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Filename: 2013ncyra-bod09(agenda-agm)120815rls

Northern California Youth Rugby Association

(NCYRA) Annual General Meeting (AGM)

Meeting Agenda #09 Date: August 15, 2012

Time: 7:00 PM 9:00 PM Location: Lafayette Library Arts & Science Discover Room

3491 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette, CA 94549

Item / Time Issue Presenter 1. 7:00 7:05 Call to Order Salaber 2. 7:05 7:10 Review and Approve May 2nd Meeting Minutes All 3. 7:10 7:25 President Report (Year Recap, Voting Rules of

AGM, HSAA Report, CMS Report, 2013 Season Master Schedule - Discussion and Action)

Salaber

4. 7:25 7:30 Treasure Report (Financial Report - Approve) Taylor 5. 7:30 8:15 Committee Chair Reports (5 min. max) Discussion

and Action (including appointment of Chairpersons) 5.1 - Inter-Conference Competition (Playoffs) 5.2 - High Performance (All-Star) 5.3 - Inter-Conference Disciplinary 5.4 - Public Relations 5.5 - Coaches 5.6 - Referees 5.7 Sevens 5.8 - Boys High School 5.9 - Single School 5.10 - Girls High School 5.11 - Middle School 5.12 - Youth

Committee Chairs

6. 8:15 - 8:25 Nomination and Election of 2013 NCYRA Officers All 7. 8:25 8:55 NCYRA Policy Review and Amend (Including NCYRA

& USAR Dues Increase, Player Transfer Policy, Coach & Referee Policies) - Discussion and Action

All

8. 8:55 9:00 Other Items from the Floor All 9. 9:00 Adjourn President

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(NCYRA) Board of Directors (BOD)

Meeting Minutes #08 Date: May 5, 2012

Time: 7:00 PM 9:00 PM Location: Dixon Masonic Hall

159 North First Street, Dixon, CA 95620 The attachments show the attendees, clubs and organization title information. 1. Robert Salaber (President) called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM and followed the

above agenda. 2. Robert Salaber (President) asked for discussion of the minutes of previous BOD

meeting on Feb 1, 2012. The group unanimously approved the minutes from the previous meeting. Motion by John Riddering, 2nd Milt Quan.

3. where he reviewed progress in

the Website, Registration, Match Reports, NCIT, Conference Rep Positions, NCYRA Playoffs, Insurance, Rookie Rugby, All Star Colorado championships. Salaber elaborated on the Rookie Rugby program in the USA. The group unanimously approved the . Motion by Mateo Medrano, 2nd John Riddering.

4. Matt Taylor was not at the meeting. Robert Salaber presented the budget and

actuals for 2012 and discussed aspects of the budget (See attachment). He noted that the NCYRA is solvent with a $91,000 in cash at the end of April 2012, but that there will be some large expenditure for High Performance (~$25,000) and the NCIT bills were still coming in the next month. The group unanimously approved the Budget report as presented. Motion by Dave Williamson, 2nd Glenn Worden.

5. Committee Chair Reports and Approval

5.1. Robert Salaber presented the Inter-Conference Competition (playoff) committee report. The group unanimously approved the report as presented. Motion by Jay Hanson, 2nd Paul Kessler.

5.2. Robert Salaber presented the High Performance / All Star Committee report.

There have been 3 All Star weekends during the season. There will be a Bay Area and Sacramento All Star Team. The All Star teams (Varsity and JV) will plan to travel to BC Canada. John Riddering is coordinating the program. The group unanimously approved both the reports as presented. Motion by Dave Williamson, 2nd Tyler Harrison.


5.3. Rob Salaber presented a short report by the Inter-Conference Disciplinary committee. The group unanimously approved the program as presented. Motion by Belinda VonTonder, 2nd Paul Kesseler.

5.4. Rob Salaber presented the Public Relations Committee report and discussed

the following. The Committee does not have a Chairman (Lynch resigned) and the committee has been dormant since his resignation. We need a new Chairman. The group unanimously approved the program as presented. Motion by John Riddering, 2nd Marco Moran.

5.5. Rob Salaber presented the Coaches Committee report and discussed the

coaches licensing course. The group unanimously approved the report as presented. Motion by Rich Boyer, 2nd Mateo Medrano.

5.6. Dave Williamson presented a written Referees Committee report (attached)

as the Chair of the Referees Committee.

5.6.1. Dave noted that the clubs need to send in and post the field location and times on the web site so that referees can be assigned (2 weeks in advance).

5.6.2. Dave suggested that referees be evaluated. 5.6.3. The referees can be paid $25 per game by the home team. This is

not required, but should be discussed prior to the game. 5.6.4. There was a question about whether the NCRAC loses referees

because of coach and fan abuse.

The group unanimously approved the report as presented. Motion by John Riddering, 2nd Will Halligan.

5.7. Mateo Medrano presented the committee report for the High School

competition committee. If there is a player who played both Varsity Gold and Varsity Silver during the season, that player can play in Silver in the tournament only if they have played less than 50% of the Gold games. Approval motion by Will Halligan, 2nd Marco Moran. Approval was not unanimous (3 dissenting votes).

5.8. Rob Salaber presented the Single School Committee report. There is an

operational Single School Conference De LaSalle, Jesuit, Christian Brothers, Dixon, McClatchy, PITS, Bellarmine, Bishop Odoud. Dixon and Jesuit were at the top of the Conference with some of the teams struggling. There is a problem with the playoffs with Bellarmine dropping out of the playoffs at the last minute. The USA Rugby rules no longer allow players from outside the school. NCYRA allows 3 players, but must play by the USA Rugby rules for National competition. The group unanimously approved the report as presented. Motion by Bob Benson, 2nd Milt Quan.

5.9. Andrea Battilega discussed 2 there are 16

teams vs 12 teams in 2011 vs 8 in 2010. expand to 19 teams in 2013. The approval motion carried unanimously (Motion by John Riddering, 2nd Jay Hanson.)


5.10. Rob Salaber made the report for the Middle School Committee. There were

23 teams with 22 teams participating in the tournament. The approval motion carried unanimously (Motion by John Riddering, 2nd Dave Williamson)

5.11. Rob Salaber presented the report for the NCYRA youth committee. He noted

that the youth program is growing. Glenn Worden commented on the tournament that the venue was too small. Belinda VonTonder thought that Danville should have had some more help to run the tournament. The group unanimously approved the report as presented and granted the delegation of the approval to the committee for the final. The motion carried with one vote against the motion. Motion by Will Halligan, 2nd Andrea Battilega.

