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GROW THE GAME

conference arena

Uniting the spirit of rugby with the spirit of Brighton

#Brighton7sFestival2021
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Leading speakers for 2021 include

Maggie Alphonsi MBE
World Cup Winner & Broadcaster
Robbie Owens
​YouTube Vlogger
Squidge Rugby
Susie Appleby
Head Coach
Exeter Chiefs Women
Steve Grainger
Director, Rugby Development 
RFU
Shaunagh Brown
Player
England & Harlequins
Ben Mercer
Author
Fringes: Life on the Edge of Professional Rugby

About

A weekend rugby union conference, plus a Friday night special. Meet people from across the rugby family in the Grow the Game Arena at Brighton 7s Festival
 
Unique entertainment, exhibitions and networking for rugby practitioners, experts, and stakeholders discussing important topics around the game and more
 
What does the future of rugby look like? As new formats emerge in the hope of reaching different audiences, players, clubs, and stakeholders must learn different ways to interpret the game and approach new markets
 
​As the sport continues to grow globally, is there a danger that the amateur game is getting left behind? What happens to players when they stop playing? How is technology involved in all aspects of club rugby today? Where are the ‘positive disruptors’ in the sport? How are clubs recovering from the after-effects of coronavirus on their business?
 
Book your place today, enjoy your journey, or forge your path through the world of rugby – join us at Brighton 7s Festival in the Grow the Game Arena

Experts speaking in 2021 include

Global Groundbreakers

Maggie Alphonsi MBE
World Cup Winner & Broadcaster
Squidge Rugby
​YouTube Vlogger
Sara Cox
​International Referee

RFU Representatives

Steve Grainger
Director, Rugby Development 
RFU
Clare Daniels
Match Official Development, World Rugby 7s Reviewer
​RFU/World Rugby
Andrew Small
Match Official Development Officer
RFU
Louise Meadows
Head Coach England Counties U20s
RFU
Tom Hodgins
Performance Psychologist
RFU/England 7s
Alex Reid
PGMOT Strength & Conditioning Coach
RFU/Perform Fitness

Club Rugby Representatives

Gill Burns MBE
President
Lancashire County RFU
Gareth Alred
COO
Bedford Blues
Susie Appleby
Head Coach
Exeter Chiefs Women
Nick Fenton-Wells
Team Manager
Bristol Bears Rugby
Shaunagh Brown
Player
England & Harlequins
​Speaker tbc
Toronto Arrows Rugby
Lewis Sones
Academy Pathway Manager & Women’s Pathway Coach
Saracens
Vicky Alexander
1st Team Assist Coach; 
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2nd Team Lead Coach 
Richmond Rugby
Gary English
Lead Performance Analyst
​Wasps Ladies 
Atlanta St John
Head of Harlequins Women Rugby Programme
Harlequins​
Marc Turner
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Senior Performance Analyst
​Harlequins
Neil Harris
Assistant Coach & Head of Rugby
​
Saracens Women 
Mark Michelmore
Head of Walking Rugby
Esher RFC
Kevin Moggridge
Former Womens Head Coach
Oxford University Rugby
TomRedfern
Talent Scout
Dallas Jackals Rugby

Sector Innovators

Mark Fletcher
CEO
​Pitchero
Rebecca Hopkins
CEO
Sports Technology Awards Group
Karl Hogan
SVP, Partnership & Comms
Catapult Sports
Fiona Green
Director & Co-Founder
Winners FDD Ltd
Dugald MacDonald
CEO
Sportable
Zainab Alema
Vitality Grassroots Sportswoman of the Year 2020;
Founder
Studs in the Mud & Muslim Rugby Project
Sammie Phillips
National Development Officer
​England Touch Association
Dr Gary Lambert
Head Coach England Touch Senior Women 
England Touch Association
Harry Horsley
Co-Founder & CEO
RugbyX
Co-Founder
Try Tag Rugby
Ben Mercer
Former Pro Athlete & Amazon Best Selling Author
Fringes: Life on the Edge of Professional Rugby
Julian Pike
Partner
​Farrer & Co

Guest Specialists

Dr Elisabeth Williams
Senior Lecturer Sports Science
Swansea University
Tom Kingsley
Associate Partner, Sports Industry Group
EY
Holly Jane Myers
Partnership Manager
LAPS (Life after Professiona Sport)
Russell Earnshaw Wizard
The Magic Academy
Karen Dobres Elected Director
Lewes Football Club
Brendan McGroarty
Director
Elite Rugby Scholars – US College Rugby Consultants
Dr Adam J White
Lecturer in Sport & Coaching Sciences Oxford Brookes University
Luis Mendia
Medical Education Manager
​World Rugby
Steve Bustin
Conference Stage Compere
Get Your Voice Heard

More speakers to be announced

PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS

Brighton 7s Festival is delighted to be working with the following 2021 Grow the Game Arena partners
LAPS: Life After Professional Sport is an online community platform, set up specifically for current and former sports professional, in order to support them transition successfully out of professional sports, and provide them with information and courses in order to help them find the best option for the next steps in their career.

