For Volunteers Week 2020 (1 - 7 June), organised as a partnership between Volunteer Now in Northern Ireland alongside NCVO, Volunteer Scotland and Wales Council for Voluntary Action, Ulster Rugby will be showcasing some of our outstanding rugby volunteers and highlighting the great work carried out by these individuals across the province.
Sarah Herron
Currently I am in my final year of university studying Leisure and Events Management. When I was growing-up, I wasn't really a sporty person, as the most sport I ever played was hockey, however rugby was one sport I loved to watch. I never would have imagined eventually playing the sport, let alone becoming a coach. Before beginning my degree, I wanted to be a nurse, with no interest of ever getting involved within the sports industry. After being unsuccessful in getting onto the nursing course, I decided to apply for something different but even when starting my degree my focus was on the events side, but it wasn’t long before this changed. My first two years at university were turned on its head when I took ill, and it was after being sick that I wanted to get a sense of normality back through a social element as well as gaining some experience, and this is something which rugby has given me. I contacted several sporting organisations regarding voluntary opportunities, but it was after contacting Nicci from Ulster Rugby that my journey as a rugby volunteer began. Out of all the organisations I met with, Nicci was the most helpful and highly-motivated in getting me involved as a volunteer. It was only a number of weeks before I was involved on match nights, which is something that really influenced my decision, as Ulster value their volunteers as a key element in their organisation. When first becoming a volunteer last March, it was my sole aim to only get event experience and therefore I signed-up to help with the half time minis at matches. Through this role, I have meet some incredible people, and as a result have made some great friends. I also signed up for the Gold Mark Programme when starting, which I feel is a fantastic programme, as it means you are getting something back from your volunteering, as it is a recognised achievement when applying for jobs. After volunteering on the match nights, I got a real bug for rugby and wanted to gain even more experience. As a result, I began emailing several rugby clubs looking for voluntary experiences. Lurgan Rugby Club was one of many clubs I emailed, and it was after meeting with the volunteer co-ordinator at the club in April that I came on-board. The club has been extremely welcoming from day one and it was after this meeting that I began coaching the minis section of P1/2/3s. It was after speaking with one of the coaches, who also sat on the committee, that I was informed they were looking for a new PR Officer for the club. This is something I was extremely interested in, as not only was it linked to my degree, but would help with future employment in the industry. Everything moved quickly, as in the May I was voted into the position of PRO at the club’s AGM meeting, resulting in me also becoming Rugby Committee Member. However, this was only the start of my journey as a volunteer within rugby. Nicci was extremely good in sending through the various opportunities arising at Ulster Rugby outside of the match night volunteering. As a result, I volunteered at the Easter Camps and also at the Maxol School Festival held at Kingspan Stadium, making my love of rugby grow even more, but at this stage I was adamant that I would not be playing the game myself. This all changed though in the summer when I began to play tag rugby with Lurgan and it really got me hooked on getting more involved in the sport. Therefore, after being contacted to help at the Summer Camps, I decided that this would be a good opportunity to develop my coaching skills and allowed me to complete my 200 hours for the Goldmark Award. For me this is something I found incredible, as it is nice to be recognised for your volunteering, and it is through the award that you get recognised for your contribution. This still was not the end of the journey, as it was after speaking with the Ulster Rugby staff at these camps that they encouraged me to complete my coaching badges, and as a result I completed both my stage 1 and stage 2 over the summer. After completing these, the bug got even greater as I began to realise how much of a social element there was to the sport as well as the benefits it can have on your health. It was at one of the camps when speaking with another female coach that she talked me into going to Malone Rugby Club for their Give it a Try Session. I was sceptical at the start, as I didn’t think I was cut out to be a rugby player, but went along anyway, and it was safe to say that it wasn’t long before I was hooked. In the end I decided to go along to Queens Rugby Club for their pre-season training after speaking with one of the coaches. The thing I loved most about Queens is how welcoming the girls were, as well as the fact that the club is for all levels of ability.I never would have thought I would love playing the game as much as I do. Rugby really is more than just a game. For me I love the sport and the game has taught me so many life skills as it really teaches the importance of team and is like a family.After playing the sport my confidence in my ability to coach the sport grew immensely and as a result I began to help coach the older age groups at Lurgan. I have recently become involved in the newly set-up U16s team as well as recently becoming involved with the newly set up U14s Girls team. For me, being able to help coach allows me to give something back, and to be able to help new players develop in the game is something which I find very rewarding. Rugby for me truly has become a part of my life as I began this journey just looking for experience, but it has done a lot more for me than I could have imagined. For me, volunteering with Ulster Rugby and Lurgan Rugby Club, I have seen my confidence develop and it has helped my mental health incredibly. As in rugby both on and off the field, I have become a stronger person and I feel this is because of the team element there is, as for me rugby is like a family, with everyone having each other’s back and best interests at heart. For me the journey is not over, as I have recently become a member of the Ulster Rugby Youth Forum which aims to improve the game of rugby through the eyes of youth around Ulster. This has given me opportunities for cross-community work with GAA and IFA, and has allowed me to take up the position as PR Officer for the forum. Volunteering really does have endless opportunities, all of which I’ll be forever grateful for, as there is the potential that I will sit on the IRFU Youth Council in Dublin. For me the programme which Ulster Rugby provides opens several doors for you, whether you are looking for experience, want to give back to the community, or just for a social element, the opportunities are endless. I am thankful that I took a step out of my comfort zone as in the space of the year I am doing things I never would have imagined. If someone had told me that this time last year, I would be playing and coaching I would have laughed. Overall, what I’m saying is rugby has done a lot for me and I’m excited to see what the future holds as I continue to volunteer.