Insurance for rugby clubs

How clubs are protected

The RFU has arranged automatic Combined Liability insurance for its affiliated clubs.  

Insurance for property, players' loss of income, and team tours isn't included. If you'd like this extra protection, get in touch.

What is Combined Liability insurance?

Combined Liability insurance includes these types of cover:

• Public Liability and Product Liability insurance
• Professional Indemnity insurance
• Employers’ Liability insurance
• Directors’ and Officers’ insurance

Which rugby clubs are covered?

This covers recreational RFU affiliated clubs where the most senior XV plays at men's National 1 and below, or Women's Championship or below.  It doesn’t cover Premiership, Championship, armed forces and services, schools, or student clubs. 

What’s covered under Combined Liability insurance?

We’ve summarised rugby club insurance under the RFU’s Combined Liability policy below.  For full details of what's included, contact us. You can also find confirmation of cover and more in the Policy & document hub. 

Public Liability insurance

Public Liability insurance covers legal and compensation costs if someone at your club accidentally injures a third party or damages their property, and a claim is made against them. 

RFU affiliated clubs in England are automatically covered for £25m for every claim made against them or their people. So that could be administrators, coaches, officials, referees, or players, for example. This could be during a range of activities, including social, fundraising, and administrative activities. You’ll only pay an excess (of £250) if the claim is for property damage. 

This policy also includes:

• Product Liability insurance: Covers the cost of compensating someone who’s injured by a faulty product supplied by your club. There’s a £25m limit for any individual claim and in total for the policy year.
• Member-to-member cover: Protection if a club member injures a member of the same club or damages their property and a claim is made against them.
• Participant-to-participant cover: Protection if a club member accidentally injures someone from a different club or damages their property.

It also covers other liabilities, including allegations of abuse and legionellosis. You'll find a full list in the policy documents. 

Of course, everyone at your club should take reasonable steps not to cause injury or financial loss to others, or damage to their property. 

Professional Indemnity insurance

Offering guidance and advice to other club members is integral to what your coaches, team captains, and officials do – but things don’t always go to plan. That’s why Professional Indemnity insurance is automatically provided to RFU affiliated clubs in England. 

This covers the legal and compensation costs for accusations made against club coaches, captains, and officials for negligence, errors, or omissions in their advice. This includes defamation cover if they’re accused of harming someone’s reputation. 

Employers’ Liability insurance 

Employers’ Liability insurance protects your club and staff if a current or former employee has a work-related illness or injury and makes a claim against you. If this happens, this insurance steps in to cover legal and any compensation costs awarded.

RFU affiliated clubs are automatically covered with £10m of Employers’ liability insurance for every claim (£5m for acts of terrorism). This includes claims by volunteers and trainees. 

You’ll find the certificate of this insurance in the Policy & document hub. You’ll need to display this or make it easily accessible to employees if it’s kept digitally.

Directors’ and Officers’ insurance

Rugby clubs have a hierarchy, and the people at the top are responsible if things go wrong. Committee members, board members, and trustees have a personal liability for claims against them for a breach of duty in their role, such as:

• Mismanagement of club finances
• Not complying with fire safety regulations
• Corporate manslaughter

The RFU has arranged insurance for clubs for this personal liability. Your key people are covered up to a maximum of £2m for any individual claim and in total for the policy year. For more information, check the Directors' and Officers' insurance policy wording and policy schedule.

Don't skip event risk assessments

If you’re organising an event you need to talk to us about, we’ll ask for a valid risk assessment. This should show that you’ve considered the associated hazards and have plans in place so the activity happens as safely as possible. 

If you hire out your club facilities to a third party, your club is insured as the venue provider. You're also covered if you’re providing some services, such as a bar run by your members or staff. But check that third-party organisations have Public Liability Insurance in place, and confirm who’s responsible for completing their risk assessments. 

Take a look at our risk management guides for advice on event risk management and more. 

Policy documents

• For Combined Liability policy wording, contact us
• Directors' and Officers' insurance policy wording and policy schedule
• Policy and document hub