Club Rugby

ISSUE 2

AT THE HEART OF THE RUGBY COMMUNITY

Sporting fixtures – who’s showing what and when

Fixtures – European Rugby Champions Cup

www.info@clubrugby.org.uk

Hail the Ale – FREE Beer Festival for readers

Join us at the 22nd Club Awards

CLUBS & ASSOCIATIONS

SOLICITORS TO THE LICENSED TRADE Nottingham 37 Stoney Street • The Lace Market • Nottingham • NG1 1LS • Tel: 0115 953 8500 London 88 Kingsway • London • WC2B 6AA • Tel: 020 7936 5869 email: info@popall.co.uk

www.popall.co.uk

WELCOME

Welcome

In this issue

Caroline Scoular

Justin O’Regan

Nick Walton

Bill Sanderson

Lawrence Hardcastle

Leigh-Anne Ogilvie

As the build up to the 2015 World Cup builds momentum, so too is coverage of the sport; Stuart Lancaster has been awarded a contract extension, the Pumas came from 14-0 down to defeat Australia (and earn their first win since joining the Rugby Championship) and South Africa ended the unbeaten 22-match run of world champions New Zealand with victory in Johannesburg.

More and more reason, therefore, to keep encouraging new players to enter this ever changing dynamic sport – ideally from all age groups and all walks of life, which is exactly what the RFU’s All Schools project is targeting of course. England’s winning Women’s Rugby World Cup team has undoubtedly caught the imagination of girls who may previously not have considered rugby an option or an interest. The team has done – and continues to do – much to spread the word and act as exceptional ambassadors for the game.

Editor Sean Ferris Design David Foster Events Leigh-Anne Ogilvie, Jill Slingsby Circulation Jon Hardy Accounts Michael Jeffries, Pam Attrill

Another strong weapon in the ambassadorial armoury is the appointment of Prince Harry as Honorary President of England Rugby 2015.

If you’re wondering how your club can tap into all of this, then examining your social media strategies isn’t a bad place to start. This month, Club Rugby tracks the backdrop to this invaluable marketing tool and offers practical advice on how to tap into it (if you haven’t already).

On the social front in general, how are your bar takings looking? Club Rugby reveals this year’s Top 50 brands at the club bar across the keg, cask, cider, white spirit and whisk(e)y sectors. Food for thought also comes from Club Kitchen, where we share ideas on how to spice up your food offering.

With great fixtures coming up on both the domestic and international front we will all be kept busy.

So enjoy the issue and let us know what you are up to.

Club Rugby is published by Alchemy Contract Publishing (ACP) Ltd. Club Rugby is a sister title to ACP’s Club Mirror and Clubhouse Europe.

ACP Gainsborough House 59/60 Thames Street Windsor Berkshire SL4 1TX UK t. +44 (0)1753 272022 f. +44 (0)1753 272021 e.info@clubrugby.org.uk www.alchemycontractpublishing.co.uk

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers. Club Rugby does not verify the claims made by advertisers regarding their products.

SEAN FERRIS

CLUB RUGBY 3

Contents 29

41

15

6 News Support for All Schools, Club Awards, Prince Harry appointed Honorary President of England Rugby 2015.

12 Legal Eagle History has a habit of repeating itself. But are there any lessons from the past that we should be heeding? Plus – an important heads up on Personal Licence renewal.

15 European Rugby Champions Cup Get your club onside with the inaugural European Rugby Champions Cup – who's showing what and when.

36

18 Sporting fixtures Plan all your sporting action with sister web site Sports4Bars.com – all the listings on one site.

36 The life and times of BT Sport 23 Free to clubs

38

Club Mirror’s Beer Festival 2014 takes place on 20 November. See you there?

Director of Commercial Customers Bruce Cuthbert explains why BT Sport is proud to be a sponsor of the 2014 Club Awards.

24 Club Awards – join us in Manchester

38 Happy Halloween

Talk of the town. Tickets for the 22nd Club Awards and Gala Dinner, hosted by John Inverdale.

Dim the club lights, break out the pumpkin pie and enjoy the scariest night of the year.

41 Social media means business 29 Top Club Brands Report Exclusive research from CGA Strategy reveals the Top 50 best sellers at the club bar.

4 CLUB RUGBY

Is your club harnessing the power of social media? A backdrop to the communications roller-coaster that’s changing the world.

44 Hail the Ale Beer Festival – Free to clubs

49 A Guide to Social Media

Club Rugby invites you and your club colleagues to meet friends, old and new, network with peers and sample traditional ales, all stored and served to perfection with the help of CAMRA.

Social media platforms provide a cost-effective means of engaging with members. A look at the rise and rise of web communications.

46

50 Evergreen insights and high performers 46 Club Kitchen Spice it up. Hot favourites with even hotter margins – from the ubiquitous Homemade Chilli and Chicken Balti to Teriyaki Beef Noodles and Cajun Steak Fajitas.

Why insightful business advice stands the test of time – and why some club traditions shouldn’t!

52 Products It’s classified! Showcasing club suppliers.

< CLUB RUGBY 5

News from the touchline Illicit alcohol seized HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has seized illicit alcohol and disrupted alcoholrelated criminal gangs as part of a Europewide initiative tackling international organised crime.

A Europol intelligence-led operation, Operation Archimedes, spearheaded in the UK

by HMRC, disrupted alcohol smuggling across northern European countries and into the UK, with support from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany and Italy.

HMRC, working with Border Force, Trading Standards and Kent Police, seized 137,124 litres of illegal alcohol during the operation, which took place between 15 - 19 September.

John Pointing, Assistant Director of Criminal Investigation for HMRC, said: “Alcohol smuggling costs the UK economy around £1 billion a year in lost revenue. HMRC is committed to tackling alcohol crime and this month’s action has had an outstanding impact in bringing law enforcement agencies across the UK and Europe together to disrupt one of the most serious organised criminal threats.”

More than 250 HMRC officers, as well as officers from partner agencies in the UK and across Europe, took part in the operation targeting alcohol smuggling at UK ports and 23 inland locations.

Falcons pitch offered for community use

The Newcastle Falcons is granting 100 free hours use of their new artificial rugby pitch per season for the next two seasons. The offer is out to local community rugby across the north east and Cumbria. There are also plans for local clubs to use the pitch via the club’s new Community Connections Programme as well as schools, universities and other community groups.

Mike Barnett, RFU Area Manager,said: “We are delighted that the Falcons have taken the foresighted step of installing a state of the art synthetic pitch and are opening the usage of the facility to the community. We have long had a good relationship with the Falcons and Northumberland RFU and this opportunity can only enhance the offer for rugby participation in the area.”

6 CLUB RUGBY

Police calls on industry to tackle binge drinking Chief Constable Adrian Lee, the head of Northamptonshire Police and national policing lead on alcohol harm, has called for tougher action against the alcohol industry, a clampdown on cheap booze and more action to combat criminals with alcohol problems.

Nearly 50% of all violent crime is alcohol related according to the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).

Speaking at the launch of a weekend crackdown on alcohol abuse (19 - 21 September) Mr Lee said that social tolerance for excessive drinking was far too great and that it was ‘considered normal to be so drunk that people are not in control of themselves’. “This puts an enormous burden on police and health services and affects the service we offer to the public,” he said.

Mr Lee acknowledged that the industry had made efforts over the past 12 months to

tackle binge drinking. He believed, however, that these efforts had ‘barely scratched the surface’.

Responding to these comments, the ALMR (Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers) said that pubs and clubs in the UK have been contributing to ‘positive changes in attitudes towards alcohol consumption’ and called for this work to be acknowledged.

ALMR Chief Executive, Kate Nicholls said: “By every measure, sales and consumption of alcohol are down dramatically as are incidents of disorder. Over seventy per cent of all alcohol sold in the UK is for consumption in the home and total alcohol consumption is at its lowest for a century.

“Pubs and clubs across the UK are investing time, energy and money in promoting best practice and partnership schemes such as Best Bar None and they are

working. Earlier this year a National Pubwatch report stated that 79 per cent of police believed Pubwatch schemes had contributed to declining levels of crime,” said Ms Nicholls, warning that heavy handed measures could ‘increase the risk for frontline staff already in harm’s way’.

“We also need to be careful that we do not push any problems into the home, away from where we can deal with them,” she said.

Crime prevention minister Jeremy Browne welcomed the campaign to raise awareness of the impact of alcohol-fuelled crime. “Frontline police officers are all too aware of the drunken behaviour and alcoholfuelled disorder that can effectively turn towns and cities into no-go areas for lawabiding people, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights,” he said.

Royal rep for England Rugby Prince Harry has been appointed as an Honorary President of England Rugby 2015 to mark a year until the start of the Rugby World Cup. The Prince, already a Vice-Patron of the RFU, took part in a photo-call with the legendary former World Cup-winning fly-half Jonny Wilkinson at Rugby School, the birthplace of the sport, to promote the tournament.

“The Prince is a great rugby fan and recently inspired us all with the Invictus Games,” said England Rugby 2015 Chief Executive Debbie Jevans.

Carlsberg UK’s ‘Premier Sports Club’ goes online Carlsberg UK’s ‘Premier Sports Club’ live sport support package for the on-trade is now online, allowing members to create customisable digital marketing materials to drive footfall by promoting live sport at their venue.

The online platform also allows members to create professional quality content for their digital channels, including websites and social media accounts.

Phase One of the site development saw members able to promote Barclays Premier League fixtures at their clubs. Further

sports competitions will be added to the site including the Aviva Premiership, England National Team fixtures and the Tetley’s Challenge Cup. Additional marketing tools will also be added to the website allowing members to create email marketing, web banners and content for digital screens.

Carlsberg is the Official Beer of the Barclays Premier League, England Football team, a Wembley Stadium partner and the Official Tournament Sponsor of UEFA EURO 2016. Football drives more volume to the

on-trade than any other single occasion, with the average on-trade outlet serving an additional 87 pints per day during an England match during UEFA Euro 2012.

In February this year Carlsberg UK and BT Sport joined forces to deliver a live sport activation package offering Free Trade customers’ access to a discount of 50% on a BT Sport subscription scaled according to the number of Carlsberg UK beer and beverage products listed on the bar.

• www.premiersportsclub.co.uk.

World Cup stars promote All Schools at London Stock Exchange

Come and join us 20 November, Manchester Club Mirror and club-supporting business partners are gearing up for one of the biggest days of the year.

And we hope you can join us.

Sport, Carlsberg UK, Club Insure, Dransfields, Larrytech, Marston’s and Poppleston Allen are just a few of the suppliers to look out for.

Beer Festival

Club Awards and Gala Dinner

As always our friends at CAMRA are helping us to present perfect pints for sampling at Club Mirror’s 6th Hail the Ale Beer Festival.

Once again Carlsberg UK and Marston’s are working alongside us to ensure a truly enjoyable free-to-clubs event.

In the evening, clubs can join their peers at the 22nd annual Club Awards and Gala Dinner, hosted by renowned sports presenter John Inverdale. We’re also delighted to be welcoming the Alliance of British Clubs, the Association of Catholic Clubs, the BII, CAMRA, CISWO, the CIU, the National Union of Labour & Socialist Clubs, the National Union of Liberal Clubs, the RFU, Sport England and the Sport & Recreation Alliance.

Trade Show

On the same day – same time, same place – is Club Mirror’s free trade show, Ask The Experts - Live! The informal event will have a host of suppliers on hand to help and advise clubs on any issues they may have. Aon, BT

Southampton to bring in Late Night Levy Southampton City Council has become the seventh council to vote in favour of imposing the Late Night Levy (LNL). Clubs serving alcohol after midnight will be charged between £299 and £4,440 per year. Around 70% of the resulting funds raised is expected to go to the police and 30% to the local authority.

Rugby heroes Jason Leonard (pictured below left) and Kyran Bracken (far right) were joined by members of England’s winning Women’s Rugby World Cup team, as well as fellow international and Rugby World Cup 2015 Ambassador Abi Chamberlain in a bid to help raise money for the RFU initiative, All Schools.

All Schools aims to have 400 non-rugby playing secondary schools playing the game by the start of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and a further 350 by the start of Rugby World Cup 2019.

The London Stock Exchange has donated £10,000 to All Schools and next year will be hosting a mixed charity non-contact rugby competition at Allianz Park to encourage more businesses to donate.

RFU Senior Vice President and All Schools Ambassador Jason Leonard said: “Rugby instils great qualities in young people. It is only right that more kids in state schools get the opportunity to play the game and experience what it has to offer.”

England rugby player Maggie Alphonsi (pictured below centre) said: “Rugby has given me so much, not least the opportunity to play in a World Cup, let alone win it. I want more children to have that opportunity and to be inspired by the success of the England Women’s team and the excitement in the lead up to RWC 2015.

“All Schools is such an important legacy strand and it was heartening to see it being supported in such a way.”

• For details, timings and free registration for all of these events, turn to page 31-34.

Real ale clubs –

Regional Winners announced Regional Winners of the CAMRA Real Ale Club of the Year, run in association with Club Mirror, have been announced.

The 16 Regional Winners will be welcomed to the Club Awards on 20 November in Manchester, where they will be further whittled down to four Super Round Winners.

The Regional Winners are:

• • • • •

Central Southern – Marlow Royal British Legion Club East Anglia – Birchanger Sports & Social Club East Midlands – Ancaster Sports and Social Club Greater London – Leyton Orient Supporters Club Greater Manchester – Bolton Ukrainian Club

• • • • • • • • • • •

Kent – Dartford Working Mens Club Merseyside & Cheshire – Appleton Thorn Village Hall North East – Darlington Snooker Club Scotland & Northern Ireland – Ravenswood Club (RBL) South West – Cheltenham Motor Club Surrey & Sussex – United Services Club Wales – Sebastopol Social Club Wessex & Channel Isles – Poole Ex-Servicemens (RBL) Club West Midlands - Rocklands Social Club West Pennines - Ighten Leigh Social Club Yorkshire – Wortley Mens Club CLUB RUGBY 7

News from the touchline Heineken rewards scheme launches HEINEKEN has launched a new reward scheme, Star Rewards, which gives freehold and tenanted outlets points which they can redeem for prizes. Licensees can now collect points for stocking a range of HEINEKEN UK bottled products redeemable against rewards such as vouchers, POS merchandise, staff uniforms and days out.