5.12. Rob Salaber presented the report The NCYRA

has set 7 dates (4 Dixon, 1 Pleasanton, 1 Santa Clara) for the Sevens tournament for the 2012 season. There are 3 open dates. Marin will have an HS invitational tournament. There will be a points based program. Tyler Harrison is the Vice Chair for the program. The motion by Dean Talley, (2nd Eric Larson) carried unanimously.

6. John Riddering presented information on the NCIT and PCAT tournaments and Rob

Salaber discussed the State Cup and National Championship.

6.1. NCIT (Northern California Invitational Tournament) - There are 36 teams in the playoff division and 14 in the open divisions. The tournament is at the Cherry Island site.

6.2. PCAT (Pacific Coast All Star Tournament) The tournament is at Stanford.

There may be a minimal number of non-Bay Area teams. Riddering has contacted San Diego, Southern California, Oregon and Utah.

6.3. Rob Salaber discussed the State Cup and National Championship.

6.4. The USA National Championship is being held in Utah Marin = HS Club, Dixon = Single School, Amazons = Womens. May 18, 19.

6.5. The State Cup will be held on May 19 with teams from NorCal and SoCal at Jesuit. There are 4 competitive games.

The group unanimously approved the program as presented. Motion by Glenn Worden, 2nd Meteo Medrano.

7. The Player Transfer Policy was not ready and will be presented at the AGM.

8. Discussion of other items from the floor. None were presented.

9. The motion to adjourn was made by Tyler Harrison at 8:45 PM (2nd Dave

Williamson) and carried unanimously.

Minutes prepared by Bob Benson, Secretary

2011-‐2012 REGISTRATION YEAR (8/15 -‐ 6/30) 2010-‐2011 REGISTRATION YEAR (FULL) 2009-‐2010 REGISTRATION YEAR (FULL) COMPARISON: 2011-‐2012 to 2010-‐2011TOT HS Y RR C & E TOT HS Y RR C & E TOT HS Y RR C & E TOT HS Y RR C & E

