Rugby union is the fastest growing major sport in the country, attracting more people than ever to enjoy a vibrant game as professional and amateur players, volunteers and supporters.
But the expansion of rugby brings new challenges to the game and a need to sustain the standards that are its strengths.
Two years ago the RFU put together a task group to run an extensive consultation exercise. The Core Values project – the first time a sport has set out to define its value system in formal terms – produced the first code of rugby and identified the following principles that lie at the heart of the game in England:
Teamwork
Teamwork is essential to our sport. We welcome all new team members and include all because working as a team enriches our lives. We play selflessly: working for the team, not for ourselves alone, both on and off the field. We take pride in our team, rely on one another and understand that each player has a part to play. We speak out if our team or sport is threatened by inappropriate words or actions
Respect
Mutual respect forms the basis of our sport. We hold in high esteem our sport, its val