An app enables customers to collect, monitor and exchange points. It also allows up to five users to collect and save points by scanning a code on each case of product.

Points are stored offline for an hour and

New online identity for Miller Brands Miller Brands has unveiled a new online identity via a refreshed company website ‘to showcase its portfolio of premium international brands across the UK and Ireland’. The new site includes information on brands such as Peroni Nastro Azzuro, Pilsner Urquell, Kozel and Tyskie.

• www.millerbrands.co.uk

WKD Halloween Cocktail Cauldron

automatically updated when a Wi-Fi connection is found.

• t. 01506 471505

Brewery aims to redefine lager Independent Scottish brewery BrewDog has launched This. Is. Lager. The 4.7% ABV pilsner is designed ‘to offer lager drinkers a craft beer alternative to the mass-produced lagers that still dominate the UK market’.

James Watt, cofounder at BrewDog said: “Lager is often demonised or derided as the choice drink of chavs and louts, which is the result of laddish marketing that diverts attention away from taste and enjoyment and undermines the potential of lager as a creative and artisanal beer style.

“If we can redefine lager in the UK, we will redefine our relationship with alcohol.

We can actually start to reverse binge-

BRANDS NEWS

WKD is offering branded Cocktail Cauldrons to serve special WKD Halloween cocktails from.

The moulded cauldrons are complete with authentic-looking feet to keep them stable and a pouring lip to aid sharing. Brand owner SHS Drinks is also providing Halloween-themed cocktail recipes. Banners, posters, mobiles and table-talkers are also available.

• t. 0800 917 3450 (POS hotline)

Funkin gets into the Halloween spirit Cocktail innovator Funkin is offering licensees a range of Halloween-themed kits including ceramic or plastic skull tiki mugs, bar mats, drink umbrellas, glow in the dark stirrers, tent cards, cobwebs, bunting, drink menus and glow sticks, plus Funkin lollipops for consumers to have their very own ‘trick or treat’ to take home.

• t. 0207 328 4440 • www.funkinPRO.co.uk

Hi-Spirits to distribute Tails cocktail range

drinking trends currently being tackled by toothless and misguided legislative proposals unlikely to ever see the light of day anyway.”

Hi-Spirits is to distribute the Tails cocktail range. The pre-mixed drinks brand has been reformulated in collaboration with Bols of Amsterdam, the oldest spirits business in the world, established in 1575. The core single-serve 125ml shaking range now includes Mango Caipirinha, as well as the established Espresso Martini, Mai Tai, Cosmopolitan and Elderflower Collins varieties, all at 15% ABV. Espresso Martini and Cosmopolitan 15% ABV are also available in 500ml four-serve shaking packs. The two new super-premium 20% ABV stirring cocktails are Ginger Old Fashioned and Dutch Bramble, available in 500ml four-serve glass bottles with a different look to the shaking range.

• t. 01932 252 100 • www.hi-spirits.com

SIBA export drive A team from the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) is heading to the BrauBeviale exhibition in Nürnberg, Germany, in November as part of its ongoing campaign to help its member brewers develop their export business.

Over three days, some 33,000 visitors will visit the exhibition - among them beer 8 CLUB RUGBY

buyers, distributors and other influencers from a number of markets, who hold the key to the export ambitions of many SIBA brewers.

In a 2013 survey of its members, 58% said they thought SIBA could play an important role in helping to develop export opportunities.

The export session at SIBA’s BeerX in March 2014 with (centre left) John Healey MP and (centre right) SIBA commercial director Nick Stafford

brings you the sports that matter Open your club to a world of opportunities with an unrivalled sporting line-up from Sky Sports, 7 days a week.

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LEGAL EAGLE

How history has a habit of repeating itself Remember that phrase ‘ambitious for recovery’? It was a popular term during the recession which started in 2008. “Well, I think we are all ambitious and all look forward to the current recovery which I hope you are now beginning to enjoy,” says Legal Eagle Nick Walton. But are there any lessons from the past that we should be heeding? Plus – an important heads up on Personal Licence renewal.

“

I would like to take you back to the late 1800s. The mills were spinning yarn, the ship-builders were hard at work, and the coal miners were bringing up coal to the surface to support the heavy industries and their growth. With the expansion of the economy, there was also an expansion in the incidence of drunkenness. Perhaps because of the high wages (or any wages at all), pubs and clubs were packed on Friday afternoons when those who had grafted all week enjoyed the fruits of their labour.

Predictably, there were those who enjoyed the libation to excess and – effectively – went on a binge, to the point where they became drunk, aggressive and fought with the publican, the police, their family and anyone else who happened to get in the way. Sound familiar?

Binge drinking – back in the day The point I’m making is that binge drinking did not start with the availability of cheap vodka from the off licence in 2004. Binge drinking has been around for centuries. In the early 1700s, there were so many gin distilleries that gin became cheaper to purchase than beer. The result was drunkenness on a major scale. It was rectified (maybe) by increasing the price of the product, but also by restricting the supply.

The Inebriates Act In 1898, the Government resolved to do something about the drunkenness and mayhem by passing The Inebriates Act, to provide for the reform of habitual drunkards.

Persons found guilty of an offence punishable by imprisonment or penal servitude, (certainly, assault on the police or others would qualify) where the Court was satisfied that alcohol was an aggravating factor, could – if the defendant repeated offences whilst under the influence – sentence the offender to a period in an Inebriate Reformatory.

Institutions had been set up to accept those peo-

12 CLUB RUGBY

ple addicted to drink and voluntarily wanted to sober up and be ‘cured’ of drink. There was a general belief that drinking was a disease that could be cured by abstinence. The Inebriates Act foresaw the introduction of mandatory periods in Inebriate Reformatories which were regulated by the Secretary of State.

The premises were controlled and managed by The Prisons Act in force at the time, and those sentenced to a term in a Reformatory could be allowed release on licence. There were also very strict penalties for persons who attempted to purchase alcohol for reformed inmates (they were banned from purchasing and consumption of alcohol for three years).

Tackling alcohol addiction 21st Century-style So, on the topic of history repeating itself – Ambitious for Recovery was published recently by the Centre for Social Justice. The document discusses various options for tackling both drug and alcohol addiction and highlights in Chapter 3 (entitled Reducing Demand – Treatment and Recovery) the ‘importance of abstinence’ and encouraging abstinence-based treatment.

The document goes on to suggest that the UK should invest in a ‘new generation of residential rehab. Due to chronic underinvestment, ineffective abstinence-based rehabilitation in the UK, the sector needs significant funds to develop enough reha-

and the success or otherwise is another story. Suffice to say history does repeat itself. Whether we learn lessons from it or not, however, is for the historians to decide!

Today – Personal Licences update On a different and important topic; a word about Personal Licences. For those premises operating with a Premises Licence, or for stewards of clubs who have a Personal Licence, they are, as you know, valid for a period of 10 years. The first licences granted were in early 2005, this means that 2015 will be the year for renewal.

I have written previously about a proposal by Her Majesty’s Government that the Personal Licence should be scrapped. This, after consultation was removed from the deregulation proposals. However, there is now a problem: the Deregulation Bill is making its way through both Houses of Parliament and part of the Bill removes the requirement to renew the Personal Licence.

The Deregulation Bill was supposed to be law in October (or the parts relating to Personal Licences).

The whole process has been slowed down because of debate and amendments to other sections of the Bill. The net effect is that the deregulation of the requirement for renewal of Personal Licences may not come in time for those who obtained their Personal Licences early in 2005.

What could potentially be the outcome?

1. If your Personal Licence expires before the legislation comes into force, an application for a new Personal Licence will be required. This will necessarily include a training course in an attempt to gain the Award for Personal Licence Holders, CRB check and an application with photographs.

In the early 1700s, there were so many gin distilleries that gin became cheaper to buy than beer (see above!). Come the 19th century, the industrial revolution saw workers with wage packets able to slake their thirst at the local club or pub.

bilitation centres to reduce the sizeable drug and alcohol addicted population’.

Will off-sales tax pay for rehab?

The Inebriate Reformatory has now morphed into the Residential Rehab Centre and it is suggested that payment for its introduction should come from a tax on the off-licence sales of alcohol.

The figures suggest it could probably be about 4 pence on a pint of beer, 18 pence on a bottle of wine and 56 pence on a standard bottle of spirits.

This is highly unusual as it is a proposed additional tax targeted at the off-sales sector which to date has escaped reasonably unscathed in respect of Mandatory Conditions targeting principally the on-trade. The latest Mandatory Condition relating to the lowest permitted pricing of alcohol has only affected about 0.3% of sales of product from off licences and supermarkets.

So we have come full circle it seems. The only difference is the suggestion that direct taxation will pay for the residential rehab in the form of a sales tax at the point of sale in the off-licence or supermarket, where 120 years ago, most Inebriate Reformatories were paid for from the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s purse.

Did The Inebriates Act and Inebriate Reformatories work? The Act was repealed in 1976

2. Consider renewal of the existing Personal Licence if the expiry date is close to three months.

Applications for renewals start in November (as the first Personal Licences were issued after 7 February, 2005).

On these pages we’ll advise you further each month until we know definitely what is going to happen.

Clearly we don’t want your Personal Licence to expire and for you be required to re-visit the process you potentially went through in 2005! As it stands however, there can be no allowances made for the expiry of Personal Licences before the new legislation comes into force.

If your Personal Licence has expired and you are a Designated Premises Supervisor, you are not authorised to sell alcohol as only Personal Licence Holders can be identified as Designated Premises Supervisors.

This could potentially leave the premises without an authorisation to sell alcohol – so please do check the expiry date of your Personal Licence!

”

Further information on this subject can be obtained from Nick Walton on 0115 934 9177 or n.walton@popall.co.uk

CLUB RUGBY 13

<

Aon Risk Solutions

With cover from as little as £795* for your clubs insurance why not speak to one of us today

Insurance for clubs Speak to one of our Client Managers today 0845 869 0515 or visit insurance.aon.co.uk/business/insurance/hospitality-trade

*Price illustration is based on cover being provided for the following: Employee Liability at £10 million, Public Liability at £2 million, Business Interruption at £125,000 for an indemnity period of 12 months, Loss of licence at £100,000, Book Debts at £25,000, Contents at £14,500, Theft by employees at £5,000, Portable property at £5,000, Computers at £3,000, Money up to £3,000, Stock covered at £3,000, Goods in transit at £3,000, Wines/Spirits/tobacco/cigarettes at £2,000 and Contents of the gaming machines at £1,000. The indication provided is also based on the building being of standard construction, in an area that isn’t subject to referral due to flood or subsidence and is subject to previous claims history and includes Insurance Premium Tax and all fees.

Aon UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. | Aon UK Limited Registered Office, 8 Devonshire Square, London EC2M 4PL | Registered No. 210725 FP.ENT.246.CS

EUROPEAN RUGBY CHAMPIONS CUP

European Rugby Champions Cup

Let battle commence!

This month the inaugural European Rugby Champions Cup explodes onto the pitches and onto club screens with two dramatic weekends of heavyweight clashes between European club rugby’s professional elite.

I

n what promises to be a thrilling tournament, defending European champions, RC Toulon, kick off their Pool 3 campaign at Stade Mayol against Scarlets, with reigning Aviva Premiership champions, Northampton Saints, travelling to Racing Metro 92 in Pool 5 as the 20th season of European competition gets underway.

Expect plenty of action when Leinster Rugby,

Guinness PRO12 title holders, take on Wasps in Round 1. Saracens, meanwhile, will be looking forward to taking on ASM Clermont Auvergne again, who they famously defeated in last season’s European Cup semi-final.

Book early to avoid disappointment is the advice for Pool 4, when Bath Rugby hosts four-time European champions, Toulouse. Same goes for

Pool 3; Thomond Park and Kingspan Stadium will be rammed when Munster Rugby goes head-tohead with Saracens and when Ulster Rugby hosts Toulon.

Other games of note in Round 1 include the meeting of Cardiff Blues and Grenoble at BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park in Pool 1 as well as Exeter Chiefs’ visit to Bayonne.

CLUB RUGBY 15

>

EUROPEAN RUGBY CHAMPIONS CUP In Round 2, London Welsh’s return to European competition against Bordeaux-Bègles at the Kassam Stadium on Thursday, 23 October will be live on BT Sport.

Two places in the European Rugby Champions Cup second tournament were still to be filled at time of going to press. By the time you read this, the winners of the play-off between Femi-CZ Rugby Rovigo and Georgian representatives, Tbilisi Caucasians, will qualify for Pool 1 where they will join Cardiff Blues, London Irish and Grenoble.

So which team is most likely to dominate? And who will be picking up the hard-fought trophy?

Betfred’s latest odds show that it’s going to be tough at the top, with Toulon and Leinster cracking heads together for the ultimate prize. But watch out for watchful Northampton, always a force to be reckoned with. And at 9/1, don’t rule out Saracens or Clermont, who will both be ready to pounce.

Below that top five? Anything could happen. And probably will.

EUROPEAN RUGBY CHAMPIONS CUP POOLS POOL 1

SARACENS

MUNSTER

ASM CLEMONT AUVERGNE

SALE SHARKS

POOL 2

Tournament Outright Winner (Betfred odds as at September 22) Toulon Leinster Northampton Saracens Clermont Racing Metro Toulouse Montpellier Munster Leicester

10/3 5/1 6/1 9/1 9/1 14/1 16/1 20/1 22/1 25/1

Ulster Castres Harlequins Bath Glasgow Wasps Ospreys Scarlets Sale Treviso

25/1 33/1 40/1 66/1 100/1 200/1 200/1 500/1 500/1 5000/1

AT THE HEART OF THE RUGBY COMMUNITY

LEINSTER

CASTRES OLYMPIQUE

HARLEQUINS

LONDON WASPS

POOL 3

RC TOULON

LEICESTER TIGERS

ULSTER RUGBY

SCARLETS

POOL 4

GLASGOW WARRIORS Volunteers – how to find them and keep them.

