START A GIRLS RUGBY PROGRAM
Girls Rugby is committed to providing more opportunities for children to feel empowered to lead and succeed through Girls Rugby programs across the United States, Canada, and beyond. While we look for opportunities to expand, we are interested in speaking with individuals and organizations who want to make a difference in the lives of young children in their communities. Ultimately we want to make sure that our programming is accessible to children everywhere. Here are a few things we look for when considering expansion to new areas:
STEP 1: Locate a Program
If you’re unsure if there is a Girls Rugby program near you, please visit our Locations page to find our current programming locations.
STEP 2: Start a Program
If no program currently exists in your area and you are interested in starting a program, please review our Program Checklist to make sure you are ready to apply. These items are considered the minimum foundational items that we like to have in place before going into new communities to ensure program success.
New Program Checklist
- Program Manager/Coordinator – We are looking for a passionate, motivated individual who can take charge of developing a new program. This individual will be responsible for marketing and promotions, as well as logistics of managing each program/league. Positions are part-time, contract positions for either an entire year (Program Managers) or seasonal (Program Coordinators). This individual should be detail-oriented and comfortable networking and communicating with a myriad of individuals including volunteers, parents/guardians/families, partners, sponsors, etc.
- Locations & Logistics – When starting new programs, it is important to identify field locations, including costs and availability, and determine timing of seasons. While all of these logistics do not need to be finalized for your interest application, the more details already figured out, the better. Consider your geographic area and what makes sense. We like to keep our locations more local and reduce the travel time for parents and families.
- Interested Participants – Running a successful program depends primarily on registration numbers. We want to make sure that we have enough initial interest before we set up a new program. In order to keep a program sustainable, a minimum of 20-30 registered participants is required for the first season. Please provide information about the areas you are targeting and any initial interest you may have already generated (e.g. schools, community groups, etc.). This can include a list of interested parents/guardians and their contact information or partnership agreements with larger groups.
- Sustainable Capital – Programs have many costs to cover and when starting and sustaining a program, we are looking for this capital to help cover the costs of a Program Morgan/Coordinator, equipment, marketing materials, field-rentals, and other administrative fees on an annual basis. This capital can come from any individual/group or can be raised through sponsorship and fundraising. Girls Rugby will provide assistance with sponsorship proposals. Potential sponsors must be approved in advance by Girls Rugby.
- Volunteers – The lifeblood of our programs are the volunteers who facilitate practices and games throughout the seasons. We want to ensure that we have a stable foundation for new programs by having enough volunteers available for leading teams and managing practices and games.
STEP 3: Apply to Start a New Program
If you have reviewed the New Program Checklist and are ready and interested in starting a Girls Rugby Program, please fill out the New Program Interest Form and one of our Girls Rugby Team Members will follow up with more information.
For any questions please contact us at info@girlsrugbyinc.com.