Hillfoots RFC appoints full time Rugby Development Officer

1/10/2012 4:30 AM EST

A new full time post of Rugby Development Officer (RDO) has been created at fast growing Tillicoultry-based rugby club, Hillfoots RFC.

Now with over 20 qualified coaches to coordinate, and with ambitions to grow further in 2012, local man JP Ward has joined the club to take on the challenge.

The last two years has seen Hillfoots grow its number of players to over 400, and it has been recognised twice by the SRU as ‘Scotland’s fastest growing rugby club’.

Michael Power, Treasurer & Junior Section Convenor, said: “Hillfoots is delighted that JP has agreed to come on board and help us with our next phase of growth.”

Starting in January, JP will help Hillfoots recruit more playing members of all ages, regardless of their previous experience of playing rugby, as well as retain and develop its existing membership. He will initially be developing a strategy to encourage more children from the Clackmannanshire area to come and play rugby at the club.

“We have experienced coaches dedicated to every age group from P1 (U6) all the way to U18, as well as for our adult teams,” says Mike Robins, Junior Section Coaching Coordinator. He added: “The Club’s motto is ‘everybody plays’ and we want to extend an invitation to many more children & adults to come along to Hillfoots and have a go at the game of rugby.”

Hillfoots has had a number of years of experience of working with RDOs alongside Clackmannanshire Council and the SRU. Peter Norman, Club President, said: “Hillfoots has a very successful partnership with Clackmannanshire Council and the SRU which we look forward to continuing with. This new dedicated Hillfoots post will give the Club even more capacity to grow and professionally manage our membership numbers.”
New club RDO JP Ward added: ”This is a great opportunity for me to bring my rugby experience to Hillfoots, both as a player and a coach. I’m really looking forward to helping the Club grow even further.”
About JP Ward
JP is 22. He grew up in Dollar and played his school rugby at Dollar Academy where he was 1st XV Captain. He then attended Edinburgh Napier University where he gained a BSc in Sports & Exercise Science and a UKCC Level 1 Rugby Union sports coaching qualification. JP played rugby during his University years for Heriots RFC, making his way to the 1st XV as a Prop. Consequently he has experience of Premier 1 Club rugby as well as British & Irish Cup rugby. Whilst at Edinburgh Napier, JP completed a student placement working as assistant rugby coach at Trinity Academy, Edinburgh.

Since leaving University JP, has been coaching rugby part time for Clackmannanshire Council in local primary and secondary schools as well as for Heriots RFC Junior Section & Hillfoots Junior Section.
JP is continuing his rugby education by attending a UKCC Level 2 training course in January 2012 and a rugby refereeing course in February.

Ends

Contacts

Peter Norman – Hillfoots President (07740 419674)
Michael Power – Hillfoots Treasurer & Junior Convenor (07801 140022)
Mike Robins – Hillfoots Junior Section Coaching Coordinator (07500 958303)
JP Ward – Hillfoots RDO (07909 537303)

About Hillfoots RFC

Hillfoots Rugby Football Club was founded in 1971 and for over 40 years has been playing rugby at its home ground of the Public Parks in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, Scotland. The Club House is the Old Mill building in Lower Mill Street which the Club acquired in 1976.

Over the last 4 years, the Club has been enjoying a considerable renaissance under the leadership of President Peter Norman, together with a number of new additions to the Committee.

The Club fields 3 adult teams, a 1st XV, a 2nd XV and a veteran’s social side named The Cast Tups (as a tribute to the Club’s mighty ram mascot). The 1st XV, despite being relegated from the Scottish National Divisions at the end of the 2009/10 season, enjoyed considerable success last season, coming joint top of the Caledonia 1 League under the supervision of a new coach. This season, they have a good chance to repeat that performance having had a very strong end to 2011. The 2nd XV are consistent performers in the RBS Reserve Caledonia Midlands 1 League and The Cast Tups always give lively and inspiring performances when they turn out, sometimes on the pitch as well as from the touch line!

The Junior Section has thrived over the last 4 years since the arrival of Junior Convenor Mike Power. He has expanded the Juniors from a very small base to over 250 registered members and recruited 15 fully qualified volunteer coaches. The numbers of players and coaches have continued to grow in 2011 and the Club has plans to continue this in 2012. There are playing sides in every age group from U6 (P1-3) all the way to U18. The U18 side has had an outstanding year under their award winning coach Colin Wright, remaining very rarely beaten in their first season of playing in a league. We expect these players to have a big future impact on the Club’s 1st XV & 2nd XV.

Hillfoots is a family friendly club with a welcoming atmosphere. We have strong and positive club values which put playing and participating above outright performance. We believe winners are not born, they are made. Therefore we invest a considerable amount in quality, positive coaching to bring out the very best in every player. No wonder that Hillfoots has been recognised multiple times in the last 2 years by the SRU. As well as being twice named the fastest growing club in Scotland, Hillfoots was the RBS sponsored Club of the Month for October 2011. In addition, Hillfoots was the first club in the country to achieve accreditation under the newly formed Positive Coaching Scotland & Bill McLaren Foundation partnership. January 2012 will see the RBS 6 Nations Trophy Tour come to Hillfoots, as one of only 6 nationwide stops, in recognition of the Club’s many recent achievements.

Hillfoots – where “everybody plays“