Bruce Ross]

Here's a couple of video updates on Sydney Uni's off-season preparations:

 

[barbarian]

Good videos Bruce, interesting look behind the scenes. Thanks for posting them.

 

[Bruce Ross]

I think coach Todd Louden intends to post a series of them on vimeo and the Club's website, barbar.

 

[barbarian]

Good to hear, I will try and keep up with them.

 

[Jnor]

Me too, good stuff Bruce. Are these what Chris Malone has been up to lately? I'll have to step up my game.

PS Just noticed it's all Todd in the second vid, I didn't know how into the video stuff he was as well.

 

[Bruce Ross]

No, Jnor, he has some earlier material which I think are basically interviews.

 

[Bruce Ross]

Here's the latest video update from Sydney Uni Rugby:

They might have to get Jnor to give them some advice on lighting the faces of players being interviewed.

The Wider Training Group caters for players who have either not been graded into the EDS (Elite Development Squad) or have work or other commitments that prevent them training with the EDS. In total there are over 100 players training with the EDS or the WTG.

 

[Jets]

That's some really impressive stuff Bruce. Keep the videos coming if you can.

 

[barbarian]

I wouldn't mind the videos focussing a bit more on what they are doing in the gym and how it relates to rugby, as well as hearing a bit more about these guys training/diet regimens.

The last one was a bit too matey for me. I understand the video is probably designed more for internal use, but all the talk about players girlfriends, brothers and other stuff goes over my head or I just don't care.

 

[Jnor]

Here's the latest video update from Sydney Uni Rugby:

They might have to get Jnor to give them some advice on lighting the faces of players being interviewed.

The Wider Training Group caters for players who have either not been graded into the EDS (Elite Development Squad) or have work or other commitments that prevent them training with the EDS. In total there are over 100 players training with the EDS or the WTG.

The lighting's a bit of an issue, but the bigger one is the mic. Need a directional one as you can always hear the person behind the camera but not the interviewee without some difficulty. Filming in the gym was an issue for me anyway because of all the background noise too.

Having watched the video, Will Skelton's brother stood out more than anyone (lame pun intended). 2m, 130kg and 16 years old. What a monster!

 

[Bruce Ross]

I wouldn't mind the videos focussing a bit more on what they are doing in the gym and how it relates to rugby, as well as hearing a bit more about these guys training/diet regimens.

The last one was a bit too matey for me. I understand the video is probably designed more for internal use, but all the talk about players girlfriends, brothers and other stuff goes over my head or I just don't care.

Fair comment, barbar, but as you suggest the videos are basically intended for internal use and are posted on the club website.

 

[Jets]

I found them to be more interesting and informative that "The Code". While there were some issues with the sound and lighting at night I thought they did a great job considering it's not for mass consumption. I think most of us would be happy if our clubs produced something of this quality.
Also the jokes with the squad show the great culture of the club. You don't need to understand them to realise that the players are having a great time working together with their mates to give themselves the best opportunity for the season ahead. I can see why players will opt out of Academies to train with the club.