See page 32

Fixtures – Aviva Premiership Rugby kicks off

MONTPELLIER

BATH RUGBY

TOULOUSE

POOL 5

Ben Kay on the season ahead Could you be our Rugby Club of the Year?

For more information on all things rugby visit www.clubrugby.org.uk NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

16 CLUB RUGBY

RACING METRO 92

OSPREYS

BENETTON TREVISO

EUROPEAN RUGBY CHAMPIONS CUP FIXTURES ROUND 1 Date

Time

Stage

Home

Away

Venue

17/10/2014

19:45

P2

Harlequins

v

Castres Olympique

The Twickenham Stoop

18/10/2014

13:00

P1

Sale Sharks

v

Munster Rugby

AJ Bell Stadium

18/10/2014

15:15

P1

Saracens

v

ASM Clermont Auvergne Allianz Park

18/10/2014

15:15

P4

Glasgow Warriors

v

Bath Rugby

Scotstoun Stadium

18/10/2014

18:15

P5

Racing Métro 92

v

Northampton Saints

Stade Yves-du-Manoir

18/10/2014

19:45

P3

Leicester Tigers

v

Ulster Rugby

Welford Road

19/10/2014

13:00

P5

Ospreys

v

Benetton Treviso

Liberty Stadium

19/10/2014

14:00

P4

Toulouse

v

Montpellier

Stade Ernest Wallon

19/10/2014

16:15

P3

RC Toulon

v

Scarlets

Stade Félix Mayol

19/10/2014

17:15

P2

Leinster Rugby

v

Wasps

RDS Arena

Date

Time

Stage

Away

Venue

24/10/2014

19:45

P1

Munster Rugby

v

Saracens

Thomond Park

25/10/2014

13:00

P3

Ulster Rugby

v

RC Toulon

Kingspan Stadium

25/10/2014

15:15

P4

Bath Rugby

v

Toulouse

The Recreation Ground

25/10/2014

17:15

P5

Northampton Saints

v

Ospreys

Franklin's Gardens

25/10/2014

18:15

P4

Montpellier

v

Glasgow Warriors

Altrad Stadium

25/10/2014

19:45

P3

Scarlets

v

Leicester Tigers

Parc y Scarlets

26/10/2014

14:00

P2

Castres Olympique

v

Leinster Rugby

Stade Pierre Antoine

26/10/2014

16:15

P1 ASM Clermont Auvergne

v

Sale Sharks

Stade Marcel-Michelin

26/10/2014

17:15

P2

Wasps

v

Harlequins

Adams Park Stadium

26/10/2014

18:15

P5

Benetton Treviso

v

Racing Métro 92

Stadio Comunale di Monigo

TV

ROUND 2 Home

TV

< CLUB RUGBY 17

LIVE SPORTING FIXTURES FROM

TCH NE TO WA

O

Sunday October 5, 2.05pm – Sky Sports 1 HD

THE BEST OF Sports4Bars.com looks ahead to the month’s key live sporting fixtures, including England’s crucial Euro 2016 Qualifiers against San Marino and Estonia.

Football: Barclays Premier League Chelsea v Arsenal Arsene Wenger has never tasted victory over Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho and will be eager to rectify that this season - although it may be too tough a challenge at Stamford Bridge.

NDS

RECOMME

Sunday October 12, 5pm – ITV

Football: Euro 2016 Qualifier Estonia v England After the relative euphoria of England’s 2-0 win over Switzerland in September, Roy Hodgson will be looking to gain full points from this month’s two Euro 2016 Qualifiers against San Marino and Estonia.

ATCH

ONE TO W

Saturday October 18, 3.15pm - BT Sport 1

Rugby Union: European Rugby Champions Cup - Saracens v Clermont The much-anticipated European Rugby Champions Cup gets underway and this showdown between two of last season’s semi-finalists is one of the standout contests of the opening weekend.

18 CLUB RUGBY

British Champions Day: Channel 4, Saturday, October 18

Wednesday October 1, 7.45pm Sky Sports 5 HD

Sunday October 5, 2.05pm Sky Sports 1 HD

Football: UEFA Champions League: FC Basel v Liverpool

Football: Barclays Premier League - Chelsea v Arsenal

Afer a five-year absence from the Champions League, Liverpool are back competing against Europe’s best teams and will be out to put down a marker against one of the weaker sides in their pool.

There may be several new faces at Chelsea this season but the Blues have wasted no time in setting about playing some dazzling football. Arsenal will certainly be aiming to keep a close eye on Diego Costa who has looked very dangerous since arriving from Atletico Madrid in the summer.

Saturday October 4, 5.30pm Sky Sports 1 HD Football: Barclays Premier League - Aston Villa v Manchester City

Monday October 6, 7pm Sky Sports 1 HD

Aston Villa sprinted out of the blocks at the beginning of the season, some excellent performances propelling them to the top of the table. They will be desperate to maintain that level of momentum.

Live from Dublin, this PDC event was established in 1998 and has been dominated by Phil Taylor who has won the title an astonishing 11 times, including in 2013 when he beat Dave Chisnall in the final.

Sunday October 5, 12 noon BT Sport 1 HD

Thursday October 9, 7.45pm ITV1

Football: Barclays Premier League Manchester United v Everton

Football: Euro 2016 Qualifier - England v San Marino

It’s clear that the arrival of Louis van Gaal has not been the instant fix desired by the Old Trafford faithful but the arrival of some high-profile signings has added to the expectation heaped on his shoulders.

Darts: World Grand Prix

England continue their qualification campaign for the 2016 European Championships as they take on San Marino at Wembley. Roy Hodgson’s men will be aiming to crush lowly San Marino which has a total population of 31,000 - fewer people than the town of Bedworth.

OCTOBER’S LIVE SPORT ALSO COMING UP...

Liverpool v Real Madrid: Sky Sports 1, Wednesday, October 22

Sunday October 5, 12.45pm Sky Sports 2 HD Football: Inverness CT v Ross County

Wednesday October 8, 7.45pm BT Sport 1 HD Football: Kidderminster Harriers v Welling United

Sunday October 12, 2pm BT Sport 1 HD Rugby Union: Wasps v Bath

Monday October 13, 7.45pm Sky Sports 5 HD Football: Wales v Cyprus

Sunday October 12, 5pm ITV1

Saturday October 18, 12.45pm BT Sport 1 HD

Wednesday October 22, 7.45pm Sky Sports 1 HD

Football: Euro 2016 Qualifier - Estonia v England

Football: Barclays Premier League Man City v Tottenham

Estonia pulled off a shock win over Slovenia in their first Euro qualification bout in September but England will expect to shrug aside any challenge a team ranked 81st in the world - below Uganda and Antigua & Barbuda.

There have been some highly encouraging signs for Spurs this season with manager Mauricio Pochettino harnessing the potential of his key players to come up with a highly effective game plan.

Football: UEFA Champions League Liverpool v Real Madrid

Tuesday October 14, 7.45pm Sky Sports 1 HD Football: Euro 2016 Qualifier - Germany v Republic of Ireland A daunting challenge for the men in green as they take on the reigning World Champions. The Republic took three points from their initial Qualifier – the 2-1 victory over Georgia – and now Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane must inspire their charges to greater feats.

Friday October 17, 7.45pm BT Sport 2 HD Rugby Union: European Rugby Champions Cup Harlequins v Castres The new European rugby competition kicks off in style with a big Friday night game at The Stoop featuring two sides renowned for their willingness to play positive, attacking rugby.

Saturday October 18, 1pm Channel 4

A tie which will have all of Anfield buzzing as the Reds test themselves against reigning champions Real Madrid. As five-time winners of the European Cup themselves, the home side will have no fears taking on the Galacticos.

Horse Racing: British Champions Day

Saturday October 25, 5.15pm Sky Sports 2 HD

The climax of the flat racing season, British Champions Day at Ascot is the richest day in UK racing with £3.75 million in prize money across the final races in each of five categories.

Rugby Union: European Rugby Champions Cup Northampton Saints v Ospreys

Tuesday October 21, 7.45pm ITV1 Football: UEFA Champions League Chelsea v Maribor The unheralded Slovenian side Maribor have been a surprise package this season, beaing Zrinjski Mostar, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Celtic in qualifying for the Champions League and then drawing 1-all with Sporting Lisbon in their opening Group G encounter. Chelsea will be forewarned about the potential threat.

These two sides were also in the same pool in last season’s Heineken Cup with Ospreys failing to qualify for the knockout stages after finishing bottom of the pool with just one win to their credit.

Sunday October 26, 4pm Sky Sports 1 HD Football: Barclays Premier League Manchester United v Chelsea No matter United’s recent relative fall from grace, this is a huge tie featuring a veritable galaxy of stars in both blue and red shirts.

Tuesday October 14, 7.45pm Sky Sports 5 HD Football: Poland v Scotland

Tuesday October 14, 7.45pm Sky Sports 2 HD Football: Greece v Northern Ireland

Friday October 17, 7.45pm BT Sport 1 HD Football: Hamilton v Aberdeen

Saturday October 18, 5.15pm Sky Sports 1 HD Football: Bradford City v Sheffield United

Saturday October 18, 12.45pm Sky Sports 3 HD Football: Ross County v Celtic

Sunday October 26, 5.15pm BT Sport 2 HD Rugby Union: Wasps v Harlequins

www.Sports4Bars.com < CLUB RUGBY 19

AVIVA PREMIERSHIP RUGBY

Aviva Premiership Rugby Fixtures 2014-2015 Date

Time

Match

Venue

ROUND 7 15 Nov 2014 15 Nov 2014 15 Nov 2014 15 Nov 2014 15 Nov 2014 16 Nov 2014

14.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.00

Sale Sharks v London Irish Bath Rugby v Newcastle Falcons Gloucester Rugby v Harlequins Leicester Tigers v Saracens Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs Wasps v London Welsh

AJ Bell Stadium The Rec Kingsholm Welford Road Franklin’s Gardens Adams Park

ROUND 8 21 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 22 Nov 2014 23 Nov 2014

20.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.30

Newcastle Falcons v Gloucester Rugby Exeter Chiefs v Wasps Harlequins v Sale Sharks London Irish v Bath Rugby Saracens v Northampton Saints London Welsh v Leicester Tigers

Kingston Park Sandy Park Twickenham Stoop Madejski Stadium Allianz Park Kassam Stadium

ROUND 9 29 Nov 2014 29 Nov 2014 29 Nov 2014 29 Nov 2014 30 Nov 2014 30 Nov 2014

15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.30 15.00

Bath Rugby v Harlequins Exeter Chiefs v Saracens Leicester Tigers v Wasps London Irish v Gloucester Rugby London Welsh v Northampton Saints Newcastle Falcons v Sale Sharks

The Rec Sandy Park Welford Road Madejski Stadium Kassam Stadium Kingston Park

ROUND 10 20 Dec 2014 20 Dec 2014 20 Dec 2014 20 Dec 2014 20 Dec 2014 21 Dec 2014

14.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.00

Sale Sharks v Exeter Chiefs Gloucester Rugby v Bath Rugby Harlequins v Newcastle Falcons Northampton Saints v Leicester Tigers Saracens v London Welsh Wasps v London Irish

AJ Bell Stadium Kingsholm Twickenham Stoop Franklin’s Gardens Allianz Park Adams Park

ROUND 11 26 Dec 2014 27 Dec 2014 27 Dec 2014 27 Dec 2014 27 Dec 2014 27 Dec 2014

15.00 14.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00

London Irish v London Welsh Madejski Stadium Sale Sharks v Leicester Tigers Bath Rugby v Exeter Chiefs Gloucester Rugby v Wasps Harlequins v Northampton Saints Newcastle Falcons v Saracens

AJ Bell Stadium The Rec Kingsholm Twickenham Stadium Kingston Park

ROUND 12 3 Jan 2015 3 Jan 2015 3 Jan 2015 3 Jan 2015 4 Jan 2015 4 Jan 2015

15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.00 14.30

Exeter Chiefs v Gloucester Rugby Leicester Tigers v Bath Rugby Northampton Saints v Newcastle Falcons Saracens v London Irish Wasps v Sale Sharks London Welsh v Harlequins

Sandy Park Welford Road Franklin’s Gardens Allianz Park Adams Park Kassam Stadium

ROUND 13 10 Jan 2015 10 Jan 2015 10 Jan 2015 10 Jan 2015 11 Jan 2015 11 Jan 2015

14.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00

Sale Sharks v Northampton Saints Bath Rugby v Wasps Gloucester Rugby v Saracens Harlequins v Leicester Tigers London Irish v Exeter Chiefs Newcastle Falcons v London Welsh

AJ Bell Stadium The Rec Kingsholm Twickenham Stoop Madejski Stadium Kingston Park

ROUND 14 14 Feb 2015 14 Feb 2015 14 Feb 2015 15 Feb 2015 15 Feb 2015 15 Feb 2015

15.00 15.00 15.00 14.00 14.30 15.00

Exeter Chiefs v Newcastle Falcons Leicester Tigers v Gloucester Rugby Northampton Saints v London Irish Wasps v Harlequins London Welsh v Sale Sharks Saracens v Bath Rugby

Sandy Park Welford Road Franklin’s Gardens Adams Park Kassam Stadium Allianz Park

ROUND 15 20 Feb 2015 20.00 Newcastle Falcons v Wasps 21 Feb 2015 14.00 Sale Sharks v Saracens

