EIRFC Restart Fund

Aim

The aim of this project is to restore our playing numbers back to the level they were before the pandemic and to start up a Women's section.

Our Club

Enfield Ignatians is North London’s most successful community Rugby Club.  We have strong links to the local community, particularly through our youth section, with squads from Under-6s up to our first team who compete in London 2 North-West. The club has both adult and youth members comprising three senior squads, 12 youth squads and a girls’ team.

The club suffered during the Covid pandemic of 2020/21. You very kindly kept our club afloat last year by supporting us through the EIRFC Covid Fightback Fund. This was a great help financially and we were able to make our club Covid compliant, ready for when we were able to open again. However very few games were played in both our Youth & Senior Sections and most of those that were played were of a reduced format. As a result of this many players became disenchanted with the game and did not return when full contact rugby was allowed again, causing matches to be cancelled due to a lack of players. In order to build up our playing numbers again we are having to step up a series of initiatives, all of which cost money, hence we are having to call on your help again.

We are aiming to combat this by various initiatives:-

• Sending coaches out to local schools. Currently we are working with St Ignatius College, Enfield Grammar and St Anne's. We are looking to extend this to other schools in the area, in particular the Wren Academy. Coaches will need to be trained, the cost of which is to be covered by this fund. 
• Recruitment drives across social media and online advertising. Using public transport we are within 20 minutes of most parts of Enfield and as a club we strive to ensure that rugby as a sport and our Club in particular is accessible to all members of the Enfield community, including those with little previous knowledge of rugby. We will be using our contacts, social media and online advertising to change this. Where family finances are tight we have a scheme in place to enable our younger members to play at no cost to themselves.
• Improving playing facilities, including paying for new coaches, physios and playing equipment. Rugby is a physical sport and there is a constant need for coaching courses, first aid replenishments and replacement of kit and equipment, which all costs money.
• Improving clubhouse facilities, including replacing the old cooker, the malfunctioning fridge, install a dishwasher, more storage facilities, outside paving and seating for summer activities. We are a very inclusive club, welcoming members from all backgrounds, giving social as well as playing membership. The improvements we are in the process of making will provide a more comfortable stay in the clubhouse both during and after the game.

Our particular aim is to set up a Women's rugby section

We have had girls in the Youth Section for many years but some are now reaching an age where they can no longer play at youth level. However to play rugby at adult level requires a full team of 15 plus subs. To enable this we will have to set up a recruitment drive and upgrade our changing facilities to allow for female players and referees.

How can you help?

All of this costs money. So to enable us to encourage more girls and boys, men and women, to return or start playing rugby we need your support. Please give generously, which can also be done by selecting a Reward.

This project successfully funded on 23rd December 2021