I refer to your committee’s email dated the 13 October 2021.  It states, “To ensure the safety and enjoyment for all, and to maintain the club's 5 star food hygiene status, the committee has reviewed its position on dogs which are brought onto our grounds and into our premises. All dogs are to be kept on leads at all times and at no point on any playing areas. With the exception of assistance dogs NO DOGS are allowed in the clubhouse. Effective as of  Monday 1 November 2021.”

With regard to outside and playing areas policy, this has been the case for sometime and it makes sense because players roll around on the grass and dog facies can spread disease. However, banning dogs from inside the  clubhouse is a major shift from standing policy  and is clearly a failure on the committee’s part to understand the club’s history, the current mood of the club’s membership and the fact that post-Covid most of the hospitality sector is welcoming dogs more than ever.

In terms of  the club’s history - dogs have always been welcomed inside Winchester Rugby Club. Rugby is about families and that means kids and dogs. To ban dogs without a valid reason and without consultation with the membership  is draconian and lacks sensitivity.  Using the 5 star food rating as an excuse for banning dogs is invalid.  There is no law or any health and safety regulations that ban dogs from being in premises where food and drink is served or sold. However, they must not enter areas where food is prepared, handled or stored, for example the kitchen.  Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs contains the general hygiene requirements for all food business operators from premises and facilities.  These EU Regulations, are applied throughout the UK, and do not prohibit the presence of dogs in catering establishments such as pubs, restaurants and takeaways.

In terms of the mood of the club membership – I hope we can agree that the last 2 years have been testing for everyone.   In short, we have been hammered with new laws and regulations because of Covid19 and we are now all enjoying restrictions being lifted and having more freedom. Therefore, this additional restriction of banning dogs inside the club could not have come at a worse time. Moreover, on one hand, the committee is thanking the membership for supporting the club financially through the Covid dark days, while on the other hand, the committee is placing unnecessary draconian restrictions upon us.

The policy to ban dogs in the clubhouse flies in the face of  the majority of the hospitality sector which is welcoming dogs more than ever.  Several pubs and cafes in Winchester that serve food have changed their policies to include dogs inside their premises to increase business.  This increase also reflects a greater level of acceptance of dogs in public spaces so why is our club trying to go the other way?  If dogs are not being controlled sufficiently inside the club, the owner should be politely asked to take action or leave – a draconian blanket ban should not be used because it  offends members and fails to treat members as responsible adults.

For the reasons above,  It is respectfully requested that you support our petition to have the banning of  dogs in the clubhouse withdrawn.