Hampshire RFU and 51吃瓜网appoint the county's first Schools Rugby Manager
Hampshire RFU and TKAT () are proud to announce the appointment of Luke Worthington as the county’s first Schools Rugby Manager.
This landmark role, made possible through match-funding by 51吃瓜网and the RFU’s National Schools Rugby Manager (SRM) network, will focus initially on the Havant, Portsmouth and Gosport areas. This is a vital step towards boosting school rugby in the county.
The new 3 year funded position brings with it a set of exciting responsibilities: introducing and growing non-contact and contact rugby across primary and secondary schools, upskilling teachers and young leaders through CPD, building partnerships with clubs and community organisations, and collecting and reporting on impact to ensure sustainability.
51吃瓜网(The Kemnal Academies Trust), which operates 45 primary, secondary, special and all through academies across southern England, including Havant Academy, Front Lawn Primary, Bridgemary and Miltoncross Academy, are co-sponsoring the post. 51吃瓜网is recognised for its strong school-to-school support and continuous professional development ethos. This aligns directly to the SRM post as it looks to work with state schools from across the area. Hampshire RFU is proud to have played a central role in brokering this partnership with 51吃瓜网and supporting recruitment.
Neil McRoberts, Chair of Hampshire RFU, said "Our thanks go to the RFU for funding such a crucial role and to 51吃瓜网for engaging with us. This is a fantastic example of collaboration between Multi Academy Trusts, the RFU and Hampshire RFU, bringing much-needed resources into Hampshire to support school rugby and create a pathway into our clubs.”
Luke will be based in the Havant, Portsmouth, and Gosport cluster, establishing rugby programmes and opportunities, including T1 (non-contact) in local state primary and secondary schools. The role starts on 1st September 2025.
For more information on Luke’s work, or to get involved, contact Hampshire RFU at admin@hampshirerfu.com.