Earlier today, the Society wrote to all its Affiliated Clubs following the curtailment by the RFU of the 2019-20 season.
Following discussions of the Management Committee - and to help support our Affiliated Clubs in these present challenging times - LSRFUR has agreed to reimburse 1/3rd of their 2019-20 subscriptions, as a small contribution to all our Affiliated Clubs in this unprecedented situation. A copy of the letter sent is provided below .
Should you have any questions in relation to this, please do not hesitate to contact Peter Coulthard, LSRFUR General Secretary.
As the London Society, we first and foremost hope that you, your friends and your family are all safe and well, wherever they may be. We are in, to use an overused word, unprecedented times.
With the RFU having cancelled the remainder of the season and with the ongoing restrictions on daily lives that look set to continue for a potentially extended period of time, we recognise that our Affiliated Clubs are facing potential strain on their finances, with the loss of revenue streams that may have been anticipated.
Reflecting this, the London Society wants to help support the broader rugby family of which we are just a part. We will therefore be refunding 1/3 of clubs' annual subscriptions for the 2019-20 season just gone. This amounts to us returning nearly £47,000 of cash to the Clubs, Schools and Universities that are affiliated to the Society.
Such a refund will take the form of a credit note to all Affiliated Clubs that have settled their 2019- 20 subscriptions as at 30 April 2020. We will normally offset this against next year's subscription; however we recognise that some Clubs may need cash sooner. To these Clubs, we are willing to provide a cash refund if they supply us their bank details. Some Clubs may feel they are well placed to get through the current situation. If this applies to your Club, then either feel free to let us know (and we will reallocate it to the CBs who are working to support struggling clubs) or work directly with your CB to benefit those clubs that may be less able to withstand the impact on them, and whose survival is at risk.
This is a gesture to those Affiliated Clubs that we get the pleasure of visiting and being hosted at each week. We hope that, when the 2020-21 season starts, we will still have that breadth of places to which we will be warmly welcomed at to enjoy officiating the game we all love. Stay safe, look after yourselves and others, and always feel free to reach out to us as part of the rugby family should there be anything we can do to support you in these challenging times.
The Management Committee of the London Society of Rugby Football Union Referees