Our Purpose
Our purpose is to enrich lives, introduce more people to rugby union and develop the sport for future generations. Our three core activities fall into these focus areas:
• Rugby – supporting rugby from grassroots to performance level
• Commercial – building partnerships and hosting matches and events
• Running the business - ensuring our organisation and people can thrive
Our Culture
In December 2023 we launched a new ‘target culture’ for the RFU – This Rose Means Everyone – which evolved our previous cultural ambitions into a fresh new game-plan that speaks to who we are and where we want to go. Created by our employees, for our employees, our target culture sets the direction for where we all collectively want to be.
‘This Rose Means Everyone’, our guiding motto, is testament to the fact that, in the world of rugby, everyone has a place and is part of the story. It signifies unity, growth, and a shared commitment to the values that make rugby a sport like no other. It represents the countless tales of determination, camaraderie, and passion that collectively shape the narrative of England Rugby.
Our culture is made up of three core values and nine supporting behaviours that we've built together, based on our shared cultural ambitions as well as our rich history. Our three values embody the essence of our sport and organisation – Put the team first, Shape the future, Respect each other. Together, they define how we show up, guiding us as we pursue excellence in every aspect of our rugby community.
• Put the team first captures our commitment to unity, collaboration, and shared success.
We know that it’s our collective strength that will achieve greatness on and off the field.
• With shape the future, we embrace innovation, growth, and a forward-thinking mindset, inspiring us to constantly evolve and lead the way in rugby excellence.
• Respect each other is our cornerstone, a foundation of our game and the rugby community. We encourage an inclusive environment always, where every voice is valued and diversity is celebrated.
Inclusion & Diversity
‘This Rose Means Everyone’ is a symbol of diversity too, every petal on our Rose is different, unique, original – just like us . It is a reminder that at England Rugby, everyone has a place. We’re at our best when we appreciate everyone for who they are, their contributions and create the right environment for everyone to flourish.
We’re determined to grow the game in an inclusive way, and this is reflected in our core strategic objective to drive rugby union to better reflect the diversity of society. we’re working hard to make rugby a more inclusive space for everyone, regardless of background.
We’re always pushing ourselves to create a more inclusive culture for our employees too. We have a number of employee network groups that provide peer-to-peer support while driving forward change and improvements. We support our team members to develop with everyone getting access to a personal coaching platform that can provide same-day one-to-one coaching.
