1. These Administrative Instructions apply
to all clubs playing within the London & SE Division EXCEPT where such
Administrative Instruction is deemed to be in conflict with the Game Regulations
(GR) or any subsequent ruling, amendment or clarification which may be made
from time to time by the RFU.
2. Reporting
of Match Results
The Match Result of every game
played in the Competition shall be reported in two ways as follows:
a. By Telephone
On the day of the
match the HOME club shall notify the result by telephone to the correct number
and within the times specified as circulated to all Clubs prior to the start of
the season.
b. By Match Result Card
Both Clubs shall
complete a Match Result Card as supplied which shall be posted so as to reach
the Divisional Secretary not later than the Wednesday after the match.
3. Non
Playing of Matches on the Appointed Date
GR 15.2(i) requires a club to play all and each of its fixtures on
the dates fixed pursuant to the Game Regulations. It is the responsibility of the home club to
ensure the availability of a pitch at their normal home ground or
elsewhere.
Where the League
Secretary rules that the failure to play a match on the appointed date is
unjustifiable and therefore in breach of GR 18.6.2, the offending club shall be
deducted a minimum of TWO Championship points and the game shall not be
replayed.
In general, the
only justifiable postponement is that due to weather conditions.
Except that: the Organising Committee reserves the right to allow a
postponement caused by wholly exceptional circumstances totally beyond the
control of the Club or its members or by virtue of local or National
emergency.
4. Postponed
and/or Abandoned Matches
Prior to the day
of a match, no match shall be postponed, for whatever reason, before and
without consultation with the League Secretary which shall be conducted only by
and through the Nominated Club Contact. Where the issue is pitch condition, the
League Secretary may require that the home Club arranges, or accepts a third
party arrangement, for a pitch inspection by the appointed match referee or,
where he is not available, another neutral referee.
Where a match is
postponed on the day of the match but before the arrival of the opponents at
the venue, such postponement shall be notified by the home club immediately to
the League Secretary and to the opposition only by and through the Nominated
Club Contacts.
Where a ground is
pronounced unfit or is unavailable for play for any other reason, and the
scheduled match is the first of the two games in the season between the clubs,
the venue SHALL, where time allows, be reversed if the opposition’s pitch is
fit and available to play. In these circumstances the scheduled home team shall
remain the home team for the purposes of the Regulations and these Instructions.
Following a second
postponement, the Home Club must take all possible steps to ensure the match is
played on the third date. This must include the provision of a suitable
alternative pitch and, for the avoidance of doubt,
this will include the opponent’s pitch if it is available. This will also apply
to the return fixture even if that would mean both matches between the two
clubs being played at the same venue.
A match postponed
or abandoned because of weather or a match not played on the scheduled date for
reasons acceptable to the Organising Committee shall
be played on the “Next available Weekend” (NAW) in accordance with GR 18.5.1.
For the 2007/2008
season, the Weekends immediately preceding Christmas Day and New Year’s Day shall
not be deemed to be a “NAW” unless both participating clubs agree. Easter SHALL be a ‘NAW’.
5. “Next
Available Weekend” (NAW) protocol
Matches rearranged
in accordance with GR 18.5.1 will be scheduled as follows:
As soon as it is
known that both clubs are available the rescheduled date will be
CONFIRMED. With the exception of the
circumstances described in the last paragraph below this date will not be
changed.
If the
availability of one or both clubs cannot be confirmed but remains possible,
then the match will be scheduled as PROVISIONAL for that ‘NAW’.
If two or more
matches become available at the same time for confirmation on the same ‘NAW’
then the longest outstanding original scheduled fixture will take precedence.
The committee
shall have absolute discretion, subject to the right of appeal,
to alter the above protocol if:
it is apparent that an alternative sequence
would conclude outstanding matches earlier than might otherwise occur or;
in their opinion, it is beneficial to the
competition, e.g., to prioritise end-of-season
fixtures with a view to concluding promotion and relegation issues including
play-offs.
6. Reporting
of Postponed and/or Abandoned Matches
a. Both Clubs shall report the
postponement or abandonment of a match to the League Secretary as soon as
practical stating the full reasons and, in the case of abandonment, the score
and the time elapsed in the game before it was abandoned.
b. Separately and additionally, the home
Club shall notify the Results Service of any postponement or abandonment of a
match. Where a match is postponed at any time BEFORE 2 pm on the day of the
match, the Results Service may be notified either by FAX on 01502 – 538670 or
by e-mail to mikeward@therfu.com provided that such notification is received
before 2 pm.
Where a match is
postponed after 2 pm on the day of the match and/or no prior notification has
been sent in accordance with this clause, the Instructions relating to the Reporting
of Results in 2 (a.) apply.
c. For the purposes of reporting to the
Results Service in accordance with 2 (a.) above, a postponed or abandoned
match, which includes a match which goes to uncontested scrums, IS A RESULT on
the day and shall be reported as such together with the details.
d. Subject
only to the exception contained in Game Regulation 3.2 (player(s) temporarily
suspended from the field of play), as soon as a match goes to uncontested
scrums it is deemed to be abandoned. The
result must be reported to the Results Service as ‘Match Abandoned’
irrespective of the score at the time and the time remaining.