LAPS work with businesses on varying partnership and sponsorship levels, run career events for professional sports teams, along with a contingency based placement service. Businesses see the value placing ex professional athletes into the workplace, where they experience high success due to the innate traits that professional athletes possess.
Brighton Rugby Club is one of the oldest rugby clubs in the country founded in 1868. As they were founded before the RFU they are one of the few clubs who are designated F.C. rather than R.F.C.
Brighton Chamber are a dynamic, supportive and welcoming membership organisation for businesses of all sizes. Their purpose is to help and support their members, while working with the wider business community to develop the conditions that will help them thrive.
The Brighton Chamber does this by:
•	Bringing together some of the most vibrant people working in and around the city. Brighton is teeming with people who have an optimistic, opportunistic outlook. It’s what makes the city such a great place to do business. 
•	Providing an environment that is friendly and stimulating so members can network with their peers and explore how they can help each other. Chamber members love working with each other and the Brighton Chamber makes that happen through events and introductions and online.
•	Offering innovative, creative events that will breathe new life into your business. These include short but highly effective Bite-sized Learning sessions led by passionate experts. There’s also the Brighton Summit, as well as Big Debates and much more, including free peer support through the Member Hours.
The Dallas Jackals are a professional rugby team of Major League Rugby (MLR), the highest level of rugby competition in North America. The Jackals were named as an expansion team in 2020 and will play their inaugural season in 2021 at Globe Life Park in Arlington. 

The team’s central mission is to develop domestic talent to a world-class level of play and professionalism while strengthening the high-performance pathway in DFW by supporting the local clubs. Through proactive Community Outreach, the Jackals will exemplify and spread the passion of rugby by inspiring tradition, respect, family, and character on and off the pitch.
DISCO BALLS - @discoballsrugby
Men’s Rugby 7s (and on occasions Ladies netball) team that plays various Summer tournaments to raise awareness for their chosen charity Guts UK (https://gutscharity.org.uk/)
Set up out of Haywards Heath Rugby Club in 2017 they have grown to become a regular circuit side utilising 50+ players from clubs all over Sussex, Surrey, London and even territories further afield such as Huddersfield. 
Totally self-funded and reliant on sponsors to make things happen they have aligned them selves with some key sponsors over the years with Citynet, QBE Insurance Co, Ingenia Solutions Ltd, S.A Hancock Ltd, The Health Hub and Arachas Insurance Brokers their main supporters. 
The name DISCO Balls is born out of the French band ‘Ottawan’ song D.I.S.C.O which is joyously sung during post-match celebrations at Heath. Plus the whole squad firmly stand by their adopted motto of #stayfocusedandextrasparkly
Check them out on all social media outlets using the handle @discoballsrugby
Haywards Heath RFC established in 1958 boasts one of the largest, if not the largest, minis and youth sections in the South East. Which has provided the backbone to produce an array of first class talent that has gone on to represent at the highest levels in Rugby including the British and Irish Lions. 
Heath’s two senior teams currently participate in London SE 2 and Sussex 1 and at the time of writing their 1st XV are in a very strong position to be crowned champions of LSE2 and with it gain promotion into LSE1. Under the watchful eye of Harlequins Ross Chisholm and his assistant coach Jim Taylor Heath have rebounded valiantly over the last 4 years using nothing but local players who are wholly committed to the #oneclub #twocolours agenda. 
And with the ongoing in house fundraising efforts and the backing of the clubs main sponsor Fairfax Properties Ltd they are hoping the building of a new state of the art clubhouse with the most up to date facilities by Summer 2021 will only enhance their progression to being one of the most highly competitive and sociable clubs in Sussex.
Hove Rugby Club is an English community rugby union club, who play at Hove Recreation Ground in Shirley Drive Hove, and are affiliated to the English RFU via the Sussex RFU. They currently play in London 2 South East - a league a level 7 of the English rugby union system.
Rugby Tour Spain is a company dedicated to organising rugby tours to and from Andalucía. The staff are all players or coaches with experience playing rugby at a high level in many countries including the UK and Spain. They are based in Sotogrande on the Costa del Sol, the southernmost part of Europe, and enjoy fantastic weather surrounded by great beaches and, most importantly, plenty of rugby clubs keen to welcome touring teams to the region.

