USA Rugby holds biannual congress/board meeting in Fort Lauderdale

BOULDER, Colo. - Following the USA Eagles 27-6 win over Uruguay in the Rugby World Cup Qualifier match this weekend, members of USA Rugby staff, Board of Directors and Congress met in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday for its biannual meeting.

While the U.S. Men's Rugby Team improved its world ranking to 17^th last week, the USA Rugby National Office staff, Board of Directors and Congress focused on developing and discussing the strategic direction of the organization over the next three years, culminating the last two months of planning in five key strategic areas - High Performance; Rugby Development; College Rugby; Finance/Operations/International Relations and Events/Marketing/Media.  Weeks ago, members were split into groups depending on their interest and background and then each group was tasked with coming up with overall objectives and guiding principles for their topic.

On Sunday, following a full day's review of these objectives, each group presented their strategic area, allowing feedback and questions. USA Rugby staff will continue to mold these plans and then come back to the groups to continue work via conference calls, while adding specific strategy, timelines, Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and those held responsible for achieving the objectives. By the end of December, the National Office will have a three-year strategic document, supporting operational plan and 2010 budget.

"It was a very productive weekend. The Congress, Board and National Office staff working together on the direction of the game was a very positive experience for everyone. Everyone recognized that this was a great opportunity to revisit our strategy for the game," CEO and Director of Rugby Nigel Melville said. "The work groups have consulted widely during the last six weeks, the challenges have been identified and an appropriate strategy developed."

Some of the high level points of strategic focus included the commitment to raise USA Rugby funding and attention to the college game. This includes the appointment of a Director of College Rugby, the creation of a steering committee to work with college coaches and an increased focus on college competitions, broadcast and marketing of the game.

High Performance blueprints for high school, college and club rugby will be developed and implemented, while club competitions will be reviewed and the profile and quality of National Championship events will continue be raised through enhanced marketing, media and broadcast strategies.

The momentum created in the youth and high school game will be maintained, and High School competitions will be reviewed along with the Territorial Union, Local Area Union and State-Based Rugby Organizations' governance structures.

While finance in the current economic climate continues to be an issue, clear strategic priorities were established by each group to ensure that the key issues discussed will be addressed in the short term. USA Rugby website redesign and enhancement of member communications throughout the organization will remain one of these more immediate goals for the near future.

"This was a very productive meeting during which the role of Congress in USA Rugby was both clarified and validated," said Congress member Alan Sharpley.  "It was a valuable opportunity for the members of the Board, the National Office staff, and the Congress to interact and work together on the Strategic Plan. With the Eagles qualifying for the World Cup on the day before, it made for a positive, team-oriented atmosphere and the feeling that we were all working toward the same goals."

USA RUGBY, founded in 1975, is the national governing body for rugby and is a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and the International Rugby Board (IRB). The organization is responsible for the development of boys, girls, high school, collegiate and club rugby programs, as well as the nation's rugby coaches, referees, administrators and all of its national teams that represent the U.S. in international competitions. As part of this development, USA Rugby hosts a number of courses, clinics, National Championship events and international matches throughout the year. For more information, please visit www.usarugby.org

Tags: USA Rugby