Coming soon.
Dear Members, Players, Coaches and Referees,
It is my pleasure as President to congratulate all those who participated in the Touch World Cup 2011 that was held in Edinburgh. It was an outstanding performance by Team England resulting in three teams bringing home a gold, a silver and a bronze medal, these alongside the performances of the other five teams saw that overall England placed equal second in the World along side New Zealand. This is an amazing achievement and a testament to the commitment and months of preparation by everyone involved.
In particular, I would like to take this opportunity to say a formal thank you to all those who helped make the England World Cup squad the most successful ever. Thank you to Bridget McNamara, Kate Stanley and all the team managers for coordinating, the largest ever England World Cup squad, all 150 players and support staff. Thank you to the team of physios for their early starts and late finishes in getting the squad through the gruelling 5 days of competition. Thank you to our High Performance team, Mike Abromowitz and Claire McIntosh, for their incredible dedication in the build up to the tournament to create the professional environment that contributed to Team Englands success. A final heart felt thank you to each of the coaches of our eight teams, without whose hours of planning, patience, understanding and investment in their players we would not have achieved our overall position of number two in the World, thank you; Noel Forde, Mel Carson, Dave Woolley, Jon Lovell, Colin Hulett, Dante Germena, Taryn Pile, Carle Skein and Stan Barkhuysen.
The final reason for my letter is to tender my resignation as president of ETA. I have had an amazing two and half years in the role. I have been lucky enough to be supported by a fantastic committee of Directors, all of whom commit huge amounts of their own time in helping to develop the sport we all love. I hope you have all experienced the huge strides forward we have been making over the past few years and that you will each consider how else you might be able to help the sport grow and continue its development.
I am off travelling in October and would like to ensure a full handover before I depart, hence I would like to commence the process of selecting my replacement immediately. If I could ask anyone that is interested in being nominated for President to please contact me before the 16th July 2011, we will then take all of these nominations and coordinate the election process.
Thanks again to everyone who has helped England Touch over the last few years; it has been a real pleasure!
Clare Gregor
President
England Touch Association
President’s Report
AGM, November 2008
After five years in the role of President, I have decided to stand down due to other commitments that are currently taking my time away from this fantastic sport. Therefore, while this year has again seen great successes for England Touch with delivery of the National Touch Series, the launch of an official coaching structure, and retaining of the European Champions Trophy, it has also been one of reflection for me personally.
When I first became involved, there were five affiliated members, all based in London. Now there are twenty one members located all across England, officially qualified referees and coaches, open trials held annually across the country for national representation, and pilot schemes taking place for Junior Touch.
These and many other achievements would not have happened without the dedication of all the England Touch Association (ETA) committee members, past and present, the commitment of our members on the ground, and ultimately the growing appetite amongst the population for Touch that has now made England the third largest Touch playing nation in the world.
England Touch has never been in better shape and I know that the dedication and innovation of those involved in the sport will ensure it grows to new heights in the coming years.
International
The Federation of International Touch (FIT) has moved forward this year with its new board of management, led by Tracy Molloy. As anticipated, a new constitution was voted in unanimously at the FIT AGM held in Paris in July. The new constitution is simplified and now has a limited quorum of 25% required for FIT general meetings and an overall increase in authority given to the executive committee to move the sport forward. On paper this could appear concerning however the reality is that if members are not satisfied with the actions of FIT then they can call a Special General Meeting and move for a vote of no confidence. This is allowed for in the constitution and enables members to come together and make changes to the executive committee if ever required.
An important step forward for Europe was the intention to include a representative from Europe on the FIT Executive Committee and I am pleased to report that Rob MacGregor was nominated by Australia and voted onto the committee by a majority at JulyÃs AGM. Rob heads up Touch in Germany and has chaired the FIT European Sub-development Committee since its inception.
Two key structural changes are to take place internationally. In July, the European Touch playing nations agreed on the creation of Touch Europe and FIT confirmed its intention to implement a new fee structure, most likely to be based on the number of teams playing in each country.
