Updated 6th December 2024
Everything you need to know, in one handy place! From the committee and core values of the club, to the details about merchandise and what to expect from training and match days. This page has all the information you need to make the most of being a Vulcan!
It may seem like a lot of information, but please make sure you give it a good read and fully understand what we offer as an inclusive rugby club, and what we expect back from our players.
Got further questions or think there’s missing info? Please speak to Andy Gibson (Chair)
Core Values of the Sheffield Vulcans
Rugby is a sport that prides itself on its principles. The Sheffield Vulcans share this commitment and so encourage all of our members to work and play in line with core values of the club. By signing up as a member you are agreeing to behave in accordance to these codes. You can read what we expect from our members below, and if you have further questions about these codes, please speak to the Chair.
These principles are largely the same as those promoted by our two parent institutions; England Rugby, and International Gay Rugby. Using feedback from our members, we have enhanced these values, making sure all our players and supporters know what we value the most.
A full version of our values, as adopted by the club in December 2024 is here:
- Inclusivity – The Sheffield Vulcans RUFC is a club that welcomes anybody. Regardless of age, size, rugby experience, and especially sexual orientation and gender identity. Many people have been discouraged from enjoying sport throughout their lives but we are dedicated to creating a club that offers a safe, fun, and inclusive environment for people to learn, develop, and improve their skills.
Everyone starts somewhere and we never want anyone to feel like they do not not belong. Even if you’ve never picked up a ball, you’re welcome to get involved and we’ll help you discover how Rugby works for you!
- Respect – It is important to remember to show the appropriate admiration to the abilities, qualities, and achievements of other people on and off the pitch. This includes consideration of the feelings and rights of other people. You may find yourself disagreeing with a decision from a match official, or being irritated at someone playing the game differently to how you would. But it is essential that you consider everyone has different levels of knowledge and experience, and being disrespectful will not further anyone’s enjoyment or development.
Respect is a two-way channel and if we expect others to treat us fairly and professionally, we must also show the same courtesy to players, coaches, officials, and venues that we work with.
- Enjoyment – Enjoyment is the reason we play and support rugby union. We encourage players to enjoy training and playing. We use our sport to adopt a healthy lifestyle, build connections across the UK, and build life skills. We safeguard our lesser experienced players and help them have fun. We enjoy being part of a team and part of the rugby family.
The Sheffield Vulcans will not ask you to do something that does not benefit you or that any of our committee, coaches, or other players are not willing to do too. But if you are ever uncomfortable with anything, we are always open to listen.
- Sportsmanship – We uphold the rugby tradition of camaraderie with teammates and opposition. We observe fair play both on and off the pitch and are generous in victory and dignified in defeat. We play to win but not at all costs and recognise both endeavour and achievement. We ensure that the wellbeing and development of individual players is central to all rugby activity.
We expect all our players and supporters to display fair and generous behaviour and treatment of others, whether it is a warm-up game at training, or the league final.
Rugby is designed to be the combined efforts of a team, and not an individual. We take pride in our team, rely on one another and understand that each player has a part to play. Most importantly, we need speak out if our team or sport is threatened by inappropriate language or actions.
If you believe these core values are not being exemplified by a member of the Sheffield Vulcans, or another club, please speak to your Team Captain.
Code of Conduct
In December 2024, the club adopted a new version of the Code of Conduct, which we expect that all members and supporters follow at all times when representing the club.
If you feel that at any time that this code of conduct is not being followed, please speak to the appropriate team captain (Touch/Union) or the Chair of the club.
Membership
To become a Sheffield Vulcan, we ask that you sign up to an official membership. This allows us to complete administration needed for leagues and tournaments, but also allows us to keep track of how the club is running and how we can develop it further for those involved.
When you first join, you get your first four sessions for FREE! This allows every new player to see if rugby is the sport for them, and whether they’re a good fit with the club. After you’ve had these no-obligation sessions, we’ll ask you to sign up using our GMS system.
