Draft Strategic Plan 2012

Introduction:

The game of Rugby continues to rapidly evolve in the professional era. NZ enjoys an unprecedented position in the global game based on high achievement at every level. The seamless pathway from junior grades through to the All Black platform and the supporting infrastructure is world class.

Barbarian Rugby holds a special place in this hierarchy. 'Rugby People' are recognised by admission into the Club for services to the game. The Club mandate is to foster the game of rugby through its endeavours and to uphold a high standard of camaraderie.

The ongoing challenge for the NZ Barbarian Rugby Club is to remain valid in the current rugby environment, stay true to the original Club values and cater for aspects of the amateur game that aren't being catered for. The Club is well positioned and there are opportunities to advance the Club's ethic of promoting the game with a Barbarian flavour.

This Strategic Plan determines the current position of the Club and provides direction for the next 3- 5 years across the following parameters:

• Assets & Management
• Core Activities
• Revenue Opportunities
• Communication
• Club Governance

Assets & Management

The Club is fortunate to have a significant and very tangible asset base thanks to the foresight of active members in previous years. The current administration has the task of harnessing these assets and managing them responsibly for future Club use and investment back into the game of rugby.

Membership - As with any organisation, people make or break it. Perhaps the strongest asset of the Club is its membership base as this has certainly been the reason for the Clubs success to date. The Club has 394 members globally with a National and International spread. The membership is comprised of respected rugby leaders and contributors. There is a high rugby IP which can be tapped more effectively.

Although participation in Club activities is not a prerequisite of becoming a member, there has to be a healthy balance of participating members. The Club is constantly looking at ways to engage with members which will result in greater club]wide contribution to rugby.

The Club is looking hard at its membership profile. Rejuvenation is an ongoing process which has been prompted by various catalysts in the last 10 years:

• The need to have more active members to uphold the Barbarian ethic and drive projects.
• Exceptional new Club Rooms development suitable for broad based membership use.
• The need to attract more current players and coaches to satisfy fixture requirements.
• Important the Club stays contemporary and relevant.
• Club Policies must also reflect the rejuvenation intent. Dress standards, service, nomination criteria and range of activities.
• Fresh thinking and energy.

Strategy

• Thorough review of membership database - Age, location, activeness, skill set
• Determine an appropriate membership drive plan and quota. Consider an influx of new members to address a range of potential issues
• Consider changing the new member induction day to early in the year rather than late in the year to capitalise on upcoming activities.
• Review membership criteria and how nominations are created
• Use membership drive tactically to strengthen the Club and embrace a more national spread.
• Develop a more meaningful membership induction process and ongoing participation opportunities.
• Look for new ways to engage with membership and stimulate participation in Club activities
• Communicate the Clubfs strategic direction to members nationally.

Barbarian Brand - This originated from the strong UK Barbarian movement. Quality players expressing themselves with skill and spirit on the field and celebrating rugby friendship off it. In NZ, the Barbarian RFC was established in 1937 and many of the original values are still upheld by the Club today. The Barbarian brand has empathy in the rugby community. As caretakers of the Barbarian movement in NZ itfs important the current membership maintains standards and protocols to perpetuate the Club's standing in the game.

Strategy

• Consider formal Club name change to NZ Barbarians Rugby Club. This would help achieve a more national perception.
• Establish a tight register of brand logos and statements to ensure consistency in all executions.
• Appoint Barbarian Brand Champions to monitor the Club's integrity. Report to the Committee annually

Rugby Alliances - By its very nature, rugby is a relationship game. The Club has an Open-Door dialogue with other rugby organisations. There are some challenges, in particular convincing the NZRU of the potential of the Barbarian brand. However the Club continues to demonstrate willingness to actively support elements of the game - Secondary Schools, Middleweight, one-off
celebratory provincial games, Primary Schools Fun days, Social Rugby Events.

Strategy

• The Club believes it should be viewed as an asset by the NZRU and must continue to build organisational relationships to optimise this potential
• Work closely with the Players Association to facilitate player involvement in fixtures.
• Closely participate in the Secondary schools programme. This is a future-proofing move.
• Evaluate valid Middleweight opportunities
• Share the Clubs strategic direction with key allies . NZRU, Rugby Provinces, EPTB.

Club rooms - Now a jewel in the Club's crown.

The Barbarian team, led by Mike Cormack, executed an exceptional transition for the Club into the new premises throughout years of delicate negotiation both internally and externally. The outcome is without peer with kindred Clubs in the International rugby arena.

Since the new club room's development there has been a distinct lift in member attendance and a flow on to other Club activities. The mood is changing.

The opportunity now exists to positively leverage off this venue in many ways.

