Tours / Festivals / Cross Border details

PAGE DUE TO BE UPDATED WITH NEW REGULATION UPDATES AND PERMISSIONS – AUGUST 2019

For further information – please contact Robert Bray Hon Secretary – northmidsrfu@gmail.com

 

Tours and Festivals

Please can I remind you all, that consent is required to run a Festival. This can be obtained from the North Midlands Hon Sec – Robert Bray (email: northmidsrfu@gmail.com) – Please pay particular attention to completing a risk assessment and that the event reflects the appropriate Age Grade Regulations. You need to attach competition rules and insurance cover.

 

At the Safeguarding Conference recently, issues arising from alcohol consumption during tours was highlighted as being more significant last season! That was both adults and youngsters. In preparing for a tour,  please make sure your coaches have copies of the RFU Tour Guidance. A detailed risk assessment should be completed. If things do go wrong, as well as checking DBS status, the risk assessment is one of the first documents the RFU Safeguarding Team will ask for.
Foreign tours need consent from CB Hon Sec as above. Similarly consent is required for cross border fixtures. These consents need to be applied for in good time. Last minute submission is not acceptable because it does not allow time for  amendments which then can lead to rejection.

 

In recent seasons travel insurance has been an issue. We strongly suggest, for foreign tours especially, you take out a party policy for everyone through the company the RFU uses – Perkins Slade. (details on RFU website) It only adds a few pounds to the cost per person but will give tour organisers and the party members peace of mind that everyone will be covered adequately.
As an example, one of the North Midlands clubs went to France on tour recently. They had purchased a policy through Perkins Slade. They had a player who had to have an operation on his leg and one of the parents suffered a cardiac arrest. Both were treated without issue – the wife of the adult was flown out to join her husband and both parties were repatriated through the insurance. I understand both are recovering well.
If something goes wrong during a tour, as with any other safeguarding incident, please don’t try to deal with it on your own. It is important that the initial incident form is completed and forwarded to me and /or RFU Safeguarding team and then further information will be requested soon after. Always happy to chat about what you are dealing with.
Regulation 15 – Playing Out Of Age Group
Can I please remind you that  consent has to be sought for any of your players to play out of age group, in some instances from the CB. I would ask that you forward your applications to me by the end of September, by which time I would expect you to know the make up of your teams. Obviously any later newcomers who fall into one of the categories can be dealt with as they arrive through the season.  Age Grade Guidance – July 2016 / Consentformplayingoutofagegrade
It is really important this information is shared with the Club Coaching Coordinator and all coaches.
There have been times in recent years that coaches have commented that they thought this was a new aspect of Regulation 15. The sections dealing with playing up or down have been in place – apart from minor adjustments – for some considerable time. Please see below a chart that I have sent out in previous seasons. It will give your CCC and coaches a brief overview. For full details see Regulation 15.3 and 15.4.  Regulation changes have now been incorporated into the documentation –
CB consent – from me – is needed for
  • 2 age groups being combined between U9 and U13. This category is really intended for small clubs with limited numbers
  • Playing down one year – this can only happen in the specified exceptional circumstances quoted in the regulation.
I’d also like to stress that playing up between U12 and U16 is really meant for individual players – rather than whole groups of players.
All movement between age groups should based on clear assessment, documented and consented to by club, including CSO and parents. This documentation may be asked for during our visits. Please see relevant Guidance document below.
Many thanks for your time in ensuring our players are well looked after and safe.
Judith Phelps
  Safeguarding,
  Medical and Equity Manager
  North Midlands RFU
  07773 326439
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