The area boasts many rugby clubs who field teams at all levels and ages from Minis to Vets. All the clubs compete in the Andalucian provincial league and there are several 15s and 7s tournaments throughout the year. Andalucía is also home to a fast growing and hugely popular beach rugby circuit which is played from the end of July through to early September.
Silhillians RUFC or “The Sils” are an amateur team from Solihull in the West Midlands. Currently we play in Midlands 2 West, South and regularly field a 1st and Development XV along with the Sils Sirens our women’s team. Aside from our senior teams we have a thriving Mini & Junior section with every age grade from under 6 to Colts and a Touch Rugby team.
We are incredibly proud of our club and the rugby community we have created to support it. 

#wearethesils
Sussex Society of RFU Referees
Sussex RFU is the Constituent Body of the Rugby Football Union charged with administering the game within the counties of East and West Sussex. RFU Constituent Bodies are the only administrative bodies which operate between the national governing body (RFU) and the member clubs.  Sussex RFU provide significant development support to their member clubs and alongside the RFU delivery team, we offer support and guidance in the following areas:
•         Playing opportunities and competitions
•         Discipline
•         Coach and referee development
•         Facility development and club investment
•         Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults
•         Club finance and funding
•         Representative rugby
Partners can get up to 20% OFF all ticket prices
Contact us to find out more

Who should attend?

Are you...
An aspiring professional in rugby?

​​A former player that wants to find a new challenge?

Involved in the game but limited by your day job?

Wanting to meet a like-minded rugby community?

Keen to find new ways to apply professional skills?

Responsible for maintaining the wellbeing of players?
In charge of improving your club, team, or society?

​Unsure of the 'bigger picture' in the rugby landscape?

Trying to find investment and funding sources?

Looking to interpret the game with innovative ideas?

Developing your leadership skills?

Unsure of the laws and how they are applied?

VIPs get extra

VIP ticket holders get more than the average arena pass including:

- Access to all three arenas (
rugby, music, and conference)
- Entry to the VIP area
- More exclusive networking with the conference speakers
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Conference attendees joining in 2021 include

REPRESENTATIVES FROM

Barnes RFC; Bedford Blues Ltd; Bristol Bears Rugby; Catapult Sports; Coventry Rugby; CSM; Dallas Jackals Rugby; Elite Rugby Scholars – US College Rugby Consultants; England Rugby; England Touch Association; Esher RFC; Exeter Chiefs Women; EY; Farrer & Co.; Get Your Voice Heard; Harlequins Rugby; In2Touch/O2Touch; International Rugby Players; LAPS (Life After Professional Sport); Lancashire County RFU; Oxford University Rugby; Pitchero; PRO14 Rugby; Quant-CX Ltd; Richmond Women; Rugby Football Union; RugbyX; Saracens; Sportable; STA Group; Swansea University; The Magic Academy; Try Tag Rugby; UR7s; Saracens Women; Wasps Ladies; Winners FDD Ltd; Worcester Warriors; World Rugby; and more!

Agenda

(to be released)

Friday Evening

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Saturday Day 1

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Sunday Day 2

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DOWNLOAD AGENDA

Tickets

This arena is separately bookable!
Ticket availability subject to change in accordance with social-distancing guidelines. See FAQs for details

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Hear experts, stakeholders, specialists, guests and those at the top of the game
Understand the latest trends and issue facing Rugby Union today​
Network with women and men at all levels of the sport and learn best practice​
Create new opportunities for you, your club, and progress your career in rugby
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Brighton 7s Festival
a partnership between

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www.eventbrite.com
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BMDM Events & Media Ltd
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Brighton Football Club (RFU)
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Brighton & Hove City Council
​(Subject to Landlord's Consent)
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www.visitbrighton.com
  • Home
  • Rugby
  • Music
  • Conference
  • Tickets
    • How to buy
    • Rugby registration
    • Plan your visit
  • Contact us
    • FAQs >
      • Terms and conditions