7. Nominated
non-available weekend
For the 2007/2008
season each Club in the Competition may nominate ONE non-league Weekend to be designated
“non-available for the rearrangement of a postponed/abandoned match”. This must
be made in writing to the League Secretary and to the Divisional Secretary NOT LESS
THAN EIGHT WEEKS in advance of the date nominated. The League Secretary and the
Divisional Secretary will acknowledge the nomination in writing which shall be
retained by the Club as evidence of such agreement. In the event that eight
weeks notice is not given such nomination will automatically be ineffective
A Club cannot nominate
a scheduled League Weekend or a Weekend scheduled for a play-off match.
8. Rulings,
Decisions and Appeal Procedures
a. The League Secretary is delegated by
the Organising Committee to make all primary
decisions with regard to any Regulation and any of these Instructions in
respect of all clubs within that league.
b. The League Secretary or the Organising Committee shall apply any sanction in writing in
accordance with GR 10.2.3.
c. The Club will then have 7 (seven) days
from the date of receipt of the written notification to request a review by the
Organising Committee in accordance with GR 10.2.5 to
10.2.9. Such request must be in writing to the
Divisional Secretary stating the full grounds and accompanied by a payment of
£50.00 (made payable to “London & SE Competitions Account”) which will be
returned if the request is successful.
d. Requests for a review not lodged within
the 7 days will be adjudged to be 'out of time' and will not be heard.
e. A club has a further right of appeal to
the RFU as specified in GR 10.2.10.
f. Clubs should be aware that the imposed
sanction may be increased as well as decreased on appeal. (This particularly applies to an appeal,
which is deemed to be frivolous). All
costs (including travel, hire of facilities and ancillary equipment etc.) of a
rejected appeal will be borne by the Club.
Costs will not be invoked until the appeals process has ended.
9. Appointment
of Referees.
GR 8.1.3(b)
provides that it is the home Clubs responsibility to liaise with the appointed
match officials directly to ensure they are aware of the arrangements and have
the appropriate directions to the venue for the match. ‘Directly’ shall not be deemed to include
messages left with a third party or automated answering services without a
confirmed response from the match official(s). Failure to adhere to this will
be taken into account should a game be postponed because of the lack of a match
official.
Where the
appointed referee is delayed or fails to arrive or where, during the course of
a match, the referee is injured or is otherwise unable to continue, the two
captains shall use their best efforts to agree to a substitute referee so
allowing the match to be completed.
It is the
responsibility of the home club to ensure the appointment of a referee for all
matches including rearranged matches and play-offs.
10. Replacements
and substitutes specific to Off-shore clubs (Jersey & Guernsey)
a) In all matches involving an off-shore
club in London Two South (Jersey) and London Three South West (
b) In the interest of safety each team
playing in a match involving an off-shore club must have at least five players
in their nominated match squad, all at least eighteen years old, who are
suitably trained and experienced to be capable of playing in the front row to
ensure that on the first or second occasions (whether due to injury or
consequent to a player(s) being temporarily suspended or ordered off) that a
front row player is required to be replaced, the team can continue to play
safely with contested scrums.
c) If on any occasion any front row
player requires to be replaced and his team cannot provide a replacement or
other player suitably trained and experienced at least eighteen years old from
those who started the match or from the nominated replacements to enable the
match to continue safely with contested scrums the referee, having made enquiry
of and having confirmed this fact with the captain of the team or such other person
nominated by the Club as the manager or other person responsible for the team,
the match will continue with uncontested scrums. If the match is completed with uncontested
scrums the result of such match will stand and not be altered by the Organising Committee. However the Organising
Committee may take other action in respect of any suspected, alleged or actual
breach of 10(a) above.
d) For the avoidance of doubt the
provisions of this Instruction will apply to matches taking place in the
11. New
Club entries
Entry to the
Competition is controlled solely by the Organising
Committee. A club wishing to enter the Competition in the following season
shall signify this fact in writing to the Divisional Secretary by 1st April of
the current season and to the Chairman and/or Secretary of the relevant
Constituent Body Competitions Sub-Committee. That Sub-Committee shall consider
the application and make recommendation to the Organising
Committee.
In addition; the
Club must satisfy all entry requirements laid down from time to time by the Organising Committee not later than 30th April in the
current season. For entry in the 2008-2009 season these requirements include;
having effective registration to the Club of a minimum of 25 players of whom at
least six shall be capable of playing in the front row in accordance with Game
Regulations; being able to display the ability to sustain a full League Programme of fixtures on the appointed dates; having held
full membership of the appropriate Constituent Body for a period of not less
than one complete season and; holding the rights to play on a suitable ground
throughout the currency of a League season without interruption.