Club development is central to RFU strategy for the community game. A strong, vibrant club base is vital to underpin its drive to recruit and retain young people and adults (via, for example, its work on school-club links, with FE colleges and universities and the national Go Play Rugby campaign).

In February 2007, having involved KKP in its deliberations about the best way to take this area of work forward, the RFU commissioned John Eady to support the analysis and development of its processes and materials to drive club development.

It is widely acknowledged that the most effective way for clubs to develop and improve is to plan what they are going to do and then implement the relevant actions. However, arriving at clubs with a check-list of RFU ‘dictated' procedures was considered less likely to be productive than facilitation of a process whereby the demand to adopt a plan-led development course of action emanates from the club itself.

As a result, the RFU is shifting the focus of its work in this field to one centred upon empowering clubs to develop in ways that relate directly to their own identified needs and priorities; and to implement their own plans, that they are assisted to specify, at their own pace.

To this end, KKP supported the RFU's in-house process of analysing the key factors in running a club, created a range of resources and mechanisms that RFU staff (and others working with clubs) can adopt and utilise. This analysis breaks the range of activities, processes and responsibilities that apply to clubs down under five main categories:

• People
• Member services
• Member welfare
• Community links
• Club management

John also designed and piloted the workshops now being used with clubs to kickstart the process; this is one of the devices via which members are encouraged to get into the right frame of mind for club improvement. Along with the range of other resources produced, this is now being utilised by the RFU's rugby development officer network to support the programme.

He was ideal for this job. He knows Rugby Union inside and out, as a player and via a range of assignments in the sport including development of the RFU's World Class Plan, establishment of England RFU academies and elite player development centres, constituent body strategies, direct work with individual clubs and involvement in training and development with its national workforce. This sits alongside KKP's pivotal role in Clubmark, the England national quality accreditation scheme for sports clubs.

Andy Lees, National Clubs Development Manager at the RFU led on the process; he said,

"We have been delighted with John's input to this process and have benefited from his expertise in rugby and club development. His objective approach and perspective on persuading clubs to enthusiastically embrace club planning has provided added value. The processes that RFU staff are now starting to plan and implement will lead to long term improvement and sustainability for clubs at all levels."

For an independent view on KKP's role in this review, please contact Andy Lees at The Rugby Football Union (Andylees@rfu.com)