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 Michael Hudson (Chair)
Core Values of the Sheffield Vulcans
Rugby Union 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. But we’ve also added our own spin, using feedback from our members, and making sure all our players and supporters know what we value the most.
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. And importantly, we speak out if our team or sport is threatened by inappropriate words 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 a committee member.
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 4 tiers of membership:
Supporter: This level is for those that want to be involved in the club but not in a playing capacity. For those looking to be part of an inclusive community but will not train or play matches. This membership is £5 per month.
Player – Student/Unemployed: This membership tier is for those in full-time education or those without an income. This membership is £10 per month.
Player – Under £20k income: This level is for those who earn under £20,000 per year. We do not ask for proof and trust our members to be honest about the membership tier that is suitable for them. This membership is £12.50 per month.
Player – Over £20k income: This membership tier is for those who earn more than £20,000 per year. We do not ask for proof and trust our members to be honest about the membership tier that is suitable for them. This membership is £15.00 per month.
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 facebook 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 & Recruitment Secretary.
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 vacant.
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 2022/2023 Committee:
Michael Hudson – Chair
Andy Gibson – Secretary
Matthew Littler – Treasurer
Tom Stephens – Treasurer
Jon Dickinson – PR & Communications Officer and Social Secretary
Jude Berry – Membership & Recruitment Secretary
Lefteris Solomou – Fixtures Secretary
Ed Dyson – Training Coordinator
Christy Fitzsimmons – Sponsorship Officer
Our training sessions and club development are led by our talented Coaching team. With combined experience of more than 50 years as players and coaches, 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 current coaching team includes:
Kate Cook-Williams – Head Coach
Jim Turner – Assistant Coach
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 Club Captain is Ed Dyson.
Sheffield Vulcans Grievance Policy
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
Our training sessions are held on Tuesday evenings at Sheffield Tigers, Hathersage Road, S17 3AB. Players arrive from 6:30pm to focus on any individual training they want to take part in.
Warm up starts from 6:45pm and it is imperative that players take part to 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.
From 7pm, the coaching team will then lead the full training session which includes touch rugby, skills focus, run-throughs of set play, and variations of full contact rugby. This lasts for around 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.
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 Training Coordinator will post in the Players & Members Facebook Group 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.
Fixtures
Sheffield Vulcans 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 Fixtures Secretary. These dates will be confirmed and shared as soon as possible and displayed on our website > https://sheffieldvulcans.com/fixtures
Our Fixtures Secretary 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 Sheffield Vulcans members for at least 2 weeks prior to the fixture. All members will be asked to confirm their availability for each fixture as soon as possible.
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 private Players & Members Facebook group.
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.
Match Day
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. 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 from the Fixtures Secretary. 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. 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.
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 Captain will consult with the coaching team and select a Forward of the Match and Back of the Match.
Post-match events will include the offer of a meal 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. This can be paid by card on the day or by BACS to the Sheffield Vulcans bank account.
Socials
The Social Secretary 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 the members group, facebook chat, and even 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.
But 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 post about it in the Players and Members page. If you’re unsure, about anything please get in touch with the Social 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 Osprey. The kit includes a black jersey with 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 – The off-field and training kit of the Sheffield Vulcans is provided by KitVendr. There is an online store with 18+ items available in a variety of sites, colours, and with personalisation details. Members can order via the online store at any time, paying KitVendr directly and assigning a delivery address to suit them. These items can be worn at training, during prematch warm ups, and in your day to day life. Browse the full range at https://sheffieldvulcansrufc.kitvendr.com/
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 Michael Hudson.
