WRU Women’s Handbook

2014-15

All Women’s Teams,

Welcome to the 2014-15 season for Women’s & Girls Rugby. The previous season has proved that the Women's game has the potential to create a really positive future.

Your commitment last season resulted in a 22% increase in the number of competitive games. Since the last world cup the amount of games played in a seasonhas risen by 114% and most importantly the amount of clubs participating in the league/Cup Structure has grown by 58% in the last 5 years. The growth in competitive games is vital to increase the standard of the players that we have.

Having just come out of the highest profile Women’s Rugby World Cup in history, the game has never been seen in such a good place globally. The IRB are committed to a growth in Women’s participation and see 15s and 7s a vital part of their development strategy.

Looking forward to the next few years Women’s rugby is entering the Olympics in 2016, another World Cup in 2017 and Wales Women’s 7s have the opportunity to compete in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast.

Women’s rugby will be getting exposure like never before and it is vital as Guardians of the game the WRU and clubs continue to nurture and foster participation across the country. Alongside an expanded league programme, a new U18s merit table and an enthusiastic league management group. The clubs are creating a really fantastic competition structure that will drive the development of our sport.

Over the next season a number of WRU events will be conducted to bring more people to the game. Please see attached season Calendar that list all these events.

As clubs you can create your own events to attract people to the game. The WRU are able to support the promotion of such events via and the new Women’s call to action #tryourgame.

Good luck for 2014-15,

Ben Rose

WRU Rugby Development Manager

Contents

  1. Season Structure
  2. Calendar of events
  3. League Structure
  4. League Rules
  5. League Variations
  6. Protests & Disputes
  7. Disciplinary Sanctions
  8. Code of Conduct
  9. Pre and Post match protocols
  10. Player Registration
  11. Player Transfers
  12. Player Permits
  13. Overseas/cross Border Fixtures
  14. Scratch & Charity Games
  15. Prohibitions
  16. Seven-a-Side Competitions
  17. Annual Closed Season
  18. Funding Opportunities
  19. Useful Contacts
  20. Club Contacts

  1. Season Structure

Phase 1

7th September to 21stDecember – Senior league season

Phase 2

28th December to 18thJanuary – Regional programme (ID for International Programme)

Phase 3

Sunday 25th January to 10th May – Cup Season

Phase 4

May 11th to July 19th – 7-a-side programme

1

  1. Calendar of Events

1

  1. League structure

Premiership
Llandaff North
Pontyclun
Whitland
Seven Sisters
Skewen
Gwernyfed
Pencoed
Division 1
Caernarfon
Blaenau Gwent
Kidwelly
Maesteg Celtic
Barry
Croesyceiliog
Gorseinon
Division 2
Penallta
Pen-y-Banc
Haverford West
Bargoed
Lampeter
Nantyffyllon
Abergele
Division 3
Abergavenny
PorthQuins
Ynys-y-Bwl
Senghenedd
Bedlinog
Seaview
  1. League Rules

1. Description

The Competition will be called “The WRU Women’s National League” (hereinafter “the League”)

2. Form

The League will be comprised of 5 Divisions:

i. Premiership

ii. Division 1

iii. Division 2

iv. Division 3

v. Under 18’s Merit Table

a. Senior Leagues

i. The Senior League will run between 7th of September 2014 and 21st of December 2014. All league fixtures must be completed between these dates.

  1. Under 18’s League

ii. The League will run between 7th of September 2014 and 5th of April 2015.

ii. Clubs are responsible for organising their own fixtures through the season and report results to the Competition Secretary.

iii. A Merit Table will be compiled each week with results from Under 18 matches.

iv. After 5th of April 2014, the 4 clubs situated in the top 4 positions of the Merit Table shall advance to the Semi Finals of the “National Women’s Super Cup”

v. IRB Under 19 Law variations apply to League matches.

vi. Women’s League rules apply to League Matches, with the exception of the variations listed in chapter 5.c

3. Entry of Conditions

a. Clubs that enter the League must have registered their Women’s team with the WRU.

b. Clubs participating in the League must comply with:

i. The Rules contained herewith

ii. The Regulations and Resolutions of the WRU

iii. The By Laws, Resolutions and Regulations relating to the Game of the IRB

iv. The Laws of the Game

4. Responsibilities for Organisation

a. The League will be organised and administered by the Welsh Rugby Union

b. The Welsh Rugby Union shall carry out the organisation and administration of the League through the appointment of a League Secretary and a League Committee.

c. The League Secretary shall organise the League on a day to day basis.

d. The League Committee, which shall comprise of 1 member from each club, shall consider matters of policy and settle disputes relating to the rules contained herein as they arise and shall be representatives of the clubs that play in the Leagues and be appointed by the WRU annually.

