Royal Bank RugbyForce 2022
With practical skills and advice, we’re powering the future of Scottish rugby, on and off the field.
Royal Bank Young Ambassador Programme
In 2021, Royal Bank launched a Young Ambassador programme, for ambitious 18-35-year-olds across the country to become the next generation of leaders at their rugby clubs. In partnership with Scottish Rugby, the Royal Bank are empowering under 35-year-olds to take on responsible committee positions, taking part in executive decisions at their clubs, with relevant sponsorship, finance, social media training to help enrich the future of their clubs. The programme is back for 2022 and we are looking to grow our support.
Royal Bank Young Ambassador Programme Benefits
The Young Ambassadors squad will receive digital support and virtual mentoring to aid their development and help further their club’s progress. They will have access to webinars with the Scottish Rugby development team and Royal Bank expertise which will help them get involved and improve the running of their club.
All Young Ambassadors will receive:
- Access to 2 digital webinars
- Digital toolkits on sponsorship, finance, and social media support
The 2022 intake will include a wider Young Ambassador squad as well as a select group of 15 successful Young Ambassadors and they will also be given a £500 grant to put the knowledge learnt from the programme into action at their club with a project of their own.
For instance, they could learn how to increase their club membership by harnessing the power of social media marketing to bring in new members, or leverage sponsorship revenue streams, or they could understand the power of events to fundraise for their club.
Our sponsorship, fundraising and finance tips will help them prepare to take on a variety of roles including future treasurer, president, club secretary, fundraising manager and social media executive. They will also benefit from exclusive experiences e.g.at BT Murrayfield, joining webinars with Scottish Rugby players and potentially even on pitch experiences (when government guidance allows).
The 2022 selected 15 - Young Ambassadors will receive:
- £500 grant to improve their club
- Royal Bank RugbyForce merchandise
- A training programme on sponsorship, finance, social media and committee development
- Support and development from Scottish Rugby’s regional development team
- Access to an exclusive event* e.g., Stadium Tour, Changing Room/Scotland pre-match training access at BT Murrayfield (travel and expenses not included)
- 2 x complimentary tickets to 1 x Scotland home match fixture (travel and expenses not included)
*All physical event appearances depend on government restrictions and Scottish Rugby guidance around COVID and may change at any time. Royal Bank & Scottish Rugby are not responsible for any changes and do not have to make any replacement event should force majeure cause an event to be cancelled.
Case Study: Erin – Inverness Craig Dunain
Erin joined the inaugural class of the Young Ambassador programme in 2021 as she wanted to take on a leadership role within the club executive to further her credentials acquired as ladies vice club captain.
Her application stood out as she set out her aim to use the £500 Royal Bank grant to improve pathways from high schools to club and boost sponsorship and to take on more members.
Her favourite parts of the course included the Social Media masterclass with Jim Hamilton and the team run ahead of the Scotland v Australia game hosted by Tim Visser, an amazing opportunity to learn from Scotland legends.
When asked why she’d recommend applying for the programme, Erin said: ‘You get to meet a network of amazing people who love the grassroots game, and you learn a lot to help your club. Plus, you get some fantastic opportunities that nobody else gets to experience and, in the process, you can really benefit your home club. Apply now, you won’t regret it!’
Royal Bank RugbyForce 2022
Royal Bank RugbyForce, the annual grassroots sustainability programme, provides clubs with the expertise, tools and grants they need as they look to the new 2022/23 season in August.
What is Royal Bank RugbyForce?
Royal Bank RugbyForce is a nationwide rugby programme in its 14th year, launched by Royal Bank of Scotland in association with Scottish Rugby. Since launch, more than half a million pounds has been distributed, directly benefiting three-quarters of amateur rugby clubs in Scotland. The Royal Bank continues to support rugby from the grassroots up, to help clubs improve facilities, support communities, and develop memberships sustainably.
Grant Awards
After a thorough judging process in 2021, Leith Rugby Club and Hillhead Jordanhill RFC were each awarded £1,000, an additional £1,000 of event support, RugbyForce kit and an international player appearance after successfully gaining Hero Club status. The clubs demonstrated outstanding engagement with their communities, thanks to their thriving membership and excellent work with local charities.
Last year 130 clubs across the nation entered and prizes were awarded ahead of the Royal Bank RugbyForce Weekend on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th August 2021.
Rugby clubs across Scotland hosted a range of pre-season events, such as community fun days, youth rugby coaching and rugby 7s tournaments, raising awareness of the positive impact that Scotland’s grassroots clubs have within their local communities.
Nine Star Clubs also received £1,000 plus personal appearances from Scotland players. Seven Champion Clubs were awarded £1,000 grants plus event kit. Royal Bank RugbyForce is proud to support the grassroots game across the nation in all regions with 100x Legend clubs awarded £250 in funding.
2022 Grant Awards
- 2 x Hero Club (£1000 and full event support)
- 8 x Star Clubs (£1000 plus personal player appearance and event kit)
- 8 x Champion Clubs (£1000 plus event kit)
- 100 x Legend Clubs (£250 plus support kit)
- Digital Toolkits provided to all clubs via the Scottish Rugby Website
Your club entry
Make sure your local club enters and has a standout application. Think about how you can make a difference in your community, generate some social media attention and get as many people as possible to take part in your RugbyForce event. Open the application page for more hints and tips on writing a winning entry.
*Asterisk denotes a physical event subject to change.
Royal Bank RugbyForce will be following The Scottish Government’s COVID guidance in relation to the running of physical events. This may mean that RugbyForce events can only take place at locations within permitted tiers and with social distancing guidelines in place. Events may need to be cancelled at very short notice dependent on the evolving restrictions in your area. This will not affect successful Royal Bank RugbyForce grants being awarded.
Principal Partners
