Dear fellow Instonian

As we move closer toward our second century at Instonians RFC, we see significant change in attitudes and expectations across society. It is crucial that we evolve with these changes and ensure they are positively integrated within our club and represented through the values and behaviours so important in our sport. 

There is a clear appetite across all levels of the club to build on our enviable foundation to ensure future growth and success for the next 100 years. As such, Instonians RFC is planning for the future with new talent joining the club, generating new ideas on how to embrace and benefit from those changes. 

As part of this process, the Rugby Committee has recently undertaken a project to better understand and capture what makes our club unique. What are the values and behaviours that make members past, present and future, proud to be Instonians and how we can use this to our advantage when it comes to recruiting and retaining players at all levels as well as engaging with sponsors and other stakeholders. 

Since the end of the summer, working with a representative sample of 25 members across our full adult age range, from early 20’s to late 80’s we have hosted a number of working groups to extract and articulate what it means to be an Instonian. These sessions were passionate and energetic and most interestingly, when all of the discussions were distilled down to 5 short statements, everyone involved was in immediate agreement.

As you will appreciate it would be impossible to involve all members at the start of this process but now that we have a workable set of statements, if they are to be of value it is vital that these are understood, agreed and lived by all of us. As such I would ask you to respond to the following simple question –

“Do you agree that the following five statements capture the very essence of what makes Instonians Rugby Club unique and makes you proud to be a member?”

Instonians Rugby Club –

• For Everyone – we are inclusive, strengthened by diversity and embrace all members irrespective of social background, gender, race or religion
• Family – By family, for family. Our club is for boys and girls, brothers and sisters, mums and dads and everyone else. Our club is positive, safe, respectful and nurturing
• Forever – our connection is lifelong – once an Instonian, always an Instonian. You will always be welcome
• Fellowship – we have an intangible bond with each other irrespective of age or geography. We nurture this bond and use it for the good of our club, each other and those around us.
• Folklore – we are proud of our club history our traditional beliefs, customs, and stories, passed through the generations by word of mouth

Any comments or feedback will be most welcome and carefully considered.