D&W Policies

The D&WRFU have always refused any requests, whether internal or external, for access to its database and will continue to do so. Furthermore, if D&WRFU find that anyone inside or outside D&WRFU has tried to use our data for advertising, for marketing or for any other nefarious activity then D&WRFU will take steps to stop that use and report the matter to the ICO for prosecution if appropriate.

Details of the Dorset & Wilts RFU Anti-Doping policies can be found at the World Anti-Doping Agency website.  

https://www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/resources/files/wada-2015-world-anti-doping-code.pdf

The Rugby Football Union and World Rugby want to protect the integrity of the game by ensuring that all matches are contested on a level playing field and are won on merit. That means that if you work in or are otherwise involved in professional or semi-professional rugby you:

DO NOT bet on any rugby match (or ask anyone to place a bet for you) anywhere in the world.

DO NOT misuse or pass on inside information e.g. details of injuries, selection, and etc. if not already public knowledge. Be careful on social media! (What is Inside Information? – see below)

DO NOT accept money or gifts from anyone who is betting on rugby or in return for giving inside information    or underperforming in a match.

DO NOT fix or attempt to fix any part of a match

REPORT any approach, activity or anything suspicious or unusual that comes to your attention

The following are also prohibited:

Fixing a match or attempting to fix a match

Benefitting from failing to perform

Soliciting, inducing encouraging (or attempting to) any other party to do any of the above offences

Posing a threat to the integrity of rugby

Destruction of evidence in relation to a potential breach

Failing to report suspicions or approaches

The full RFU Anti-Corruption Regulations (RFU Regulation 17) are available

Reporting and questions

The continued integrity of the game relies on those who love and work in the sport to be vigilant and responsible. If you are approached, see or hear anything suspicious or would like to discuss any concerns, please tell someone.

It is of prime importance to the Dorset & Wilts Rugby Football Union Limited (hence forth known as ‘the CB’) to carry out its business in such a way as to avoid harm to its staff, its contractors and all others who may be affected directly or indirectly by its activities. Health & Safety has equal status with other primary business objectives. Safe working practices and due consideration of environmental impact and staff welfare are vital to the overall efficiency and success of our business. It is everyone's responsibility and consequently forms an integral part of the duties of all staff. The CB is committed to obtaining the highest achievable standards of health and safety.

a) The continuous improvement of workplace safety

b) To provide a safe and healthy working environment

c) To eliminate the use of products and practices that is found to have an adverse effect on people, equipment or the environment.

a) To conform to requirements of the Health and Safety at work Act and associated Regulations and Codes of Practice.

b) To establish and maintain effective systems and plans for managing the health, safety and welfare of all staff, in addition to the environmental impact of our operations.

c) To ensure that all risks are properly assessed and controlled.

d) To establish and maintain clear written standards and procedures to control the risk to health, safety and the environment and to ensure that these are adhered to.

e) To ensure that all Club staff are competent and able to perform their tasks safely, through the provision of adequate training information and supervision.

f) To maintain an effective system of consultation with our staff on health, safety and environmental issues.

g) To ensure that all accidents are properly investigated and appropriate corrective actions are taken.

h) To promote an increased awareness of safety and a responsibility for the environment amongst all staff.

i) To maintain an effective system of monitoring and reviewing health, safety and environmental performance.

j) This policy and attendant procedures will be regularly reviewed and up-dated annually to reflect changes in legislative, organisational, operational and management arrangements.

This should reflect that the rights, dignity and worth of everyone should be respected and everyone should be treated equally within the context of their sport. This should be reflected within the clubs/organisations constitution.

All sports coaches, leaders, officials, volunteers and paid staff who have direct contact with children and        young people must be appropriately screened to establish suitability to work with this age group, this should include: The successful completion of an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (NB: anyone declining a DBS check should not be allowed to work with children or young people) – For further information contact your Governing Body or visit: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service

A minimum of 2 references are taken and followed up.

Qualifications are checked.

As a player you should:

Matches

Always play to the best of your ability and within the spirit and laws of the game.

Avoid all forms of gamesmanship and time wasting.

Avoid all violent and dangerous play.

Never use inappropriate, foul or abusive language whether it is directed at match officials; opposition players or management; your team-mates or manager, assistant and coach; spectators; no-one in particular.