Registering as a member of the Sheffield Vulcans RUFC includes setting up a monthly direct debit for a period of 12 months. Our membership secretary can help you set everything up and will let you know when your membership is coming up for renewal.
We have 3 tiers of membership:
- Supporter/Touch: This membership tier is for those that want to be involved in the club, but not taking part in the Union offering, to be part of an inclusive community but will not train or play matches, or to train and play Touch Rugby only. This membership is £5 per month.
- Concession Union Membership: This membership tier is for those in full-time education or those without an income wishing to train and play Rugby Union. This membership is £10 per month. Members with this tier of membership may attend Touch sessions as well, free of charge.
- Standard Union Membership: This membership tier is for those who wish to train and play Rugby Union. This membership is £15 per month. Members with this tier of membership may attend Touch sessions as well, free of charge.
All player memberships include the opportunity to attend all training sessions and put yourself forward to play in matches and tournaments.
All tiers of membership include a variety of additional benefits outside of training and fixtures:
- Being part of a private SPOND group where the committee post important club news, put out calls of attendance to training and matches, and anyone can share rugby related content or events that may interest the club.
- Invites to a diverse social calendar including nights out, cinema trips, games evenings, and more. This includes our annual Awards/Birthday event and Christmas meal.
- Discounted entry to Vulcans events such as Halloween or Pride parties.
- Discounts and offers from our Sponsors including Treehouse Board Game Cafe.
If you have any concerns about being able to pay your membership fees, please speak confidentially to the Membership Manager.
How the club runs
The Sheffield Vulcans is a not-for-profit organisation and we are registered with Companies House. We have a board of Directors which includes the Chair, Secretary and Treasurer. As these roles are re-elected, they are replaced as listed Directors.
The role of Honorary President is a figurehead for the club and is elected on a 36 month basis. This person gets regular updates from the committee or, with permission from Chair, can sit on the committee. This role is currently held by Richard Mather.
The Sheffield Vulcans has a constitution which informs the set up of the club and how the organisation operates. This includes procedures and processes for all elements of the club. An Annual General Meeting is held once a year which re-ratifies any amendments to the constitution, a breakdown of the year’s events, club finances, and an election for all committee roles.
The day-to-day operations of the club are managed by the Committee. This group of members are elected into roles on a 12 month basis by the rest of the membership. The Committee meet on a monthly basis and contact regularly via social media to organise everything from socials, training, and fixtures.
Meet the 2024/2025 Committee:
Our training sessions are led by our talented Coaching team; their level of expertise and passion for the sport is fantastic and we are always grateful for the hard work they put in to improving our skills and understanding of how to play as a team.
Our Head Coach is Kate Cook-Williams.
Club Captain is a role that is decided by the coaching team. They invite a player to be a leader on the pitch during training and games. This role also acts as a communication channel between the committee and the full membership of the club. The Captain sits on the committee for updates but does not have a say in the voting decisions made by the committee.
Your current Union Captain is Owen Harris-Evans.
Your current Touch Co-Captains are Michael Gallagher and Sam Lawson-Smith.
Sheffield Vulcans Grievance Policy
As of December 2024, a new version of this policy has been adopted by the club.
As an inclusive rugby club the Sheffield Vulcans aim to foster a spirit of good sportsmanship, teamwork and camaraderie among its members. We do understand however that sometimes disagreements or incidents will arise that will lead members to have to raise concerns about the conduct of a fellow member.
The Grievance Policy sets out our procedures for dealing with such issues and ensuring that the Sheffield Vulcans remains an inclusive, safe and fun space for all members to engage in.
You can read the full process here:
If you have further questions about this procedure, please speak to the Chair.
Training
Union
Our Union training sessions are held on Tuesday evenings from 6:45pm at Sheffield Tigers, Dore Moor, Hathersage Road, S17 3AB.
Warm up is imperative for all players to ensure that they safely prepare for a full training session. Anyone who arrives late will be asked to complete a full warm up before joining in the session.
