Integrity News

Stay up to date with all the latest news, views and case studies from the Welsh Rugby Unions Integrity Department.

WRU Educator - Join the team

WRU Educator Programme

The Welsh Rugby Union Community Rugby Department perceives the development and support of volunteers in Wales as vital to enable the game to thrive.

The WRU offers a wide and varied suite of formal, informal and digital educational opportunities, across all sections of our rugby department and are currently supported by a dedicated workforce.

For the WRU to continually be at the forefront of development it is looking to recruit, develop and deploy more Educators within the game.

What is a WRU Educator?

A WRU Educator develops people who make our game safer and better. They support and develop new and existing coaches, officials, medics, and administrators that help to increase participation and retention and enhance the player experience.

As a WRU Educator you will educate learners within their domain. For example those who want to become a referee would attend a level 1 referee course and you would assist in the delivery of the course, although you can educate in more than one domain.

Which are as follows: –

Coaching
Officiating
Medical
Inclusion
Integrity
Player Welfare

You will also enter in to WRU Educator development programme that requires each person to commit to

Completion of the core modules (you will have achieved WRU Educator status this will remain with you for 2 years.)

To remain accredited, you must deliver 2 courses a year in your domain across the suite of educational courses.

You also must show that you are committed to personal development and participate in Continual Educator Development – This can be via CED opportunities such as workshops, or educator communities of practice.

Complete the domain specific orientation training.

All domains have the same orientation training the only difference is the content you deliver. You will be expected to shadow the course, learn the presentations, and co deliver before your deployment can begin.

You will also have assigned a Trainer who will support you in your personal development and you will be expected to keep a documented personal educator plan

On completion of the WRU educator core modules and domain orientation you will be issued with new starter forms to enable you to get remunerated for your services.

Process of becoming an Educator

If you are interest to become a Welsh Rugby Union Educator, and you would like to explore the opportunity further . Then contact the integrity team – integrity@wru.wales

Integrity Symposium

On the 24 April 2024, The Welsh Rugby Union hosted its first Integrity Symposium PARCHAU’R GEM, at the Principality Stadium.

The symposium was created to shine a light on the work being done to tackle inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour in our game.

The WRU invited volunteers from clubs across the community game to attend and contribute, and there was representation from Club Secretaries, Club Operations Managers, Coaches, Referees and Players from across the spectrum of community rugby.

Following the presentations from expert speakers, a facilitated workshop was set up to discuss and debate topical issues and was followed with a Q&A panel session.

The purpose of the symposium was to seek solutions and stimulate innovative thinking with the aim of developing a cohesive strategy as to how we collectively deliver safe and inclusive environments and great experiences for participants in Welsh Rugby.

Brain Health Service

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), the Welsh Rugby Players’ Association (WRPA) and World Rugby have launched a new Brain Health Service to support former elite players in Wales.

The WRU is one of the first to launch this new initiative, which is available free of charge, and follows services already available in Ireland and Australia.

The service includes an awareness and education component, an online questionnaire and tele-health delivered cognitive assessment with a trained brain health practitioner. The service assesses players for any brain health warning signs, provides advice on managing risk factors and will signpost anyone in need of specialist care.

This service sits alongside the use of new technology for current elite players such as smart mouthguards and trials of a lower tackle height in community rugby across Wales and around the world.

Funded by World Rugby, the Brain Health Service has been developed using independent and scientifically proven examination techniques. Participants are required to fill out an initial questionnaire before proceeding to an online consultation with a trained brain health practitioner. The WRU is funding ongoing costs and the staff required to support the administration of the service.

Players who do not display any warning signs are supported with the most up-to-date advice on keeping their brain health in-check and will also be advised of the WRPA’s intention to introduce a membership category for former players, which will include mental wellbeing support, personal development initiatives, career guidance and community engagement opportunities.

Any player displaying warning signs of poor brain health will be referred to a specialist for further, in-person tests via their family doctor.

The service will initially be made available to any retired player, male or female, who has played international 15s or 7s rugby for Wales, as well as any player who has played senior professional rugby for a team in Wales after August 1995 or any player playing at an elite level for a team in Wales prior to August 1995. Eligibility criteria has been set with advice from world leading independent brain health experts.