e. When cases of an urgent nature occur the Chairman of the League Committee, in consultation with the League Secretary, shall have absolute discretion to deal with these cases whether provided for herein or not. Decisions made by the Chairman and the League Secretary in such cases shall be binding

5. Eligibility to Participate

a. Clubs

i. The Club to which the team is affiliated must have registered its women’s team with the WRU before it shall be eligible to play in the League.

b. Players

i. A player will not be eligible to play in the League unless she is registered with the Club that she is representing in a League match or

ii. She plays in the League on permit for a Club, which permit being granted by the Club with whom she is registered. See Chapter 12 of the Senior Women’s Handbook.

iii. A player must be 18 years old to be registered by a Club as a Senior player and become eligible to play for a Club in a League fixture. The only exception to this strict rule applies to players who are registered with the National Academy. A National Academy player may play on permit for a Club while still 17 years old provided that the player has been given the written approval of her parents and the National Academy Manager to play for a Club in a League match.

iv. An Under 18’s player must be aged 15, 16 and 17 (school years 11, 12 and 13) as of 1st September at the start of the season. Players are not permitted to play senior rugby until their 18th birthday except in the case of players selected for Welsh under 20s or seniors with the consent of the Performance Manager.

v. Only those players named on the team sheet which the Club has submitted to the Match Official prior to the match will be eligible to play in a League fixture.

6. Finance

a. Home teams will retain all gate receipts for League matches.

b. The Away teams will be responsible to meet the costs of their travel to play League matches.

c. For journeys over 140 miles, the WRU will make a contribution of £350 per journey made to fulfil League matches.

7. General Rules

a. Fixtures

i. All League fixtures must be played and each Club must complete its programme of League fixtures.

Except Under 18’s – see 5.c.i

ii. In the event of a League fixture not being played on the due date either because of postponement, the failure to play the fixture must be reported to the League Secretary on or before the date of the fixture. When the League Secretary receives a report he will enquire as to the reason for the non-completion of the fixture. If the League Secretary deems that a Club was at fault for the non-completion of a fixture, an automatic sanction of a deduction of 4 league points shall be imposed. If the sanctioned Club deems this to be inappropriate, they may dispute by following actions in chapter 6 of the Women’s Handbook.

iii. Where a match has been abandoned, Clubs can mutually agree that a result may stand and that agreement is endorsed by the League Secretary. If clubs fail to agree that a result may stand, a committee of Inquiry will be asked to review the match and decide whether the score is to stand or not.

iv. League matches must be played on the designated dates unless postponed because of ground or weather conditions or postponed by mutual consent of the participating Clubs with the prior agreement of the League Secretary, such agreement to be made at least 3 days before the date of the due fixture.

v. If a League match is due to be postponed because of ground or weather conditions, every effort must be made to reverse the fixture.

vi. Postponed or abandoned matches must be rearranged and played no later than 21st of December 2014, notice of the agreed rearranged date must be sent by both Clubs to the League Secretary within 10 days, the League Secretary will set a date for the new fixture and advise both Clubs accordingly.

b. Declaration of Winners

i. The winners of a match will be the team that has scored the greater number of points at the end of the match.

League points will be awarded as follows:-

Win – 4 points

Draw – 2 points

Loss- 1 point provided that the losing team is within 7 points of the winning team at the end of the match.

Bonus Point-A team that scores 4 or more tries in a match will gain a bonus point.

Except Under 18’s – See 5.c.ii

c. League Placings

i. Divisional placings will be decided on the basis of League points gained in the season. Where Clubs have gained an equal number of League points the Club that has recorded the most wins shall be given preference. If the number of wins is equal the higher place will be determined by the results between the two Clubs in the League, the Club that won those two matches, or if the Clubs have won one match each then the Club with the most points scored in the two matches will take the higher place. If the Clubs are still equal then the Club with the higher points for/against ratio will be the higher placed Club. The points for against ratio will be decided by dividing the points awarded by a Club in the League season by the points awarded against that Club in a Season

Except Under 18’s – See 5.c.iii

ii. Where games have not been played due to weather conditions etc by the cut off date then the league will be decided by League Points Ratio by dividing the numbers of points awarded by the number of games played in order to give average points per game.

d. Duration of Play

i. Each match will be 80 minutes playing time, that is 40 minutes each half (Laws of the Game – Law 5.1). At half time an interval of no more that 10 minutes is allowed.