Alabama AL 5 0 0 0 4 Alabama AL 14 10 0 0 4 Alabama AL 13 12 0 1 0 -‐64.29% -‐100.00% N/A N/A 0.00% xAlaska AK 17 2 5 10 0 Alaska AK 32 3 21 8 0 Alaska AK 6 4 1 1 0 -‐46.88% -‐33.33% -‐76.19% 25.00% N/AArizona AZ 344 205 24 71 29 Arizona AZ 282 246 5 8 23 Arizona AZ 313 274 17 0 22 21.99% -‐16.67% 380.00% 787.50% 26.09%Arkansas AR 1 0 0 0 1 Arkansas AR 52 49 2 0 1 Arkansas AR 79 75 1 0 3 -‐98.08% -‐100.00% -‐100.00% N/A 0.00% xCalifornia CA 9521 4946 3419 55 701 California CA 7670 4146 2997 4 523 California CA 6268 3599 2341 23 305 24.13% 19.30% 14.08% 1275.00% 34.03% xColorado CO 2086 963 843 182 69 Colorado CO 1841 982 548 212 99 Colorado CO 1261 835 366 9 51 13.31% -‐1.93% 53.83% -‐14.15% -‐30.30%Connecticut CT 872 669 79 50 53 Connecticut CT 603 511 59 1 32 Connecticut CT 516 406 41 47 22 44.61% 30.92% 33.90% 4900.00% 65.63%Delaware DE 77 54 15 0 8 Delaware DE 160 146 2 2 10 Delaware DE 144 136 3 0 5 -‐51.88% -‐63.01% 650.00% -‐100.00% -‐20.00% xDistrict of Columbia DC 49 41 2 2 3 District of Columbia DC 72 63 1 6 2 District of Columbia DC 75 69 0 3 3 -‐31.94% -‐34.92% 100.00% -‐66.67% 50.00% xFlorida FL 895 592 216 14 72 Florida FL 768 615 90 5 58 Florida FL 777 695 21 1 60 16.54% -‐3.74% 140.00% 180.00% 24.14% xGeorgia GA 442 360 2 35 31 Georgia GA 421 396 4 1 20 Georgia GA 513 490 1 0 22 4.99% -‐9.09% -‐50.00% 3400.00% 55.00%Hawai'i HI 734 232 243 173 52 Hawai'i HI 397 109 145 119 24 Hawai'i HI 452 159 179 93 21 84.89% 112.84% 67.59% 45.38% 116.67%Idaho ID 552 449 66 0 37 Idaho ID 253 235 7 0 11 Idaho ID 187 182 0 0 5 118.18% 91.06% 842.86% N/A 236.36% xIllinois IL 2026 1402 280 139 181 Illinois IL 1822 1348 263 81 130 Illinois IL 1608 1351 146 4 107 11.20% 4.01% 6.46% 71.60% 39.23% xIndiana IN 1733 1418 179 23 113 Indiana IN 1477 1226 128 30 93 Indiana IN 1486 1256 155 0 75 17.33% 15.66% 39.84% -‐23.33% 21.51%Iowa IA 357 343 9 0 5 Iowa IA 326 312 2 2 10 Iowa IA 224 212 3 0 9 9.51% 9.94% 350.00% -‐100.00% -‐50.00%Kansas KS 254 164 3 60 27 Kansas KS 214 207 0 0 7 Kansas KS 252 244 0 0 8 18.69% -‐20.77% N/A N/A 285.71% xKentucky KY 128 120 0 1 7 Kentucky KY 174 163 1 4 6 Kentucky KY 65 57 0 0 8 -‐26.44% -‐26.38% -‐100.00% -‐75.00% 16.67% xLouisiana LA 231 198 7 17 8 Louisiana LA 179 159 15 1 4 Louisiana LA 165 155 6 0 4 29.05% 24.53% -‐53.33% 1600.00% 100.00%Maine ME 35 24 4 0 5 Maine ME 44 39 0 1 4 Maine ME 54 50 0 1 3 -‐20.45% -‐38.46% N/A -‐100.00% 25.00%Maryland MD 1080 828 93 112 39 Maryland MD 1387 909 80 345 53 Maryland MD 1158 815 86 214 43 -‐22.13% -‐8.91% 16.25% -‐67.54% -‐26.42% xMassachusetts MA 848 701 75 3 57 Massachusetts MA 769 681 30 4 54 Massachusetts MA 563 513 4 3 43 10.27% 2.94% 150.00% -‐25.00% 5.56% xMichigan MI 970 912 11 2 41 Michigan MI 1015 939 20 5 51 Michigan MI 1065 1010 9 2 44 -‐4.43% -‐2.88% -‐45.00% -‐60.00% -‐19.61%Minnesota MN 1079 887 91 6 91 Minnesota MN 1288 1199 15 3 71 Minnesota MN 1201 1140 5 0 56 -‐16.23% -‐26.02% 506.67% 100.00% 28.17%Mississippi MS 32 26 0 0 6 Mississippi MS 5 3 1 0 1 Mississippi MS 8 7 0 0 1 540.00% 766.67% -‐100.00% N/A 500.00% xMissouri MO 574 530 0 21 23 Missouri MO 668 639 3 2 24 Missouri MO 499 472 1 0 26 -‐14.07% -‐17.06% -‐100.00% 950.00% -‐4.17% xMontana MT 365 301 45 0 19 Montana MT 306 240 42 1 23 Montana MT 185 170 5 1 9 19.28% 25.42% 7.14% -‐100.00% -‐17.39%Nebraska NE 174 136 0 29 1 Nebraska NE 123 116 0 0 7 Nebraska NE 139 128 0 0 11 41.46% 17.24% N/A N/A -‐85.71%Nevada NV 150 113 24 0 13 Nevada NV 137 86 40 2 9 Nevada NV 54 27 22 1 4 9.49% 31.40% -‐40.00% -‐100.00% 44.44% xNew Hampshire NH 115 74 6 0 9 New Hampshire NH 99 87 4 0 8 New Hampshire NH 96 88 1 0 7 16.16% -‐14.94% 50.00% N/A 12.50% xNew Jersey NJ 772 503 171 44 51 New Jersey NJ 790 519 145 76 50 New Jersey NJ 657 519 84 15 39 -‐2.28% -‐3.08% 17.93% -‐42.11% 2.00%New Mexico NM 652 406 79 118 46 New Mexico NM 325 236 14 59 16 New Mexico NM 303 228 22 40 13 100.62% 72.03% 464.29% 100.00% 187.50%New York NY 2088 1746 137 105 91 New York NY 1905 1703 108 12 82 New York NY 1651 1515 76 2 58 9.61% 2.52% 26.85% 775.00% 10.98% xNorth Carolina NC 831 552 161 51 67 North Carolina NC 905 630 171 47 57 North Carolina NC 773 617 109 1 46 -‐8.18% -‐12.38% -‐5.85% 8.51% 17.54% xNorth Dakota ND 2 1 1 0 0 North Dakota ND 4 3 1 0 0 North Dakota ND 5 5 0 0 0 -‐50.00% -‐66.67% 0.00% N/A N/AOhio OH 1699 1411 45 113 116 Ohio OH 1425 1339 17 3 66 Ohio OH 1176 1129 1 0 46 19.23% 5.38% 164.71% 3666.67% 75.76%Oklahoma OK 344 270 4 5 19 Oklahoma OK 305 285 1 0 19 Oklahoma OK 264 253 1 0 10 12.79% -‐5.26% 300.00% N/A 0.00% xOregon OR 1049 844 55 39 88 Oregon OR 1024 896 0 57 71 Oregon OR 950 863 34 0 53 2.44% -‐5.80% N/A -‐31.58% 23.94% xPennsylvania PA 2195 1748 312 3 125 Pennsylvania PA 2186 1892 163 10 121 Pennsylvania PA 1988 1662 235 5 86 0.41% -‐7.61% 91.41% -‐70.00% 3.31%Rhode Island RI 97 56 15 21 5 Rhode Island RI 103 54 2 36 11 Rhode Island RI 47 44 0 0 3 -‐5.83% 3.70% 650.00% -‐41.67% -‐54.55%South Carolina SC 583 476 50 0 56 South Carolina SC 536 482 10 1 43 South Carolina SC 483 446 6 0 31 8.77% -‐1.24% 400.00% -‐100.00% 30.23% xSouth Dakota SD 3 1 0 1 1 South Dakota SD 41 37 0 2 2 South Dakota SD 24 23 0 0 1 -‐92.68% -‐97.30% N/A -‐50.00% -‐50.00% xTennessee TN 31 12 0 2 17 Tennessee TN 39 20 0 0 19 Tennessee TN 382 301 33 0 48 -‐20.51% -‐40.00% N/A N/A -‐10.53%Texas TX 1422 934 367 38 82 Texas TX 1434 906 412 30 86 Texas TX 1301 930 302 1 68 -‐0.84% 3.09% -‐10.92% 26.67% -‐4.65%Utah UT 1920 1142 564 74 132 Utah UT 1531 985 433 5 108 Utah UT 1197 852 316 1 28 25.41% 15.94% 30.25% 1380.00% 22.22% xVermont VT 158 142 4 1 10 Vermont VT 154 140 5 0 9 Vermont VT 181 172 1 0 8 2.60% 1.43% -‐20.00% N/A 11.11% xVirginia VA 1930 953 422 402 105 Virginia VA 1732 909 364 390 69 Virginia VA 1127 621 256 208 42 11.43% 4.84% 15.93% 3.08% 52.17%Washington WA 1090 768 132 52 78 Washington WA 994 786 125 22 61 Washington WA 968 782 88 49 49 9.66% -‐2.29% 5.60% 136.36% 27.87%West Virginia WV 2 2 0 0 0 West Virginia WV 23 22 0 0 1 West Virginia WV 52 47 0 4 1 -‐91.30% -‐90.91% N/A N/A -‐100.00% xWisconsin WI 1092 999 46 1 41 Wisconsin WI 939 883 24 0 32 Wisconsin WI 836 802 8 0 26 16.29% 13.14% 91.67% N/A 28.13% xWyoming WY 6 5 1 0 0 Wyoming WY 0 0 0 0 0 Wyoming WY 0 0 0 0 0 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/AOTHER 9 6 1 0 2 OTHER 17 13 0 1 3 OTHER 9 6 1 0 2 -‐47.06% -‐53.85% N/A -‐100.00% -‐33.33%

TOTAL USA 43721 29667 8308 2075 2837 TOTAL USA 39010 28604 6520 1598 2288 TOTAL USA 33800 26448 4987 730 1635 12.08% 3.72% 27.42% 29.85% 23.99%

Northern California 4570 2865 1671 25 9 Northern California 3870 2363 1262 2 243 Northern California 3238 2134 954 3 147 18.09% 21.24% 32.41% 1150.00% 30.45%Southern California 4217 2082 1770 48 317 Southern California 3669 1769 1628 0 272 Southern California 2906 1488 1275 2 141 14.94% 17.69% 8.72% #DIV/0! #REF!

