Stourbridge RFC Committee would like to announce their intention to co-opt four long standing club members onto the Management Committee. Steve Mann, Aubrey Grosvenor, Jason Sykes and Richard Cattell have all indicated a desire to collectively join the management team and we feel the experience and knowledge they will jointly bring can only enhance the current team and their collective plans to help to improve the infrastructure for the challenging times ahead in the community game.

We have unanimously agreed that following the AGM when Miles Edge steps down from the position, that Aubrey Grosvenor will become the new Club Chairman. This arrangement will need the support of the membership and we hope that our members and players see the benefit of utilising the fresh impetus to the benefit of club. Aubrey, who was Chairman of Stourbridge Lawn Tennis and Squash club for two years and on their management committee for six, has also been a member at Stourbridge RFC for 17 years will bring a wealth of experience and business acumen in steering the club forward.

We will be proposing Mike Gahir onto the Committee as our Treasurer to replace Nigel Price who will be standing down at the AGM. Mike has been a member for the last 7 years and his wife Clair is the Under 12’s manager. Mike has been engaged in Corporate Finance with Commercial, Strategic and Risk focused management experience and is a former MD & FD of several manufacturing businesses. He was voted the Sunday Times non-executive director of the year in 2020. Mike will bring a huge amount of experience to the team in managing our financial affairs and delivery.

The current Committee warmly welcomes the proposed new members and their attached statement reflects the plans and aspirations not only of those being co-opted but also those of the current Committee.

“Our Goal is ‘Everybody playing rugby safely to the highest level they wish’ clearly with SRFC being our club delivering this.
We are very aware that in the past the change of individuals on the Executive has tended to be a divisive process, resulting in the loss to SRFC of the skills of the current committee, and leaving the new committee with a steep learning curve, not helped by criticism from the side of previous members. We would like to ensure a progression which is supportive, allows information in all its forms, practical, financial, historical to be shared and used collaboratively for the best interests of SFRC. Consequently, following advice from Alf Edwards, the club’s Head of Governance, we are happy to look at the concept of an Elected Executive, liaising with us as a co-opted team to provide support moving forward. This would ensure an Executive delivering change whilst maintaining transparency and openness.
This means existing structure, with the expanded Executive can deal with the running of business of SRFC. The election of a new chair and sharing roles according to individual strengths will be key. We will be transparent, so the membership has full oversight of income and expenditure in all its forms. Despite the pandemic and the struggles in rugby nationally, SRFC has delivered a recurrent surplus which is a tribute to the current team.
As well as our ‘Executive’ with its existing structure we would like to suggest two key changes;

Firstly and most importantly (bearing in mind our Goal), we would like to form a ‘Rugby Committee’ this would involve all sections of the club in no particular order or priority, M&J’s, Men and Women’s Rugby, Colts, along with coaching and selection. ‘We would like to make clear that from the perspective of our league teams, they will be operating as one squad, with a training and coaching set up which is aligned so we are all playing the same ‘brand’ of rugby. Fitness, organisation and a strong team ethos will go a long way. The match day teams will be selected by a Selection Panel consisting of the Director of Rugby, who will also become Head of Rugby, team captains (or their representatives), and coaches. This will ensure transparency and fairness for the players involved. All players are playing for SFRC not a team and this is a message we will work hard to instil.

Secondly, we would like to co-opt onto the Executive some people with great relevant experience to act in a ‘Non Executive’ role on the team, as a way of again ensuring transparency, club interest, and to sometimes ask the Executive the awkward questions that may need asking.
We plan to raise the profile of SRFC locally both by increased engagement with local sporting clubs, the education sector, and others to foster a feeling of community about the club. Likewise, we aim to improve our relationships with the rugby family locally, regionally and nationally.
The Stourbridge/Atlas relationship is one we are aware of. We are clear our work is to benefit and have a clear strategy for SRFC. If at some future point, discussions with Atlas come to fruition we have 2 principles.

Firstly, we would not allow SRFC to be put at any risk financially or from the point of view of infrastructure, a strategy fully aligned to by the current members of the management committee

Secondly, if we did get to a point of the 1st XV playing elite professional rugby we would promise level 5 rugby or above at Stourton Park as a minimum, as well as our wider offering across all ages and genders, always delivering our goal.
We have had initial discussions locally and are sure we have a network of people who are prepared to support us and our approach both in terms of time and finance. The theme here is about infrastructure improvement and income generation/sustainability. Great examples would be we would like to plan a clubhouse refurbishment, we will resolve the current car parking issues that affect us all, we are committed to growing all facets of the playing side of the club, underpinned by a sustainable well run, efficient and friendly club with its roots firmly in the local community.
As a team we are all personally invested in SRFC, ourselves as players and volunteers, our children have played here at every level, and we are of an age where we are prepared to make the time commitment to SRFC to make the changes that you as a membership want and deserve”

Thanks again,

Aubrey, Rich, Steve and Jason.