Membership FAQ

Who can join?

The club is open to children of ages 4 and above to receive athletic coaching and compete in varied suitable events.

Which age group would my child be in?

Athletics age groups are determined by your child's date of birth. Please see the table below for more details:

Track & Field Cross Country
U7 Reception and School Year 1 -
U9 School Years 2 and 3 -
U11 School Years 4 and 5 At least 9 on day of competition and under 11 on 1st September prior to the fixture
U13 School Years 6 and 7 At least 11 on day of competition and under 13 on 1st September prior to the fixture
U15 School Years 8 and 9 At least 13 on day of competition and under 15 on 1st September prior to the fixture
U17 School Years 10 and 11 At least 15 on day of competition and under 17 on 1st September prior to the fixture
U20 At least 17 on 31st August but under 20 on 31st December in year of competition At least 17 on day of competition and under 20 on 1st September prior to the fixture

What are the costs?

The following is a summary of the different fees that apply when your child becomes a member:

Fee Type Cost
Welsh Athletics Affiliation £12/year (year 4 & above) £19.50/year (Seniors, at least 20 on 31st Dec) due by April 1st - payable by bank transfer
Annual Membership £31/year (year 3 & below, includes insurance) or £19/year (year 4 & above) - payable by bank transfer
Training Fees £15/month for 1 weekly session, £20/month for 2 weekly sessions or £25/month for 3 weekly sessions - payable by monthly standing order
Competition Fees Extra depending on what events your child wants to do

When you become a member you get:

  • A free club t-shirt (1st time sign up only).
  • Recognition in the club's presentation evening and other social events.

Additional to our membership, there is a Welsh Athletics Affiliation fee (amount shown above) which is due by the 1st of April every year. Registering with Welsh Athletics opens up a wide range of competitions and activities organised by the national governing body and also enables the chance to be selected to represent Wales. There are many extra benefits to make sure you get the best out of your Athletics experience which include:

  • Annual year-book listing all competitions, contact and key information; a must-have for every athlete.
  • A yearly registration card with unique personal number.
  • Basic insurance.
  • £5 off any 'Under Armour' product when spending £30 at 'Tony Pryce Sports'.
  • 10% off at 'Tony Pryce Sports' with Loyalty Card.
  • £2 entry fee reduction in road running events.
  • 20% off products from the 'Lucozade' online store.
  • 10% off at 'Run and Become'.

Note: the prices and discounts listed above are out of our control and are subject to change at any time so please check with the provider to confirm.

Where and when is training?

The majority of our training is done at Markham and District Sports Centre. Please see the times below for your child's age group:

At Rhiw Syr Dafydd Junior School, Oakdale:

Monday Invite only Multi Event Coach Anna 18.00-19:00
Event Squad Endurance coaches Deb, John and Gerwyn 18.00-19.00
Tuesday Event Squad Multi Events Coach Anna 18:00-19:45
Run jump throw U11 18.00-19.00
Development Multi Events 18.00-19.00
Wednesday Beginners and Development Mini's Training -Coach Andy 18.00-19.00
Thursday Minis Training - Coach Neil & Gavin 18.00-19.00
Event Squad Sprinting - Coach Matt and Bryony 18.00-19:00
Development Multi Events Coach Ken and Hillary 18.00-19.00
Development Multi Events - Coach Ken and Hillary 19.00-20.00
Event Squad Endurance coaches Deb,Chris, John and Gerwyn 19.00-20.00
Competitive Squad
All competitive sessions are closed and can be attended by invite only. All members training in the competitive sessions are expected to compete for the club in competitions appropriate to their ability. Please contact the age group Team Manager for more information.

Do parents have to stay?

Arrangements should be made for your child to travel to and from training sessions and we also require that a parent, guardian or agreed responsible adult stay onsite in the event of an emergency. In the case of the latter, you need to let us know who this will be.

We also require parents to stay and support at competitions.

What do they wear to training?

The club training kit consists of a red t-shirt, polo shirt and hoodie. They all feature the club badge and are available from Ruggerbug in Ystrad Mynach. Whilst it is not compulsory to wear the RVAC kit to training, we strongly encourage it as it promotes a feeling of unity and team spirit.

Children should wear appropriate running trainers to all sessions. Both Run and Become and Moti in Cardiff can assess your child's needs and recommend the most appropriate type of running shoe. They are reasonable priced and have many junior styles on offer and the 10% discount certainly makes them worth a visit.

What do they wear to competitions?

The RVAC colours are red, white and blue and the club holds a stock of official RVAC vests for this purpose. Whilst trainers can be worn to competitions, we advise that running spikes are used as they noticebaly improve performance on the track. Spike lengths are 6mm for track and field events and 9mm for cross country.

Are the coaches qualified?

All members of our coaching team are fully DBS checked and qualified by UK Athletics. Many of them have varied sporting backgrounds and also coach in other areas. Bio's of each coach can be viewed here.

How do we keep in touch?

This website, Facebook and Twitter are great ways of keeping in touch and all updates, news and events will be posted to each of these areas. We also use WhatsApp for real-time communication and you would be automatically added to the appropriate group on becoming a member.

If you would like to talk to someone at the club about any of this information or your child’s involvement with the club, please speak to any member of the team or contact us.

Sounds great! So how do they join?

Joining is as simple as checking age group availablity and filling out an application form here. If we don't have space right now we'll even add you to our waiting list!