Club Developer

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 Club Developer to join our Rugby Development department.

Job Title : Club Developer

Department : Rugby Development

Reports to : Club & Volunteer Support Manager

Direct report(s) : N/A

Salary Banding: c. £35,000 per annum

Job Level : Implement

Location : Homebased – Hampshire / Berkshire

Travel Requirements : Extensive travel to fulfil role needs

Employment Type : Fixted Term - 3 years

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: 4th September 2026 at 12:00pm
• Online interviews will commence on Wednesday 9th September.
• Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.

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.

We are looking for a Club Developer to support rugby clubs to operate sustainably and to be fit for the future. Through the provision of high quality personal, group and virtual support you will build strong relationships with a network of clubs and facilitate opportunities for those clubs to create effective club management structures, diversify and grow revenues, grow and develop the volunteer base and enhance their facilities.

Drawing on expert advice from across the game (including other clubs) and from specialist teams within the RFU and external organisations they will facilitate access to support for clubs and volunteers.

The individual will have a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, championing the RFU commitment to increasing participation in all aspects of our sport and bringing more diversity to rugby union.

This role is likely to evolve as the community game investment and prioritisation plan is implemented and the RFU starts delivering against the strategic objectives within the plan.

Some key responsibilities include:

• Connect clubs seeking to develop and/or those experiencing specific challenge with other clubs who have strengths/experiences in those areas and support these partnerships to cement and operate.
• Utilise the specialist support available across the RFU to support clubs using technology and virtual connectivity.
• Support clubs in improving management and volunteer structures with a particular focus on improving diversity among club leaders and managers.
• Assist clubs in considering revenue diversification and facility improvement opportunities, signposting and connecting them with relevant experience and expertise.
• Support clubs in developing creative solutions to increase and diversify their playing membership, particularly amongst 14–18-year-olds (male and female).
• Coordination and delivery of core projects to engage with new audiences, with a focus on the recruitment of women and girls into rugby clubs.
• Develop local clusters, bringing groups of clubs together to share knowledge and facilitate the development of creative solutions to common challenges or potential opportunities.
• Facilitate opportunities for clubs to build relationships with educational establishments, community organisations, local authorities and Active Partnerships to build membership and diversify revenue.
• Promote RFU assets, particularly AGPs and promote usage with other sports and community organisatio…