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Development Officer - Growth
England Rugby
The Rugby Football Union is the national governing body for grassroots and elite rugby in England. Its purpose is to encourage rugby, and its values, to flourish across England.
Job Posted- 3 Jun 2026
Status- Full Time
Location- England
Closing date- 12 Jun 2026
The Role:
The RFU has recently launched Plan 2030: ‘More Than A Game’, which is our strategy to grow rugby across England for the next five years. Our strategy contains four big goals that support and connect to one another - Play, Perform, Follow and Fund. In ‘Play’ we’re aiming to have an additional 50,000 registered players and have more people playing rugby for longer. One of the ways we are planning to unlock this growth is through a transformation in how the RFU delivers community rugby by creating seven Regional Growth Partnership Boards tasked with driving participation, building partnerships, and unlocking funding opportunities within their region.
We are looking for a Development Officer - Growth to support the regional work to grow the game. The purpose of this role is to increase opportunities for new people to play rugby within a region by implementing projects and partnerships that grow participation regionally and contribute to achieving the strategic objective of 50,000 more players by 2030. The role will be focused on a specific geographical area and will have a significant focus on acquiring new youth players through participation activity and partnerships. The role will work with a range of partners including schools and colleges, universities, 3rd party deliverers of sport and rugby, youth organisations, Active Partnerships, the local rugby network and RFU colleagues. This role is instrumental in coordination and delivery of projects to engage with new audiences, with a focus on the recruitment of youth players and their transition into regular rugby playing.
Working pro-actively with data and insights, individuals will collaborate with key stakeholders to develop local solutions and targeted approaches, identifying opportunities for new engagement activity. This outreach work will support colleagues who will work directly with the clubs and CBs.
The Team:
The Player Experience team focuses on bringing new people into the game across schools, colleges, universities and clubs, with a strong emphasis on youth and women and girls’ participation. The team works closely with national bodies and delivery partners to support this growth. This role reports to the Growth Partnerships Manager and works alongside similar roles in other regions to share best practice and successful delivery models.
The role also ‘wears two hats’ as part of the Regional Delivery Team, supporting the Regional Growth Partnership Board and other regional stakeholders, with a matrix reporting line to the Regional Partnership Manager. The position is home‑based, with frequent regional travel and occasional national travel expected.
Some key responsibilities include:
- Implement and coordinate activities, campaigns and partnerships that attract more people, especially young people and women and girls, into the game across the region.
- Build and manage relationships with external deliverers to increase access to initiatives and secure collaboration toward participation goals.
- Maintain positive relationships with Regional Growth Partnership Boards, clubs, regional partners and RFU colleagues to support delivery.
- Monitor and evaluate project impact, sharing insights, data and learning to contribute to regional and national forums.
- Actively collaborate with colleagues to contribute to the development and delivery of the current strategic, business and operational plans.
- Act as an ambassador for, and promote the best interests of the RFU, including the promotion of our culture and core values – This Rose Means Everyone: Put The Team First, Shape The Future, Respect Each Other.
- Undertake other duties as may be required from time to time as are consistent with the responsibilities of the post and the needs of the organisation.
Qualifications, Skills & Experience:
The skills and attributes outlined in this description are not exhaustive and we welcome candidates who can bring different relevant experiences to the role.
Essential:
- Understanding of the sporting landscape, particularly youth sport, and experience increasing participation.
- Awareness of the motivations, triggers and barriers that influence participation.
- Experience managing projects and coordinating work across stakeholders.
- Evidence of building strong, productive relationships and working effectively in teams.
- Ability to analyse data and insight, identify solutions, and prioritise effectively.
- Self‑motivated, able to work independently and deliver against deadlines.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including presenting and report writing.
- Confident IT user, especially Microsoft Office and MS Teams.
- Committed to embodying the ethos our culture by using our three core values – Put The Team First, Shape The Future, Respect Each Other – to guide your day-to-day decisions, actions and interactions.
- Committed to actively contributing and building an inclusive culture in your role and day to day behaviours.
Desirable:
- Understanding of the rugby landscape in the region.
- Knowledge of the education sector.
- A coaching or officiating qualification.
How to Apply
Please click APPLY NOW to begin the application process.