This week has seen a sea change step up in the ambitions of Rossendale Rugby Club Junior Section by formally agreeing the employment of a Community Rugby Coach. Cementing the commitment and investment in the local area to seriously encourage and support grass roots rugby in the Rossendale valley. Given the Covid-19 pandemic the club has been passionate to engage with schools and the community to get our children back out on the fields and playing sports.

This venture has been in the pipeline for a sometime, however, undoubtedly and alike many aspects of Rossendale life, plans were slowed down by the Covid-19 Pandemic but the junior section of the club through the hard work and dedication of its committee and membership and support from the senior club, absolutely delighted to finally formally agreeing the role and making a start to the role.

Therefore we are so pleased to announce the appointment of former Mini & Junior Member and now First XV Team Player Danny Rylance.

Danny started as a Mini at the club at the age of six and played through to the Under 14’s age group where Danny along with a few other players left to join a close alliance team over in Sedgley Park. In these early days of junior rugby at Rossendale we were unable to maintain a good standard of Rugby for all age groups due to lack of numbers. Today Rossendale are much better placed and boasting 250 Junior Members. Only a couple of years later Danny returned to play for Rossendale in his Senior Colts Year in 2011 and an outstanding achievement made his first XV Team Debut in 2012 for Rossendale.

My under graduate degree in sports coaching, is where I developed most of my coaching knowledge and skills, after my studies I then took on a primary PGCE with Physical Education Specialism.
In 2013 Danny left Rossendale to go on to further education where he attended Sheffield Hallam University and joined their local club Sheffield RUFC. In his time at University Danny was employed as a lead coach for ‘Rugger Eds’ which was a Community Rugby Project Run by Rotherham Titans. Danny developed out a number of community and school rugby projects and courses and amassed a great following and boosted player numbers, skills and engagement in rugby in the local community.

Danny has now returned to Rossendale following his time at University where he is now a very prominent member of our Senior Team. On asking Danny about his new role he said

“I am really excited to be taking this role working with schools and communities in the Rossendale Valley. School sports in Rossendale, from what I know, has always had a proud and successful history for the area. I have worked in many schools in the Sheffield and Greater Manchester area and I feel the valley is very special place for sport and with this role hope to develop rugby in the valley to produce some more outstanding sports men and women.”

Rossendale Rugby Junior Chairman Ian Jones said “We have dabbled about with Community Coaching for a number of years by the use of kind volunteers including myself, but now is the time with the demise of grassroots rugby help from the RFU, to really put something together to engage with children in sports. We have a small group of volunteers who are working to make this project a success and a success it will be, despite the challenges for all in the last year or so.”

This is a great time for children maybe unsure what to give a try or get involved in, even if they know nothing about the game of rugby. Karl Mullins Vice Chair of the Junior section notes “We were not a Rugby family before joining the club, but we are so glad we have got involved as we have gained so much from Rossendale Rugby, not only a sport for our son, but also a wider family and friendship network in the local area, who we can now boast amongst our best and long term friendships. Our son has played at the club since the age of 5 and Rugby offers all the key attributes we were looking for in his development namely the Rugby Core values: Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship, making game special and creating and enjoyable environment and culture to be a part of. I am really looking forward to Danny bringing that experience to many more families and players in the area”

The support from the senior Rossendale RUFC committee has been fantastic throughout.., Nick Ingham Chairman of the senior committee adds “I feel this is a bold move by the Mini and Junior Section to take on Danny as a full time Community Rugby Coach, I am pleased that the junior section have got this project off the ground and rest assured they have the full support of the Senior committee, this is certainly the next step in the development and longevity of the section and hopefully this will put Rossendale junior section firmly on the map, and rugby in the hearts and minds of the community. Well Done! “

There will be many programmes and activities launched in the near future as a result of this appointment and we hope the community will support and benefit as a result.