National Competitions Manager

Working at the RFU means being part of the ‘bigger picture’ at England Rugby: to be rooted in our purpose, which is to enrich lives, introduce more people to rugby union & develop the sport for future generations. If our purpose resonates with you, and you recognise the value that sport can bring to people’s lives, we’d love to work with you.

An opportunity has arisen for a National Competitions Manager to join our Game Development team on a permanent basis.

Department :
Game Development
Reports to :
Game Development Director
Direct report(s) : c.8 roles
Salary Banding £63-66k per annum (dependent on experience)
Job Level :
Translate
Location :
Homebased
Travel Requirements :
Occasional national travel including to Allianz Stadium

Employment Type

:
Permanent
Working Hours :
This is a full‑time role, covering 35hrs per week on any five out of the seven days of the week (from Monday to Sunday inclusive)

• Please submit an anonymised CV (i.e. remove personal details). You do not need to submit a cover letter.
• Final date to receive applications:
  Friday 5th June at 12pm.

The RFU has recently launched Plan 2030: ‘More Than A Game’, which is our strategy to grow rugby across England for the next five years. Our strategy contains four big goals that support and connect to one another - Play, Perform, Follow and Fund. In ‘Play’ we’re aiming to have an additional 50,000 registered players and have more people playing rugby for longer.

Central to this ambition is a transformation in how the RFU enables and delivers community rugby. This includes the creation of seven Regional Growth Partnership Boards, responsible for driving participation, developing and sustaining strategic partnerships, sharing best practice, and unlocking funding and investment to increase opportunities for new and existing players within clubs and community settings.

The National Competitions Manager is central to our efforts to keep people playing for longer. An important part of the role will be working in collaboration with volunteers and within identified governance structures, driving the highest standards of competitions operations, streamline regulations, and working effectively and efficiently to shape, manage and deliver RFU priority competitions or events to grow or sustain match volume and completion.

Key in helping keep players playing for longer will be to develop and engage various stakeholders including RFU Council Members, competition organising committees, constituent bodies, regions, clubs, coaches, match officials and players to develop and embed regional competition plans.

The Rugby Development division aims to get more people playing rugby and keep them playing for longer, supporting the RFU purpose “to enrich lives, introduce more people to rugby union and develop the sport for future generations”. This role sits within the Game Development Team, who are responsible for workforce training, coaching, officiating and player welfare in the community adult and age grade game.

Rugby Development has a wide range of functions from funding & facilities, volunteer recruitment & recognition, club & CB support and non‑contact. We are typically based at home in locations all around the country.

• Operation of approved national RFU community rugby competitions, leading, organising and deploying a team to meet current and future need.
• Developing creative solutions to playing opportunities that help reduce the number of cancelled and postponed games and contribute to player experience and club sustainability, and ensuring these are embedded regionally and through CBs.
• Operation of appropriate systems to capture results quickly and accurately, ensuring that these are available to view widely through relevant and accurate reporting.
• Building and managing strong relationships with key staff and supporting volunteers across the game, especially within RFU Council, Regions, CBs, committees, league organisers, etc. ensuring best practice and insight are cascaded for maximum impact.
• Working closely with the legal and governance team to…