20 CLUB RUGBY

Kingston Park AJ Bell Stadium

Date

Time

Match

Venue

21 Feb 2015 21 Feb 2015 21 Feb 2015 21 Feb 2015

15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00

Bath Rugby v Northampton Saints Gloucester Rugby v London Welsh Harlequins v Exeter Chiefs London Irish v Leicester Tigers

The Rec Kingsholm Twickenham Stoop Madejski Stadium

ROUND 16 28 Feb 2015 28 Feb 2015 28 Feb 2015 28 Feb 2015 28 Feb 2015 1 Mar 2015

14.30 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.00

London Welsh v London Irish Exeter Chiefs v Bath Rugby Leicester Tigers v Sale Sharks Northampton Saints v Harlequins Saracens v Newcastle Falcons Wasps v Gloucester Rugby

Kassam Stadium Sandy Park Welford Road Franklin’s Gardens Allianz Park Adams Park

ROUND 17 7 Mar 2015 7 Mar 2015 7 Mar 2015 7 Mar 2015 8 Mar 2015 8 Mar 2015

15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.00 15.00

Bath Rugby v Sale Sharks Exeter Chiefs v London Welsh Gloucester Rugby v Northampton Saints Harlequins v London Irish Wasps v Saracens Newcastle Falcons v Leicester Tigers

The Rec Sandy Park Kingsholm Twickenham Stoop Adams Park Kingston Park

ROUND 18 28 Mar 2015 28 Mar 2015 28 Mar 2015 28 Mar 2015 28 Mar 2015 29 Mar 2015

14.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.30

Sale Sharks v Gloucester Rugby Leicester Tigers v Exeter Chiefs London Irish v Newcastle Falcons Northampton Saints v Wasps Saracens v Harlequins London Welsh v Bath Rugby

AJ Bell Stadium Welford Road Madejski Stadium Franklin’s Gardens Wembley Stadium Kassam Stadium

ROUND 19 11 Apr 2015 11 Apr 2015 11 Apr 2015 12 Apr 2015 12 Apr 2015 12 Apr 2015

15.00 15.00 15.00 14.30 15.00 15.00

Exeter Chiefs v Northampton Saints Harlequins v Gloucester Rugby Saracens v Leicester Tigers London Welsh v Wasps Newcastle Falcons v Bath Rugby London Irish v Sale Sharks

Sandy Park Twickenham Stoop Allianz Park Kassam Stadium Kingston Park Madejski Stadium

ROUND 20 25 Apr 2015 25 Apr 2015 25 Apr 2015 25 Apr 2015 25 Apr 2015 25 Apr 2015

14.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00

Sale Sharks v Harlequins Bath Rugby v London Irish Gloucester Rugby v Newcastle Falcons Leicester Tigers v London Welsh Northampton Saints v Saracens Wasps v Exeter Chiefs

AJ Bell Stadium The Rec Kingsholm Welford Road stadiummk Twickenham Stadium

ROUND 21 9 May 2015 9 May 2015 9 May 2015 9 May 2015 9 May 2015 10 May 2015

14.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 14.00

Sale Sharks v Newcastle Falcons Gloucester Rugby v London Irish Harlequins v Bath Rugby Northampton Saints v London Welsh Saracens v Exeter Chiefs Wasps v Leicester Tigers

AJ Bell Stadium Kingsholm Twickenham Stoop Franklin’s Gardens Allianz Park Adams Park

Bath Rugby v Gloucester Rugby Exeter Chiefs v Sale Sharks Leicester Tigers v Northampton Saints London Irish v Wasps London Welsh v Saracens Newcastle Falcons v Harlequins

The Rec Sandy Park Welford Road Madejski Stadium Kassam Stadium Kingston Park

ROUND 22 16 May 2015 16 May 2015 16 May 2015 16 May 2015 16 May 2015 16 May 2015 SEMI-FINAL 22/23/24 May 2015 22/23/24 May 2015

tbc tbc

FINAL 30 May 2015

Twickenham Stadium

Unmissable games on BT Sport.

The home of live Aviva Premiership Rugby

Sign up now and get 1 month free BT Sport. Call 0800 678 1061 or visit btsportbusiness.com

Important Impor tant inf information. ormation. Off Offer er ends 30 3 September 2014. Available Available to licensed premises prem mises (except (except hotels). hotels ). The minimum term of of 12 months runs from from the date of of service service activation. activatio on. No subscription payments payments will be ttaken aken in June 2015 but other additional char charges, ges, lik like e paper billing, will sstill till apply aapply.. Ne New w cus customers tomers only and you you must must not ha have ve been a cus customer tomer in the previous previous 3 months in n order order to qualify qualify for for the offer. offer.

Not available available in conjunc conjunction tion with any any other o offer. ffer. Please see terms and conditionss ffor or full det details ails at btsportbusiness.com/terms btspor tbusiness.com/term ms © British TTelecommunications elecommunic ations plc 2014. W We’re e’re rregistered egistered in England at 81 Ne Newgate wgate Street, Street , London London EC1A 7A 7AJ A J (company (company number 1800000). All this inf information/pricing orm mation/pricing w was as corr correct ect at time o off print print,, A August ug gust 2014 and ma mayy change. See our terms and d conditions at bt bt.com/terms .com/terms

CLUB AWARDS 2014

Remember, remember the 20th November Busy clubs and officials are hard pressed to take time out unless thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very good reason to do so.

This is why we are cramming three events into one action-packed day on 20 November in Manchester.

Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sourcing new suppliers, seeking expert advice on legislation, comparing notes with other clubs or trying out a new beer for the bar, the Club Rugby team invites you to join them for an action-packed day (and evening).

2 - 5pm HAIL THE ALE BEER FESTIVAL The sixth Hail the Ale Beer Festival, in association with CAMRA, will present ales from brewers of all sizes. Free to clubs and free to sample, clubs can test out ales and seek advice from the experts on how to keep and serve the perfect pint. Also: top tips on how and why well-kept real ales can create a point of difference.

> CLUB RUGBY 23

CLUB AWARDS 2014

2 - 5pm ASK THE EXPERTS – LIVE! This free-to-clubs event brings clubs and club-supporting suppliers together in an informal and informative atmosphere, aiming to forge new partnerships and cement old ones.

“Business-building is what it’s all about,” says publisher Sean Ferris.

“We’re encouraging readers to come along and network with companies they already work with as well as meeting those not yet on their radar.”

Ask the Experts - Live! will host experts in a number of key club areas including cellar management, energy saving, gaming machines, web design and hi-tech screens, as well as advice on latest legislation and better buying.

24 CLUB RUGBY

6.30 - 7.30pm

7.30 - 10pm

DRINKS RECEPTION Join us at the pre-Awards drinks reception, courtesy of Carlsberg UK.

CLUB AWARDS The 22nd Club Awards and Gala Dinner will be presented by guest host and TV sports presenter John Inverdale.

10pm - 1am ENTERTAINMENT ZONE The evening continues after the Awards with entertainment, upbeat disco and real ales at £1 a pint. (Images shown are from last year’s event.)

> CLUB RUGBY 25

CLUB AWARDS 2014

Booking and registration form • GALA DINNER • HAIL THE ALE • ASK THE EXPERTS – LIVE! Join us and clubs from around the country at the club event of the year.

REGISTRATION AND BOOKING FORM Name: ________________________________________

CLUB AWARDS AND GALA DINNER

Club Name and Address: _________________________

Early Bird Rate available for bookings taken by October 22

______________________________________________ ______________________________________________ Contact Telephone Number: ______________________ Email: _________________________________________

Please reserve me (STATE NUMBER) ______ tickets for the Gala Dinner at the Early Bird Rate of £58.80 per person (including VAT of £9.80).

Please reserve me (STATE NUMBER) ______ table/s for 10 at the Gala Dinner at the Early Bird Rate of £451.20 (including VAT of £75.20).

ASK THE EXPERTS – LIVE! (FREE TO CLUBS) • I would like to attend the Ask The Experts - Live!

■

• I will attend on my own ■ • I would like to bring colleagues

■

Up to 3 _____ 3 - 5 _____ Other (please state) ______

HAIL THE ALE BEER FESTIVAL (FREE TO CLUBS) • I would like to attend the Hail the Ale Beer festival

■

• I will attend on my own ■ • I would like to bring colleagues

■

Up to 3 _____ 3 - 5 _____ Other (please state) ______

26 CLUB RUGBY

SEND COMPLETED FORM TO CLUB MIRROR:

BY FAX: 01753 272021

BY POST: Club Awards, Club Rugby, Gainsborough House, 59-60 Thames Street, Windsor SL4 1TX

BY EMAIL: info@clubmirror.com CALL: 01753 272022

BRANDS REPORT

The Top 50

Club Brands Report Just what are the top brands at the club bar? Exclusive research from CGA Strategy reveals the Top 50 best sellers across the beer, white spirits, whisk(e)y and cider categories.

T

he results of this Brands Report are based upon analysis of CGA’s Brand Index.

Analysis compares annual sales as at July 2013 and July 2014. Overall volume, value and distribution performance were the key benchmarks used to define those brands within the Top 10 of each individual category. Findings are presented in alphabetical order by category.

Keg The keg ale market remains driven by the lead national brands and thereafter the predominant regionally brewed brand across the club sector. All top 10 brands were present in last year’s Club Brands Report.

The category offers consistent established beers and thus innovation is not (unsurprisingly) that evident. John Smith’s and Worthington’s remain predominant with regional beers presence evident in their homelands especially.

The category continues to decline nationally and while the much heralded new Craft Style keg beers do offer future opportunity, it is likely to be some time before their volumes reach the level of these traditional GB ale brands.

Cask ale Cask ale remains the leading ale category performer in the GB on trade with continuing growth of the regional brews and micro-brewery developments expanding the market. Nevertheless, the core brands dominate in such a way that the list remains the same as 2013 (as with keg ale).

The best known national brewer brands such as Doom Bar and Greene King IPA are predominant.

Other national brewer brands – such as John Smith’s and Worthington’s – retain their populist position. Continuing interest in craft beers and local provenance should see smaller brands enter the mix more, as much to support local businesses as provide additional choice to the customer over the bar. As a collective entity they are actually the biggest volume overall.

Cider Diversification and product innovation have been key to the success of cider across the GB on trade over the last few years and this can also be clearly seen in the club sector. Mixed fruit packaged ciders are driving growth alongside newer mainstream draft options such as Stella Cidre and Thatcher’s Gold.

The popularity of Carlsberg as a supplier within the sector is reflected in the appearance of Somersby in the 2014 list. The broad range of brands and product variants available suggest that customers are looking more and more to cider to provide the opportunity for exploring new tastes and trends.

White spirits White spirits remain a key category for the club sector, with classic and popular options maintaining their high-profile at the club bar, including Vodka, Gin, White Rum and Tequila. The majority of the best known brands as listed in the 2013 Club Brands Report have held onto their position within the 2014 Top 10 list.

As you’d expect, the big brands such as Bacardi, Gordon’s, Smirnoff and Jose Cuervo are all still the key performers, but are receiving healthy competition in the form of ‘value options’ in each sub category, Chekov and Glens being cases in point.

Interestingly, the main new entry in the list is Russian Standard which sees increasing popularity in the face of some of the more traditional mainstream vodkas that widely dominate in this sector.

In the wider market higher end premium products are still driving growth, along with increasing interest in cocktails.

Whisk(e)y Whisk(e)y covers all whisky types including blended Scotch, Bourbon and Irish brands. Again the key popular brands across all sub categories – including Bell’s, Jameson and Jack Daniel’s – are represented along with other traditionally popular blended Scotch and value brands. This year also sees Black Bottle whisky enter the list on the back of its successful re-launch in 2013.

Malt whiskies are still a key area for growth but cannot currently compete against mainstream blended brands from a volume perspective.

CLUB RUGBY 29

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TOP 10 CLUB KEG ALES BANKS’S

ABV: 3.5% Marston’s Beer Company

BELHAVEN BEST

The brewer notes that this beer is ‘beautifully balanced and very moreish’ with a rich malty biscuit flavour counterbalanced by a subtle burnt note and a hint of bitterness and a slight fruity taste.

It was one Mr Thomas Banks who first established Banks & Co as a firm of maltsters in 1840. It wasn’t until 1874, however, that he first began brewing with his son Henry and two other employees.

BODDINGTONS

ABV: 4.6% AB InBev

Belhaven Best originated at the Belhaven Brewery in Scotland, which has a history of brewing dating back to 1719. The famous trademark, Belhaven Bill – a large, heavy fisherman wearing seaboots with Dunbar Harbour behind him - first made an appearance in the 1950s and it became synonymous with the beers and the location. Belhaven Best was launched in 1991. The brewery was bought by current owner Greene King in 2005.

BREW XI

Boddingtons has been enjoyed by beer drinkers in England for more than 200 years, and is well known for its creamy head and smooth body. In the 1990s the beer was promoted as The Cream of Manchester in a popular advertising campaign, making the drink one of the city’s most famous products after Manchester United and Coronation Street.

JOHN SMITH’S

ABV: 3.5% Heineken UK

ABV: 3.7% Molson Coors

MANSFIELD BITTER

ABV: 3.4% Daniel Thwaites PLC Thwaites Smooth was launched in 1996.

Celebrity Ken Morley helped to launch the brand, which had the tongue-in-cheek strapline of ‘The Northern Smoothie’. The drink remains a favourite in northern clubs.

Daniel Thwaites has secured the purchase of a site to house a new brewery and head office. It is currently hoping to secure planning consent and to start a build programme early in 2015.

30 CLUB RUGBY

ABV: 3.9% Marston’s Beer Company This amber-coloured beer is described as being an easy-drinking yet full-bodied bitter that delivers a very consistent satisfying pint.

It is brewed to a recipe that has stayed the same for generations, using high quality natural ingredients and Marston’s unique brewing yeast. The brewing of this brand did start off in Mansfield itself but was later moved to Wolverhampton when Wolverhampton & Dudley took over, before eventually moving into the Marston’s stable.

