Profile: Rugby Services Officer James Neville

Munster Rugby have appointed James Neville to the newly created position of Rugby Services Officer.

James is a graduate of the University of Limerick and a lifelong member of Bandon Rugby Club, where he has served in a number of roles as well as heading up various development and fundraising initiatives.

One of the key tasks of James’ new role will be supporting Munster Clubs and Schools to achieve the national objective of saving 70,000 volunteer hours through championing the IRFU Clubhouse Database System.

James is enthusiastic at the opportunity he has to help Munster’s clubs and speaks of his own background in the game. “I started playing for my home club at U-10s and played all the way up through the ranks. I first got involved in coaching at U16 level in 2002 and have subsequently coached all teams from U13 through to Junior 1. My first role on the club committee was as Fixtures Secretary in 2005 and I’ve have served in a variety of positions since then. My family has had a continuous link with the club going back to the 1920s so there’s a long tradition there”.

“The running of a rugby club has become more and more bureaucratic and time consuming in recent years and in many cases it is the same old faces keeping the show on the road. Part of my role will be to try and help clubs become more efficient, particularly through use of the IRFU Clubhouse System, which up to now has been used solely for player registration. The updated version has a far greater range of functions and will for example give clubs the ability of running their membership, finances and website through the system.
This system is currently being introduced through a pilot programme and it is intended that it will be rolled out to all clubs during the summer months. Other responsibilities of the Rugby Services Officer will include:

• Supporting club volunteers in implementing club development plans.
• To be the point of contact within the Munster Branch for the operation, support and training needs of volunteers related to the IRFU Clubhouse System
• Identify funding opportunities and support clubs with the preparation of funding applications, providing assistance with monitoring & evaluation.
• Identify examples of good practice in the areas of club management and club and community development and share this information at all levels of the game.
• To work closely with clubs to maximise/increase volunteer recruitment and retention.

James has clear ideas on how to go about supporting clubs. “The goal is to meet the clubs face-to-face, whereas traditionally you’d have a big gathering where one or two representatives from every club would be in attendance. You really need to meet the key stakeholders within a club to to see where the real issues lie. If you’re visiting a number of clubs in the same area where the same problems arise, then you’re able to come back to the branch and start putting concrete steps in place to provide solutions”.

“We will offer as much help as we can and will give advice using knowledge gained from the state of the game provincially and nationally but ultimately clubs have to be self-sustainable. It would be good to have a sharing of ideas and best practice amongst the clubs as well”.

“The reality is that Munster Rugby is a small community and the bottom line is that we have to look after each other. To that end we are all just a phone call away.”

James will be based in the Munster Branch office at Irish Independent Park and can be contacted via email at jamesneville@munsterrugby.ie or by mobile 085-8006741.