Meetings SevensOCTOBER NOVEMBER

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4

Coach / Ref Coach / RefCert Clinics Cert Clinics

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 5 6 7 8 9 10 11NCYRA

BOD - Dixon15 16 17 18 19 20 21 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 19 20 21 22 23 24 25Thanksgvn

29 30 31 26 27 28 29 30

DECEMBER JANUARYMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

1 2 Dec 31 1 2 3 4 5 6Coach / Ref New Years Coach / RefCert Clinics Cert Clinics

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 7 8 9 10 11 12 13Youth Matches - Wk 1

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 14 15 16 17 18 19 20Youth Matches - Wk 2

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 21 22 23 24 25 26 27KOT KOTSac Sac

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 28 29 30 31Christmas

FEBRUARY MARCHMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

1 2 3 1 2 3Week 1 Week 5Matches Matches

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 4 5 6 7 8 9 10NCYRA Week 2 Week 6

BOD - Bay Matches Matches11 12 13 14 15 16 17 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Week 3 Week 7Matches Matches

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 18 19 20 21 22 23 24President's Week 4 HP Camp 1 Week 8 HP Camp 2

Day Matches HS Only Matches HS Only25 26 27 28 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Week 9 Youth TrnyMatches Bay

APRIL MAYMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5Week 10 NCYRA NCYRA NCIT & NCIT &Matches BOD - Dixon SS Semis NCYRA Fnl NCYRA Fnl

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 6 7 8 9 10 11 12Week 11 RegionalMatches All-Star Selections

15 16 17 18 19 20 21 13 14 15 16 17 18 19Make-Up MS Trnmnt State Cup State CupMatches Dixon SoCal SoCal

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 20 21 22 23 24 25 26Playoff HP Camp 3 Pac Coast Pac Coast

Matches HS & MS All-Star Trn All-Star Trn29 30 27 28 29 30 31

MemorialDay

JUNE JULYMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Graduation NCYRA 7s NCYRA 7s

TBD TBD3 4 5 6 7 8 9 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Graduation NCYRA 7s NCYRA 7sDixon Dixon

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 15 16 17 18 19 20 21NCYRA All-Star Tour NCYRA 7s NCYRA 7s

Quicksilver TBD17 18 19 20 21 22 23 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

NCYRA 7s NCYRA 7sDixon Championship - Dixon

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 29 30 31NCYRA 7s

TBD

NCYRA 2013 SEASON MASTER SCHEDULETournamentsHigh PerformanceClinics / CoursesSeason Matches

Filename: MTncyra(2013masterschedule)110801rls


(NCYRA) High Performance Committee

Submitted by John Riddering

Committee Chairperson Date: August 5, 2012

The inaugural NCYRA High Performance program was quite successful. The monthly Sunday sessions were generally well attended with exception of the Middle School as their matches for the first few months were a direct conflict. We were successful in identifying 388 players and by the last session 130 Varsity Boys, 115 Junior Varsity, 78 Varsity Girls and 65 Middle school players had a attended one or more of the sessions. Subsequent comments from players, parents and coaches were they improved their skill level, learned something new, and thought the opportunity to participate was valuable and much appreciated by the parents. Thank you to the committee and the other coaches who helped put on the sessions. With sparse interest for the Pacific Coast All Star Tournament at Stanford by the other

ntinued on at SFGG /Treasure Island amongst Bay and Valley All-Star Teams for all the age categories. Our Middle School players deserve an opportunity to compete against another SBRO or the Canadian BC program. The results of the NCYRA All Star teams were fantastic. The Varsity and JV Boys trip to British Columbia, Canada, was a phenomenal initial competition amongst two regions looking for higher caliber opponents. This competition will continue next year and hopefully grow in future years. The Varsity lost to the BC Vancouver team 36-34, were victorious in Victoria . The JV group outmanned their opponents both in Vancouver and Victoria. The recent return match by the Canadian side resulted in a close win for the NCYRA Varsity side. The girls All Star program had the most prolific growth between the last two training sessions with nearly 85% increase from 42 to 76 very physical players allowing formation of a JV squad. The Girls teams participated in two tournaments (Oregon and Idaho) and were dominant in both locations. Well done ladies!! Improvement Opportunities for next year:

More coaches attend the training sessions. Nominating Coaches becoming more pragmatic on whom to nominate.

Have the Middle School start their program in April. Find/develop a competition for the M/S NCYRA team.

Improve the transitions between NCYRA sessions and Sub Region (i.e, Bay, Valley) programs. Coaches identified for the region teams by February , making them integral in the monthly NCYRA sessions.

Build competitions (Pacific Coast All Star) or find more competition/matches for all our NCYRA All Star teams.

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(NCYRA) Sevens Committee Report

Submitted by Robert Salaber

Committee Chairperson Date: August 1, 2012

The inaugural NCYRA Summer Sevens Series was a great success. The summer sevens program unofficially began in 2011 during the months of June and July, with three tournaments in Dixon. At that time we began with eight (8) Clubs participating in three (3) Divisions: Boys Varsity, Girls Varsity and Middle School. By the end of 2011 we had 18 Teams participating in those Divisions. The NCYRA Sevens Committee met in March of this year and established an official summer sevens season, called the NCYRA Summer Sevens Series, which runs in the months of June and July, culminating in a Championship Tournament on the last Sunday of July. Five (5) Tournaments were held in the Series, including four (4) in Dixon and one (1) in Morgan Hill. By the end of the Series, at the Championship Tournament, there were 54 Teams competing in eleven (11) Divisions. That is a 300% increase in participation in one (1) year. The Divisions were:

1. Boys Varsity Gold 2. Boys Varsity Silver 3. Girls Varsity Gold 4. Girls Varsity Silver 5. Boys Junior Varsity Gold 6. Boys Junior Varsity Silver 7. Middle School Gold 8. Middle School Silver 9. Under 12 10. Under 10 11. Under 23 (college age players)

There were five (5) Championship Divisions, and below is the result of the first ever NCYRA Summer Sevens Series Championships:

1. Boys Varsity Gold: 1st Place - EPA, 2nd Place Jesuit 2. Boys Varsity Silver: 1st Place Peninsula Green, 2nd Place Bellarmine 3. Girls Varsity: 1st Place Amazons, 2nd Place Mother Lode 4. Boys Junior Varsity: 1st Place Granite Bay, 2nd Place Jesuit 5. Middle School: 1st Place EPA, 2nd Place Pleasanton Cavaliers

To say that the Summer Sevens Series was a success would be an understatement. The Series now requires six (6) playing fields, including a mini-field for the Youth.