The coaching team will lead the training session which includes touch rugby, skills focus, run-throughs of set play, and variations of full contact rugby. This lasts for around 60-90 minutes.
Following training, members are welcome to use the facilities of the clubhouse including showers, and the bar. Many members enjoy the chance to relax with a drink after training and bond with fellow players.
Touch
Our Touch training sessions are held on Thursday evenings from 7pm and Sunday afternoons from 3pm at Endcliffe Park.
Warm up is imperative for all players to ensure that they safely prepare for a full training session. Anyone who arrives late will be asked to complete a full warm up before joining in the session.
The coaching team will then lead the training session which includes games to engage thinking, skills focus, run-throughs of set play, and games of Touch Rugby using varying rule sets. Sessions last for between 60-90 minutes.
Following training, all are invited to join in a social at a local bar or pub, in the local area.
All sessions
For training, members should wear comfortable sports clothing that allows them to move easily. We suggest wearing rugby boots and not trainers especially in winter months when the ground is wet. For full contact activity members should wear a mouth guard and if necessary a scrum cap. Players should bring a water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the session.
On a weekly basis the Captain/Touch Manager/Union Manager will post in the Spond app and post a poll asking for attendance at the upcoming training session. It is important that members make it known whether they expect to be at training. Knowing the number of people attending allows the coaching team to plan the training session more thoroughly and tailored to the development of the people who are there.
Sometimes training needs to be cancelled or rearranged because of weather conditions, coach availability, or low attendance. In these cases, the committee will strive to give as much notice as possible to players and try and make arrangements for other training or knowledge development.
Whilst at training we expect all members to act in the way outlined in the Core Values and Code of Conduct. This includes the way in which people speak to one another during the session and during breaks. Negative remarks or comments about a players ability will not be tolerated and all feedback or advice should be constructive or passed onto the coaching team who can explain in more detail.
Union Fixtures
Sheffield Vulcans Union team are members of the IGR Northern League 1. These fixtures are set at the beginning of the season by the League Secretary with the help of our Union Manager. The dates for the 2024/2025 season are available on our website > https://sheffieldvulcans.com/fixtures
Our Union Manager will also book development matches and friendlies between local teams and IGR clubs from across the UK. These details will be shared with members as soon as possible and also displayed on the fixtures page of the website.
League fixtures require all players on the roster to be registered as Sheffield Vulcans members prior to the fixture. All members will be asked to confirm their availability for each fixture as soon as possible.
For any player to take part in a Union fixture, it is imperative that they are a paying member to ensure that they are covered by the Club insurance policy.
Closer to the time of a fixture, the coaching team will be provided with a list of available and eligible players. The coaching team then decides who the 23 players will be. This information is then shared with the players via the Captain and the Spond app.
Selection is based primarily on availability but there are several other factors that the coaching team take into consideration during team selection. This includes attendance at training sessions, attitude and effort during training, and upholding the core values of the club.
Touch Fixtures
At present, the Touch Team are working towards development fixtures with local clubs and IGR tournaments. When these are scheduled, the Touch Manager/Touch Co-Captains will post in Spond and on the Whatsapp Group to ensure that members are aware and can mark their availability accordingly.
For any player to take part in a Touch Fixture, it is imperative that they are a paying member to ensure that they are covered by the Club insurance policy.
During the week prior to the match, the Touch Coach/Co-Captains/Touch Manager will post a list of those who have been selected to play. Depending upon the fixture/tournament this could be limited to as few as 12 players, and selection will be based upon availability, attendance to training, attitude to training and upholding the core-values of the club. Wherever possible, we want to get players who wish to play, time on the field which may involve working with other teams to bolster their numbers or to form an additional team for a game.
Match Day
All Sheffield Vulcans are expected to approach a game with an appropriate attitude. This means that our players are competitive but not at any cost. Our aim as a club is to have fun playing rugby and to develop our players. Being overly aggressive, fighting, and negative comments and behaviour towards the other team is not acceptable (including on Social Media). Any instances of unacceptable behaviour may lead to a player being spoken to following the grievance procedure.