• Social hub for the membership and guests
• Revenue stream
• Hosting venue for relationship building with rugby partners
• Flagship presence at Eden Park. Very much in keeping with the original intentions of the Barbarian founders
• Compelling, inclusive club rooms for guests and partners (= greater usage)

Strategy

• Sub-committee to review parameters of club usage
• Develop annual booking calendar based on set parameters
• Define best way to monitor visitor/guest attendance.
• Report to the Committee annually

Corporate Boxes - The Club is very fortunate to have access to two corporate boxes overlooking Eden Park. These were negotiated assets during the transition from the Cricket Ave premises. The arrangement is with the Eden Park Trust Board. The Club pays an annual lease for these boxes. The Club sells box season packages to members to cover the lease costs. A small
quantity of box tickets are factored in for Club use

Strategy

• Annually review the best use of box tickets
• Utilise set quantity of tickets to leverage relationships
• When box ticket holders are not in attendance, use the tickets fruitfully.
• Consider best use of tickets for one]off fixtures eg. League games, cricket matches
• Develop clear procedures for use of boxes

Cricket Ave House - Part of the old club house settlement with EPTB included a property on the corner of Cricket Ave and Raleigh St which the Club now owns. This is currently under a lease agreement to the ARU and they house team members. The rental income is used by the Club to subsidise the Club's corporate boxes.

Strategy

• Appoint committee member to monitor the agreement
• Assess maintenance cost and spend accordingly
• Review rental arrangement annually
  
  

Cash Reserves - prudent revenue gathering has the Club in a strong cash position. The Club has a significant consolidated fund accruing interest to invest back into the game. This will be the cornerstone of the Club's financial well-being for many years and must be carefully managed. Ideally this position should be built on. The goal being to further invest dividends back into the game

Strategy

• Safeguard the consolidated fund cash reserves. This principal must not be eroded.
• Decide on best use of accrued interest to foster the amateur game
• Explore other initiatives to expand the cash reserve base.

Core Activities

Playing Fixtures - Continual weakness of the Club and must be addressed. Itfs difficult to achieve fundamental goals without a strong fixture calendar.

International - The BRFC is an ideal platform for NZ player development and additional revenue generation which the game desperately needs. The domestic window for international fixtures is very limited however the concept of a Northern Tour to the UK and/or Europe has real merit. This proposal has been tabled with the NZRU. If accepted, regular International tours could become a cornerstone of the NZ Barbarian programme. The full concept proposal is contained in a separate document held in committee.

Strategy

• Work closely with NZRU to confirm International fixtures/ Northern Tour. This will require a thorough proof of concept approach.

National - 1st Class Provincial fixtures are also a challenge. The most recent Barbarian 1st Class fixture was versus the NZ Maori in Whangarei in 2010. This was a one-off event which sat well with the Club's programme. Regular fixtures of this nature would be ideal.

Strategy

• Closely evaluate national fixture opportunities. Pro-actively discuss opportunities with Provincial Unions and other Rugby organisations.
• Endeavour to secure regular games on which to build a fixture calendar

Barbarian Supported Tournaments

Secondary Schools - 1st XV rugby is a stepping-stone strength of NZ Rugby. The Club has identified this pre]professional stage as an area to strongly support for the foreseeable future. The Club provides funding for the NZ Secondary Schools programme each year. There is also a close management arrangement which helps ensure the Barbarian message is conveyed to the new generation of 1st Class players.

Strategy

• Continue with NZ Secondary School support programme
• Look to grow Secondary School involvement nationally
• Ensure Barbarian message is communicated to teams and in media

Middleweight - This is the fastest growing grade in NZ rugby however it is under resourced and lacks the aspirational pathway of the open grade. Although these players will not progress to full professional ranks, the Club believes it is vital to keep these players in the game to broaden the player base. They may become coaches, referees, administrators and parents of rugby players in the future. The Club has targeted key Middleweight initiatives to support.

Strategy

• Formalise a Middleweight programme of fixtures to support over the next two years.
• Consolidate this position and execute them well
• Review how successful these are before considering expanding the initiative

Primary Schools Fun Day- 2012 was the 23rd Annual Primary Schools Fun Day. This has been an extremely successful Barbarian initiative. 40 primary schools attend. Large parental support and around 60 Club members turn out to assist.

Strategy

• Continue current format.
• Consider how this template can be transferred around the country under the Barbarian banner. Part of the national perception drive. Work with Barbarian members in local communities.

As the Club grows its asset base and clarifies the various funding options, the goal is to further contribute available resources to support the amateur game. This is a key imperative for the Club. The NZ Barbarians are in the privileged position of having a strong rugby brand, solid assets, no debt, sound rugby relationships and a dedicated core membership.

