Webster Named Player Welfare Rep

CLAYTON, NC – As part of plans to expand the roles within the club’s operational structure, the Clayton Rugby Football Club is proud to announce that active Bootlegger, Walter Webster, has been named as the Club’s Player Welfare Representative for 2017. Webster, whom joined the Clayton RFC in 2015, is a lawyer by trade and was named to the position after showing his care for the well being of fellow teammates. The new role is part of an expanded General Committee that is working with the Club’s Board of Directors to streamline club operations and provide the best experience possible for players and members.

“When I joined this club, now going on 2 years ago, I got pulled in not only by the sport but also by the camaraderie,” said Webster. “I call our members “brother” often because I feel a true kinship to those men that are willing to put the time in on and off the pitch to play this game and that also like to celebrate good battle and good friendship with a cold pint or two. I feel that our Club is one that is unique among the clubs I have interacted with in my short time in the sport. My perception is that we care deeply for our sport, our families, and our communities. That shows in the fundraisers we organize for fire victims and local charities. It shows in how we keep up with each other’s families in what they do and how they are in general. It truly feels like our Club is a family with all that word connotes.”

Webster’s primary focus is on the health, safety, and overall wellness of players. His duties will include following up with injured players to make sure they are receiving the care/treatment needed to return to the pitch, implementing and enforcing a strict club concussion policy, as well as working with Clayton RFC sponsors Clayton Chiropractic, Crossfit Clayton, and Orthopaedic Specialists of North Carolina to launch wellness initiatives and education for players.

“With a Club as unique as ours, it only makes sense that our level of commitment to our sport, our families, and our communities carries over to a commitment to our members themselves,” added Webster. “Losing a member due to injury injures the team as well. Any club can just fill a roster spot, but a great club encourages, works with, and supports the injured member back into good health. We all want to play this sport with our brothers for the rest of our lives. We therefore owe it to our members to help them continue to focus on long-term health and playing career over short-term things such as individual practices and games.”

It is this passion for his fellow teammates that makes Webster the ideal member to fill this very important role within the Clayton Rugby Football Club.

“Returning from any type of injury too soon, failing to seek proper medical care, and failing to do off-pitch conditioning and nutrition are all things that can risk long-term play-ability for our members,” says Webster. “As a club, we should strive to educate and encourage our members so that they have the tools and seek the proper professional care to help prevent injuries and care for them when they occur, respectively.”

“At the end of the day we’re here to play rugby and have fun,” said Club President Ted Hardy. “It’s hard to do that if you’re injured. There are lot of layers to providing a great environment for our members. This is very important to us and we are thankful that Walt has stepped up to the plate to take this on.”