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Also, in the final tournament we had the British Columbia Under 17 Provincial Side field two teams, and they played in eight (8) very competitive matches against Boys Varsity Gold Teams and the first ever NCYRA Sevens All-Star Team. In addition, there were several Sevens Clinics that were held during the summer, which were either supported or promoted by the NCYRA. These clinics were put on by the Sac Valley Region and such organizations as the California Rugby Academy, and though they started out with small participation, the enthusiasm for the programs was clearly growing. Our task for next year is to possibly fill in all the weekend slots for the Series. Of the nine (9) available weekends, there are four (4) weekends still available, and could be filled with tournaments, preferably in the Bay Area. Also, next year the organization and the structure of the Series may be better refined as there were issues with regard to Teams registering but not showing up. There may need to be some sort of financial penalty as this caused confusion and consternation regarding the schedules. Also, a more formal Division structure may eventually develop as the Series becomes better attended and we have actual records and rankings. Adding and promoting more clinics and courses will also be on the agenda. It will all develop over time. What was discovered was that Sevens is clearly surging into the future and can be an incredible and significant element of the NCYRA, and an excellent entry point into the world of rugby. With the inclusion of Sevens at the 2016 Olympics, the rapid growth of this Series, the economics and simple logistics of Sevens, and the need for fun summer activities such as this, the NCYRA Sevens Committee strongly believes that this is clearly a catalyst to moving rugby into the mainstream American sports circle.

NCYRA Referee Committee Strategic Plan--2012 (Revised Draft July 12)

Purpose: The purpose of the Referee Committee is to providequalified referees for NCYRA-sanctioned matches.

Where We Are Now - There are about 4500 NCYRA players, andmore are expected in the future. We have hundreds of certified (Level1) referees in NorCal, but only about 55 active NCYRA referees, whichis not enough to cover 70 high school matches, plus middle schoolmatches, each week. We need NCYRA teams to identify their certifiedreferees, and we need those referees to actively manage games.Regional Coordinators for referees had varying success makingassignments for high school matches. Our training and educationactivities need to continue. Communication between teams andreferees needs to be improved. Compliance with the NCYRA Safety Protocol, particularly the Field Requirements, is inconsistent. Match Fees are seldom provided.

Goals To Be Achieved By June 2013

Goal #1--train more refs. By offering match fees, we hope attractmore high school and college players as referees. Match fees may alsoattract former rugby players who are officials in other sports. Keyconcept: school-age refs will referee younger teams, e.g., high schoolreferees will cover middle school games.

! Specifics: Conduct 3 Level 1 courses in Fall 2012. DJW to workwith Mike Malone to schedule. Rob Salaber to circulate training datesto NCYRA teams.

Goal #2--require currently certified refs to referee matches.

! Specifics: Rob Salaber will send a firm letter to teams notifyingthem of sanctions (disqualified for playoffs) unless they (1) identifyenough team-affiliated referees, and (2) have team-affiliated refscover 1/2 as many matches as their team plays.

Goal #3--continuing education for NCYRA Refs

1

! Specifics: DJW to conduct 2 training sessions for NCYRA refs inSac Valley, and one in Fresno during 2013.

Goal #4--on-field training. Continue KOT recruiting and RefereeDevelopment Program. Use 7s tournaments for coaching

! Specifics: Ray Schwartz to continue recruiting refs for KOT.Need to provide room and board for visiting refs at KOT and NCIT(budget item).

Goal #5--referee coaching. Expand the number of referee coaches from 2to 3.

! Specifics: DJW to approach Pelican referee coaches to assistwith NCYRA refs.

Goal #6--Improve communications regarding high school matches:Advance notice of matches; obtain current contact info for team refs andteam coordinators.

! Specifics: By September 30, 2012, Chris Tucker will assesscurrent communication links and recommend revisions/improvements.

Goal #7--Match Fees. With a dues increase for players, match fees of$50 for Varsity, $40 for JF, and $30 for Middle School games can beprovided by NCYRA.

! Specifics: Board and AGM must approve dues increase. Varsityreferees would be required to observe and coach JV referee as acondition of receiving match fee. Match fees based on submittal ofMatch Report by home team. Referee must sign Match Report. NCYRAshould consider a computer-based process for handling checks.

Goal #8--expand referee assignments to middle school games.

! Specifics: During 2013 season, Regional Coordinators will alsoassign refs to Middle School matches.

Goals for June 2015125 active referees

2

Match Fees for Referee Coaches

3

REFEREE: HOME TEAM (Score): AWAY TEAM (Score):Location/Date/Time:

GAME DESCRIPTION:

Management of the Game: Excellent Good Fair Poor

Control of scrummage: Excellent Good Fair Poor

Kept players on feet after tackle: Excellent Good Fair Poor

Kept players onside at rucks and mauls: Excellent Good Fair Poor

Use of Advantage: Excellent Good Fair Poor

Control of Open Play: Excellent Good Fair Poor

Signals and Verbal Communication: Excellent Good Fair Poor

Overall: Excellent Good Fair Poor REFEREE STRENGTHS:

SUGGESTIONS TO REFEREE:

REPORT PREPARED BY: TELEPHONE #:DATE: E-MAIL:

Send report to David Williamson: 2931 Magnolia St., Berkeley, CA 94705 [email protected]

NCYRA Referee Coaching Report

DRAFT--June 2012Rugby Referee Agreement

To obtain match fees from the Northern California Youth Rugby Association (NCYRA) during the 2012-2013 season, I _____________________________ hereby state:

I understand and agree the NCYRA is not my employer, the NCYRA is not responsible for withholding or deducting any money from my match fees, and I am exclusively responsible for any tax liability resulting from NCYRA’s payment of match fees.

I understand and agree the NCYRA does not provide insurance for any costs related to injury or illness incurred in refereeing, or related to travel to and from the match. I understand there are risks of injury involved in refereeing, and I freely choose to do so. I have my own medical and automobile insurance coverage.

I am certified to referee matches by USA Rugby and the International Rugby Board. I am currently registered with USA Rugby, which provides insurance for personal liability and medical costs. I maintain my own referee equipment, and provide my own transportation to matches. Any costs related to rugby refereeing are my responsibility.

I agree to follow the NCYRA Safety Protocol, and will sign the Match Report following a match. I understand the NCYRA uses Match Reports to certify I refereed a match.

If I referee a High School Varsity match, I will observe and provide coaching comments to the referee for the JV match.