Any interested eligible former players can register by emailing bhswales@wrpa.co.uk

Prav Mathema, WRU, Medical Services Manager said: “We are delighted to collaborate with World Rugby and the WRPA in launching this service in Wales. Player welfare is crucial and it is important to us to be able to provide a wide-reaching, accessible service with expert guidance so that players have access to the resources they need for a healthy and fulfilling life beyond rugby.

“We feel this service demonstrates our continued commitment to supporting those who have played the game at an elite level in Wales and their continued wellbeing, beyond their playing days.”

Abi Tierney, WRU, CEO added: “We are extremely proud to launch our new Brain Health Service alongside World Rugby and WRPA, providing essential support to all former internationals and elite players in Wales, both male and female.

“In order for us to be a leading Union, it’s vital that we continue to prioritise education, health and wellbeing at all levels of the game; and the extension of care beyond an athlete’s playing days is part of a wraparound service that addresses the needs of individuals into the future.

“Our sincere gratitude goes to World Rugby and the WRPA for their expertise and ongoing support to administer this crucial service which former players can register from today.”

World Rugby Chief Medical Officer Prof Eanna Falvey said: “We’re delighted to be launching the Brain Health Service in Wales today building on the services available in Ireland and Australia. We know former players read reports about their former peers and teammates who are struggling. The Brain Health Services gives any worried player a place to go which can put their minds at ease, or if required, put them in touch with medical experts who can further investigate any warning signs.

“Player welfare is World Rugby’s number one priority and that applies equally to current and former players. In providing this Brain Health Service World Rugby, the WRU and WRPA are once again demonstrating that our sport leads the world in looking after our players at all levels of the game and that we will never stand still when it comes to ensuring rugby is a game that can be enjoyed by everyone at every level of the sport.”

Gareth Lewis, CEO, Welsh Rugby Players Association said: “We are proud to work in collaboration with the WRU and World Rugby and to lead on player welfare matters in Wales. The introduction of this new Brain Health Service is another big step in the right direction which along with our work supporting current players, enables us to support the welfare of those who gave their all to the sport in previous years.”

WRU bestowed with Safeguarding award

The Welsh Rugby Union have been awarded Level 3 of the Standards for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in and through Sport in Wales.

The standards are set by the Child Protection in Sport Unit and measure the effectiveness of sport national governing bodies safeguarding practice across a number of different criteria, such as policy, procedures, training and education, and implementing and monitoring practice and activity.

The aim is to ensure that national governing bodies have robust safeguarding plans, and the WRU are committed to this to ensure that we support clubs in building safe and inclusive environments and developing a safeguarding culture throughout Welsh Rugby.

Safeguarding is the golden thread that should run through every organisation, and the WRU are committed to delivering best practice in the various rugby activities that take place every week across Wales. Coaches who are working with children in regulated activity have additional responsibilities and are in a Position of Trust. They are role models and leaders key who are working together to create exceptional experiences and opportunities for everyone throughout our game.

Coaches must be qualified, and competent, but also vetted to work with children, and work collaboratively with Club Safeguarding Officers to provide safe and inclusive environments.

The WRU delivered Safeguarding Roadshows in the summer with 272 volunteers attending 12 events held throughout Wales. The central theme was working together and building a cohesive one club approach. There were other discussion topics such as Parents in Sport, Club Safeguarding Officer updates, and consultation regarding the WRU Safeguarding Policy review.

In September the WRU launched the new Safeguarding Policy and a number of other resources to support clubs to build a safeguarding culture, these included an easy read version of the policy, along with some storybooks for young children to promote the values of rugby.

Community Director Geraint John stated ‘There is a huge amount of work that has been completed to achieve the Level 3 Standard, and it’s been a real team effort from everyone across the organisation to accomplish this.

“We are confident in our safeguarding practice, but we also recognise the need to keep learning and developing in this key area of business, there are always new challenges on the horizon, and we need to continue to develop both our proactive and reactive response to these challenges to ensure that our game is safe.

“I would also like to thank our unsung heroes, all the Club Safeguarding Officers across Wales who do such great work, and our Independent Safeguarding Advisory Group for their support throughout this process.”