TETLEY’S

Stones was first brewed in 1948 at the Cannon Brewery in Sheffield. Stones Best Bitter was developed as a refreshing golden ale to quench the thirst of local steelworkers and it is still made to the same recipe as that first ever pint. Stones was promoted through a series of television adverts during the 1980s starring Michael Angelis and Tony Barton.

It is a top ten brand in the on-trade in its Yorkshire heartland.

THWAITES SMOOTH

ABV: 3.6% Molson Coors Brew XI, (pronounced Brew Eleven), is a sweet, malty beer with a hoppy bitter aftertaste, brewed with a complex triple yeast strain. It is a top ten brand in the on-trade in its Central heartland and it was once advertised with the slogan ‘for the men of the Midlands’.

The Tadcaster ale is named after the town’s most famous son, John Smith, who first began brewing the beer in 1847 to meet the demands of local mill and factory workers. Renowned for its ‘No Nonsense’ strapline and approach to life, John Smith’s has become synonymous with horse racing over the years, having been the supporter of over 90 race days throughout the year at almost 30 jump and flat racecourses across the UK.

STONES BITTER

ABV: 3.2% Greene King

ABV: 3.6% Carlsberg UK Tetley’s has been brewed since 1822. It is a nitrogenated 3.6% ale served at 8˚C. The Tetley’s portfolio has expanded to include products such as Tetley's Smoothflow, Tetley’s Gold cask, and a popular range of seasonal ales including Tetley’s Christmas Cracker. The iconic Tetley’s Huntsman logo first appeared in 1920 and although it was dropped in 2000 (due to anti-hunt feelings in the UK), it was revived in 2010.

WORTHINGTON’S

ABV: 3.6% Molson Coors The beer started in bottled form but was relaunched as a keg brand in the 1960s under the name Worthington E, followed by Worthington Best Bitter from the 1980s and Worthington Creamflow from the 1990s.

Creamflow is full of body, warmth and sweetness, according to the brewer. It is described as being easy on the tongue, and featuring a subtle hop bitterness delivering full flavour without high bitterness.

TOP 10 CLUB CASK ALES BANKS’S ORIGINAL/MILD

ABV: 3.5% Marston’s Beer Company

COURAGE BEST

This is the beer that made Banks’s famous and it is well-known and loved by fans in the West Midlands. It is one of the world’s best-selling Mild beers and it is renowned in the Black Country as an ‘empty glass beer’; once you have finished one, you will want another. In 2010 the name changed from Banks’s Original to Mild. More than one million pints are reportedly sold every week.

FULLER’S LONDON PRIDE

ABV: 4.1% Fuller, Smith & Turner PLC

Best is brewed with natural mineral water from the brewery’s own well, which was sunk by its founder more than 100 years ago. According to the brewer, the beer’s consistent high quality helps the ale drop bright more quickly than other standard ales, meaning Courage Best can deliver higher yields, less wastage and is easier to manage. The iconic ‘Take Courage’ slogan, has been used for over 50 years.

GREENE KING IPA

An intrinsic part of London, London Pride has been brewed at the Thamses-side Griffin Brewery since 1845. The beer is the company’s flagship mahogany-coloured bitter. Hops included in the brew are Target, Challenger and Northdown varieties, creating a smooth but complex beer with a distinctive malty base. This year the company has opened a pub called London’s Pride at Heathrow airport.

JOHN SMITH’S

ABV: 3.8% Heineken UK

ABV: 3.8% Marston’s Beer Company

MARSTON’S PEDIGREE

ABV: 3.7% Carlsberg UK The first Tetley’s ale was brewed in 1822 and Tetley’s Cask is still brewed in traditional Yorkshire square fermenting vessels. At its height in the 1960s, the Tetley brewery employed more than 1,000 workers and by the 1970s half of Leeds’ pubs were owned by Tetley. In the 1980s Tetley’s was Britain’s largest cask ale brewery. From 2011 production of Tetley’s Cask moved to Wolverhampton.

ABV: 4.5% Marston’s Beer Company This beer is described as being great to enjoy on its own or with hearty British food.

It is made using spring water from the Marston’s Brewery in Burton upon Trent, blended with Fuggles and Goldings hops and Pedigree’s unique strain of yeast. Good Beer Guide Editor Roger Protz says of the beer: “You get lovely spicy hops, juicy malt and a very light hint of apple fruit – it’s an incredible beer.”

DOOM BAR

ABV:4.0% Molson Coors Doom Bar was launched in 1994 by Sharp’s Brewery, becoming so successful that Molson Coors bought the brewery in 2011. The bitter is named after an infamous sandbank at the mouth of the Camel Estuary in North Cornwall. The aroma of the beer combines a balance of hop with sweet malt and delicate roasting notes. It has a taste of dried fruit with lightly roasted malty notes and a subtle bitterness.

This was the first beer to come out of Ringwood Brewery, now part of Marston’s stable of beers, and is a favourite beer in its home region of the New Forest. The beer was awarded Bronze Medal at the infamous Munich Beer Festival in 2005.

Ringwood is described as a well-rounded beer with a delicious malt flavour balanced by a tangy citrus hoppiness.

Brewed with floor-malted barley, Goldings, Progress, Fuggles and Challenger hops.

TETLEY’S

ABV: 3.6% Greene King The hoppy aroma and flavour of this beer is created using two varieties of English hop – Challenger and First Gold. The brewer adds the hops to the copper by hand, as the company has always done, and by blending in pale, crystal and black malts he balances the hops with the richness of the malts. It is said to be a good accompaniment to spicy foods and curries.

John Smith’s Cask Ale is moderate-bodied with light fruit and caramel flavours. The main features of the cask ale are its muchloved Yorkshire Bitter characteristics of high bitter notes and a sweet, clean aftertaste. In addition to horse-racing, the brand has also become synonymous over the years with a succession of ‘No Nonsense’ award-winning advertising campaigns.

RINGWOOD BEST BITTER

ABV: 4.0% Well’s & Young’s

WORTHINGTON’S

ABV: 3.6% Molson Coors William Worthington began brewing beer in Burton on Trent in 1744 and the beer, which started as a bottled product, was then launched in keg format. The original cask-conditioned product is available to the on-trade market. Advertising in the mid1990s included a series of television advertisements featuring comedian Harry Enfield. The brand is involved in sponsorship of rugby union and rugby league.

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TOP 10 CLUB CIDERS BULMERS CRUSHED RED BERRIES & LIME

ABV: 4.0% Heineken UK

BULMERS ORIGINAL

In November 2007 the Bulmers range began expanding, joined first by Bulmers Pear cider and then the following year by Bulmers Light. Bulmers Crushed Red Berries & Lime joined the portfolio in summer 2011, an apple cider blended with red berries, cut with a shot of lime to deliver ‘an explosively fruity taste’.

KOPPARBERG MIXED FRUITS

ABV: 4.0% Bronsman Bros

In 2003 Scottish and Newcastle Brewery bought the Bulmers brand in the UK for £278 million. In 2006, the company relaunched Bulmer’s Original as a premium packaged cider aimed at the served-overice market. Since 2008 the Bulmers brand in the UK has been owned by Heineken UK. The cider is described as having a ‘well- balanced and medium-sweet flavour’.

KOPPARBERG STRAWBERRY & LIME

Founded in Sweden in 1832, Kopparberg now exports to 40 countries. Brothers Peter and Dan-Anders Bronsman head up the operation and production takes place under the strict supervision of Brew Master Wolfgang and his apprentices – sons Raynhardt and Rickhard. Mixed fruits is described as ‘bursting with blackcurrants and raspberries, rich and indulgent with an effervescent energy’.

MAGNERS IRISH

ABV: 4.5% C&C Group

ABV: 4.5% Carlsberg UK

MAGNERS PEAR

ABV: 4.8% Heineken UK Strongbow is named after a knight, Richard de Clare, later Earl of Pembroke, nicknamed ‘Strongbow’ for relying heavily on Welsh archers during campaigns in Ireland. Strongbow is aimed at 22 to 35 year-old males. Heineken UK extended the brand, launching Strongbow Pear into the on-trade in 2012. The Dark Fruits variant joined the on-trade portfolio in spring 2014 following its successful 2013 launch into the off-trade.

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ABV: 4.5% C&C Group Launched in 2009 with an £8m marketing spend against it, Magner’s Pear cider is made with 100% pressed premium pears.

The pears are ripened and selected for quality, then filtered to get rid of any impurities before fermenting slowly to provide a distinctive character ‘with an authentic and naturally intense pear aroma’.

STELLA CIDRE

Somersby, made in the heart of Herefordshire, was launched into the ontrade in 2013 with a multi-million pound marketing campaign. Premium and bespoke glassware was all part of the launch. Described as a ‘crisply delicious cold filtered cider’, Somersby was developed for the UK market with a balanced taste and no artificial sweeteners or flavours.

STRONGBOW

ABV: 4.0% Bronsman Bros

Kopparberg ciders use water from local soft water springs which, says the company, allows the natural flavour of the ciders to come through thanks to the low mineral content. The Strawberry & Lime variant of Kopparberg is described as ‘like summer in a glass; a splash of fresh strawberries in apple juice, and a squeeze of tangy lime...Drink it over ice and the job’s done’.

Cider production in Clonmel, Ireland, began in 1935 by William Magner.

Magners Irish is an old-style crisp cider.

It is described as ‘ a unique Irish style cider made with 17 varieties of apples and a similar fermentation style to wine, for a fruity, complex character. Famous as the original over-ice brand’.

SOMERSBY CIDER

ABV: 4.5% Heineken UK

ABV: 4.5% AB InBev Stella Artois Cidre is described as a crisp and refreshing Belgian recipe cider ‘delivered by the full flavour of red apple, enhanced by peachy, apricot notes’ and complemented by a woody finish. Stella Artois Cidre is best enjoyed served over plenty of ice, says the company.

THATCHER’S GOLD

ABV: 4.8% Thatchers Thatcher’s Gold, a medium dry cider, is available on draught and in 500ml bottles in the on-trade. The cider is described as being refreshing and with a smooth appley taste and a bright sparkle.

In early 2014 the family-run company announced that it secured a 10 year partnership with an Australian family brewer that would see Gold being sold across Australia.

TOP 10 CLUB WHITE SPIRITS BACARDI SUPERIOR

ABV: 37.5% Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands

CHEKOV IMPERIAL VODKA

Originating in 1862, Bacardi Superior rum is a light-bodied rum which is aged in oak barrels. The rum is clear in colour and smooth in taste as well as being dry, giving hints of vanilla and tropical fruits, according to the producer. The rum started off in Cuba and now, seven generations later, Bacardi still remains a family-owned business. The rum won its first award in 1876, and is now the ‘most awarded rum in the World’.

GLEN’S VODKA

ABV: 37.5% Glen’s Catrine Distillers

Chekov is a popular UK vodka available exclusively from Booker. It was awarded a bronze medal the International Spirits Challenge. Chekov, which is a tripledistilled and charcoal-filtered pure grain vodka, is positioned at an ‘extremely affordable’ price point, according to Booker, making it ‘a fantastic alternative to the brands’. A range of bottle sizes are available to the on-trade.

GORDON’S GIN

ABV: 40.0% Roust Group

JOSE CUERVO TEQUILA

ABV: 37.5% C&C Group

RUSSIAN STANDARD VODKA

The Ukranian vodka Odessa is distributed by the Odessa Vodka Company in Dublin, Ireland, and it is recognised as being good value for money. It is available in a variety of sizes for the UK on-trade market. While there is a continued demand for premium white spirits in the UK’s on-trade, this is counterbalanced by more value options, which is partly why brands such as Odessa have secured their place amongst the top 10 white spirits.

SMIRNOFF RED

ABV: 37.5% Diageo GB Smirnoff was first produced in Moscow in 1860 and there are now Smirnoff distilleries in more than 18 countries. The brand is sold in 130 markets and 10 bottles are sold every second. According to the company, every single drop of Smirnoff takes at least eight hours to filter through charcoal in a 10-stage process. As well as the original version, Diageo has also seen success with a range of flavoured variants, of which Espresso Smirnoff is the latest addition.

ABV: 40.0% Proximo Spirits UK Jose Cuervo is probably the mostrecognised tequila in the world, and according to distributor Proximo Spirits, it is also the oldest and most awarded. The brand began in 1758 and the company has remained family-owned for more than 250 years; today it is run by the 10th generation of the Cuervo family. Variants, which include Especial, Tradicional, Platino and Reserva de la Familia, are each aged to produce deeper tastes.

Imperia was first created in 1894 in the Russian city of St Petersburg. Created as a result of an Imperial decree, it is created ‘from the finest winter wheat, the softest glacial waters, and for extraordinary smoothness and clarity, filtered through quartz crystals from the Ural Mountains’.

The quartz crystal filters compress the vodka molecules into smaller molecules, increasing the level of smoothness.

ODESSA

ABV: 37.5% Diageo GB Alexander Gordon opened his distillery in 1769 in London, and shortly afterwards he created Gordon’s London Dry Gin. It was the first gin to be drunk with tonic and it has been produced in a green bottle since 1903, when there was a shortfall in clear glass. The recipe is closely guarded: apparently only 12 people in the world know the full distillation process. Diageo launched a new collection of flavoured gins, including Gordon’s Crisp Cucumber.

Glen’s Vodka is one of the most popular vodka brands in the UK, behind Smirnoff.

It was originally called Grants Vodka when it was launched in the early 1970s but the name was changed to Glen’s in 2003 to differentiate it from Grant’s whisky. The Scottish-made vodka is produced from sugar beet and is popular as a lowerpriced vodka option in both the on and offtrades across the UK.