Always accept the referee’s/officials’ decisions without any adverse comment and without showing any form of dissent.

Treat everyone with respect at all times including: officials; your own team-mates and manager, assistant and coach; the opposition players and management; and supporters.

Always abide by the instructions of your team manager, assistant and coach provided they do not contradict the spirit of this code.

Abide by the team playing policy.

In addition you should:

Inform your team manager as far as possible in advance that you are unavailable for selection for a match.

Arrive at match venues no later than 45 minutes before the start (unless by arrangement with your team manager).

Be appropriately dressed for a match in the team kit.

Training

Attend all training sessions unless you have advised your team manager in advance that you are unable to do so.

Turn up appropriately dressed and in good time for the start of a training session.

Pay attention to the coach/manager and never talk whilst they are giving instructions.

Be prepared to learn and to concentrate fully during training.

Treat your team-mates, manager, assistant manager and coach with respect.

Any player who persistently breaches any of the above rules shall be liable to suspension from matches by the Management Committee

Team managers shall be appointed each season by the RDP Committee of the Dorset & Wilts Rugby Football Union Limited. They are bound by the Constituent Body Rules, Regulations and codes of conduct. In the event that the manager leaves the club during the season, a replacement will be appointed by the RDP Committee.

As a team manager you should:

Agree a team playing policy with the Constituent Body at the start of each season.

Always have a contact number with you at a match or training event for all your players.

Inform all players of their selection or non-selection for a match. As much notice as is practicable should be given.

Inform players of the precise address where a match or training event is taking place and what time it starts and finishes

All team managers, assistants and coaches shall endorse the following rules. They should:

Ensure the well-being and safety of every player above all other considerations.

Respect the rights, dignity, worth and opinions of all players as well as officials and the opposition.

Develop an appropriate working relationship with each player based on mutual trust and respect.

At the outset clarify with each player exactly what is expected of them and also what they are entitled to expect from you.

Encourage and guide players to accept responsibility for their own behaviour and performance.

Ensure that the activities you direct or advocate are appropriate for the age, maturity, experience and ability of the player.

Always display high standards of behaviour, appearance, punctuality and instruction.

Be a positive role model for players.

By your own example encourage players and spectators to at all times accept match officials decisions without comment and without showing any form of dissent.

Always promote the positive aspects of Rugby and never condone: violations of the laws or spirit of the game; any form of violent or dangerous play; any form of gamesmanship or time wasting.

Make every effort to promote harmonious relations with opposition players, management and spectators.

Help the players to recognise good performance and not just good results.

Co-operate fully with other people/specialists in the best interests of the player (e.g. Constituent Body officials, other coaches, doctors, physiotherapists etc).

Advise the Secretary within 24 hours of any sending off or caution incurred by any of your players.

Respond promptly to all requests and instructions from the Constituent Body Officers or Management Committee.

You should never:

Use inappropriate, foul or abusive language, or tolerate such language from players or spectators.

Discriminate against any player or spectator (including from opposition teams) by reason of gender, sexual orientation, racial origin, nationality, religious beliefs, ability, disability or economic status.

Permit the harassment or bullying of a player by any assistant, coach, or fellow player.

Show unacceptable favouritism to any individual player.

Punish or belittle a player for losing a match or making mistakes.

Team managers, assistants and coaches who fail to abide by this code of conduct may be suspended from their position and instructed to appear before the RDP committee or the Management Committee who shall have the ultimate sanction to remove that party from their post and permanently exclude them from the club.

1. A player may qualify to play for a County by birth or residence

2. No player may play for More Than One County in a season

3. To qualify by birth a player shall have been born within the Constituent Body area of the County concerned.

4. To qualify by residence a player shall:

Actually be residing within the Constituent Body area of the County concerned when he/she first plays for that County, provided that he/she has resided therein continuously for a period of three calendar months immediately preceding the date of playing, or

Shall be residing when at School or College, either as pupil, student or member of staff, provided that he/she is a bona fide pupil, student or member of staff of the School or College concerned during the full term of three months immediately preceding the date of playing.

5. Where a player plays for a County by virtue of a qualification by residence under 4a above such qualification shall hold good until the player qualifies and plays for another County, but qualifications by residence and playing under 4. above shall terminate in respect of a pupil or a student but not in respect of a member of staff immediately his/her full-time period of instruction at the School or College ends.

