The RRRC has approved the following policies that are in addition to the USA Rugby Club Eligibility Guidelines.
Table of Contents
Locations and Match Logistics
In each league, each club will play every other club in that league at least once in each round, unless a home/away requirement is necessary to meet match minimums. Matches may be arranged on the principal of reciprocal home matches from season to season, but the competition committee shall always have regard for the best interests of the competition when allocating locations.
In the event of a club playing multiple divisional games, the lower divisional game must be played first. Any variation to match times, and/or dates is subject to the approval of the opposition Club, the appointed Referee, and the Division Coordinator. All matches shall commence at the time appropriate to allow for travel time for the opposition.
Clubs within Driving Distance:
Home Clubs are required to contact their opponents not later than Tuesday prior to their scheduled league matches to provide logistics information. The teams are to work alternate mutually agreeable arrangements if there is a problem with the weekend’s scheduled pitch.
Matches for two clubs requiring Flight arrangements:
Home Clubs are required to contact their opponents with a full month’s notice prior to their scheduled league matches to provide logistics information. The teams are to work alternate mutually agreeable arrangements if there is a problem with the weekend’s scheduled pitch.
League Schedules
Each divisional league match schedule should be completed at least 90 days prior to the beginning of league play. Teams within the respective divisions will be allowed to review the schedule and recommend changes for a period of two weeks. After the two week review period the schedule will be considered final. Any schedule changes requested by a team after the schedule has been finalized will be made at the discretion of the RRRC. League schedulers are encouraged to reach out to the member teams prior to producing the schedule to incorporate any potential requested block out dates. However, there are no guarantees that these requests will be honored. The RRRC divisional representatives should work closely with their respective TRU league schedulers to insure the league scheduling process goes smoothly.
Match Cancellation Policy
Cancelled matches are frequently determined well in advance of the scheduled match date and should be rescheduled in a timely fashion. If the original Home field was cancelled (more than 24 hours in advance), the Home team shall make any/all effort to secure a suitable and reasonable field for the same date no further than 30 miles in additional travel distance from the original venue for the Away team. If a field cancellation occurs for any reason within 24 hours of the originally scheduled match and another suitable and reasonable field within 30 miles cannot be located, the weather rescheduling policy (Section 16) should be followed.
If either team requests a match to be cancelled for any other reason, the teams will negotiate for a make-up date as stated above. The team requesting the cancellation risks forfeiting the match if a reasonable reschedule date cannot be determined.
Weather and Rescheduling Requirements
In the event that inclement weather prevents a league match from taking place, the match should be rescheduled for the following day. Every effort should be made to limit the inconvenience to the traveling team and the referee when cancelling a match due to weather. Teams are expected to work together in good faith to promptly reschedule matches postponed due to weather.
Deadline to Notify Opposition of Weather-Related Match Cancellations:
If there is inclement weather in the forecast that can cause match fields to be unavailable, or dangerous travel conditions (or is expected to), then the Home team will need to make a decision by 9:00PM the night before the match(es) as to whether to proceed as scheduled. If an Away team elects to request that a match be rescheduled due to weather-related travel hazards, it will also have until 9:00PM on the night before the match to contact the Home team to postpone the match. As soon as it is determined a match will need to be rescheduled due to weather, the Home team must immediately give notice to:
- The applicable RRRC Divisional representative(s);
- The TRU Administrator;
- The TRRA referees appointments officer;
- The Referee and any ARs assigned to the match; and
- The opposition club contact and/or match secretary.
(RRRC contacts can be found here: https://texasrugbyunion.com/information/red-river-rugby-conference/. Referee contacts are available in Who’s the Ref).
Rules for Rescheduling League Matches Postponed due to Weather:
The standard procedure for rescheduling weathered out matches is to play them on the following day. Teams should plan for this when scheduling or requesting fields from 3rd parties. If the weather conditions prevent the match from being played on the following day, or if other extenuating circumstances exist that prevent the match from occurring the following day, then the match will be automatically rescheduled in accordance with the following options in this order:
- A date mutually agreed to by both teams, if such agreement is made and announced to the applicable RRRC Divisional representative by the teams by 9:00AM on the Wednesday following the date originally scheduled for the match; or
- The “next available league match date” for both teams; or
- A mid-week match within the following 2 weeks.
“Next available league match date” is defined as the next Saturday or Sunday on which neither team has a league match. Friendly matches and social functions are not considered “league matches,” and rescheduling of league matches takes precedence over such functions, subject to an aggrieved club’s right to appeal the application of this Policy as set forth below.
Penalty for Missing Cancellation Deadline:
If the match is: (a) cancelled the day of the match by the Home team, (b) the Away team was not notified by 8:00AM, and (c) has arrived after traveling over 90 miles, the match, when rescheduled, will be played at the original Away team’s field.
Appeals:
If a club is aggrieved by the application of this Policy, it may appeal to the RRRC Committee by 5:00PM on the Wednesday following the date originally scheduled for the match. The appeal will be promptly considered by at least 3 members of the RRRC Committee. The appealing club bears the burden of explaining why the match should not be rescheduled on the date required by this Policy. The RRRC’s decision on the appeal will take into account the following considerations:
- Referee availability;
- Field availability;
- Travel distance;
- Blackout dates requested by the teams involved at the outset of the season;
- Playoff implications of the match for the teams involved and other teams in the league;
- Amount of time left in the season to make up the match;
- Alternative dates for rescheduling the match;
- Alternative match venues; and
- Fairness to both teams
If a league match postponed under this Policy is not rescheduled and played, the RRRC will determine which team has forfeited the match (which may be both teams, if the decision to not reschedule the match is made by mutual agreement), and the RRRC will determine whether to recommend the team(s) involved be fined under the TRU Forfeit Policy.
Any decision of the RRRC under this Policy may be appealed to the National Competitions Committee pursuant to the Eligibility Rules. Appealing teams are advised that failure to play a rescheduled match under protest pending the outcome of an appeal may result in forfeiture if they do not prevail on their appeal.
Forfeits
The unplayed forfeiture of a match will result in being barred from the playoffs and advancement within the current competitive season. A second occurrence of an unplayed forfeiture in the competitive season will warrant relegation to the next lower division for the following competitive cycle.
Any club unable to keep its engagement to play a match with 12 or more eligible players registered with the team (an “unplayed forfeit”) in any match must give notice to:
- The RRRC Competitions Committee chairperson
- The TRU Administrator
- The respective TRU divisional representative
- The TRRA referees appointments officer
- The referee assigned to the match
- The opposition club and/or match secretary on/by the Wednesday prior to the match.
The maximum competition points five (5) shall be awarded to the opposition team, and the match will be listed as a win of twenty eight (28) points to zero (0), as entered within the CMS system. The forfeiting team shall also receive one negative point towards the standings.
The minimum number of eligible players a team may field without an unplayed forfeit is twelve (12). If a team drops below twelve eligible players registered with their team during the match for any reason, the match will be an unplayed forfeit. Playing a fifteens match with fewer than twelve players has been deemed a safety issue.