Club of the Year 2026 Additional Information
The Club of the Year competition is designed to encourage clubs to be dynamic and active, rewarding their achievements and contributions at both a local and national level. Clubs are assessed on the planning and execution of their development strategy, involvement in the club’s local community and the level of club members’ participation. The 2026 Club of the Year competition will be judged on the timeframe of 1st August 2025 to 31st July 2026.
Key Dates for 2026 Club of the Year
- Competition Launch and Applications open 18th May 2026
- Application Closing date – 24th July 2026
- Club records must be submitted by 4th August 2026
- Applications will be shortlisted and Regional Round Interviews Online – 10th to 27th August 2026
- Correspondence to clubs on progression to the final – by 28th August 2026
- National Final at the Rally in Limerick on the October Bank Holiday Weekend
Application
The 2026 Club of the Year Competition will be open to all Macra clubs. There are two categories for application: Club of the Year and Best Emerging Club. The application process for both will open on 18th May 2026 and will consist of a JotForm application to be submitted online by 24th July 2026. Clubs will have an opportunity to attend a workshop for Club of the Year in June 2026. The workshop will focus on helping clubs with the application forms and other requirements for the competition.
Club Records
Club records must be submitted by 4th August 2026, and clubs will be reminded of this following the closing date of applications. Club records will consist of a maximum of two social media handles, a copy of three club meeting minutes including the attendance records for each meeting and the agenda for each meeting. Clubs must also include a treasurer report for the year, 1st August 2025 to 31st July 2026. Please note that records will not be marked if they are sent after the deadline, and only the requested number of records will be sent to the judges for marking. Clubs will receive a link to upload their club records. The Club of the Year workshop will include tips and recommendations for the club record requirements, so clubs are encouraged to attend the workshop.
Regional Round Interview
Applications will be shortlisted, and the successful clubs will be invited to an online interview with at least two judges in August 2026 and will be given at least ten days’ notice. A minimum of two members and a maximum of four members can attend this interview. The marking scheme for the application form, online regional interviews and club records is as follows:
Application Form, Regional Round Interview and Club Records Marking Scheme
|
|
Marks Available |
Category |
Details |
|
|
20 marks |
Monthly Meetings |
Attendance, planning, active members, activity at the meeting |
|
|
20 marks |
Activity |
Variety of activities (young farmer, rural youth, competitions) recruitment, retention of members |
|
|
20 marks |
PR |
Consistent social media. Other avenues of PR. |
|
|
20 marks |
Community |
Club image in the community, fund raisers, community projects |
|
|
20 marks |
Records |
Club records – minutes, agenda, attendance, social media handles, treasurer report. |
|
Total |
100 Marks |
|
|
A maximum of 12 clubs will be chosen from the regional rounds to go to the final stage of the competition. These will include a maximum of three clubs from each region and a maximum of three clubs in the best emerging category. Unsuccessful clubs will be notified by 10th August 2026. Clubs must have been established/re-established between 1st March 2025 and 28th February 2026 to be considered for the Best Emerging Category. A re-established club must have had an inactive period of 12 months or more and re-established between 1st March 2025 and 28th February 2026 to be considered for this category. Clubs will not receive feedback following the regional rounds however, judges’ feedback will be sent to clubs in November 2026 following the final of Club of the Year. All clubs will be notified by 28th August 2026 on whether or not they will progress to the final stage of the competition. Marks awarded at the regional round of the competition are not carried forward to the final stage of the competition.
Regional Judges
Two to three judges will be arranged in July 2026 to judge the regional interviews in August. Judges will receive the marking scheme and briefing in advance of the regional interviews. Club records will also be sent to judges for marking prior to interviews. Feedback will be requested from judges to give to clubs following the final of the competition.
Club of the Year Final Stage
The final stage of the competition will consist of a club promotional video and a club display and interview at the Rally in Limerick on the October bank holiday weekend. By 4th September 2026, all finalists will receive correspondence on the requirements for both the promotional video and the club displays at the Rally. Each club will be required to make their own club promotional video of a maximum of 90 seconds and submit it two weeks prior to the Rally. If the video is longer than 90 seconds, it will only be judged on the first 90 seconds. The promotional videos will be shared on Macra’s social media in the two weeks prior to the rally. At the Rally 2026, the finalist clubs will be required to set up a display and will be given a ten-minute interview slot with at least two judges. The judges’ questions will not be given to clubs in advance of the competition. A minimum of two and a maximum of four members must be present for the interview, which will take place at the club display. By 28th August, all clubs will also be made aware of what tickets they will receive for the Rally. The club promotional video and tips for the club displays will be covered in the Club of the Year workshop.
Final Marking Scheme
1. Promotional Video (30 Marks)
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|
Marks Available |
Category |
Details |
|
1. |
8 marks |
Club Promotion
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Likelihood to join the club after watching the video |
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2. |
6 marks |
Inclusion/Diversity
|
Does it meet the needs of people from all walks of life |
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3. |
8 marks |
Variety of activity
|
Is there a variety of activities expressed in the video |
|
4. |
8 marks |
Club Creativity |
Does the video express club creativity |
2. Club Display (30 marks)
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|
Marks Available |
Category |
Details |
|
1. |
10 marks |
Originality |
How original is the display |
|
2. |
10 marks |
Variety at display |
Is there a variety at the club display |
|
3. |
10 marks |
Vibrant Display
|
Is the display vibrant/would you be encouraged to join the club |
3. Display Interview (40 marks)
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|
Marks Available |
Category |
Details |
|
1. |
8 marks |
Community Involvement |
Examples of community involvement |
|
2. |
8 marks |
Member Engagement |
Examples of engaging current members and new members |
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3. |
8 marks |
Planning |
Club development plan and execution |
|
4. |
8 marks |
Activity |
Examples of club activities |
|
5. |
8 marks |
Uniqueness |
Something that stands out to judges |
Final Judges
Two/Three judges will be arranged in August 2026 to judge the final of Club of the Year at the Rally. Judges will receive the marking scheme and briefing in advance of the final. Club promotional videos will also be sent to judges prior to the Rally. Feedback will be requested from judges to give to clubs following the final of the competition.
Club of the Year Awards and Prizes
Winning clubs will be awarded at the final of Club of the Year at the Rally. There will be a winner from each region, a best emerging winner, and an overall Club of the Year winner. This year, there will be a new award for ‘Best Club Initiative’. This award will be given to the club that hosted an event that stands out to the judges. The prizes are as follows:
- Best Club Initiative: trophy
- Regional Winner: €500 and a trophy
- Best Emerging Winner: €500 and a trophy
- Overall Club of the Year Winner: €500, trophy and perpetual cup
In November 2026, all clubs will receive feedback from the judges for both the regional and final stages following the final of the Club of the year 2026. All club applicants will be asked to submit feedback on their experience of the competition which will be used in the review of the competition for the succeeding year.
🔗Club of the Year 2026 Application Form: https://form.jotform.com/260484114066352
🔗Best Emerging Club 2026 Application Form: https://form.jotform.com/260494644363361
Communications
For all communication regarding Club of the Year 2026, please contact Macra’s Events Co-ordinator, Ciara Murray, by email cmurray@macra.ie. Club of the Year is not the responsibility of the Rally committee.