Retention and recruitment strategies

Retention strategies 

Retention strategies 

It is easier to retain members than find new ones! It is important for all Clubs to take the time to think about what factors assist retaining their member’s over time. Here are some ideas to consider introducing at your Club in order to retain members:  

• Establish a sound pathway – provides an opportunity to develop skills and excel to an elite level
• Offer further development to promising players
• Provide quality coaches to all teams
• Encourage and assist coaches and administrators to undertake further education courses
• Take time to get to know new members
• Foster a positive atmosphere and commitment within a Club
• Offer social functions on a regular basis
• Offer trips and tours both at the development and at the social level
• Open channels of communication
• Plan and coordinate effective meetings 

Maintaining players 

It is important to ensure that you make every effort to maintain your players. It is easier to maintain players than have to recruit new ones. A couple of tips on maintaining players are as follows: 

• Communication is the secret to successfully maintaining players. Ensure that all players/parents are communicated with throughout the season via e-mail, website, newsletters, mail-out, etc.
• Have a Club notice board in a prominent position (add the newsletter to this also), put up notices about coming events etc.
• Ask coaches and managers to make efforts to include new players in the team not just on the field. This is particularly important when a large number of the players have played together for some time and one or two new ones join.
• Have a number of social functions at the Club – not expensive, also include children. You could also try an evening function for parents only. 

Return of current players 

It is important to ensure that you encourage as many players as possible to return for the next season. 

• Send a newsletter or letter to players during the off-season break at least 2-3 times. This is an ideal way to keep both players and parents informed of what is happening in the off-season e.g. appointment of coaches and managers. Also include a list of dates for the diary.
• Have coaches/managers make contact with the players in their team during the off-season e.g. telephone call, christmas card, etc.
• Prior to the sign-on month beginning, ensure that all players from the previous year are personally contacted and confirm that they are returning for the new season.
• Follow up with current players who have not signed up for the new season with a letter and if necessary a phone call. 

Recruitment strategies

The responsibility of recruitment lies with the whole Club. All members should be involved and aware of the Club’s recruitment strategy. Everyone working together to recruit new members will result in more success, than leaving the recruiting in the hands of a couple of committee members.  

Junior members of a Club are important as potential long-term participants and as volunteers and future coaches, officials and administrators. Running a juniors or colts section within your Club allows you to develop your Club at grass roots level, providing the Club with a larger player base and more stability.  

Recruitment should be seen as an ongoing program rather than a stop and start situation and the following areas should be considered. 

Recruitment officer

To ensure a successful result, a dedicated recruitment officer should be appointed from the committee. This person can then drive the recruitment strategy and activities for the Club. 

It is vital that any new person to a Club is made welcome and that their contact details are recorded so that they can be made aware of selection, club procedures, etc. With the appointment of a recruitment officer, Clubs can make sure that new participants are taken care of and simple administration procedures are followed.  

Friends of players

This is probably the best way to recruit new players – current players encouraging their friends to join the Club. Suggest that all players talk to their mates about joining them in playing Rugby. The best time to do this is when the new school year has started, when you have an idea of how the team numbers are progressing. Perhaps offer an incentive scheme for the player who recruits the most players. This also encourages the retention of current players to the Club. 

Parents 

Parents also play a big role in recruiting and retention of juniors. Welcome parents and provide them with up-to-date information regarding training times, coaches and contacts, necessary equipment, club rules and fees.

Also ask parents to speak to neighbours who may have younger children and suggest that they consider Rugby as a safe team sport for their children. 

Club-School link 

An effective way to recruit juniors is to bring these young people and your Club together by creating Club-School links. Schools are a great source of players and volunteers (e.g: coaches, officials, administrators, etc) for your Club.  

Your Club should consider promotions involving local schools in your pre-season recruitment activities, including: 

• Addressing parade or certain classes
• Distributing posters/flyers to students
• Requesting a link from the schools website to the Club’s website
• Offering to organise some after-school skills/activities/training
• Fostering a relationship between the school and the Club to attract school Rugby players after the completion of school 

Remember to always seek permission for these promotions and always confirm these promotions in writing with the school. State Unions may be able to provide assistance or advice on recruiting in your local schools.   

