2013 Annual Report v1 | Page 10

10 ETA Annual Report Membership (Review) Affiliation The aim of England Touch is to develop the sport & ensure people get the most out of it. In order to do this effectively there needs to be agreed and maintained rules, standards and principles of operation. With this in place England Touch can control and administer the game across the country. Just as a football team would affiliate with their National Governing Body and a Rugby team likewise, we are working hard toward getting everyone involved in delivering Touch to affiliate to the ETA. Once affiliated, England Touch can offer support and assistance to get you started. All applications for membership of England Touch are governed by the Constitution, Regulation and By Laws of England Touch. The ETA offers 3 membership schemes: ? League / Venue Membership ? Club Membership ? Event Membership England Touch provide a range of activities and services for local venues, including referee training, coaching courses, insurance, website promotion and technical advice. England Touch also organise National Touch competitions, NTS/CTS as well as administering regional and international representative sides. Affiliation gives your teams and players access to all of these. As an individual player, at whatever level you play, there are opportunities to benefit by playing in affiliated leagues. Benefits There are numerous benefits to becoming affiliated to the sport’s NGB: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Develop your knowledge of the sport. Recognition by NGB - Essential if any of your players wish to represent your region or England. Promotion and Marketing - Of operation. Access to policies - Compliance Support. DBS checks at reduced rates. Insurance cover from Sportscover. Public Liability and Professional Indemnity for all affiliates. Player and referee pathways opened up. Guaranteed minimum standards. Access to partnership arrangements negotiated by the national body. Finally, and an important point to consider, is that by becoming a member of England Touch, you are England Touch, you have voting rights you can use to have your say in how England Touch is run and you can help progress the development of the sport. The ETA and the RFU now have a working agreement that aims to expand our sport of Touch, into previously uncharted territory. We are actively working with the RFU to raise the profile of the game. By partnering with the strongest brand in world rugby, we truly believe we can take the sport to new levels – both in terms of participation numbers and performance. England Touch Association