Touch Europe:
Given the huge population of Europe and potential for the sport, it is important that a structure is established that will be fit for purpose in the years to come and that can maximise potential European funding. To date, no region of the world has a formal regional Touch association so FIT has created a working party with the full backing of all European Touch nations to explore the legalities, funding opportunities, and an appropriate constitution and structure for the organisation. This consists of Tracy Malloy, Eric Acker (Touch France), and a European lawyer based in Germany. The relationship between FIT, Touch Europe, and each European member nation is uncertain and a proposal will be put forward by the working party in due course.
Fee structure:
As previously reported, the new fee structure will impact on the fee structure in England. Tracy Malloy will be consulting with England in due course to help determine how the fee structure will operate however on the whole this is anticipated to be a welcome improvement with each country paying a fee that is proportionate to its development of Touch. Currently England pay the same fee as Australia and New Zealand which is far from proportionate and the antipodean nations are understood to have made additional undisclosed sums to help fund FIT in previous years so a transparent equitable system will be welcomed.
FIT have also now launched a new website which I encourage you all to review on a regular basis. The site has been created by EnglandÃs head coach for the World Cup 2007, Pete Shefford, and includes a section on Europe.
Federation of International Touch
Touch Europe
I would also like to remind us all again that the next World Cup in 2011 is being held in Scotland; the first time a Touch World Cup has been hosted in Europe. I remind our members to start considering how best to use the 2011 Touch World Cup to help grow the sport in their region. Please feel free to discuss any ideas with the ETA Committee. To have so many international teams with their coaches and other personnel visiting the UK is an exciting proposition with numerous opportunities.
The FIT Board of Management is as follows:
National
In March 2008, England Touch was considering a draft partnership agreement with the RFU, with the intention of mirroring a similar agreement with RL. My report also stated the importance of remembering that Touch is its own sport with a number of unique values. The RFU proposed a draft that would not allow the ETA to hold a relationship with FIT or any other sporting body which was unrealistic. A redraft was promised but has not been forthcoming and the ETA has not pursued the matter further as no benefits for Touch are anticipated from a national agreement.
RFU insurance is still available to any ETA member who wishes to complete and submit a RFU activity form. The ETA is no longer coordinating this activity. Going forward, local arrangements and collaborative working with other sporting bodies such as the RFU is likely to be beneficial however the ETA will be focusing its efforts on gaining recognition of Touch as a sport.
We previously reported that the ETA intended to apply to Sport England in the current year on the provision that we can compile a comprehensive application. On review, there is much that can be done in a reasonably short space of time to better establish our structure and therefore bolster an application. More on this is likely to be communicated from the committee going forward.
Regional
I would like to congratulate our members on the success of the inaugural England National Touch Series. This fantastic initiative, placing a formal tournament structure at the heart of Touch in England, run by ETA members, provided a showcase for the sport and assists development for new and experienced players, referees, and officials. That said, the ETA are well aware that there is much room for improvement and Tom Bedkowski will be taking this forward with all our members and the National Director of Referees for next summer.
Conclusion
Touch continues to grow at a rapid rate and needs much support to meet the challenges this presents. The experience, skills, and sense of reward that I have gained by volunteering my time to be on the ETA Committee have been immense. Volunteers are at the core of the sport, whether it be helping out at a tournament, refereeing at a local league, coaching children, or getting more involved in regional or national activities. Although I stand down as President, none of my passion for the sport has diminished. In reality it has grown and I will continue to be involved in the sport in some capacity in the years to come.
My role has been made all the easier by the commitment and output of all the people involved in England Touch, past and present. It is not just the ETA Committee, but many others who give their time behind the scenes including coaches, managers, referees, medics, and administrators.
Therefore I ask you to join me in welcoming the new President , Clare Gregor, and giving our support to all those involved in England Touch in the future.
Jeremy How, President
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