What is it and who is it for?

The IRFU Club Excellence Award is a Club Accreditation Scheme developed by the Irish Rugby Football Union which aims to promote best practice across a number of key areas. The scheme is open to all Rugby Clubs who are affiliated to the IRFU. Download the Club Excellence Award Fact Sheet

How can my club get involved?

It is relatively straight forward for a club to become involved with the IRFU Club Excellence Award. We would suggest that a club initially familiarises themselves with the scheme in particular the requirements for accreditation - see the Assessment Documents below.

The club are then encouraged to complete the Club Audit Form which will give the idea of what areas it will need to address to complete the scheme.

Once the club is happy with what is required then it should make contact with its Provincial Community Rugby Manager (see below) who in turn will assign a Community Rugby Officer to support the club through the assessment process.

The Assessment Process

Clubs will be assessed in a two stage process. First of all the club submits a portfolio of evidence which shows how they meet a number of the scheme's criteria. Once the portfolio has been submitted and assessed a club visit will be organised where the remaining criteria will be assessed on site. Once a satisfactory club visit has been completed then the club will be confirmed as having the IRFU Club Excellence Award.

Please note that completed applications will be accepted at two different periods during the season. This will usually be in April and November each year to facilitate other programmes of work carried out by development staff.

Club Excellence Winners

Eight clubs were granted the IRFU Club Excellence Award under a pilot scheme in 2011.

IRFU CLUB EXCELLENCE AWARD: PILOT SCHEME AWARD RECIPIENTS

Ballina RFC CIYMS RFC Clondalkin RFC Galway Corinthians RFC

Midleton RFC Randalstown RFC Seapoint RFC Suttonians RFC

Branch Contacts

Connacht Branch Community Rugby Manager: Lyndon Jones
Email:- lyndon@cbirfu.com
Telephone:- +353 91 561568

Leinster Branch

Community Rugby Manager: Declan Fassbender
Email:- Declan.Fassbender@leinsterrugby.ie
Telephone:- +353 1 2693224

Munster Branch

Community Rugby Manager: Damon Urlich
Email:- damonurlich@munsterrugby.ie
Telephone:- +353 21 4323563

Ulster Branch

Community Rugby Manager Barry Willis
Email:- barryw@ulsterrugby.com
Telephone:- +44 (0) 28 9049 3111