Our Purpose:
To inspire lifelong growth as people and players, united by the passion for the game as we strive to be the most exciting place to play and watch rugby

Our Values: The Olney Way
Growing People First - We focus on helping every person grow, on the pitch and in life. Building confidence, resilience, leadership and character as a team

Coaching for all - Every player matters. We coach with care and respect, making sure everyone, no matter their age, skill or gender, feels valued and supported

Playing With Purpose, Pride, and Enjoyment - We play with pride and joy, giving our all to rugby and inspiring each other through creativity, passion and fair play

Belonging Through Rugby - Rugby is our bond, and Olney is our home. We create a sense of belonging where every member, from minis to seniors to social, feels part of a supportive, united club family

Passing It On - We support each other, investing in leadership and legacy with senior players supporting juniors, coaches mentoring coaches and volunteers giving and growing as individuals equally

Our Vision:
To be the leading community rugby club in the region, celebrated for how we deliver our on-field success and our thriving, inclusive home for all

...and we’ll acheive this by delivering these outcomes ->

Become the senior men’s rugby club of choice in the region, securing and sustaining a Regional One League position
• Enhance coaching quality by ensuring all senior team coaches achieve England Rugby Advanced Coaching qualification within 2 years
• Offer the most attractive amateur status player offer in the region [as measured by our players]
• Field at least 4 x senior teams each week
• Increase the number of registered senior male players by 15% over the next 2 years
• Maintain both our colts player retention rates of ≥30% and our high participation (>60%) of age grade pathway players over the next 3 years
• Improve all playing surfaces to be at least good or very good

Grow and strengthen women’s rugby, building a full, sustainable Women's and Girls' pathway, re-establishing youth teams, achieving a top-three position in National Challenge League One
• Fully integrate Women's Rugby, ensuring equal access to coaching, facilities, communications, sponsorship, and operational support
• Enhance coaching quality across all female teams via targeted development and mentoring:
• U12+ must hold the England Rugby Coaching Award (ERCA)
• Senior teams must be supported by Level 3 (Advanced Award) coaching expertise
• Develop and deliver a complete female player pathway from U6 to Senior level:
• Re-establish independent junior girls' rugby with an U12 team by 2027
• Increase registered players:
• Girls (U6–U18) by 100% by 2028.
• Senior Women by 30% by 2028 and 50% by 2030
• Raise the profile of female rugby at Olney RFC, establishing the club as the team of choice for women and girls in the region

Be a leading age grade development pathway in the region, producing from our mini and junior section at least five players playing professional club or representative rugby at U18 level each season
• Enhance coaching quality by ensuring all coaches achieve appropriate qualification within 12 months
- U6 – U8 England Rugby Tag Rugby Course
- U9-U11 England Rugby First Contact Course
- U12s + England Rugby Coaching Award
• Increase registered junior players to 40–50 per age group over the next 2 years, with most players residing within 7.5 miles of the club.
• Deliver a consistent coaching and development pathway by year group, following #TheOlneyWay.
• Establish and maintain a pool of referees who are England Rugby Ready2Ref qualified, ensuring at least one per age group within 12 months.
• Fully integrate the Mini & Junior (M&J) section into all aspects of the club.

Expand our reach by creating a thriving, inclusive home for non-contact rugby, expanding Walking and Touch Rugby through vibrant programs that boost well-being for all
• Increase active Walking Rugby participants by 50%, reaching 45-50 regular players.
• Establish an active programme of mixed age/gender summer Touch Rugby with 8 teams in 2026, growing to 16-20 teams by 2030 (80-160 regular players).
• Launch Tuesday night Touch Rugby sessions alongside senior training to re-engage past and returning players, encouraging participation in the 3rd or Vets teams.
• Qualify 2-3 new non-contact rugby coaches to lead a comprehensive club-based coach development programme
• Provide extension training for RFU Ready2Ref or equivalent qualified referees to encompass Touch and Walking Rugby (Level 1)

Develop the club to be financially self-sufficient, with annual revenues covering all operating costs and facilities improvement investments
• Increase annual revenues by 10% per year to more than offset inflation and deliver a sustainable budget
• Grow our annual sponsorship delivery by 10% per year, through delivering a consistent approach to sponsorship across each playing section
• Complete repayment of the £80k remaining balance from the changing room loan (RFU) by 2030
• Maintain and enhance clubhouse facilities to be considered ‘very good’ by the RFU, while delivering on our sustainability ambitions
• Build upon existing partnerships and establish five new ones with local organisations (schools, charities, businesses) for joint community events or programmes by 2028

Unite all members as part of one inclusive club, engaging the wider community through social events and a celebrated 150th anniversary
• Establish a Social Events Committee with the first events held in 2026
• Promote a unified and inclusive club culture, integrating all sections into at least 3 joint annual events by 2026
• Implement an inclusivity campaign by 2026, with 80% members reporting a sense of belonging in annual surveys
• Through the "Valuing the Volunteer" program, mobilise the active membership to engage in all aspects of club operations and social programs.
• Increase active club volunteers in "core" roles and ensure succession plans are developed for key positions.
• Overhaul club communications to foster a sense of belonging and ownership ("my club") among members.
• Leverage the 150th Anniversary to drive sustained club growth.

The strategy is clear, but the delivery needs YOU! We are calling for volunteers to help bring our Purpose and Values to life by getting involved in key areas:
•⁠ ⁠Outcome Delivery: Each and every outcome needs support to deliver on its ambition
•⁠ ⁠Culture & Values: Helping to embed #TheOlneyWay at every training session and game day, manifesting a fast start with some symbolic differences in the coming weeks
•⁠ ⁠Event Organisation: Vital help needed for social events, fundraising, and the upcoming 150th Anniversary planning
•⁠ ⁠Comms & Marketing: Storytelling about the amazing playing sections and The Club itself
•⁠ ⁠Facilities/Pitches: Practical help to put the plans and actions in place to improve our Clubhouse and Pitches

Every hour counts! If you can dedicate some time to any of these areas to deliver our ambitious outcomes, please drop an email to volunteer@olneyrfc.co.uk

Let's make this vision a reality!

#TheOlneyWay2030

#PassingItOn