The timings of a fixture will be confirmed as soon as possible by the Union/Touch Manager. We request that players arrive no later than 90 minutes before the kick off time. This allows for an appropriate warm up, running pre-match drills, and time for the coaching team and Captain to discuss the game with the squad.
Players are responsible for organising their own travel to fixtures. Lifts and shared travel can be organised with other players but the club does not get involved on an official capacity. For special events and tournaments, communal travel via coach may be organised by the club and details will be made available at the earliest convenience.
Sheffield Vulcans players are expected to arrive to all fixtures in “formal” attire. This includes a white shirt and a Vulcans tie for the Union Team. This “formal attire” is also worn in post match activities.
During the game, players are provided with a Vulcans match shirt and we ask that personalised match kit is not worn to allow for accurate numbers to be worn by players on the pitch. If possible we will also provide Vulcans match shorts. If this is not possible, we ask that players wear their own Vulcans shorts or their own black sports shorts. Players must provide their own socks for hygiene purposes and we ask that these are Vulcans match socks or plain black.
Players are welcome to wear any boots, scrum caps, or protective shoulder pad undershirts that they feel comfortable wearing. Please note, players who take part in Touch games will have to wear moulded boots, or boots with plastic studs, as no metal studs are allowed.
Following the game, whether home or away, the Sheffield Vulcans will be invited to join a post-match social event which includes awarding Players of the Match. The Captaincy team will consult with the coaching team and select players to be recognised for their achievement during the game/tournament.
Post-match events will include the offer of food for all players. At away games, this is provided at the cost of the Home team. At our Home games the club asks for subs of £5 from each player to cover the cost of the food provided. From October 2024, this is to be paid via Spond before the game begins.
Socials
The Membership Manager will strive to organise at least one ‘formal’ social a month. A ‘formal’ social is an event that all players and members are invited to join and will be publicised via Vulcans WhatsApp group and across our public social media channels.
These events can range from nights out, games evenings at Treehouse Boardgame Cafe, trips to the cinema, going to watch Sheffield Tigers or other local rugby games, and a variety of other social gatherings. You are more than welcome to bring along family, friends, partners, and potential new members to meet your fellow players.
It doesn’t need to stop there! We’re more than happy to have further socials and new ideas to come from our members. If you are going to an event, or gathering and you think other Vulcans might want to come along, feel free to send an email to committee@sheffieldvulcans.com . If you’re unsure, about anything please get in touch with the Membership Secretary who will be happy to help you publish an event.
Whilst on Vulcans official socials we expect members to follow the guidelines set out in our core values and code of conduct. We trust our members to act as adults and make their own choices but would remind members that on official socials they are representing the club to the public and potential members and supporters.
Merchandise
As a Vulcan, you’ll probably want to tell the world! And we have a range of branded products and merchandise available that can help you shout about the club.
- Match Kit – The official match kit of the Sheffield Vulcans is provided by Akuma. The kit includes a grey jersey with orange, yellow and red flame design, black shorts, and black socks. Members can order their own match strip via the club. Three times a year the club will place an order on behalf of all members looking to purchase and will require prepayment before ordering and distributing the kit. From January 2023 this personalised match kit is not to be worn during matches and fixtures.
- Off-field Kit – An official Akuma off-field kit shop is available via the Merch page of this website. Please contact the committee for the password.
- Ties – The Sheffield Vulcans tie is a black neck tie with red and yellow stripes. Each member of the Vulcans is given their tie after making their first appearance on the pitch for the team. If you require a replacement these are charged at £7.
- Kit Bags – Looking for a robust and spacious kit bag to carry all you rugby gear? We have a stock of canvas kit bags available in black, or black and red ombre effect. Made by Specialised Canvas, these can be ordered via the club at any time whilst stocks last. These bags are great for use at training, matches, and in your day to day life. To order, speak to Ross Whitaker-Jones.