RRRC Committee Meeting Notes – 7/14/25

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The Red River Competitions Committee releases their monthly committee call minutes and notes. View all of the archived RRRC minutes or read on for the most recent:

  • Roll Call – 8:00 PM
    • McPhail 
    • Norton
    • Dale
    • Curl
    • Hunter
    • Walker
    • Wegman
    • Kurylas
    • Keuppens
    • Davies
    • Hughes
    • Regrets:
      • Robinson
      • Hanlon
      • Hanson
  • Compliance
  • Note the USAR & SCC Community Agreement has a requirement for GUs to be 100% compliant
  • Club Compliance and Registration Numbers – Texas Rugby Union
  • Based on the report above, the current club status is as follows:
    • BCS – New club application only / Non-responsive
    • Concho Valley Pearls – Information is incomplete / Non-responsive
    • Cypress Bombers – Information is incomplete / Non-responsive
    • Celina – Not active / Not Paid / Zero Cipp
    • Dallas Jackals – Not active / Not Paid / Zero Cipp
    • Gorilla Rugby – Sevens Only
    • HEB Hurricanes – Sevens Only
    • Kingwood – Not active / Not Paid / Zero Cipp
    • McAllen Maidens – Not active / Not Paid / Zero Cipp
    • OK City Tribe – Not active / Not Paid / Zero Cipp
    • Other Rugby Club  – Not active / Not Paid / Zero Cipp
    • Sabercats 2 – Not active / Not Paid / Zero Cipp
    • Texas At Large – All Stars / Misc only / Okay
    • Waco Wombasts – New club application only for the 2025/26 season (MD4)
    • West Houston – Not active / Not Paid / Zero Cipp
  • Not included above but are approved and scheduled
    • Arkansas Gryphons – MD3 North Division
    • Spartans Rugby two sides – Men D4 & Women D3
    • Laredo M – Friendlies?  Needs additional research & confirmation
  • Total registrants: 2,526.  Total last season 2,382.  
    • Growth 106% vs 2024 YE and 110.7% YTD.
    • RX items
      • Per discussion with Tam:  
        • New Zealand has pushed for YC/RC features to be turned on.
        • Player Pro Status feature to be turned on.
        • Player residency (USA / Green Card / Etc). should also be a function being turned on.
    • 15s
      • Next Season’s schedule and structure
        • Sent to club contacts June 22nd 
        • 2025-2026 Rugby Schedule Draft v1
          • D4 South getting remade / shuffled
            1. Wegman to handle but will copy Rob & Hansel
          • Mostly friendly’s to start the Fall season
        • Discussion regarding FTW Wranglers Women
          • Last YR: 4 teams playing H&A.
          • Spartans added to South as it was requested but missed initially.
          • Six teams currently fill/s the schedule.
            1. OKC Alliance & Reds
            2. Bay Area Spartans & Rage
            3. Region H&A / crossover H or A
            4. Seven matches total (proposed)
          • Motion: Deny after deadline request to add Wranglers to D3 schedule.  Recommend that they play a friendly schedule to get established.
            1. Haley / Rob: Move to approve denial motion by acclamation.
        • Discussion regarding add WD3 to GCSR (see below “championships”)
        • Motion: Deny after deadline request of Laredo to be added to D4 schedule.  Recommend that they play a friendly schedule to get established.
          • Jeff / John: Move to approve denial motion by acclamation.
      • Need to update divisional competition descriptions on XVs – Texas Rugby Union page
        • Divisional reps to supply updates
      • Review of TRU Men’s D4 and Women’s D3 Division Regulations – Texas Rugby Union 
        • There was discussion about issues last season with guest players not on rosters.
          • If a player is already CIPPed to a Texas club they can get a clearance to MD4/WD3 without additional cost nor violating eligibility as MD4/WD3 is non NCS.
          • Also, like Carolinas and other GUs do, we could add to only MD4/WD3 clubs Weekly CIPP as an option.  Future RX changes / options are being discussed that would potentially add greater flexibility.
          • Above would allow all players to appear on weekend rosters (D4 matches only).
          • League matches would have normal / historical restrictions.
          • Working committees to make proposals and bring proposals back by the next month’s meeting (August). Haley / Norton / John
      • Championships
        • Bid Packet (last in file): Event Hosting Application – Texas Rugby Union
        • Discussion of preferred requirements:
          • Three fields preferred
          • Locker Room access
          • Control of fields (weather)
          • Lighting
          • Bleachers
          • Controlled access
          • Quality of pitch
          • Restrooms / Food / Etc.
        • Get Max to post out ASAP.
  • RRRC – April 11 & 12th
          • Discussed date options and impact
          • May need to split matches over two days but remain with Championships only format.
  • GCSR – April 25th & 26th
        • MD4/WD3 like other SRs?
          1. Discussion
            1. If Yes, a 3rd field is minimum as it will be a FULL schedule; especially if we add another set of matches.
        • Host Schedule:
          1. 2026 – Texas – April 25th & 26th
          2. 2027  – GU Host TBD / Gulf Coast – May 1st & 2nd
          3. 2028 – Texas – May 6th & 7th
        • Send out Request for Proposal with requirements.
          1. Same as above for RRRC
      • 2026 Nationals – May 16-18th
        • TBD – Bid packet being approved by ExCo & SCC
          1. Should be ready to go out before Monday, 7/21
  • 7’s
    • TOLA / RRRC / USA
      • Next up this weekend is the Social event being Cherrybone (Woodlands) and TOLA finals will be Riverboat in Shreveport.
      • Qualifiers are over!  Thanks to Lonestar (seeding tourney) and our three Qualifier Hosts being Bloodfest, Choctaw, and Hell or Highwater. 
      • Automatic Qualification for Nationals: Austin Huns Men / Dallas Harlequin Women.
        • On deck and hopeful for an At Large Invite: Dallas Harlequin Men / HEB Women
        • RRRC roster violation
    • USA Club Rugby 7s Nationals – Madison WI on August 9th & 10th
      • Texas support at Nationals:  Rob & Beth Walker, Fil Keuppens, Dr. Cris Mathew, & David McPhail
  • Referees
    • Thanks to Ross and team for their assistance, far & wide, in covering the three qualifiers as well as the other Sevens events this summer.  Few more tournaments to go!
    • Concern about early start and late end of HOHW; impact on teams and event staff.  
    • Congratulations to Juan Pablo for selection to Sevens Nationals.
    • Elections were held at Bloodfest.  Board position amended to two years.
    • The same Board will remain for another year.
  • Events
  • Aug 1 – Aug 17: Nominees accepted
  • Aug 20: Nominations posted to the TRU website for review
  • Aug 23: Candidate forum at TRU Summit/AGM
  • Aug 24-30: Online Voting via the TRU Website
  • September 1-7: Vote analysis and confirmation of elected officers
  • No later than Sep 8: Results posted to TRU Website
  • Chair – McPhail – Elected by RRRC after rest seated
  • MD1 – Dale
  • MD2 – Hanlon
  • MD3 – Wegman
  • Women – Hunter
  • Norton – Convener
  • John K – Convener
  • Hansel – Convener
      • Wegman
      • Caitlin
  • New Business
    •  None
  • Meeting Adjournment 9:08 PM
  • Motion: MN / HH