Club and CB Support Manager

Job Description

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 2 Club and CB Support Managers to join our Clubs and Communities team.

Job Title : Club and CB Support Manager
Department : Clubs and Communities – Rugby Development
Reports to : National Club & CB Manager
Direct report(s) : Club Developers
Salary: c. £46,000
Job Level : Guide
Location : Homebased, covering the North or North West regions
Travel Requirements : Frequent within region and occasionally to Allianz stadium and / or other regions
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)

Application Information:

• Please submit an anonymised CV (i.e. remove personal details). You do not need to submit a cover letter
• Vacancy closing date:19th July 2026

To help us get to know your unique experience and voice, we kindly ask that you complete your application without the use of AI‑generated content. This ensures we can fairly and accurately understand your skills, perspective, and suitability for the role. 

The Role:

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.

One of the ways we are planning to unlock this growth is through a transformation in how the RFU delivers community rugby by creating seven Regional Growth Partnership Boards tasked with driving participation, building partnerships, and unlocking funding opportunities within their region.

This role sits at the heart of the Regional Delivery team and is accountable for leading and coordinating a regional group of Club Developers to bring the Club Support Strategy to life.
The postholder will guide and motivate their team to deliver consistent, high quality support that helps rugby clubs become more sustainable and future ready, using a mix of face to face, group based and virtual approaches.

The Club and CB Support Manager will provide clear leadership and line management to their regionally based team, with a strong and visible commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Building strong partnerships and working collaboratively with Club Development colleagues, Constituent Bodies and the wider regional team will be a critical part of the role.

The Team:

The Club and CB Support Managers will report into the National Club and CB Manager. They’ll be responsible for managing a team of Club Developers and will work very closely with Regional Partnership Managers as a key part of the Regional Delivery team.

The role is focused on leading and deploying the Club Developer team to ensure the effective delivery of the Club Support Strategy at a regional level. This includes providing high quality support to help rugby clubs operate sustainably and be fit for the future, delivered in person, in group settings and virtually.

Some key responsibilities include:

• Provide inspirational leadership, line management and development of Club Developers
• Oversee implementation of the Club Support Strategy at a regional level and lead the club development plan to ensure clubs are ready for growth
• Ensuring clear identification, management and reporting of club need to support activities
• Provide regular regional updates on progress against objectives as part of the regional planning process
• Work with Club Developers to facilitate and share good practice models across clubs both regionally and nationally
• Use data, insights and local intelligence to identify priority clubs or areas within the division
• Deploy resources to work in depth with a number of priority clubs, working in collaboration with CBs and the wider Clubs & Communities team to help clubs operate sustainably and be fit for the future
• Work with clubs to seek opportunities in diversity and inclusion, championing the RFU commitment to increasing participation in all aspects of our sport and bringing more diversity in rugby union
• Support Club Developers to build effective and strong relationships with clubs and to provide them with high quality and appropriate development support through personal, group and virtual interventions
• Support clubs to build relationships with educational establishments, community organisations, local authorities and Active Partnerships to build memberships and diversify revenue
• Work with CBs to ensure seamless delivery of support to clubs between RFU and CBs, minimising any duplication of effort and identifying areas for improvement
• Provide dotted line management to the regions Safeguarding Development Officer, supporting them to build relationships with clubs and CBs and sharing best practice between regions.
• Manage the triage of queries to Community Rugby Help at peak times and act as first point of contact for any queries triaged to local delivery teams
• Work in a matrix capacity across RFU teams to deliver volunteer development opportunities and support clubs and CBs with their recruitment and retention of volunteers
• Actively collaborate with colleagues to contribute to the development and delivery of the current strategic, business and operational plans.
• Act as an ambassador for, and promote the best interests of the RFU, including the promotion of our culture and core values – This Rose Means Everyone: Put The Team First, Shape The Future, Respect Each Other.
• Undertake other duties as may be required from time to time as are consistent with the responsibilities of the post and the needs of the organisation.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience:

The skills and attributes outlined in this description are not exhaustive and we welcome candidates who can bring different relevant experiences to the role.

Essential:

• Experience of leading a team and prioritising the deployment of limited resources
• Understanding of the local sporting landscape in England, with demonstrable experience of leading sport development and innovative solution management
• Significant practical experience of working with volunteers and a good understanding of operational workings of a sports club or volunteer led organisation.
• Significant experience of operational delivery, project/programme management and working to deadlines
• Experience of managing and analysing data to produce insights and make informed decisions
• Ability to have challenging conversations and deal with potential conflict
• Strong facilitation skills and able to adapt communication style to suit different audiences
• An understanding of Diversity & Inclusion in sport and the barriers to inclusion
• Proven time management and prioritisation skills in a line management role
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and focus
• Strong experience of working with cross functional teams to ensure solutions are consistent and integrated for the customer
• Committed to embodying the ethos our culture by using our three core values – Put The Team First, Shape The Future, Respect Each Other – to guide your day-to-day decisions, actions and interactions.
• Committed to actively contributing and building an inclusive culture in your role and day to day behaviours.

Desirable:

• Mentoring qualification and/or sport development qualification.

Additional Information:

• We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential. If there is anything we could do to support you through your application or to provide the best environment for your interviews, including assistance or adjustment, please reach out to recruitment.
• During your application, we will ask questions about your identity. This information is considered highly confidential and will not be seen by hiring managers. You can find out more about why we ask these questions here.
• This role will require a DBS check.

About Us

About England Rugby

Our core activities are:

• Rugby – supporting rugby from grassroots to performance level
• Commercial – building partnerships and hosting matches and events
• Running the business - ensuring our organization and people can thrive

Our Culture

What we can offer you

We are proud of the range of benefits we can provide:

• A variety of corporate discounts
• Priority access to purchase match tickets
• 25% discount in Rugby Store and EnglandRugby.com
• 25 days of annual leave
• Your birthday day off
• Free access to the stadium gym
• Life assurance of 4x your basic salary, income protection scheme and Employee Assistance Programme that offers anonymous and confidential, emotional and practical support 24/7
• Pension Scheme; the RFU will double match your individual contribution up to 10% of salary

https://www.englandrugby.com/about-rfu/rfu-policies/diversity-and-inclusion/our-approach