My mailing address is: ________________________________________________

My phone number and email address are: _________________________________

My social security number is: _______________

__________________________________________________________________Signature Date

IF REFEREE IS UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE:

__________________________________________________________________Parent Signature Date


(NCYRA) Nomination of Officers


President Date: August 5, 2012

Nominations for the NCYRA Officers were solicited in previous emails to the NCYRA Coaches and Administrators. Nominations can be received before or at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), scheduled for August 15, 2012. Nominations, speeches, deliberations and a vote from the attending membership for the one (1) year term for the Officers will be done at that AGM. Per the NCYRA Bylaws, each Team (remember several Teams per Club) attending the AGM gets one vote and this can be done by written proxy. Mateo Medrano, with the San Francisco Golden Gate Rugby Club, has indicated that he will not seek another one (1) year term as Vice President. He has served the NCYRA extremely well during our first two years in existence. His thoughtful input and volunteer service have been much appreciated. He will be missed, although he will continue to be an intricate part of the NCYRA as a coach with SFGG and possibly with the All-Star program. The Officers positions and their current office holders are below:

President Robert Salaber, Dixon Rugby Football Club, seeking re-election Vice President Mateo Medrano, San Francisco Golden Gate Rugby Club, not seeking re-

election Secretary Bob Benson, Peninsula Green, seeking re-election Treasurer Matt Taylor, Lamorinda Rugby Club, seeking re-election

To date, we have received one (1) nomination for the Vice President position, and that is for Owen Flynn, the Head Coach from McClatchy High School. Below is a short bio for Mr. Flynn: Professional Experience:

Construction 1994 to present.

Featured on DIY and HGTV shows and specials such as:

Yard Crashers, House Crashers, Turf War and the 2011 HGTV Halloween Special.

Rugby Coaching Experience:

Coach of the Land Park Motley U12 2008 to 2011. NCYRA Champions 2010.

Started McClatchy High Rugby Club 2008. Coach McClatchy High 2011 / 2012.

Second place in NCYRA JV 2011. Second Place in NCYRA Single School JV 2012.

Assistant Coach NCYRA All Stars U17 2011. Winner Rocky Mountain Challenge.

Assistant Coach NCYRA All Stars JV 2012. Canada tour 2 - 0.

Assistant Coach NCYRA All Stars 2012. Winner inaugural NC/BC Cup Challenge.

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(NCYRA) 2013 Dues Increase Proposal


President Date: August 5, 2012

The NCYRA has grown from 3,238 players and coaches registered in 2009/10, to 4,570 players and coaches registered in 2011/12. That is a 41% increase in participants in two years. It also makes the NCYRA the largest State Based Rugby Organization (SBRO) in the United States, followed closely by Southern California at 4,217 participants, and then a distant Pennsylvania at 2,195. Not only do we have the largest SBRO but we have the best quality rugby in the United States, regularly competing and winning at National and Regional All-Star and Championship competitions. Of course, with rapid growth comes some growing pains, and we need to address these issues now, before they result in problems, stagnation and possible deterioration. In addition, USA Rugby (USAR) is also taking giant strides toward legitimizing the sport and enhancing their Coach Development program, as well as getting our National Governing Body (NGB) into the 21st century. Attached please find the USAR recently adopted Coach Development Program description and commensurate costs. The bottom line is that NCYRA Coaches we will need to comply with the new rules, which include several required on-line courses, continuing education, and additional registration costs, which will be $65 annually. Please read the entire attached report, as it comprehensive. Regarding the NCYRA, we must address and prioritize all of the many issues that we face in a logical and straightforward manner, with a clear vision and setting of realistic goals for the organization s future health and potential growth. To prioritize, the NCYRA Officers felt that the first two items that need to be addressed immediately are: 1) refereeing and 2) the required administration for the association. With regard to the referees, the NCYRA is essentially way behind the times. All mainstream sports in America, as well as many other SBROs, pay their referees. In order for us to move into the mainstream we need to do the same. This will ultimately improve both the quality and quantity of referees. Additional and continued education is also part of that equation. To that end, the NCYRA Referee Committee had a strategic planning session in June. Please see the attached report from the Chairman, Dave Williamson. From that meeting it was determined that the first step was to increase the referee pool from the current 55+/- active referees to approximately double that by the end of the 2013 Season. This would require more aggressive sanctions against teams that do not supply an active referee, additional referee certification courses, additional referee coaches, and paying the referees. It was determined that it in the short term it would not be possible to provide enough certified referees to cover Youth matches, and that the Clubs would have to organize covering those matches on their own. The proposal is for the following payment for referees:

Varsity Matches: $50 / match Junior Varsity: $40 / match Middle School: $30 / match

There will be approximately 100 of these matches every week, on average for the next three years, over a 12 week season, in addition to the end of the year tournaments. The total anticipated cost will be

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approximately $45,000 annually. This equates to approximately $9 / player and coach. The vast majority should be paid by the High School and benefit. However, it is understood that all participants should have to contribute some as the Youth will eventually receive ancillary benefit to having more qualified referees. The administrative requirements for the NCYRA have also grown exponentially in the last two years. It has went from requiring less than a half-time Administrative Assistant to more than a half-time Administrative Assistant, and from a quarter-time Officer (in this case the President, currently paid as a Regional Development Officer or RDO) to significantly more than a half-time Officer. In fact, in order for the association to keep up with the rigorous legal, logistical and progressive challenges and requirements of any sports, particularly one trying to become a mainstream sport, it will very soon need a fulltime Executive Director (ED). The ED will have to manage the growth and improve the association in many areas, such as Player, Coach and Club development, public relations, regional and international cooperation, and the many other activities associated with a mainstream sport in America. Perhaps the NCYRA does not need an ED yet, but the workload and challenges are grueling and time consuming. Over the past two years the President has averaged 96 hours per month on NCYRA matters. There must be a Transition Plan put into place to deal with this increased workload, and with the expectation that the sport will continue to flourish and grow. At this time, as the current President and RDO, I cannot afford to make this a fulltime job, nor can I take a massive cut in salary to do so. However, at some point, in about the next three years, the association will need to hire a fulltime ED, whether it is me or someone else. The point is that we need to start thinking about that position and the requisite salary. The Officers believe that it should be a minimum of $60,000 annual salary, but this will be at the discretion of the Board. The cost for an ED position ranges from $30,000 to more than $120,000 annually. In some larger NGBs it is more than $250,000. Currently, the more-than-half-time RDO annual salary is $30,000, 50% paid by the NCYRA and 50% paid under an annual USAR grant, which must be applied for annually. That will not be enough to continue the RDO position indefinitely. The NCYRA Board should consider raising the RDO salary minimally in the short term and perhaps start putting away some funds for when an ED can and should be hired. The Officers recommendation is that we increase the administrative allocation for the NCYRA by $35,000 annually and determine if a raise is warranted for the current RDO, or put the additional funds away for when an ED should be hired, or a combination of both. It is better to plan for the future now than to have a much larger dues increase later. The total increase due to these two initiatives is $80,000 annually ($45k + $35k). The anticipated average membership for the association for the next three years will be about 5,000. This is an average of $16 / participant / year increase. The proposed dues increase is the following:

High School Player: $20 Middle School Player: $15 Youth Player: $10

Coach: $10 Referee: $10 Administrator: $0 Rookie Rugby $0

The current and proposed annual dues for all NCYRA participants are the following: Participant Current

NCYRA Annual Dues

Current USAR Annual Dues

Current Total Dues

Proposed NCYRA Annual Dues

Proposed USAR Annual Dues

Total Proposed

Annual Dues

Percent Increase

High School $20 $30 $50 $40 $30 $70 40% Middle School $15 $20 $35 $30 $20 $50 43% Youth $10 $20 $30 $20 $20 $40 33% Rookie Rugby $0 $5 $5 $0 $5 $5 0% Coach $20 $30 $50 $30 $65 $95 90% Referee $0 $45 $45 $10 $45 $55 22% Administrator $20 $30 $50 $20 $30 $50 0% This is obviously a significant and serious issue that will merit discussion and debate at the NCYRA Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held on August 15, 2012. A vote can be taken at that time on this dues increase proposal.

