Hampshire RFU AFGM & Clubs Meeting – summary and updates

Last week, Hampshire RFU welcomed club representatives to the Annual Financial General Meeting (AFGM) and Clubs Meeting at Romsey RFC. It was a great turn out, with 38 club volunteers representing 19 Hampshire clubs, engaging in the current and future plans of Hampshire RFU. The presentation shared at the event can be found below, along with summary notes and useful links.

AFGM:

• Clubs unanimously approved the accounts presented by Stefan Hargrave, Director of Finance.

RFU Club Developer Update (Alex Roe, RFU):

• Significant investment is being made into Hampshire rugby, responding to club needs identified in last year’s Club Development Survey.
• This year, 76% of clubs reported being in a better position than last year.
• The top three areas of focus for clubs this year: Player Recruitment, Revenue Generation, and Player Retention.
• These priorities will guide the Club Developer work programme for 2025/26 and align to the mission of Hampshire RFU.

Hampshire RFU Vision, Mission & Values (Neil McRoberts, Chair of Hampshire RFU):

• The new Vision, Mission, and Values were shared, alongside progress updates against the new mission statements of:
  • Enhancing the rugby offer across all ages and formats
  • Increasing investment and resources for our community
  • Optimising the time, talent, and impact of our volunteers
• All of our efforts and focus as Hampshire RFU will be directed towards these mission statements, aligning brilliantly with the club needs, ensuring our core services and planned projects will make a real impact.
• A full strategic plan is being finalised, enabling progress to be shared at the spring Clubs Meeting and July 2026 AGM.

Announcements & Updates:

• Updated Hampshire RFU logo – cleaner and updated to reflect the change in monarch but retains the history of Hampshire.
• WhatsApp and social media improvements – new Hampshire RFU communities established on What’s App and Facebook.
• Investment in a Revenue Generation Consultant role – advert is live
• New kit partnership – read more here
• Volunteer appointments:
  • Tommy Gentleman as Facilities Lead
    • Reporting to George Winch, Club Investment Director, Tommy will work alongside Terry Foreman, who is retiring at the end of the season, ensuring a smooth handover. Tommy will support clubs to map facility assets, prioritise needs, and become “Investment Ready.
  • Matt Davis as Representative Rugby Lead
    • Responsible for the management and delivery of the county representative rugby programme and reporting to the Directors of Adult and Youth Rugby, Matt brings not only a wealth of knowledge but a proven record of leadership and development at county level.

Regulation 15 Review:

• A full review is underway, and club feedback is encouraged, particularly regarding Age Grade rugby.
• Provide your input here: Smartsheet Form.