IMPERIA

ABV: 37.5% Booker

ABV:40.0% Roust Group Russian Standard Vodka holds a 40% share of the Russian premium vodka market and is exported to over 80 countries around the world. Its state-of-the-art distillery in St. Petersburg, Russia, is said to be one of the world’s most technologically advanced spirit production facilities. The company has created a unique, vertically integrated production process that allows complete control over all stages of production – from wheat to vodka.

ZAMOYSKI

ABV: 37.5% Moscow Distillery Cristall This Russian Vodka has been produced for many years by Moscow Distillery Cristall.

The distillery was originally founded in 1901 and it now offers a variety of vodkas and other spirits for domestic and international consumption. The distillery started its life as the Moscow State Wine Warehouse No.1 and it wasn’t renamed until 1987, when the word Cristall was added.

> CLUBHOUSE EUROPE 33

TOP 10 CLUB WHISKIES BELL’S

ABV: 40.0% Diageo GB

BLACK BOTTLE

In 1825 a new shop opened in Perth, Scotland and began trading in tea and whisky - later it would be the first place to sell Bell’s. The whisky is matured in European sherry casks, which add colour and flavour. Bell’s uses up to 35 different malt and grain whiskies in the blend; each is matured between five and 12 years.

Bell’s Original is described as being rich and fruity with a hint of smoke to the nose, balanced with an underlying freshness.

FAMOUS GROUSE

ABV: 40.0% Maxxium UK

Black Bottle is a blended Scotch Whisky first launched introduced in 1879 by Aberdeen tea blenders Charles, David and Gordon Graham. When World War I began, imports of the black glass from Germany came to a halt and green glass had to be used instead. The name remained the same and latterly the black bottle were re-introduced.

JACK DANIEL’S

This whisky is named after Scotland’s national game bird, the Red Grouse. The drink is produced by marrying fine malt whiskies with grain whiskies for ‘an unusually long period’ in fully seasoned oak casks. The Grouse whisky first began its life in 1896 when it was created by grocer and wine merchant Matthew Gloag. The success of the brand led to the addition of the word ‘Famous’ in 1905.

JACOBITE

ABV: 40.0% Booker

ABV: 40.0% Diageo GB

JAMESON

ABV: 40.0% Burn Stewart Distillers Scottish Leader is Burn Stewart Distillers flagship and award-winning blended Scotch whisky, which is now sold in more than 60 countries around the World. The brand is available from the original variant through to the ultra-premium 30 year-old option. The secret recipe for the brand was originally created in the late 19th century in Dumbarton, Scotland. The whisky is produced in Deanston Distillery in Scotland.

ABV: 40.0% Pernod Ricard Jameson is a single distilled Irish whiskey which was launched in 1780. It is made using malted barley combined with unmalted barley and other grains and 4.3 million cases are sold worldwide. “Triple distilled whiskey like ours isn’t just born smooth and balanced,” says On-Trade Channel Director for Spirits, Ian Peart. “It takes our carefully crafted process used over hundreds of years to get it right.”

TEACHER’S

More than 170mn bottles of this Scotch whisky are sold every year in more than 200 countries. The original company was founded by John Walker in 1820 and over the next 30 years it became an international whisky business. The artist Tom Browne drew ‘The Striding Figure’ in 1908. The traditional Black Label variant is described as having smoky, vanilla and fresh fruit flavours. The brand also comes in Green, Gold, Red and Blue Label variants.

SCOTTISH LEADER

ABV: 40.0% Bacardi Brown-Forman Brands Jack Daniel’s is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey, which has become known for its square bottles and black label. The founder’s name was actually Jasper Newton, but he was known as Jack from an early age. It is likely the distillery was founded in 1875 although records are unclear. Jack Daniel’s is filtered through sugar maple charcoal in large wooden vats prior to ageing, which is an extra step not used in making most Bourbon whiskey.

The Jacobite Whisky is made from a carefully selected blend of 100% Scotch whiskies. It is then distilled, aged in oak casks and bottled in Scotland to produce ‘a subtle and smooth flavour’, according to Booker. The brand was awarded a Bronze medal in the International Spirits Challenge and it is offered in a full range of bottle sizes, ranging from 5cl to 1.5l for the UK’s on-trade. Available exclusively from Booker.

JOHNNIE WALKER BLACK LABEL

ABV: 40.0% Burn Stewart Distillers

ABV: 45.0% Maxxium UK It is said that William Teacher would not give his name to his blend until he found perfection and he decided that Teacher’s Highland Cream was that whisky. It was created in 1863. At 45% it has one of the highest single malt contents of any blend and uses fully peated Ardmore whisky as its fingerprint malt. It is described as being a smooth whisky with rich smoky undertones and is rich amber in colour.

WHYTE & MACKAY

ABV: 40.0% Whyte & Mackay The brand was founded on the docks of Glasgow in 1844 by James Whyte and Charles Mackay. The brand’s master blender is Richard Paterson, who has created the whisky for the past 40 years, gaining numerous personal accolades as well as helping to win titles for the company, including the IWSC’s ‘Global Distiller of the Year 2010’.

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34 CLUB RUGBY

AS SEEN ON TV

JOIN THE SOFT DRINK EVOLUTION Our partners are:

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If you want to become part of this progressive movement in soft drinks then we invite you to join our current partners and us on the journey. Call Mark Young, Sales Director on 07802 210635 or mark@freedrinks.org. Alternatively if you are shy and want us to call you then head to www.freedrinks.org and click on ‘contact’. Please leave your details and we will be in touch by return. ©2014. Freedrinks I ZEO is a trademark of Freedrinks Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Drinkzeo.com is a trading name of Freedrinks Ltd.

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RUGBY CLUB OF THE YEAR 2014

The life and times of

BT Sport Director of Commercial Customers Bruce Cuthbert explains why BT Sport is proud to be a sponsor of the 2014 Club Awards.

BT Sport went live on 1 August, 2013. Since then, it has signed up 19,000 commercial customers including on-trade premises, clubs and pubs.

“To sign up 19,000 customers is a fantastic achievement and underBruce Cuthbert lines the appeal and the affordability of BT Sport,” says Bruce Cuthbert, Director of Commercial Customers, adding that the company has achieved a 24% share of pubs in its first year and grown the market by 26%.

Clubs have also been quick to pick up on the value of BT Sport according to Bruce, and that’s just one of the reasons BT Sport is delighted to be a sponsor of the 2014 Club Awards.

“Right from the outset we wanted to deliver

36 CLUB RUGBY

something new and different and give more clubs the chance to show premium sport action to their members,” says Bruce. “Sport in all its forms is a huge draw for members and the more opportunities there are to screen it the better it is for them and of course the club.

“Our research has shown that nearly half of all clubs and pubs are showing free-to-air sport currently and that many would love to show more. For us, not only did we need to have the right sports line up, but we had to make it available at prices which clubs can afford.

“Many of these clubs are adding BT Sport to their current premium sports subscription,” says Bruce. “For others though, it’s the first time that regular Premier League football is being put on in clubs and according to their budget.

“Clubs have been particularly gratifying to work with, and that’s part of the reason we are delighted

to be a sponsor of the Club Awards for the second year running,” he says. “We very much look forward to meeting clubs and Awards finalists on 20 November. Very good luck with your entries!”

The sporting line up includes: • 38 exclusively live Barclays English Premier League • Live FA Cup action • UEFA Europa League matches • Top tier live football from Germany, Italy, France and Scotland • A further 10 Rangers matches • FA Women’s Super League • 30 exclusively live football Conference matches from the Vanarama • WTA women’s tennis • UFC • Moto GP • All 69 live Aviva Premiership games • 34 exclusively live games from the European Champions Cup plus the final. Live games from the European Challenge Cup CONTACT DETAILS BT Sport is available to all clubs with prices starting at £77 per month.

• t. 0800 678 1957 • www.btsportbusiness.com.

The BT Sport line-up: Among the hosts, presenters and pundits are: Jake Humphrey, Clare Balding, Craig Doyle, Michael Owen, Steve McManaman, David James, Owen Hargreaves, Matt Dawson, Lynsey Hipgrave, Gary McAllister, Martin Bayfield, Anne Keothavong, Kim Little, Scott Redding, Neil Hodgson, Darrell Currie, Darren Fletcher, Sam Smith, Rosi Sexton, John Hathaway, Christian Howes, Des Kelly, Tom Watt, Caroline DeMoraes, Ian Darke, Ray Stubbs, Austin Healey, Ben Kay, Sarra Elgan, Eniola Aluko and Helen Skelton.

European Rugby Champions Cup Round 1 and 2 fixtures on ROUND 1 Date

Time

Home

Away

Venue

17/10/2014

19:45

18/10/2014

15:15

18/10/2014

15:15

18/10/2014

19:45

Leicester Tigers v Ulster Rugby

19/10/2014

17:15

Leinster Rugby v Wasps

24/10/2014

19:45

Munster Rugby v Saracens

Thomond Park

25/10/2014

15:15

Bath Rugby v Toulouse

The Recreation Ground

25/10/2014

19:45

26/10/2014

17:15

26/10/2014

18:15

Harlequins v Castres Olympique

The Twickenham Stoop

Saracens v ASM Clermont Auvergne Glasgow Warriors v Bath Rugby

Allianz Park Scotstoun Stadium Welford Road RDS Arena

ROUND 2

Scarlets v Leicester Tigers Wasps v Harlequins Benetton Treviso v Racing Métro 92

Parc y Scarlets Adams Park Stadium Stadio Comunale di Monigo CLUB RUGBY 37

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BUILDING THE BUSINESS – HALLOWEEN HIGHLIGHTS

ROLL OUT THE PUMPKINS –

IT’S HALLOWEEN! He who scares, wins! So dim the club lights, break out the pumpkin pie and enjoy the scariest night of the year.

H

allows (holy) Eve was originally deemed the eve of the New Year, when souls of the dead returned to their homes to feast.

For clubs, however, the concept of the dear departed returning, uninvited (and without having paid their subs) for free beer, or more likely spirits, goes against the grain.

Halloween now represents an opportunity to increase club revenues – so let them pay, like everyone else. But if they’re not prepared to fork out, just how spooky can you make your club?

Regaling scary stories will keep members running to the bar for Dutch courage.

Here’s a collection to get the goose bumps going: Parkside Social Club, Haworth The club has served as an insitute in the past as well as a schoolroom.

The ghost of a young Victorian girl has been seen in the pool room and footsteps have been heard coming from upstairs in the club. On one such occasion, says club member Shona Grange, she and several others split into two parties, with one group going up the back stairs and the other up the front; they found no-one there.

Duple Social Club, Blackpool Duple Social Club, which still has a thriving entertainment programme, is haunted by what is believed to be a former performer from the 1970s.

An eyewitness claims the spirit is one Elizabeth Price.

“Apparently, she used to perform at the club in the 1970s but we could not find any confirmation or evidence that this was the case,” said Jonathan Moss, on behalf of O.R.B.S. PG Paranormal Investigation Team, who attempted to record paranormal activity. “Having said that … we were in the presence of a spirit and there were definite responses to the questions that we asked.”

Howley Hall Golf Club, Leeds The headquarters of this club was, at one time, a farmhouse belonging to the now ruined sixteenth century hall.

38 CLUB RUGBY

One afternoon in 1972 a couple from Leeds were walking near the ruins of the old hall and noticed a woman in unusual clothes walking towards them.

“She had a long dress with a dark top and a curious red mantilla veil over her face and shoulders,” said Mrs Bunney,” But just as I commented on this to my husband the figure faded and vanished.”

A couple of years later a mill worker saw two men and a woman in the same area. “I thought they were golfers,” he said. “But when my dog barked and growled at them they just vanished.” The figures had appeared in `dark loose clothing of an early period`.

Hellfire Club, West Wycombe The Hellfire Caves, home of the renowned Hellfire Club in West Wycombe, have seem missiles being thrown at TV presenters, as well as the sound of disembodied voices. It’s all on record.

Gargoyle Club, Dean Street, London This 18th century four storey Georgian Townhouse, once home to the Gargoyle Club, is reputed to be haunted by Nell Gwynne, renowned mistress of King Charles II. The grey shadow apparition is accompanied by the strong smell of gardenias.

Caesar’s Club, London Perhaps one of the most famous ‘club haunters’ – apart from your regulars of course – is Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hung in Britain. She worked at Caesars in 1948 and apparently hasn’t left since.

RECIPE FOR PUMPKIN PIE Pumpkin pie is a traditional American recipe associated with Halloween and Thanksgiving. So don’t throw away the pulp from your pumpkin carving.

Try the following recipe.

Could your club be harbouring a ghost?

Ingredients • One and a half pounds (675g) pumpkin, peeled and fibrous center removed, cut into cubes • 4 oz. (125g) caster sugar • 3 eggs • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg • half a teaspoon of ground ginger • 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon • 4 tablespoons milk • 10 oz. (275g) plain flour • two and a half ounces (65g) margarine • two and a half ounces of lard • 3-4 tablespoons water

Halloween is the time to find out. We’ve done our own Club Rugby check against the below.

Alert members to the key tell-tale signs of unearthly presences and test them out on their own home. This is the Club Rugby team’s response...

1. Have you noticed cold spots/temperature drop?

Yes (especially in Winter).

2. Glasses or other objects being moved across bars/shelves?

Yes (especially on a big Friday night).

3. Toilets being mysteriously flushed?

No (we wish).

Method STEP 1. Place the pumpkin in a colander over a pan of boiling water and steam for about 20 minutes or until tender. Then mash and cool.

STEP 2. Sift the flour and two teaspoons of cinnamon into a bowl then rub in fats until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

STEP 3. Mix in the water to make a dough. Knead the dough on a floured surface and roll. Grease a baking tin (10.5 x 7.5 inches), line with the dough and prick the base. Line the base with greaseproof paper and top with beans. Blind bake for 15 minutes at Gas Mark 5, 190°C (this will keep the pastry flat) before removing the paper and beans. Bake for a further five minutes.