One-Off Social Events

Golf

• Barbarians v Eagles . Annual long standing fixture
• John Drake Memorial Tournament

Bowls - Annual long standing fixture

Strategy

• Continue with above fixtures
• Consider new social fixtures

Regular Social Occasions

• Rugby club nights . Relatively successful - depends on the club
• Friday nights at the Clubrooms . growing in popularity
• Ladies night - will be more popular in the new club rooms.
• Life members / Past President night
• New Members night

Strategy

• The new attractive Club Rooms lends itself to hosting Social occasions. Continue and expand the above occasions
• Explore new opportunities to host social occasions such as a Club Coaches night . a great opportunity to explain to club coaches what the Barbarians is all about. Reunions etc.

Revenue Opportunities

The Club continually asks itself  "Why do we need revenue?"

The answer is many-fold but primarily to carry on investing in the game whilst enabling Barbarian members to continue contributing and imparting knowledge. The following framework details the various revenue opportunities available to the Club.

It is important to emphasise that revenue is not a primary focus for the Club but it is important for the Club to have a very solid financial proposition in order to provide support to the amateur game.

Northern Tour Concept
As mentioned previously, a separate document covers this concept. In summary, the Club had a successful UK fixture v England at Twickenham in 2003. The NZ Barbarians achieved a ground breaking gate share arrangement with the RFU, significant sponsorship support and fully televised exposure for the fixture. This resulting income has set the Club up for the future.

The Club wishes to capitalise on this precedent and has initiated talks with the NZRU to progress a longer 4-5 match tour of the UK and Europe in parallel with an All Blacks end of year tour. The NZ Barbarians team would be comprised of fringe All Blacks, experienced immediate past All Blacks and up and comers. The revenue potential of such a tour is substantial using the gate share and sponsorship principals employed with the 2003 fixture.

Strategy

• Strongly pursue a Northern Tour in association with the NZRU and RUPA. Details covered in separate document

Sponsorship
The Club acknowledges the highly commercial nature of rugby these days. The game has costs associated with most levels which need to be met to ensure sustainability. Notwithstanding this funding requirement, the Club needs to consider how commercial it is willing to become.

So far sponsorships have been targeted for specific campaigns. Eg. Northern Hemisphere Tours, Local high profile fixtures, Fun Dayfs, Secondary School Tournaments, Middleweight games. This tactic has worked and enabled smaller events to be self-funding whilst larger sponsorships have delivered a cash surplus.

At one stage an all]encompassing sponsorship arrangement with one organisation was considered. The concept would have seen an overall naming rights position and consistent branding across all Club activities. In hindsight, perhaps it was a good thing that this did not come to fruition. The Club has been able to maintain a relatively neutral position on the commercial landscape and therefore not be in conflict with NZRU fixture sponsors . a key to attracting more games.

The current consensus is that non-alignment with a Club Naming Rights Sponsor sits very well with the Clubs traditions.

The Barbarians can be a pure rugby brand.

Strategy

• Sub-committee to determine range of annual events that require sponsorship support
• Create clear guidelines and protocols
• Assess best way to sell packages
  o Internal function
  o Appoint an Agency
• Establish human resources necessary to honour the benefits

Gaming Trust Grants
Gaming Trusts are an appropriate source of funds for Barbarian endeavours. As a non-]profit organisation focussed on giving back to the community the Club is an ideal conduit for this funding. If it wasn'ft for the Barbarian Club structure, these funds would not find their way into the game of rugby. Each application is a one-off with no promise of future funding so it is difficult to plan with
surety. However, the Club is well positioned to apply for grants and channel them towards deserving projects.

Strategy

• Sponsorship sub-committee to create a better framework of Gaming Trust funding. There are numerous Trusts that the Club can enter dialogue with.
• Apply for grants earlier to ensure recipient events can be planned for with certainty
• Consider joint funding requirement from gaming trusts and sponsors for some events

Club Room hire
As previously stated, the Club Rooms is a desirable venue for a wide range of functions. It sits idle for long periods. There is an opportunity to open the doors selectively to organisations wishing to host meetings and functions.

Strategy

• Committee to decide appropriateness of club rooms hire
• Sub-committee to determine protocols around club rooms hire

House income
Growth of house income has been exceptional. Greater patronage, more events, premium drinks and the addition of food have all added to increased house revenue. Paid staff now assists on busy evenings and add a level of professionalism. The Club must continue to strive for improvement in this area.

Strategy

• House sub-committee to annually review each aspect of the service offering to deliver a quality experience.
• Regular monitoring of GP

Membership fees
Currently set at a modest $50 per annum. Disappointingly, over 30% of members have not paid their sub this year. Despite numerous tactful reminders this is a typical return. The Club needs to define itsf philosophy on this non-payment.