June 2012

USA Rugby Congress Background Information

USA Rugby Coaching Development Program: Protecting our Players and Coaches

coveted aspect of playing rugby to the attention of the American public. By doing the right thing at this time we can elevate rugby to the forefront of sports in the US and dramatically increase its appeal to players, parents, and fans across the country.

In 2012 the major threats facing sports organizations relate primarily to the protection of the players. From youth to high school to college, to the Olympics and the pros, all face problems in ensuring the welfare, safety and health of the sports participants from sexual abuse/molestation, harassment and bullying, concussions and other Injuries and health issues (including those from heat related factors), use of PEDs, and unsportsmanlike behavior.

Most sports organizations are reluctantly tackling these issues through tougher requirements and standards for their coaches, volunteers and staff (some as a result of lawsuits or public media disclosure). The risk management experts at insurance companies, the USOC, the federal government and countless other child welfare organizations are recommending that sports organizations be proactive in dealing with these threats. Although several national governing bodies (NGBs) have policies and programs that address these issues, none have a comprehensive set of requirements that cover all of these areas and none make it part of the membership process by providing the appropriate training. They put the onus on the coach to take care of arranging and paying for their training.

We propose a proactive strategy where all USA Rugby coaches are required to successfully complete the following in order to become a registered USA Rugby Coach:

Background check Sport First Aid course Sexual Abuse/Molestation Prevention course Bullying and Harassment Prevention course Concussion Management Course Proper rugby technique and rules instruction (will satisfy Level 100 certification requirements)

The cost of these trainings would be included in the standard membership fee for all coaches, in order to ensure compliance, and to provide the coaches with the most economical, effective and efficient registration process. All increases in the present membership fees would be allocated for the trainings provided. The proposed USA Rugby Coach membership fee of $65 would bring us in-‐line with the NGB average fee of $62.50, while providing a much superior set of benefits and services to the coaches, and ensuring the welfare and safety of our players and coaches.

By doing so USAR will be able to promote rugby as a sport where children will be surrounded by a community of coaches and volunteers that have been trained to provide a safe environment for kids to have fun, grow and learn valuable life lessons.

USA RUGBY COACH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: 2012-‐16

Goal: To assist in establishing Rugby as a major participation Sport in America, and as a competitive powerhouse in the world.

Philosophy: Do what is right, not just what is easy.

Focus: The Player/The Coach/The Game

Approach: The American Rugby Model(ARM): An integrated strategic sport development system which aligns the major components of the Long-‐Term Development Model with the organizational and competitive structure of rugby and sports in the US.

Strategy: 1. Protect our Players and Coaches

Mandatory Requirements for all registered coaches o Background check o Rugby Fundamentals and Laws o Sexual abuse and molestation education o First Responder Training o Concussion prevention and management training o Ethics and sportsmanship education o Harassment and bullying education

Background check and all mandatory training requirements included in annual USA Rugby Coach Membership Fee ($65)

Top-‐level education partners o USOC o USADA o IRB o NFHS o ASEP o CDC

2. Grow our Coaches and Volunteers

Clear Path Development and Certification Pipeline Multiple coach certification entry points and equivilents Best training from the US and around the world

o Serevi o R80 o ICS o PCA

o RiS A $35 Coach Education Credit for re-‐certification included in included in annual USA

Rugby Coach Membership Fee ($65) No repetition just progressive education and professional development Scope of curriculum based with National Standards for Sport Coaches Brand and recruiting strategy based on the top level of coach development and

player protection in the USA

3. Prepare for Victory Elite Performance Model Best Practices Rigid Requirements for advancement to top levels International rugby, coaching and sport science experts at Annual ational Rugby

Coaches Academy Coach Development Network to support coaching expertise

Results:

1. More players at all levels due to increased recruitment and retention 2. Better coaches at all levels 3. Improved quality of play 4. World Cups and Olympic podiums 5. Stronger organizations at all levels

USA RUGBY CDP EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION SCENARIOS

Starting In: No Previous Certification (Level 100)

Courses Required Course Costs

USAR Subsidy

USAR Coach Costs

(applicable for adult recreation coaches)

Level 100: Rugby Essentials Course (with First responder component)*

$25 $25 $0

USOC SafeSport Course* $10 $10 $0 USADA TrueSport Course* $10 $10 $0 CDC Concussion Management Course* $0 $0 $0 Total Cost of Education Courses $45 $45 $0 All courses need to be completed before USAR Membership is activated.

Moving Up: Level 100 Coach moving to Level

200

Courses Required Costs USAR Subsidy

USAR Coach Costs


Level 200: Rugby Development Course ** $120 $25 $95

NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching or ASEP Coaching Orientation Course*

$35 $10 $25

NFHS First Aid or ASEP Sport First Aid Course* $50 $25 $25 Total Cost of Education Courses $225 $60 $145 Level 200 Coach moving to Level

300

Courses Required Costs USAR Subsidy

USAR Coach Costs


Level 300: Rugby Competition Course ** $205 $25 $180

USAR/IRB Strength and Conditioning Course* $95 $0 $70

ASEP Coaching Principles Course $60 $10 $50 Total Cost of Education Courses $350 $60 $300

Cutting In: New coach at the High School

Level 200:

Course Required Costs USAR Subsidy

USAR Coach Costs

Level 200: Rugby Development Course ** $120 $25 $95 NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching or ASEP Coaching

Orientation Course* $35 $10 $25

NFHS First Aid or ASEP Sport First Aid Course* $50 $25 $25 USOC SafeSport Course* $10 $10 $0 USADA TrueSport Course* $10 $10 $0 CDC Concussion Management Course* $0 $0 $0 Total Cost of Education Courses $235 $70 $145

Returning: Grandfathered Level 200 Coach: (Existing Level 1)