6. Residence taken up to attend School or College as a pupil or student shall not qualify a player under 4a. above.

7. A player shall be held to be actually residing in a County only if:

His/her own home or ordinary place of residence which comprises premises which he/she ordinarily and regularly uses as his/her home and in which he/she ordinarily and regularly uses a sleeping apartment be within the boundaries of the County concerned or

Having no other home or ordinary place of residence of his own, his/her parents’ or guardians’ ordinary place of residence is situate within the boundaries of the County concerned or Being in one of H.M. Forces he/she is stationed in the County, his/her station to count as a residence under 4a. above.

8. Any County which receives an official complaint (whether verbal or otherwise) regarding the qualification of one of its players, must report the facts to the RFU within 48 hours. The complaining County must also within 48 hours of making the complaint report the details on which it is making it to the R.FU and to the County against which it is making the complaint. If the County against which the complaint has been made thereafter fields the player in question and the objection is upheld by the R.FU. the County concerned shall lose the match.

9. A player who has played for a County in the County Championship Competition in previous seasons and who so qualified to play for that County under any earlier Regulations shall continue to be eligible for that County until he/she qualifies and plays for another County under these Regulations.

Over the last few years Dorset & Wilts RFU has seen the introduction of District teams at U14s and U15s and the formation of the Developing Player Programme (DPP). This, in turn, has led to more occasions where trials have taken place, in order to select players both to the District squads and for the DPP. This has coincided with a marked improvement in the results achieved by the younger County sides.

Selection at each of these trials is obviously working with a high degree of success, which is leading to ever-increasing competition for places. This has highlighted the need to raise the awareness of our selection policy and to point out that there is a world of difference between the Districts / County squads on the one hand and the DPP on the other hand.

The selection policy of Dorset & Wilts RFU Limited (“Dorset & Wilts.”) is available on the web site.

The policy has also been distributed widely to players, clubs, teachers, schools, coaches and administrators. It is the responsibility of all prospective team members and their coaches, parents and teachers to read and make sure they understand the policy and how it operates. If anyone has a specific query in relation to the intended meaning or operation of the policy, they may contact the Chair of Selectors

By way of assistance, the following provides a summary of the intended meaning and operation of the policy.

Selection Philosophy

Dorset & Wilts teams will be selected with the following overriding objectives:

To achieve a good team performance in representative matches; and/or to identify and prepare players for the transition into elite programs, including (but not restricted to) the School of Rugby and/or the RFU Academy system

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for County teams, a nomination form must be completed and signed by or on behalf of prospective team members. Each nomination form involves a declaration that prospective team members will be bound by the selection policy and by the appeal process, which is set out as part of the selection policy. Players should also be registered in accordance with RFU the links on the website to the current instructions, to the nomination forms, to the Youth Registration form and to the Consent/Contacts Forms. Independent schools may carry out their own trials first in order to identify candidates for nomination to Dorset & Wilts. Prospective team members must meet the criteria for eligibility published by the RFU as above, both as to age and otherwise, summarised as follows:

A player is qualified to represent D & W RFU by residing, or being born, or attending a school or being registered to play rugby for a club in Dorset or Wiltshire.

Squad Size

Dorset & Wilts can select a squad of up to the published number of players for a particular team to play a representative match, but may also name a number of First Reserves as well.

Selection at the Discretion of the Selectors

The final squads and team positions and any First Reserves will be awarded at the discretion of the selectors (clause 1 of the policy). Players, coaches, teachers and parents should ensure they understand the way the process of discretionary selection works.

Clause 2 sets out specific matters that the selectors may consider in exercising their discretion. Those matters are, as always, not to be regarded as selection criteria as such. They are matters that the selectors may take into consideration, together with other factors or matters not listed that are in the opinion of the selectors relevant to the selection of the team.

Announcement of the Team

Players, who have not been selected for a team should, whenever possible, be told on the day of the selection event in question. However, in order to allow time for coaches and selectors to give feedback to players who have not been selected, the squad (which may include any discretionary additions to it) might not be announced for up to 72 hours thereafter.

Appeal Process

The appeal process is set out in clauses 19 to 33 of the selection policy. All players, coaches, teachers and parents should familiarise themselves with the process, including the grounds of appeal. Again, if there are any queries in this regard, please contact the Chair of Coaching or the Chairman of Selectors as set out above.