In a special guest blog that forms part of a series reflecting on the ARFOR Challenge Fund, Gwyn Derfel, Welsh Language Development Manager at the Welsh Rugby Union Group, discusses how an opportunity was created for Welsh rugby clubs to strengthen their provision through the medium of Welsh.
The intention of the Welsh Rugby Union, through the Arfor scheme, was to give all clubs in the four Arfor areas the chance to strengthen their provision and work with their local communities – and to do so through the medium of Welsh. Clubs were invited to choose and host sessions such as ‘Introduction to VAT’, ‘How to make the club more welcoming to girls and women’, ‘Social Media’, ‘Attracting and Retaining Volunteers’, ‘Improving Governance’, ‘Welcoming ethnic minorities’, ‘Unconscious Bias’, ‘Data Protection’, to name just a few.
The aim of the pilot was to offer this service to our clubs and Welsh‑speaking communities – face to face (and then virtually as an additional legacy) following the pandemic period, creating stronger links between rugby clubs, local businesses and their relationship with the Welsh language – leading to economic benefit.
In total, 14 face‑to‑face courses were held in 7 clubs – and in two additional institutions afterwards in Carmarthen and Gaerwen – ensuring events in each of the four Arfor areas. Afterwards, a video of one of the events was prepared, along with three virtual recordings of the most relevant sessions and three videos on the main themes of the pilot – normalising the Welsh language while educating a wider audience at the same time.
Some elements of the pilot were very successful – but a few challenges and disappointments were faced as well.
It was vitally important to me that we employed people from within the Arfor areas in the context of our events. Although the courses, presenters, catering and advertising were organised centrally, individuals were employed in the specific areas to engage with local organisations and businesses in order to invite and encourage them to attend the events and to promote them locally.
If I had the opportunity to repeat the project, I would employ a dedicated organiser for all the events who could focus entirely on offering and creating the most effective and valuable events.
I am particularly proud that we secured the services of some of the leading experts in their fields to lead the courses, and the feedback for the overwhelming majority of the courses was extremely positive.
From the perspective of need and legacy – following the Governance presentation – one club’s committee went on to review their legal status to ensure that club volunteers were not personally liable for any potential losses. That would not have happened without Arfor’s investment.
Following the Mental Well‑being sessions, one individual spoke openly for the first time about the suicide of his two brothers. He said he would not have had the confidence to do so had the course not been in Welsh. The Welsh Rugby Union has since worked with Osian Leader to offer support and expertise to the Welsh rugby family, strengthening provision and support further.
An open session was also held at Tafwyl to share details about the provision.
Another example of the campaign’s legacy was the fact that over 40 girls and women attended a course on the Menopause at Bala Rugby Club – and more of the local community are now aware of the club’s resources and are using them.
The ‘Using Welsh on Social Media’ sessions succeeded in making clubs rethink their use of the language. It was suggested that not everything should be translated and that Welsh should be more dialectal and adventurous when trying to appeal to a local audience. Clubs were made aware of engaging content, reach, and algorithms that could positively influence their output and their club.
There is no doubt that the overwhelming majority of the content delivered was appreciated – but in some locations it would have been nice to have a larger audience. Perhaps we were too ambitious in arranging so many evenings, and having the opportunity to make a few mistakes through the pilot scheme was valuable.
In the future, if a similar opportunity arises, I may focus on creating fewer but more ambitious events – weaving social and educational elements into the events, which might attract a wider audience and more representation from the local business community, thereby realising more of our original aims.
The Welsh Rugby Union would welcome exciting opportunities and support like this in the future in order to continue this work.
