Leicestershire Rugby Union

It is with great sadness that Leicestershire Rugby Union has learnt that Richard Green passed away peacefully on Thursday 27th August.
Richard was a member of Leicestershire Rugby Union from 1993 until 2015 during which he held the posts of Assistant Hon. Secretary for four years, Hon. Secretary for eighteen years and finally as President.
He had been a player for 25 years with South Wigston RFC until he hung his boots up in 1990. He had been a Vice President at South Leicester RFC since the early 1990’s and joined their Committee and Board of Directors in 2015 as Club and Company Secretary.
Richard leaves a wife and two sons, David and Stephen and will be greatly missed by the Rugby Community in Leicestershire.
Funeral arrangements will follow in due course.

We are once again hosting a conference for club volunteers to attend and gain valuable advice, resources and information on running your clubs and the game we all love.
We are still working on the final agenda but will be covering the following topics:
*Facilities and Funding
*Volunteer Recruitment
*Coach Development
*Discipline
*LRU Future Planning
*Safeguarding

Each club will be able to book 4 spaces.

Reserve your spot now via this link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/leicestershire-rugby-union-conference-2026-tickets-1998917793931?aff=oddtdtcreator

Calling Clubs and School Rugby Coaches❗
Leicester Tigers are searching for teenagers who have the potential to become future first-team players with Project Tiger.

Project Tiger is an initiative aimed at finding under-16 and under-17 players (school years 11-12) who are not yet in the academy system but have outstanding talent. Players who demonstrate abilities far above their peers. That are determined, hardworking and competitive, and/or have outstanding physical potential (size, speed, height).

Read more or nominate a candidate here - https://www.leicestertigers.com/news/project-tiger-2026-27-launched

On behalf of Vipers Rugby Football Club it is with great sadness that we share the news that Frank Bewley sadly passed away on Friday morning, following a courageous two-year battle with cancer.

Frank was a much-loved and respected member of Vipers RFC, having been a Team Manager, Chairman and true Club Stalwart for over 30 years.

His dedication, friendship and contribution to the Club will never be forgotten, and he will be greatly missed by everyone at Vipers RFC.

Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his wife Sandra, his children Craig and Michelle, and all of their family at this very sad time.

The RFU has confirmed the start of competitions at Mens Level 5 and Women’s PWR and below are delayed until 21 September.

Off the back of that, here's the LRU position for all Senior and age-grade club rugby in the Union:

No LRU competition games, league or cup matches before Saturday 26 September.

Any LRU fixtures currently scheduled before that date will be rescheduled. The Competitions Working Group will be in touch with clubs directly regarding all Competitions.

The full statement from the RFU can be read here: https://www.englandrugby.com/follow/news-and-media/statement-start-competitive-community-rugby-season

We know this creates different challenges and everyone is itching to start playing but player welfare is paramount and safety will always come first.

Here's what it means in practice:
• Friendlies (U14+) can still go ahead but No Contact (T1) unless the pitch has been properly assessed as fit for contact by club AGR chair and Referee.
• Training continues, but only subject to pitch conditions and a full risk assessment from club official.
• Tag for Minis, and touch (only) up to U13, can go ahead from the start of the season, subject to pitch and weather.
We're asking every club to exercise real caution on pitch conditions and pre-season activity, and to follow RFU guidance throughout.

This position will stay under review. If your club has questions or concerns, get in touch.

We thank and appreciate everyone for their understanding, cooperation and patience during this next period.

Community Rugby season delay: RFU statement | Rugby Football Union An RFU statement on the delayed start of the competitive community rugby season.

After careful consideration and consultation with clubs across England, the RFU has decided to delay the start of the competitive community game season until the week commencing Monday 21 September.

The RFU recognises this will be disappointing for clubs, players and volunteers who have been preparing for the new season, but the decision follows consideration of a range of factors. For full details please follow this link.

https://www.englandrugby.com/follow/news-and-media/statement-start-competitive-community-rugby-season

With the dry spell set to continue a bit longer, here is some advice on managing your pitches during drough conditions

With dry spells putting extra pressure on rugby pitches, is your club prepared?

From dealing with watering restrictions to managing player safety on baked ground, our Managing Drought guidance has everything grounds teams and club committees need to know to navigate the heat.

Be proactive and read the full guide now:
🔗 https://rfu.widen.net/s/b5sqmqsjvd/managing-drought-guidance-doc