PLAYER FEES

Some background information:

There are 5 age groups, 6 teams, 180 athletes, 20 coaches, 5 managers, 2 athletic therapists, I video-taper and 2 program directors

The 2010 budget is approximately $350,000

Rugby Ontario financial support totals $23,000

There are currently no corporate sponsors

The program is 93.5% funded from player fees

The budgeting process is open and transparent.  Enquiries are welcomed

Here are some typical questions asked by parents

Exactly what do player fees pay for?

What do players and parents get for their money?

And here are the answers:

Rugby Ontario team uniform: game jersey for all players ( additional game jersey for players on U16 and U18 teams going to the national championships ), plus game shorts and socks, all retained by the player

Pre-game warm-up t shirt

Off field apparel including a team golf shirt, track suit and kit bag

Athletic therapist services at all games and practices

A skilled, highly-certified and dedicated coaching and managerial staff

Many guest / specialist coaches, including Paul Walsh ( former England U17 coach ),  Rob Doyle ( former Scotland U17 coach ), Jim Delaney ( Canada U17 coach ) and Chris Silverthorn ( Canada U17 and Ontario Blues coach )

Purchases of team equipment ( balls, kicking tees, contact suits, contact bags, water bottles etc )

A  4 day pre-season camp with 18 hours of intensive skills instruction

A schedule of games against strong competition including touring teams mostly from Britain, other provincial teams and American national teams

Post-game presentations and team meals during the summer schedule of home games at Fletchers Fields

Game-related expenses including fields and facilities rentals, and referees and other game officials

Video-taping of many games with post-game analysis opportunities

2010 Rugby Ontario Player Sponsorship Kits to be used for soliciting personal sponsorships and yearbook advertising.  2009 yearbooks will be available to families of new players to show potential sponsors.  Players retain 80% of all revenues raised.  The other 20% goes towards yearbook production costs

Rugby Ontario 2010 Yearbooks with team photos and individual player photos and biographies to be distributed at the annual year-end banquet in November.  Players will get one personal yearbook as well as yearbooks for major sponsors

A second Personal Sponsorships fund-raising initiative designed to elicit contributions from patrons, friends and family.  These sell for relatively little but have the potential to raise large amounts of money for the individual player.  Players retain 100% of all revenues derived from this fund-raising effort

Participation in the 2010 Rugby Canada National Championships Tournament ( Under 16 and Under 18 teams ) in Calgary, including team entry fees, medical services, sport therapist services, all accommodations for 6 nights, all ground transportation and most meals

For other teams, all tour costs, including airfare, ground transportation, most meals and accommodations for the Under 17 tour to Nova Scotia for the Eastern Canadian Tournament, the Under 14 and Under 15 tour to Ottawa for the National Capital Rugby Festival, the Under 14, Under 15 and Under 17 tour to Montreal, the Under 14 eight day tour to Alberta, and the annual Under 15 five day tour to Newfoundland

Player and parent tickets to our annual year-end banquet in November

Year-end player awards at the banquet

Year-end player report card and personal skills assessments

Access to the exclusive Rugby Ontario High School Player Interchange Program to Britain for the period of September to December every year.  Approximately 50 Ontario provincial players have participated in this program in the past 9 years.  Three Ontario 2009 players have been placed for September 2010 in English high level rugby schools.  We anticipate increased opportunities in 2011 and beyond

Access for one player to the highly exclusive New Zealand High School Academic and Rugby Experience from January 2011 to October 2012.  Three Ontario provincial players have participated in this program in the past 7 years

Admission and bursary programs for selected elite athletes at the renowned rugby program at Shawnigan Lake School on Vancouver Island.  In the past 3 years, 5 Ontario players have received scholarships

Elite athlete identification and recruitment opportunities for Rugby Ontario players by Ontario colleges and universities varsity rugby programs as well as by post-secondary schools outside the province

Elite athlete identification and selection for National Under 17 and Under 19 teams by Rugby Canada.  Ontario is one of the leading provinces for numbers of nationally identified junior players

In and off-season instruction and consultation with our fitness and strength coordinator Fabian Rayne ( also an Ontario Under 18 coach )

For nationally identified athletes, access at no cost to the Rugby Canada / Rugby Ontario High Performance Program for elite players and coaches for six months of off-season training and instruction

Carding of provincial rugby players. At the Under 20 level after graduation from the Rugby Ontario Junior Representative Program, there are opportunities for Ontario players to be nominated for Ontario Quest for Gold financial support for elite amateur athletes currently valued at $7500 + per year.  Carded rugby players have always been former provincial junior players

Financial support of $1000 for selected ( one or two per year ) graduates of the provincial representative program who are university-bound.  This is funded by the 1989 Golden Oldies Legacy Fund

Graduates of the Ontario Junior Program are on the pathway to playing for the Ontario Blues senior team.  More than 90% of the Blues roster is comprised of former Ontario juniors.  The Blues compete in the North American Cup Tournament against other Canadian and American regional representative teams.  This is one level below and on the player pathway to the Canadian Senior Mens’ Team that will compete in the 2011 Rugby World Cup

And lastly, the Ontario Junior Program is all about teaching important life skills to young men:  teamwork, reliability, commitment, leadership, goal-setting and respect for others.  Improving rugby skills makes our players better players; improving life skills makes our players better people