Strategy

• Committee to decide how forceful it is willing to be collecting the fees.
• Annually review the $50 level
• Look to engage with non]paying members to explain the direction and benefits of the Club

Merchandise sales
Not a big earner for the Club. Older style clothing gradually being cleared at discount prices. The move from bright red to a deeper red has helped some items. There is an opportunity to do the Club apparel range better.

Strategy

• Sub-committee to determine quality, aspirational range of Club clothing eg. Rodd & Gunn or similar
• Choose limited range of quality garments. Suitable for smart casual use. Subtle Barbarian branding.
• Re-advertise to members as exclusive range

Special events
2012 is the Clubs 75th Jubilee. There are comprehensive plans in place for a celebratory dinner. The goals include making it a very inclusive event for Barbarians nationwide. It will be held at Eden Park.

Strategy

• 75th Jubilee sub]committee to drive the event. Second outside expertise as required

Investment returns
As mentioned the Club has a considerable consolidated fund accruing interest. This investment return varies over time as interest rates fluctuate. As the Club is a non]profit organisation the investment returns will be applied to deserving rugby projects

Strategy

• Financial committee to annually anticipate available funds for investment back into the game.
• Committee to decide best spend of the funds
• Review annually

Communication

The Club's range of activities is growing. This requires increased professionalism in all areas, particularly with communication to members and key allies. The template for this range of communication has evolved over time by necessity rather than a considered plan. The Club is aware a more structured approach is required.

Website - This is now a quality communication tool commensurate with the Club's standing. However it does require regular updating to remain current. Need to drive members to the site more often to stimulate pride in the Club and wider participation in upcoming events.

Newsletter - Published on approximately a quarterly basis. Now very high quality and cost effective. Used to support and emphasise website information.

Circulation of minutes - Committee meeting minutes are circulated to the committee and to Life Members.

Email contact - Most members now have email. The Club can now tactfully contact members with specific information or requests.

Life Members / Past Presidents meetings . Need to have more regular courtesy meetings to share information. Recognise these members have built the Club in earlier years.

Strategy

• Appoint a communication sub-]committee to execute the above tactics
• Maintain a pro]active approach to communication with members
• Include rugby allies in certain distribution lists ie. NZRU, Provincial Unions etc.
• Consider appropriateness of additional communication channels

Club Governance

The Club needs to give appropriate consideration to the governance structure. The current Presidential/Committee structure has served the club well in the past. It is an understated organisational system that has suited the range of club activities to date.

The Club has now appointed a much needed Club Administrator for which a modest honorarium is paid. The workload and level of professionalism requires it. This role will be reviewed annually and expanded as workload dictates and funding allows.

In the professional era the challenges faced by the Club have been significant.

• The club now has to deal with very professional organisations in the Rugby industry. These organisations are well structured, highly researched, forward planned and very focussed on their own goals.
• Player availability is constrained by a tight fixture schedule, insurance requirements, Player welfare principles and remuneration guidelines.
• The Club now has a significant asset base to manage requiring new levels of responsibility and knowledge
• The opportunities for the Club are of a larger scale and complexity. Fixtures, Tours, Media deals, Gate shares, appointment of agents, sponsorship campaigns, all require very detailed and sensitive negotiations.
• Despite the Barbarian brand strength, the Club has had difficulty differentiating itself from other provincial rugby fraternities.
• Daily administration has become necessary resulting in the appointment of a remunerated administration position and paid bar staff at functions.

What are the relative merits of a Committee v Board governance structure? Would a Board structure facilitate better outcomes when negotiating and managing programmes in the Professional rugby environment? Does the current Committee rganisational structure project the appropriate level of governance relative to the Clubs goals?

Strategy

• Appoint a sub-committee to evaluate the most appropriate governance structure for the club. This is a significant consideration and due process will take into account the entire Club's operating activities.
• Timeline for confirmation of governance structure to be by End of Year 2012.
• Review the Club constitution and update as/if required.

Summary

This Strategic Plan captures the Club philosophies, current status, operational issues and opportunities. It is a living and breathing document that forms the framework and guidelines for the next 3-5 years. It will be the reference point for the Club Committee to base decisions and assign resources.

Overall the NZ Barbarians is in a healthy position with many opportunities to evaluate. The strategies employed by the Club are designed to enhance the game of rugby, particularly at the amateur level.

The next step is implementation of the plan in a manner befitting the original Club principles. With a good game plan, solid team work and the bounce of the ball, the NZ Barbarianfs goals will be achieved.