The National Development Summit kicks off this coming weekend in Denver, and there’s one presentation attendees cannot miss.

Development isn’t always the #1 topic at the NDS presentations, especially development of rugby as a sport, as a pursuit, as a business, and as a high performance entity all in one.

That’s what George Henderson wants to change. Henderson will be presenting on behalf of the Rugby Business Executives Association, and will outline a detailed strategy to leverage American rugby’s impressive reach in the business community to help the game at all levels.

Henderson worked with former USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville, and then later current CEO Dan Payne, to complete the Strategy 2020 strategic plan.

The plan is unlike any strategic plan USA Rugby has had before - usually those plans list goals (specific and nebulous) and fill in with accomplishments and existing stats. The RBEA and Strategy 2020 goes way beyond that.

“What I wanted to do was bring people together,” said Henderson, who has worked extensively in strategic planning and business organization.

Henderson points out that there are hundreds of business executives in businesses with over 50 employees who have rugby in their background. He is bringing them together to develop major markets - areas of the country that can grow the game and create a framework by which each region can follow a pathway to make rugby more popular, and more financially stable.

It’s Development with a capital D.

If you’re at the NDS because you want to make things better and help the sport grow, the one presentation you have to see is the Rugby Business Executives Association presentation

Business leaders are behind this initiative and the USA Rugby Board, Congress, and National Office have signed off on the Strategy 2020 plan. But the next step is to let those further afield know that plans are being developed to help them.

Too much work and effort is done by a small portion of the rugby community, said Henderson, and in addition there are too many little battles going on within that community.

By taking a fresh, more business approach, Henderson and the RBEA is looking to get a more diverse group to increase participation at the youth level, develop major markets to host rugby events and grow the game, and find more engaged business partners.

Right now, said Henderson, local rugby groups are carrying too much of the load.

Everything, of course, needs funding, but that’s where the RBEA comes in. What the RBEA presentation at the National Development Summit is about is getting people, especially those at State Rugby Organizations and other groups, to buy in.

It’s simple. If you’re at the NDS because you want to make things better and help the sport grow, the one presentation you have to see is the Rugby Business Executives Association presentation.

Henderson and the RBEA presentation will be at 8:30 am, Saturday, January 20, in Denver Ballroom 4 of the Denver Marriott City Center.

For more on the NDS, go here: http://www.rugbysummit.com/#home

For more on Strategy 2020, go here: https://www.rugbystrategy.us