DISCIPLINARY OFFICERS

2023 / 2024 season

Chairman : John Brennan, mobile 07816 760763  – email:  headnmrfudiscipline@gmail.com

Discipline Secretary – Steve Biggs, mobile 07976 311535 – email: nmrfu.discsec@gmail.com

Age Grade Discipline Secretary – Mark Johnstone – mobile 07958 192524 email: NMAgeGradeDisSec@gmail.com

NOTE: ANY ACT OF FOUL PLAY WHICH RESULTS IN CONTACT WITH THE HEAD AND/OR NECK SHALL RESULT IN AT LEAST A MID-RANGE ENTRY POINT  – Regulation 19 Appendix 2 – The North Midlands RFU Discipline Panel will be guided by the Head Contact Process In effect: 9 March 2023 for any Sanction made
Please see attached document regarding Age Grade Disciplinary Alternative Sanction guidance.  https://northmidsrfu.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Age-Grade-Discipline-Alternative-Sanction-Guidance.pdf

NMRFU Discipline Statement

All of us involved in rugby here in the North Midlands will be pleased and excited about the start of the new season. It brings some interesting and challenging changes. The start of the new season sees the introduction of the new league structures. These are  intended to improve player retention and attract new players to an area of the game where research has indicated players are choosing to play less regularly.

The start of the season also marks the introduction of some important law changes. The most significant of these are the requirement for hookers to have a “brake foot” at scrum engagement and limits on who may be a water carrier and where they have to be when pitch side. The law changes also deal with players jumping into tackles and bring some consistency to the Goal Line Drop Out rules. The full list of the changes can be found here: https://www.world.rugby/the-game/laws/guidelines/25

On the discipline front, players, spectators and officials should be aware of the RFU’s new “zero tolerance” approach to Match Official Abuse (MOA). Recent surveys of match officials regarding their experience of abuse and disrespect make for very bad reading. Too many officials have experienced some form of abuse and it means that referees are leaving the game and new referees are not joining in the numbers that we need. Stamping out MOA is a priority for the RFU and for us here at the NMRFU. Respect is one of the most important core values in our game and we are all responsible for upholding it. More importantly, if we do not respect our match officials they simply won’t be there when we want them to referee a game. No referee means no game.

The RFU has divided MOA into 5 categories:

  • Disrespect
  • Verbal abuse
  • Using threatening actions or words towards match officials
  • Making physical contact with a match official
  • Physical abuse

The sanction for disrespect may be anything up to and including a red card. For all the other offences, a red card is the only realistic sanction. Referees are also being reminded that abuse that is directed at a team mate or opponent rather than the referee may also amount to “foul play”  under Law 9.12. Referees have been given clear advice that any abuse which relates to any of the protected characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010 (eg homophobic or racist abuse) MUST be dealt with by the issue of a red card. Such cases will always be dealt with by the RFU discipline team at Twickenham. We have already had one case in the North Midlands and the season has barely begun!  The full text of the RFU guidance can be found here. https://www.englandrugby.com/governance/discipline Players and club officials should read it.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind players, club officials and spectators that stamping out match office abuse is the main priority for NMRFU. The NMRFU Discipline Committee has a policy that any player, coach, administrator or supporter who appears before a panel on a charge under World Rugby Law 9.28 (match official abuse or disrespect) or for an equivalent offence charged under RFU Regulation 5.12 (bringing the game into disrepute) will automatically have their sanction increased by a further 2 weeks.

On a different note, the Discipline Committee is always on the lookout for new recruits to help to uphold one of the most important of the values of our game. We are looking for those with experience of the game, who are decisive and fair-minded and who want to make a real difference to our game. We are particularly looking for those from under-represented groups to make sure that our committee is as diverse as the rugby community that it serves. If you are interested or know someone in your club who might be, please drop me a line at disciplinechairnmrfu@gmail.com.

I wish you all a successful, safe and happy season.

Chairman of Discipline, North Midlands RFU