Schools can also promote valuable messages to students and parents in relation to the: 

• physical, psychological and social benefits of Rugby for young people
• need to encourage participation in sports (including Rugby)
• relationship between early participation and life-long involvement in sport
• range of ways to be involved in sport (e.g. coach, official, administrator)
• where and how to access local Rugby Clubs and programs 

Rugby can also work with other sports to share ideas and resources for mutual benefit. Clubs also provide a valuable social network for young people to meet others with a shared interest in Rugby. 

Club open day 

Advertise that your Club is having an open day where anyone can come to your Club grounds to watch training or games. Have a nominated Club person available to take visitors through a Club and sport orientation. This gives people who are interested in your sport an opportunity to become more familiar with the Club prior to joining. 

From the success of the open day, your Club should advertise in the local media, school newsletters, and erect signage at your grounds promoting your sign-on day. 

Clubhouse promotions 

A number of things can also be done at the clubhouse to promote your recruitment program. It is also important to conduct these activities prior to the pre-season games commencing. Some ideas are outlined below: 

• Erect signs that can be seen from the road, advising when sign-on dates are to be conducted. Don’t forget to apply to the local council for approval of signage. Make sure you list a contact name and telephone number. Have a more detailed sign at the clubhouse. 
• A message can be placed on your answering machine at the Club regarding the dates for sign-on.

Local community promotions 

There are a number of ways of promoting your Club in your community. Some ideas are listed below:  

• Shopping Centre Promotion – Junior Clubs can conduct a sign-on day at the local shopping centre to promote the Rugby Club to parents and children. Make sure to first contact the shopping centre management to seek their approval and advice on conducting such promotional events. Remember, plan and seek approval in advance.   
• Letterbox drops - Produce a small A5 flier and have players and parents distribute them in the streets around where they live. Additional areas can be covered by small groups of parents over a weekend. It is wise to coordinate this promotion to ensure you cover all of your Club’s catchment area. 
• Window/notice board displays - Once again with a small band of willing workers you should be able to cover your area in a short time. Ask local shops to display a poster displaying the information regarding the sign-on weekends to be conducted at your Club.  

Promotional material  

A number of promotional items have been produced by the ARU and State Unions to assist Clubs recruit additional players to Rugby Union. These items are provided to Clubs at no cost and may include:  

• Welcome to Rugby booklet - Contains vital information for players and parents. Covers basic rules, commonly asked questions, safety and insurance information and State Union contacts. 
• Posters/stickers - Featuring Australian players, state players, S14 teams, etc (where applicable). These are great giveaways at shopping centres as prizes and when players sign on for the new season.  
• Flyers/brochures – Referee, EdRugby, etc detailing the various areas. 

Advertising

Your Club may wish to promote sign-on days in the local area. Always make contact with your local paper, radio station etc. They may have some good deals for clubs – e.g. occasionally radio stations will give two for the price of one etc. 

Advertising in newsletters in your area is also helpful and may be free or not very expensive. Make sure that your local council is aware of your Club and the current contact details.  

Editorial space is ideal if your local paper will write a story about your Club and the benefits it offers. 

Make sure the details are correct; ask to proofread your ad, particularly check the telephone numbers. If you provide the details, have someone else check that it is easy to read and has no mistakes. 

Suggested details to include:

• Club name and logo
• What you are advertising – e.g. sign-on day, looking for coaches, players etc.
• Telephone number and contact name
• Club location
• Email address

For more information on Club marketing initiatives, select from right-hand navigator. 

Follow-up 

It is important to follow-up any leads that you are given regarding possible players. The names that are collected at shopping centres should be collated quickly with a letter going to them inviting them to join the Club, mentioning dates of sign-on etc. Any telephone enquiries should also be followed up as soon as possible with the details in writing regarding sign-on, training days, etc. 

Make sure that this list is available on sign-on day and everyone registering participants has had a look at it. It is nice to welcome them to the Club and thank them for responding to your letter etc. Find out how new players and parents found out about your Club (survey). 

After the first sign-on weekend, check your list of potential participants and follow up any that didn’t sign and advise them when the next sign-on date is. If they don’t sign this year, keep their name on file and send information for the next season via email, post or SMS.  

Acknowledgments 

Adapted from information provided or previously published by the Australian Baseball Federation, Hockey Australia and Rugby Football Union.

Retention and recruitment strategies  (pdf - 186 kb)