Northumberland Rugby Union Privacy Policy

About this Privacy Policy

Northumberland RFU is committed to compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other relevant data protection laws. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, process, store, and share your personal data. It also outlines your rights regarding your data. For any questions, please contact the NRFU Data Officer at: dataofficer@northumberlandrfu.co.uk.

What Personal Information Do We Collect?

We collect and process data from:

• You or your Parent/Guardian
• Your company/business as a supplier/sponsor to NRFU
• Your Club and/or School as a member of NRFU
• The RFU or WR (as governing bodies for rugby)
• Employees of NRFU
• Customers of NRFU

The data we collect may include:

• Name (individual or business)
• Gender
• Date of Birth
• RFU ID (as assigned by RFU GMS)
• Address, email address, phone number
• Passport and NI details
• Membership type
• Team, Club, School, Committee membership
• DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service check)
• Bank account/payment details
• Medical conditions or disability (with your/your Parent/Guardian’s consent)
• Ethnicity
• Injuries
• Anti-Doping
• Disciplinary
• Awards
• Training and qualifications
• Health & Safety

Email Newsletters and Marketing

Northumberland RFU uses your email address and, where provided, your name to send our newsletter when you choose to subscribe.

Our newsletter may include:

• County team selections, fixtures and results.
• Coaching and development opportunities.
• Updates from England Rugby, including changes to rules and new initiatives.
• News and achievements from clubs represented by Northumberland RFU.
• Promotions for the county shop, county events, membership, international ticket raffles and sponsorship opportunities.

Your choice and our lawful basis

We rely on your consent to use your personal information for these newsletter emails. You can subscribe through our newsletter sign-up form or by selecting an optional marketing opt-in when purchasing or registering.

Subscribing is optional. You do not have to agree to marketing to make a purchase, register for an event or take part in county rugby activities.

Making a purchase, entering a raffle, registering for an activity, providing details for a club contact page or joining a WhatsApp group does not, by itself, subscribe you to our email newsletter.

We keep a record of when and how you subscribed and the information you were shown when you gave consent.

Withdrawing consent and stopping marketing

You can withdraw your consent at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any newsletter or emailing dataofficer@northumberlandrfu.co.uk.

You also have the right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing. We will stop the marketing covered by your withdrawal or objection. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before you withdrew it.

Unsubscribing from marketing does not prevent us from sending necessary, non-promotional communications about an order, booking, registration or your involvement in county rugby, where we have an appropriate lawful basis.

Our email service provider

We use Brevo to manage newsletter subscriptions and deliver emails on our behalf. Relevant subscriber information and subscription preferences are processed through this service.

We do not sell our newsletter mailing list. Subscribing to Northumberland RFU’s newsletter does not give sponsors, clubs or other organisations permission to use your details for their own marketing.

How long we retain newsletter information

We keep your newsletter information while you remain subscribed and our use of your information remains necessary and supported by valid consent. We periodically review our subscriber records.

We retain evidence of consent for as long as we rely on it, and afterwards where necessary to meet legal obligations or establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

If you unsubscribe or object to marketing, we retain the minimum information necessary on a suppression list, including your email address and opt-out status, for as long as needed to prevent future unwanted marketing. We use this record to comply with our legal obligations to respect your preferences.

Who Do We Share Your Data With?

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. However, we may share limited information within the rugby community (e.g., RFU, WR, Clubs, Schools, Referees, competition organisers) to maintain appropriate information for the running of the game. Additionally, we may share data for representative rugby with appointed lead coaches and managers, Newcastle Red Bulls Academy, North of England selectors, and the constituted medical team. We also comply with government and law enforcement requests as required by applicable laws.

What Rights Do You Have?

You have the right to:

• Have your data processed in a fair, lawful, and transparent way
• Access and request a copy of your personal data
• Correct, amend, restrict, or delete the use of your data
• Restrict or temporarily stop our processing of your personal data

For more information about your rights, visit the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) website: ICO – Your Data Matters.

You also have the right to complain about our use of your personal data to the ICO: ICO – Report a Concern.

Security and Retention of Your Personal Data

We take the security of your data very seriously. We have implemented controls and policies to keep your data secure and regularly review these measures. We use encryption techniques for highly sensitive data and password protection, ensuring that your data is only accessible by authorised personnel. Physical access to our building and storage facilities is also controlled.

We retain data only for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy and the legal basis for doing so.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Policy will be reviewed and updated from time to time. The latest version will be available on our website: Northumberland RFU Privacy Policy.

Northumberland Rugby Football Union Online

This guidance must be followed by anyone posting under  Northumberland Rugby Union on social media, including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, X formerly known as Twitter, WhatsApp or any similar or new social media platforms.

• All posts should be branded with the current logo and follow the same style as previous posts.
• When reposting other pages, ensure the content supports Northumberland Rugby Union values and ethical conduct. Check for inappropriate or negative comments and delete the post if necessary.

Protocol for Admins/Members of Social Media Groups

• Register the group with the CB Administrator, including the designated Group Admin Manager’s contact details and a brief description of the group’s purpose and audience.
• Officially sanctioned groups must contain Northumberland Rugby Union in the group title and may use the NRU logo. Inform clubs and members that other groups are not officially sanctioned.
• The Group Admin Manager is responsible for all activities within the group and may remove or add members as necessary.
• No advertising is allowed.
• No inappropriate language or critical/negative content.
• Rugby-related content only.
• Follow GDPR at all times. By entering a group, individuals consent to their contact details being shared with other members.
• Prioritise safeguarding in all communications. Details can be found at England Rugby Safeguarding.
• Do not post pictures or videos of matches or training sessions on age-grade social media sites without prior written consent from the County Administrator.

The above points should be explained when the group is set up and regularly reinforced.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Policy will be reviewed and updated from time to time. The latest version will be available on our website: Northumberland RFU Privacy Policy.

Policy updated: 30th September 2026
Next review: March 2026