First of all a very merry Christmas to everyone in the Brothers Rugby family. It’s been a tough last few years but there are definitely some positives on the horizon as we head into next season and undertake another rebuilding phase – not the first in the club’s 77-year history.

So while we stop work and study, and before we head out to the door to the timelessness of the holiday season, I would like to provide a bit of an update, some requests, and some dates to pencil (and in some cases pen) into your calendar.

RECRUITMENT AND VOLUNTEERS
We are looking to have stand-alone men’s Seniors, Colts (U/21) and Women’s Sevens (17 +) next year. In order to achieve this, everyone needs to be a recruiter over the holidays. Any friend, relative, acquaintance, social contact, bar staff, wait staff, exchange student, literally anybody you come into contact with is a potential player. I asked one of the bar staff at the Willoughby Hotel at Christmas drinks if he wanted to play and he expressed interest and gave his contact details. It’s that easy !

We will take all standards or no standards. From the first touch footy session next year we will have someone on hand to take people new to the game through the basic skills so by the time training starts properly they’ll have some competencies already learnt. Use your social media platforms to onforward details about the club and to start your own viral recruitment campaign. We’ll also have our own recruitment campaign roll out in the new year.

We also cannot have too many volunteers, particularly at home games. So think about forming groups of 4-5 people from the same school year group, Brothers playing group, social or friendship group and we can use your group for one Saturday to help out and then you can simply spectate the rest of the season knowing you’ve done your bit. More details early next year.

Coaches: We are also looking at coaching ‘groups’ for each of the teams we are putting into Season 2024 and have some members of those groups already in place. But we are also looking for additional coaching staff. So if you are keen to coach or know someone who is then let us know. We will pay for any courses required to upskill them.

PRE-SEASON 2024
Like the finely-tuned athletes we are, we’re going to ease into the pre-season. The dates for your calendar are as follows (timings TBA but around 6-6.30 start):

February

7 & 14 – Light warm-ups, touch footy followed by BBQ. Bring a new player to these sessions.
21 & 28 – Conditioning session, touch footy, BBQ

March

6 & 13 – Conditioning session, individual rugby skills, BBQ
20 & 27 – Short conditioning/skills, team training, BBQ

BUNNINGS BBQ VOLUNTEERS
We have secured naming and manning rights for the hotly contested Saturday Bunnings BBQ at Chatswood Bunnings on 10 February 2024. It’s a great opportunity to promote the club, RECRUIT, and raise some good money for the club. There are some pretty strict rules around what we have to do on the day and one of them is that we have to be operational from 8 am to 4 pm. There will be a committee member there at all times during the day but we would love to have four or five helpers manning the BBQ and point of sale for each of the following shifts:

0730-1000
1000-1230
1230-1500
1500-1630

Anybody who can help individually or who can put together a complete shift team (even better) then drop me an email at president@brothersrugby.com.au telling me what shift
you would like and we’ll go from there. I mean, if you can’t have fun standing over a BBQ for a couple of hours in February then when can you have fun !

UNIVERSITY RECRUITMENT OPPORTUNITY
As mentioned previously. we have MOU with ACU and Campion College to be their community rugby club partner (still awaiting word back from our third potential partner). Part of that involves us manning a stand at their campuses during O Week and recruiting for the club (the universities will also recruit on our behalf internally). So, I am looking for (paid) volunteers from amongst the Colts fraternity (or recent Colts who still look youthful) to man a stand at O Week and recruit for the club (and you thought the Bunnings BBQ was a tough gig).

Day during week 12-16 February TBA
21 February 10am-2 pm ACU Strathfield
21 February 2-4 pm: Campion College Toongabbie
22 February 10 am- 2 pm ACU North Sydney

We would prefer to have a woman included in each group, so happy to have people put forward a group solution or we will put together a group from individual men/women who express interest. Should be recruitment teams of two but I will consider three depending on the length of the commitment – Campion is small and definitely only a two-person gig – perhaps a group of 3-4 could do the Strathfield/Toongabbie double. All people manning a booth will be paid, given appropriate guidance, recruiting material, and a stylish Brothers polo shirt to wear (and keep). Again, all aspiring recruiters send names, contact details, and location preference, to me at president@brothersrugby.com.au

WOMEN’S SEVENS COACHING
Also as part of our MOU, we are conducting a four-week ‘Try Women’s Rugby’ introductory program at ACU Strathfield campus. Those who wish to continue to play after the course will be encouraged to join Brothers Rugby. ACU will advertise internally and we will also recruit via the O Week stand. Campion College student are also welcome to attend, as are any random potential women’s sevens players you recruit over the holidays. Attendance is free.

The program will be run by Lenny Rarawa on our behalf and he will require some coaching assistants (the number will depend on the number of women who sign up for the course). Coaching assistants will be paid. The only qualifications required will be the on-line Smart Rugby course which you can do over the holidays. Expressions of interest to me at president@brothersrugby.com.au – first in, best dressed.

SPONSORS AND DONATIONS
Just like volunteers, a club can’t have too many sponsors. It costs over $4000 just to register and insure a team before they even take the field, and we have four academic scholarships
we need to pay for as part of our recruitment strategy.

So if anyone is keen to become a club sponsor or knows someone who wants to, then tell them to speak to me at president@brothersrugby.com.au. Or you can simply donate to our Brothers Rugby Development Fund at https://asf.org.au/projects/brothers-rugby-club-sydney – it is tax deductible and of great benefit to the club.

Looking forward to a season 2024 that is full of possibilities !!!

Merry Christmas to one and all.