How to be brave in the moment!

Bystander Training with the RFU at Minchinhampton RFC.

With the rising incidence of unacceptable behaviour on the touch lines from spectators towards referees and players, Minchinhampton RFC is taking a really pro-active stance to stop this. We invited a group of team managers, coaches and referees from our club to attend Bystander training. This is a class based interactive training session run by the RFU to empower people to deal with inappropriate behaviours on the sidelines.

86% of people who see inappropriate behaviour do nothing about it - a staggering statistic! Topics such as bullying and harassment were covered and we took time to look at the difference between 'intent and impact'. Practical tips were shared such as focus on the behaviour not the person and using the 4 D's of challenge - direct, delegate, delay and distract.

The course gave delegates a lot to think about and time to hold rich discussions about this important topic; reviewing different scenarios and how to deal with them.

If you ever see behaviour that you don't think is acceptable and doesn't fit in with the club or RFU values but you don't feel confident enough to challenge the behaviour - you can always let a club official know or you can write to SpeakUp@RFU.com.

Thanks to the RFU for giving their time and support to our club on this important topic.

In addition to supporting our volunteers to feel more confident in challenging inappropriate behaviour we are adopting an Orange Card Scheme - our way of stopping match officials being on the wrong side of abuse. Match officials will be offered these cards and they can show them to people on the sidelines who are behaving in an unacceptable manner towards them. Thanks to our friends at Dursley RFC for helping us get it going!