Except in Division 3 – see 5.b.ii, Under 18’s – see 5.c.iv

e. Player Numbers and replacements

i. If a team names 15 players only, there is no requirement to name more than 3 players capable of playing in front row positions.

ii. If a team names 16, 17 or 18 players, 4 must be capable of playing in the front row i.e. if a team has 1 front row replacement it may name 3 substitutes.

iii. If a team names 19, 20, 21, or 22 players, 5 must be capable of playing in the front row i.e. if a team has 2 front row replacements it may name 7 replacements.

iv. Front row replacements must be listed on the team sheet prior to the match

v. If a team has no front row and elects to play uncontested scrums, or has no front row replacements that team may not play any substitutes.

vi. If a player is substituted, that player must not return to the field of play even to replace an injured player except as a blood replacement or a front row replacement.

vii. If a referee deems during a match that it is unsafe to continue scrummaging and calls uncontested scrums, Teams may still use replacements providing front row cover was available at the beginning of the match.

viii. If a Club elects to playing uncontested scrummages that Club will not forfeit the match. League matches may start using uncontested scrummages. If a Club elects to play with uncontested scrummages in 3 successive League matches the WRU will investigate the availability of suitably trained front row forwards in the club and recommend ways in which the Club can in future play with contested scrummages.

ix. The team electing to play with non contested scrummages will not be allowed to use substitutes

f. Match Results

i. The Home Club must advise the League Secretary of the results of a matches played by telephone or email by 6pm on the day next following a match, in the case of a Sunday fixture this will be by 6pm on Monday following the fixture.

ii. Both Clubs playing in a match must send the completed results sheet by e-mail or post to the League Secretary no later than 3 days after a match has been played.

  1. League Variations

a. Premiership, Division 1 & Division 2

i. In the event of a team being short of players a match can be played with a minimum of 12 players in a team. If a League match starts with one team fielding only 12 players the other team does not have to reduce its numbers from 15 players. If because of injuries the team that has started with only 12 players is further reduced in number the match may continue provided that that team can maintain a front row and second row even if it has elected to play with uncontested scrummages.

ii. Coaches must agree, within reason and with consent of the referee, to the format of the game prior to kick off.

iii. Signed team sheets to be handed to the referee prior to the game and the referee’s decision is final. All disputes are to be brought to the attention of the league secretary.

b. Division 3

i. League matches can be played with reduced numbers (minimum 10 a side) with teams matching numbers at the start of the fixture. There is no requirement to further match numbers due to injury, suspension or sending off.

ii. When league fixtures are played with 14, 13 or 12 players, time is reduced to 35 minutes each way, or is played with 11 or 10 players time is reduced to 30 minutes each way.

iii. Teams must inform opposition at the soonest possible time, if they are likely to begin a match with less than 15 players.

iv. Coaches must agree, within reason and with consent of the referee, to the format of the game prior to kick off.

v. Signed team sheets to be handed to the referee prior to the game and the referee’s decision is final. All disputes are to be brought to the attention of the league secretary.

c. Under 18’s Merit Table

i. Clubs are responsible for arranging their own fixtures.

ii.The winners of a match will be the team that has scored the greater number of points at the end of the match.

League points will be awarded as follows:-

Win – 3 points

Draw – 2 points

Loss - 1 point

iii. Merit Table placings will be decided on the basis of League points gained in the season. Where Clubs have gained an equal number of League points the Club that has recorded the higher points for/against ratio will be the higher placed Club. The points for/against ratio will be decided by dividing the points score by a Club in the League season by the points scored against that Club in a Season

iv. Each match will be 70 minutes playing time, that is 35 minutes each half (Laws of the Game – Law 5.1). At half time an interval of no more that 10 minutes is allowed.

v. League matches may be played with reduced numbers (minimum 10 a side) with teams matching numbers at the start of the fixture. There is no requirement to further match numbers due to injury, suspension or sending off.

vi. When league fixtures are played with 14, 13 or 12 players time is reduced to 30 minutes each way, or is played with 11 or 10 players time is reduced to 25 minutes each way.

vii. Teams must inform opposition at the soonest possible time, if they are likely to begin a match with less than 15 players.

viii. Coaches must agree, within reason and with consent of the referee, to the format of the game prior to kick off.

ix. Signed team sheets to be handed to the referee prior to the game and the referee’s decision is final. All disputes are to be brought to the attention of the league secretary

x. In the event of a club gaining a points lead over it’s opponent club of 50 points the match shall stop at that time with the club that has a lead of 50 points being declared the winner.

  1. Protests and Disputes

a. Protests and Disputes

Protests or disputes in respect of League matches whether provided for within this set of rules or not must be brought to the attention of the League Secretary within 24 hours of the match and confirmed in writing to the League Secretary within 48 hours of the match. A Committee of Inquiry will be convened to consider each such protest or dispute within 7 days of receipt by the League Secretary of the complaint.