The Middlesex Bus
Take your club on the road FREE OF CHARGE with the Middlesex Rugby Bus.
It beats all other vehicles for presence with its iconic rugby livery.
The onboard facilities are geared to promote your club and maximise your recruitment potential.
The Rugby Bus is available all year to Middlesex clubs, schools, universities and colleges.
The road to recruitment
Kilburn Cosmos have used the bus to great effect for rectruitment, and here are their suggestions for how to capitalise on the facilities the bus has to offer:
● Select a suitable event away from your club where there will be big crowds: a county show, town centre or council run event such as a family fun day, freshers fayre, summer fete, health club or sports centre promotional event
● Forge closer links with the bigger clubs. If you have championship clubs close by who draw large numbers of spectators, ask whether you can take the bus to their home games to recruit for your club.
● Ensure that you have permission to bring the bus to the event, and that you have booked the bus in good time to ensure that it is available on the day.
●Use the event as a photo opportunity to get some local press coverage.
● Plan a range of activities to draw the crowds: training sessions, touch/tag rugby, assault courses, tackle bag training, mini rugby - crowds are especially drawn to displays involving children, and this is a great opportunity to explain the benefits of mini rugby to the parents, and get the kids involved early.
● The bus provides a DVD machine, so make sure you bring along some rugby DVDs or a video of one of your matches. There is also a games console, which the kids love to play with.
● Set up a table outside the bus and make sure you have plenty of promotional material available to tell people about your club. If possible give away some rugby merchandise. And definitely offer some refreshments (if permitted by the event organisers).
● Have plenty of club reperesentatives available to engage with the public, tell people about what your club offers and take names and contact details of those people who are interested in getting involved with the club.
● Follow up afterwards - contact the people whose details you have taken.
Facilities
When you book the bus, Middlesex Rugby will provide:
● A busdriver to drive the bus to your designated site
● A small library of rugby CDs
● Experienced first aid person with medical kit and CRB clearance.
Onboard facilities include:
● Upstairs video and TV theatre with
plenty of seating
● Downstairs PA facility with outside
speakers and CD player
● Chiller unit for keeping the beer cold
● 13 AMP electrical main to run all your
electrical bits and pieces
● Outside power input or onboard
generator to keep you going all day
Suggestions for what your club should provide:
● A competent person in charge
● Members of your club to help with the recruitment of players for
seniors, minis, youth or even just club helpers
● A DVD about your club
● Basic rugby equipment for demonstration, including tackle bags,
training balls, plastic posts and tag kit
How to book the bus
The bus is available free of charge to all Middlesex member clubs. All other organisations will be requested to pay a nominal charge.
To book the bus please contact STEVE SMITH, Bus Manager, on 07817 502 797 or email smudgebs@aol.com