STEP 4. Whisk the eggs, sugar, ginger, nutmeg, ginger and ground cinnamon. Fold in the mashed pumpkin and four tablespoons of milk and pour into the pastry case. Bake at 375°F, Gas Mark 5, 190°C for about 40 minutes, or until set.

STEP 5. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream.

4. The smell of perfume, flowers or tobacco without an obvious cause?

Errr... spookily yes. By many people.

Specifically cigar smoke – various locations and unprompted, in rooms where no one has smoked.

5. The sense of being watched Yes (but that could be wishful thinking).

< CLUB RUGBY 39

BUILDING THE BUSINESS – HALLOWEEN WITH HOBGOBLIN

Make Halloween scarily good Get ready for the most spooktacular time of year, Halloween, with the mighty mischief maker himself, Hobgoblin.

Hobgoblin, the Unofficial Beer of Halloween, is ready to unleash even more mischief and mayhem than ever before during his favourite season of them all.

Everybody knows that Halloween is a great time for parties – especially as it falls on a Friday night this year – and it’s also the third biggest sales opportunity of the year, so now’s the time to start planning for more fun and profit for your club.

Here are some scarily good ideas for how you can make mischief pay this year.

Play the Wheel of Misfortune As part of its aptly named ‘Season of Mischief’, Hobgoblin plans to distribute 7,000 POS kits to pubs, bars and clubs up and down the country in a bid to make this its biggest Halloween campaign to date.

The new kit, emblazoned with Hobgoblin’s new ‘Wheel of Misfortune’ promotion, will be delivered to anyone ordering Hobgoblin for the Season of Mischief and features: • The Hobgoblin’s legendary LED flashing pump clip • A pumpkin handpull topper and hand pull Halloween sleeve to grab even more attention at the bar • Promotional ‘Wheel of Misfortune’ Bar Runner • 125 pack of ‘Wheel of Misfortune’ Drip mats The Wheel of Misfortune promotion gives fans the chance to win £5,000, his and hers sheep skin coats, a fondue set and a canteen of cutlery – mocking TV game shows of yester-year in his trademark mischievous style.

Hobgoblin is a brand known for pushing boundaries, and this Halloween will be no different with the Hobgoblin hosting a live version of his Wheel of Misfortune – the first for any ale brand.

Fans will be encouraged to audition to take part in one of four live shows broadcast on Halloween via www.wychwood.co.uk/live and Facebook (hobgoblin beer).

Chris Keating, Marketing Manager for Wychwood said: “The size of the Halloween market in the UK has risen from less than £60m in 2005 to over £350m in 2013 and is now the third most profitable retail event after Christmas and Easter. By creating themed events, clubs can drive footfall and opportunities to increase margin.”

Advertising and promoting your events is crucial. So make sure you adorn your club with posters as early as possible and of course use social media to invite customers.

40 CLUB RUGBY

3. If you want your pub to be packed with Halloween fiends, then you better advertise early. Make sure you get spooky posters up in the pub as early as possible and also invite your customers on Facebook/Twitter too.

4. Everyone likes games, especially me! Make it a family event with pumpkin carving, or if you’re having a fancy dress party, give a prize to whoever brings the best dressed ghoulfriend! Just don’t use Hobgoblin in the apple bobbing cauldron – what a waste!

Entertainment will really make the evening – think about a Halloween playlist, face painting or a best costume competition.

Wychwood marketing manager, Chris Keating adds: “It’s Hobgoblin’s ninth consecutive year as the ‘Unofficial Beer of Halloween’. We have created a demand for Hobgoblin during the ‘Season of Mischief ’ and consumers expect to see the Hobgoblin on the bar throughout October. With Halloween falling on a Friday this year, there’s a real opportunity for clubs to capitalise on an event that’s been a traditional favourite for decades.”

Hobgoblin Hints & Tips The Hobgoblin isn’t just the chief mischief maker, he’s pretty clued up on how to get the customers through the doors and have a great time.

So here are some tips and tricks from the little fella himself.

1. Make the most of my favourite season and get my tasty ruby beer on the bar. Hobgoblin is a fullbodied ruby beer that delivers a delicious chocolate toffee malt flavour, balanced with a rounded moderate bitterness and an overall fruity, mischievous character – making it a perfect accompaniment to a spooky Halloween evening.

2. It’ll attract even more attention this year – because not only do you get a flashing pump clip with my face on, you also get a bright orange hand pull sleeve!

5. Worried about what ales to put on at short notice? You needn’t worry as my tasty ale comes in Fastcask format – you won’t need anytime for the beer to settle, meaning you can put it on sale immediately.

6. Finally, get my Halloween screensaver from www.wychwood.co.uk/wom and get your customers and friends into the swing of things.

BUILDING THE BUSINESS – SOCIAL MEDIA

Why social media means business Is your club plugged into the power of social media? If not, then it’s time to think again – because as marketing tools go it’s hard to beat.

D

o an online search for ‘social business’ and you will see companies striving to become a ‘social business’ and using social media as a tool in the process. Car giant Ford, for example, now actively invites influential bloggers to media events and has sought out brand ambassadors within communities to engage with their marketing campaigns.

The younger generation of consumers that these businesses will be marketing to will only know the world of social media. This means online, constant two-way communication. It’s interesting to note how many clubs are already harnessing the power of – for example – Facebook, while by-passing web sites altogether.

Harnessing the power of social media There are many benefits to those jumping onboard the social media roller-coaster. Harnessing its power and making it work for the club is a goal worth striving for, something which the big brands have recognised and have the resources to pursue.

Online brand ambassadors While all the big brands have realised the importance of using brand ambassadors within their social media channels, the true brand ambassadors are, as always, those working for the benefit

TIMELINES:

SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE MAKING 1971 • The first email is sent between two computers sitting on the same desk.

1979 • Usernets and BBS (Bulletin Board Systems) come online allowing users to exchange data over phone lines.

1980 • Compuserve and Prodigy hit the scene with the first commercial offering of news, weather, shopping and games.

1991 • America Online launches AOL for DOS which quickly becomes the most popular online destination. Millions of people used AOL as their first gateway to the World Wide Web.

1994 • Geocities is launched.

1995 of the club – the staff, committee members and so on. Giving the right people the tools and capabilities to engage in social media on the club’s behalf is a powerful way of helping to engage and motivate them as well as communicating club activities through social media marketing.

Increased online presence Social media marketing helps to improve search engine rankings by providing more platforms for content to be found. YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine and combined with other channels and effective keyword use, search engine rankings have only one way to go... up!

Engaging with stakeholders Stakeholder engagement with social media can be targeted and is a useful insight tool to test sentiment and opinion. New stakeholders and social media influencers (specifically in the social media landscape) can be identified and actively targeted with communications for on-going engagement.

In doing so, timely and more up to date information can be gleaned through the two-way channel of communication. In other words, it’s possible to gain information directly from stakeholder’s which it might have been a struggle to obtain otherwise.

• theglobe.com allows users to personalise their online experience.

1997 • AOL Instant Messanger sees a craze of instant online communication.

2001 • Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit, launches • StumbleUpon, a website that recommends web content to its users, begins.

2002 • Friendster, considered the granddaddy of social networks, launches. It has 3m users with three months.

• Technorati, a search engine for blogs, goes live.

2003 • LinkedIn begins as a business-related social networking site.

• Wordpress is released – a publishing platform that hosts blogs.

> CLUB RUGBY 41

BUILDING THE BUSINESS – SOCIAL MEDIA

TIMELINES:

SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE MAKING 2004 • Myspace launches.

• Google begins Gmail.

• Flickr goes live.

• Facebook, a social networking service which began at Harvard, expands to other universities and reaches 1m members.

• Yelp, a social networking site where users can review local businesses, begins.

• Social news website, DIGG, goes live.

2005 • Video-sharing website Youtube goes live.

• Mashable, a news website and blog, goes live.

• Facebook becomes available in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

2006 • Myspace becomes the most popular social networking site in the United States.

• Twitter begins.

• Facebook launches its news feed feature to a mixed reaction.

• Google acquires Youtube.

• WikiLeaks, which publishes submissions from anonymous sources, begins.

2007 • Facebook reaches one million active users in the UK. • StumbleUpon is acquired by eBay. • Developers gain permission from Facebook to use the site as a platform for games.

• Apple releases the iPhone in the United States. iPhone users can access social media sites and apps through their phone.

2008 • Facebook overtakes Myspace to become the most popular social networking site.

• Facebook Connect is announced, allowing users to log onto third-party websites, applications and mobile devices.

• The App store opens via iTunes.

2009 • Twitter becomes the third-highest-ranking social networking site, up from number 22.

• Location-based social networking website, Foursquare, goes live.

• King of Pop, Michael Jackson dies; Twitter servers crash after users send 100,000 tweets per hour when news hits.

• Wordpress reaches 202m users.

• Flicker hosts more than 4bn images.

42 CLUB RUGBY

“

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO FACEBOOK...

The theory of ‘Six degrees of separation’ – where everyone is (on average) approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth – has now been reduced to 4.7, according to researchers at Facebook and the University of Milan. It looks set to reduce still further as social media networking continues apace.

”

TIMELINES:

SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE MAKING 2010 • Twitter users are sending 65m tweets per day, roughly 750 tweets per second.

• Facebook reaches 500m active users.

• The Social Network, a film about Facebook and its creator, Mark Zuckerburg, opens.

RESULTS OF INVESTMENT IN FACEBOOK • Nearly 60% of businesses have acquired a customer through their blog.

• 25% of B2B firms have gained a client through Facebook.

• Company websites that have a blog have 55 % more visitors than those who don’t.

• Evidence suggests that web visitors from social sites convert 59 % higher than those who aren’t communicating directly with their customers. (Become A Social Business Forbes.com).

• 5% of search results for the world’s top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content.

• 34% of bloggers post opinions about products and brands.

• 93% of marketers use social media for business. (Erik Qualman, Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business.)

‘Crisis’ communications tool In the past, I heard much talk about using a social media policy for crisis communications. Great idea, but in many cases there can be a major pitfall. What is the point of creating a crisis communications policy that includes the use of social media, if stakeholders have not actively engaged with it? There simply won’t be the appropriate reach to ensure success.

A flip side, though, was demonstrated powerfully by Dutch airline KLM. When the Icelandic volcano erupted in March 2010, KLM found that followers came to their channels for information on disrupted flights. The huge influx of people trying to contact the airline, however, saw travellers begin to tweet/Facebook KLM. As a result, for five days during the crisis, they set up a 24/7 customer service on Facebook/twitter. As a result, KLM took on 40 employees dedicated to their social media hub, having been plunged into social media marketing via a crisis. KLM have embraced it ever since.

But as with all benefits, there are always pitfalls.

Social Media is no exception here.

Resourcing for success The amount of resource needed to be successful in

social media is often underestimated. Once started, it cannot be left, and to be truly successful clubs need to fully engage with their audiences, which means monitoring and replying to communications.

‘Content is king’ is a standard phrase attached to social media, and creating lively and engaging content can take time and money.

Negative engagement Not every engagement with an audience is going to be successful. A small negative voice on a social media channel can create many problems; clubs need to be able to handle this.

Control The nature of social media does mean a lack of control. For many, this is difficult to accept and without some precautionary measures taken the degree of control will lessen. Procedure, policies and training will all help here.

2011 • Social networking websites are used to organise protests in Egypt, the Middle East and North Africa. Various governments attempt to shut down Internet access with varying degrees of success.

• An Egyptian baby is named Facebook in honour of the role that social media played in Egypt’s revolution.

• WikiLeaks begins publishing files on Guantanamo Bay detainees.

2012 • Facebook shares go up for sales.

• Twitter has 140m users globally.

• One in six Britons are Twitter users.

2013 • Social media becomes a major source of information about the Boston Marathon bombing. It is the first major terrorist attack in the U.S. during the age of Facebook, Twitter and smartphones.

• One Direction Harry Styles (@Harry_Styles) has more than 18 million Twitter followers. Collectively the band reaches 29 million unique followers around the globe.

2014 • For the first time ever, a trial based on alleged defamation via twitter begins when Attorney Rhonda Holmes begins suing her former client, rock musician and actress Courtney Love over a tweet.

• Facebook becomes the World’s 22nd biggest company with market value reaching $US200bn.

So there it is; a quick snapshot of social media. How far we’ve come in such a small time. Just think, 10 years ago none of us had heard of Facebook. So just imagine what the picture will be like in the next 10; roll on 2024!

< CLUB RUGBY 43

BUILDING THE BUSINESS – BEER FESTIVAL

Hail the Ale Beer Festival

FREE T O CLUBS !

Club Rugby invites you and your club colleagues to meet friends, old and new, network with peers and sample traditional ales, all stored and served to perfection with the help of CAMRA.

D

oing anything on November 20? Then keep it free and join us at Club Rugby’s Hail the Ale Beer Festival at the Palace Hotel in Manchester.

“This is our 6th Beer Festival in Manchester,” says Club Rugby’s Sean Ferris. “We’re inviting readers to come along and sample this year’s real ales, and to discuss storage and service with brewers and with the experts from CAMRA.” Last year saw clubs sampling over 20 ales, from old favourites to new brews.

So to find out what’s at this year’s festival, come and join us. Fill in the form on the opposite page or email us on: info@clubrugby.org.uk.

44 CLUB RUGBY

WHEN: Thursday, November 20, 2014 2-5pm WHERE: Copper Face Jacks (within the Palace Hotel, Oxford Street, Manchester, M60 7HA)

Welcome to the CLUB RUGBY BEER FESTIVAL

REGISTRATION AND BOOKING FORM BEER FESTIVAL 2014 (FREE TO CLUBS) NAME: _________________________________________

CLUB NAME AND ADDRESS: ______________________________

• I would like to attend the Hail the Ale Beer festival • I will attend on my own

■

• I would like to bring colleagues _____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBER: _____________________________

EMAIL ADDRESS: ____________________________________

■

■

Up to 3 ____ 3 - 5 ____ Other (please state) ____

SEND COMPLETED FORM TO CLUB RUGBY:

BY FAX: 01753 272021

BY POST: Beer Festival 2014, Club Rugby, Gainsborough House, 59-60 Thames Street, Windsor SL4 1TX

BY EMAIL: info@clubrugby.org.uk CALL: 01753 272022

< CLUB RUGBY 45

CLUB KITCHEN

Spicing it up This month we take a whirlwind tour of India, China and Mexico, with dishes ranging from the ubiquitous high-margin Homemade Chilli (£0.83p per portion) to a luxurious packed-with-flavour Prawn Jalfrezi (£3.14 per portion). Check out this month’s hot club favourites.

