Welcome to the Tunbridge Wells RFC festival sponsored by our good friends at Markerstudy group.

By way of introduction I am Mike Rigby the youth chair here at TWRFC and today’s tournament director.

We are really pleased to welcome you to St Mark’s for a day of rugby which we hope will be a shining example of the values of rugby: Teamwork; Respect; Enjoyment; Discipline; Sportsmanship. To help us achieve this I encourage:

• All players to play with a Smile on your face, give it everything you’ve got, remember all your coaches wise words and win or lose shake your opponents hands.
• All parents please be as noisy as you like with cheering, words of encouragement and support for both sides.
• All refs, do your best, we know you are volunteers and will support every one of your decisions!

We have over 110 teams competing today which means over 1,000 players. We have lots of places to keep them refreshed, fed and watered. Please make use of all of them and if you have any questions please just ask any of the TWRFC home team or come and ask me.

Have a great day and thank you for supporting our festival,

Mike

Mike Rigby

Youth Chair

Pools

Competition format

1. The RFU Age Grade Regulation will apply & the Age Grade competition guidance will be adhered to for the festival. Each age group will compete in pools on a Round Robin basis.
2. No extra time is allowed in any match.
3. Teams are asked to present themselves 5 minutes before their game. Any team not being present at the time of their kick-off may forfeit that game.
4. Games will be played straight through (i.e. no half-time break will be taken).
5. Where there is a clash of team colours the referee will decide which team changes shirts or wears bibs.
6. Games will be brought to an end if the points difference between teams exceeds 6-points.  The referee is given discretion to continue beyond this, only if they consider (in consultation with the coaches) that it is in the player’s best interest to continue (i.e. all the players, on both sides, are still having fun).

Game laws & management

1. All the games and age groups will operate under the RFU Continuum Rules of Play for season 2018/19.
2. The following items are provided for clarification:
   1. We would ask all teams and referees to pay particular attention to the ‘offside’ lines, which we see as crucial to allowing teams to ‘play’
   2. Fly-hacking is not permitted at any age.
   3. Fending is not permitted at any age. To facilitate this, we recommend coaches encourage players to run with the ball in two hands.
3. Rolling substitutions will be allowed throughout the games as long as there is a break in play. All substitutes must be brought to the attention of the referee before being made.

Teams & registration

1. All clubs are required to register their players at the Clubhouse by 9.15am. Any player who is not registered cannot play, unless prior arrangement has been agreed with TWRFC.
2. This is a mixed ability tournament, coaches are encouraged to submit teams of mixed abilities to make it as enjoyable as possible for all participants.
3. TWRFC strongly encourage clubs to abide by the half-game rule. i.e. all players should (injury permitting) play for at least half of each game.
4. Players must always play within their individual age grade. Any team playing a player over or under the stated age for the age group will be automatically disqualified from the festival, unless prior agreement has been made with TWRFC.
5. Each team must provide a competent referee at each age group in which they are participating, who will be asked to referee ‘neutral’ matches in that age group. Additionally Clubs must provide a competent person to act as a touch judge in each age group for each of the games in which they are participating.

Discipline

1. The referee’s decision in all cases is final and will be respected at all times, by players, coaches and parents alike. The organisers respectfully ask all adults to set a good example to the players in this regard.
2. All team coaches must substitute any of their players at the request of the referee when foul or dangerous play or persistent offending is identified. The player concerned will be suspended from the remainder of that game.
3. Coaches should try to resolve any disagreement over refereeing decisions amicably between themselves, but failing that, any such issues should be referred in the first instance to the Head TWRFC coach for the age group concerned.  Any queries which cannot be resolved in this way, should be directed to the Control Centre and the Festival Organisers, whose decision on any dispute will be final.