Chicken Balti

INDIAN CHICKEN BALTI & CORIANDER INFUSED BASMATI RICE Kohinoor Silver Range India’s Finest Super Basmati Rice (M106935);Chef Essentials Fresh Chicken Breast Fillets (M147180); CL Balti Sauce (M135906); FF Coriander (M138078) and two Currymate Plain Naans (M135743).

Cost per serving – £1.34 PRAWN JALFREZI CL King Prawns (M021600); CL Jalfrezi Sauce (M135924); Mixed Peppers (M107803); Onions (M529776); Uncle Ben’s Long Grain Rice (M252701) and two Currymate Plain Naans (M135743).

Cost per serving – £3.14 Prawn Jalfrezi

Vegetable & Paneer Balti

46 CLUB RUGBY Honey Baked Goats Cheese

Sweet ’n’ Sour Chicken

VEGETABLE & PANEER BALTI & RICE Paneer Full Fat Soft Cheese (M135089); Cooking Onions (M529776); FF Garlic (M107117); FF Carrots (M099783); FF Butternut Squash (M131315); CL Easy Cook Rice (M719526);CL Balti Sauce (M135906) and two Currymate Plain Naans (M135743).

CHINESE

Cost per serving – £1.88

Cost per serving – £1.90

SWEET ‘N’ SOUR CHICKEN WITH RICE Uncle Ben’s Long Grain Rice (M252701); CL Cooked Large Diced Chicken Breast (M122779) and CL Sweet & Sour Sauce with Vegetables (M143574).

TERIYAKI BEEF NOODLES CL Pad Rump Tails (M094965); CL Teriyaki Sauce & Glaze (M145499); FF Garlic (M107117); Mixed Peppers (M107803); FF Carrots (M099783) and Blue Dragon Medium Egg Noodles (M127605).

Cost per serving – £1.37

Teriyaki Beef Noodles SWEET CHILLI VEGETABLES WITH EGG NOODLES Cooking Onions (M529776); FF Carrots (M099783); Mixed Peppers (M107803); Blue Dragon Whole Water Chestnuts (M070892); CL Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce (M068666) and Blue Dragon Medium Egg Noodles (M127605).

Cost per serving – £0.83

Sweet Chilli Vegetables

> CLUB RUGBY 47

CLUB KITCHEN

Sizzling Cajun Steak Fajitas

MEXICAN SIZZLING CAJUN STEAK FAJITAS Chef”s Essentials Whole Boneless Rump (M095864); CL Blackened Cajun Seasoning (M129614); Mixed Peppers (M107803); Onions (M529776); Kingsmill White Flour Wraps (M147763); CL Salsa (M129906) and Compsey Creamery Set Soured Cream (M071215).

Cost per serving – £2.22 MINCED BEEF ENCHILADAS Old El Paso Cheesy Baked Enchiladas (M145588); CL Minced Beef (M094872); Chef’s Essentials Grated White Cheese (M153117); Compsey Creamery Set Soured Cream (M071215) and Florette Crispy Salad (M629340).

Cost per serving – £1.35 HOMEMADE CHILLI & RICE CL Minced Beef (M094872); Onions (M529776); CL Chilli Con Carne Sauce (M142468); CL Red Kidney Beans (M431106); CL Easy Cook Rice (M719526) and CL Tortilla Chips (M128564).

Cost per serving – £1.40 FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information and menu ideas contact Booker.

• t. 0845 60 12 999 • www.booker.co.uk

48 CLUB RUGBY

Minced Beef Enchiladas

Homemade Chilli & Rice

ASK THE EXPERTS

A beginner’s guide to

social media Social media platforms can be a valuable marketing tool to help improve any business. They provide a costeffective means of engaging with customers, building up a network of people who are eager to hear what your club has to offer. If you are not interacting with them, then you can be sure a competitor will be!

Y

ou are probably familiar with a few names of these new-fangled ‘social media’ sites – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram.

Your best bet is to focus on building up a presence on the ones with the most active users – Facebook and Twitter – and then move on to others as you feel more confident! This guide will explain the process of setting up accounts, adding content, and suggesting general strategies for success as a marketing channel for your club!

Facebook – the basics 1. Go to www.facebook.com/page/create.php 2. Choose a category that you feel best suits your club, typing in the name and location.

3. Upload a ‘main photo’ – e.g. your club logo. This will appear alongside your business name whenever you post an update or comment on something.

4. Write a short but distinctive description of your club. This will appear in the ‘About’ section and we recommend you include a link to your website.

5. Upload an image for the ‘cover photo’- it’s the landscape one appearing at the top of your page.

6. Adding content. The clue is in the name! Be ‘social’ by sharing interesting updates and photos so that users can get an idea of what your club is about and what you have to offer.

7. Monitor interactions. Looking at your admin panel, you can see private messages and other items of interest. Ensure that you respond to users enquiries quickly. To do this on the fly you can install the Facebook Pages app on your phone/tablet.

8. Measure your efforts. Clicking the ‘view insights’ tab will display useful stats and information about the users who interact with your page.

Twitter 1. Go to www.twitter.com and complete the account set up process. The key thing to pay attention to is your choice of username – you

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

may have to play about with the wording of your business as the name may already be taken.

Who to follow. You could go for a mix of potential customers, similar businesses and celebrities. There is no limit to who you can follow!

Click on ‘edit profile’ to add details about your business. Upload two different photos, a profile photo which will appear against all your tweets and a header photo (similar to Facebook’s cover photo) which will appear on your page. There is a button for ‘theme colour’ if you want to stick with your existing brand colours.

Tweet! Click on the ‘quill and paper’ icon to compose your tweet. Each tweet can only be 140 characters long. The odd abbreviation, in order to fit within the character limit, is fine, but remember you want to appear professional.

Click on ‘Home’ at the top of the page to see tweets from those you’re following. The ‘Interactions’ tab should be the main focus for you as a business, it shows tweets directed at you/in response to you/that you are mentioned in/details of new followers etc.’

The envelope icon shows private messages that have been sent to you from a user, remember to respond quickly!

Etiquette and Tips Deal with any queries and comments on social media promptly and you’ll be seen in a positive light, not only by your existing customers, but also potential customers. The ultimate aim is for people to talk about their experiences with your club.

It would be a mistake to use social media as a direct sales tool. For example, don’t send endless tweets about your club. Tweets about special drinks deals or other prompts to visit your club fitted in between other indirect content is a more reasonable approach.

One of the main reasons people unfollow a brand is because they post too frequently. You should aim for 3-5 Facebook posts a week and 1-3 tweets a day.

However, this is not a hard and fast rule and you’d seem more genuine if you don’t tweet on certain days and tweet 5 times on a ‘big news’ day. You should ‘retweet’ amusing/interesting tweets related to your clubs interests, the aim is to interact with others, not post endless statuses or tweets about your club facilities.

Photos and infographics are always appealing and tend to attract more people than just plain text communication, so try to accompany them with your tweets to help get your message across. Visit canva.com to create free graphics without the need for technical know-how. This should all help you build up a following and put your business in the minds of consumers.

Strategy for Success • Work out your target audience (current and potential customers) and then decide the best channel to reach them.

•

Make sure you present a consistent message across whatever platforms you choose.

•

Share news and information you think others will find amusing, entertaining or interesting. A useful question to ask yourself – if I read my last 5 tweets or posts, would I follow myself?!

•

Take baby steps – aim to spend 15 to 30 minutes a day on social media. Over time you’ll find your interactions will increase and will realise the opportunities available for your business.

CONTACT DETAILS Larrytech Ltd, Calverley House, 55 Calverley Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 2TU t.+ 44 (0)1892 888 011 e. lawrence.hardcastle@larrytech.com www.larrytech.com

CLUB RUGBY 49

BUSINESS PERFORMANCE

Evergreen insights and high performers Business Performance Coach Bill Sanderson examines why insightful business advice stands the test of time – and why some club traditions shouldn’t!

I

n the business of all types of clubs there are people whose standards and expertise are so revered that they stand the test of time. They remain relevant to everyone involved in their arena many years, even decades, after they first came to our notice. One such example in the business is Tom Peters.

As a young manager I remember the excitement of reading his first books and the impact they had on me. A recent trip down memory lane proved that time does not diminish the value they have in helping us master our profession.

So here is a brief reminder of some basics from

50 CLUB RUGBY

his book A Passion for Excellence which will transform your performance. (The words in italics are my interpretation of how the points Peters makes can be applied.)

to the execution of your strategy. Analysis of performance must always take account of internal action (or the lack of it) against external – and therefore unpredictable – elements.

The Four Principles of Excellence 1. Excellent financial results cannot be equated with excellence: results may not last, and may not spring from superior management.

For example you may be having a great season with membership at an all time high. But if it is because a nearby club/competitor has closed down, then the results you are measuring cannot be put down solely

2. Your observations should relate to your needs and circumstances: avoid following courses of action that add no value to your business.

This is especially relevant in a highly traditional business where all too often the love for and (sometimes unthinking) adherence to tradition within the game, can seep into the running of the business. It is essential that you keep the business clearly distinct

from the game and culture of the club. When asked why you are doing what you are doing, the response that ‘we have always done it this way’ can be the kiss of death to the business that supports the game.

3. Shun lip-service. Methods or approaches that suit you and your business should be sought out, adopted, and adapted.

There will be many who, for their own purposes, try to flatter or reinforce some of the ways you go about running your club. Beware of their motives and seek independent, credible feedback to judge what is happening.

4. Any remedy is only good for as long as it works: do not become slavishly committed to a modus operandi for ever.

If it is not working look to change it – even if it does fall into the category of ‘custom and practice’; even if it is what all the other clubs are doing.

The eight attributes of success In addition to observing the four principles listed above, use the eight attributes of success described by Peters and Waterman to provide a valuable checklist, and a spur to striving for excellence. These attributes translate into the following highly penetrating personal questions (below) to ask yourself. Even better, get your management team into a relaxed, non threatening, open minded, positive thinking focus group and do this as a team exercise.

You may find having an independent facilitator helps and the material you generate can be the most powerful fuel you have ever used to turbo charge the performance at your club.

What is the time-lag between your confronting an issue and reaching a decision, and between having made the decision and taking action? Use actual examples. Do not try to work to ‘norms’ or averages. They don’t exist. Use real life examples and use the facts as they are not as you would have preferred them to be.

It is normal, human nature, to see ourselves through rose coloured glasses and reflect on our actions or inactions, with all sorts of reasons as to why that might be and why in ‘normal’ conditions

it would have been different.

You can only fool yourself by doing this and the exercise becomes a sham and a complete waste of time. Start off by being honest and reflecting on things as they are and as they were, or simply do not do the exercise at all.

• Do you use the fewest possible people for the highest possible output in the most effective possible set-up? Think this through. Real people, real results, real measurements. Then ask if there are any options to this format.

• Are you in regular, personal contact with members, and do you use the contact constructively to increase their satisfaction? Measure this. It is difficult but it can be done. And if it isn’t done it is pointless. How much time in hours and minutes were you in personal contact with members in the last seven days? I do not mean passing them in the locker room or the car park. This is designed, planned, designated time to spend with them and let them see that they and only they are the reason for this conversation. Now, what is your measurement of member satisfaction? If you can’t measure it you cannot manage it. So if it currently stands at 73% what will you do to get it to 78% within the next four weeks?

• Do you manage people policies in order to achieve rising productivity and employee satisfaction? You will be ahead of me by now! What are your people policies? What have you planned, scheduled then done or made happen in the last three days to improve productivity? What is your employee satisfaction rating? How did you measure it? What will you do – and when – to improve it? What is your target?

• Do you delegate fully and effectively, allowing your staff the freedom to do their best? Do you fully understand the principles of effective delegation? Have you had training on this critical management skill? What is the reaction of your team when you delegate tasks? Do you give full coaching, briefing, support, guidance, feedback and praise all the way through the project?

• Do you have one strong guiding principle? If I asked any member of your team or any member in the club what your one strong guiding principle was, would they unhesitatingly tell me? And would everyone I ask say the same thing? If no, then you have your objective starting from now.

There is no point having strong values if no one knows what they are and if your behaviour does not make it clear what you believe in.

• Do you concentrate on what you are really good at? It is what every sporting champion does. It is what every effective manager does. It is what everyone who is successful in their chosen field or pastime does. Be very, very, good at building and working on your strengths and natural talents to make them even stronger. Work just enough on your weaker areas to make sure they do not have any negative impact on your performance.

• Do you keep tight control over the ‘housekeeping’, while allowing plenty of latitude in creative work? Never lose sight of the detail while encouraging growth and development. Over the years many of the biggest names in global business have fallen from their position of dominance to perish because they forgot the basics. Don’t get so excited by the recovery shot you can see that you forget to line up properly when addressing the ball.

In summary, then, you will probably find yourself unable to answer ‘yes’ to all eight questions. Go back and look at the questions to which you answered ‘no’, and work out what you need to do to take steps to change the negatives to positives.

Remember, generalities have no place in this exercise. Be specific. Put in the numbers and deal with this as it is. Use real examples from real life. It is as it is, and pretending it isn’t will do you no favours!

CONTACT DETAILS Bill Sanderson, Business Coach Notion Limited 12 Hamilton Terrace, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV32 4LY

CLUB RUGBY 51

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