Course Required within 1 year to stay at Level 200 Costs USAR Subsidy

USAR Coach Costs

NFHS Fundamentals of Coaching or ASEP Coaching Orientation Course*

$35 $10 $25

NFHS First Aid or ASEP Sport First Aid Course* $50 $25 $25 USOC SafeSport Course* $10 $10 $0 USADA TrueSport Course* $10 $10 $0 CDC Concussion Management Course* $0 $0 $0 Total Cost of Education Courses $115 $45 $50

Grandfathered Level 300 Coach: (Existing Level 2)

Course Required within 1 year to stay at Level 300 Costs USAR Subsidy

USAR Coach Costs

USAR/IRB Strength and Conditioning Course** $95 $25 $70 ASEP Coaching Principles Course $60 $10 $50 NFHS First Aid or ASEP Sport First Aid Course* $35 $10 $25 USOC SafeSport Course* $10 $10 $0 USADA TrueSport Course* $10 $10 $0 CDC Concussion Management Course* $0 $0 $0 Total Cost of Education Courses $190 $55 $145

Staying Active: 2nd/3rd, etc, year coach at Levels 100/200/300

a)Potential Courses Required every year to stay active Costs USAR Subsidy

USAR Coach Costs

First Aid Course* (after first time certified: re-‐certification version)

$50 ($15)

$25 ($5)

$25 ($10)

Total Cost of Education Courses $50 ($15)

$25 ($5)

$25 ($10)

2nd/3rd, etc, year coach at Levels 100/200/300

b)Potential Courses Required every year to stay active Costs USAR Subsidy

USAR Coach Costs

PCA Double Goal Coach Mental Game* $15 $5 $10 NFHS Modeling Behavior Course* $20 $5 $15 Total Cost of Education Courses $35 $10 $25 2nd/3rd, etc, year coach at Levels 100/200/300

c)Potential Courses Required every year to stay active Costs USAR Subsidy

USAR Coach Costs

USAR Technical Coaches Workshop $65 $25 $40 Total Cost of Education Courses $65 $25 $40

!

! 2500 Arapahoe, Suite 200, Boulder, CO 80302 | Phone 303.539.0300 | Fax 303.539.0311

Members of the International Rugby Board & the U.S. Olympic Committee

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NCYRA Player Transfer Policy Proposal Submitted August 15, 2012

General Transfer Policy Player transfers from one Club to another will inevitably occur. The NCYRA strongly discourages Clubs raiding or poaching players from another Club, but recognizes that players are not required to play with a specific Club merely

because they started with that Club. It is the explicit intent of the NCYRA that Clubs do not recruit or poach players from other Clubs for any reason, at any time. However, the NCYRA supports the active recruitment of players for the purpose of growing the Club and the sport, but not to the detriment of another Club and purely for self-interest. The NCYRA recognizes that players may have reasons to change to another Club and so transfers will occur. All player transfer questions and controversies must be reviewed, deliberated and approved/denied by the NCYRA Officers (President, Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary) in writing. The two types of player transfers are: 1) Between Season Transfers, and 2) Mid-Season Transfers

1. Between Season Transfers: Players may transfer Clubs prior to being properly registered for a season (i.e., between playing seasons). If a player requests to join a different Club (the Transfer Club Club shall notify the previous Club as a courtesy and to avoid double registration. However, approval by the Initial Club is not required to complete the transfer.

2. Mid-Season Transfers: If a player requests a transfer to a different Club after being properly registered for a season with the Initial Club, the Transfer Club must follow the Player Transfer Request (PTR) protocol detailed below. Mid-season player transfers are strongly discouraged. The NCYRA also strongly encourages that the Transfer Club Coach/Administrator show the courtesy of informing the Initial Club Coach about the proposed transfer by contacting them in person, through telephone or email, prior to the formal PTR process.

Mid-Season Player Transfer Requests (PTR) A PTR must be made in writing from the Transfer Club Coach or Administrator to the NCYRA (email to the President is sufficient) with the following information:

1. Player Name, USAR CIPP #, age, year in school, school attending, NCYRA Division playing 2. Requested date of transfer 3. Initial Club name, Initial Club Coach Name and contact information 4. Transfer Club name, Transfer Club Coach Name and contact information 5. Reason for transfer request (must be thorough and specific). Additional information can be requested by the

NCYRA Officers. There must be a compelling reason, not simply that the player wants to play with another team. 6. The NCYRA will have seven (7) calendar days to approve or deny the PTR.

Transfer Protocol The following is the protocol, process and hierarchy of determining factors when authorizing a mid-season player transfer from an Initial Club to a Transfer Club, ie. after a player has properly been registered for that season with the NCYRA by the Initial Club.

1. Mid-season player transfers are strongly discouraged by the NCYRA. 2. Under no circumstances can a transferred player compete in High School Conference Matches, Playoffs or

Championships if the initial PTR is received after March 15th. 3. Both Coaches from the Initial Club and Transfer Club must approve the transfer in writing (email to the NCYRA

President is sufficient). If one of the Coaches does not approve the transfer in writing this does not necessarily preclude the transfer, but the process will require a conference call hearing with the NCYRA Officers, which may also involve testimony from the player and/or Coaches.

4. re must be a compelling reason or a definitive hardship. For example: a financial or logistical hardship, the players Initial Club has folded or been disassociated, an extraordinary event that compels them to want to leave, such as for safety concerns.

5. The NCYRA Officers will determine and must approve or deny the player transfer in writing (email is sufficient). 6. USAR must approve the player transfer, though this is perfunctory in nature.

Newly Established Clubs The NCYRA will encourage, promote and support the growth of the sport and provide guidance and direction to the expanding Clubs in the fairest, rational and unbiased manner possible. It is understood that when a new Club is established it will very likely involve players that previously played on another Club. The NCYRA will promote this growth in an orderly and logical manner, with the understanding that there will be issues and possible controversy during the establishment of these new Clubs. In situations that involve controversy of player participation the NCYRA Officers will work to resolve these issues in the best interest of the association.

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(NCYRA) Policy Statements

Amended / Approved August 15, 2012

1) Objectives These policies, in accordance with the NCYRA Bylaws, shall provide more specific guidance and direction for the activities of the NCYRA and shall be evaluated, ratified and/or modified and then approved on an annual basis by the NCYRA Board of Directors. The purpose of these policies is to support the following objectives: a) To develop and maintain a strong, well organized and enduring youth rugby

program for high school and younger players in Northern California and to provide youth of all ages, sexes and socio-economic status an opportunity to participate in a positive, rewarding and safe athletic experience.

b) To promote and maintain the ideals of strong character, good sportsmanship, leadership, good citizenship, fair play and camaraderie between all Players, Coaches, Referees and spectators.

c) To promote and represent rugby in a positive, legitimate and professional manner and be the primary representative and ambassador of Northern California rugby in all relevant matters and events, including but not limited to relationships and dealings with USA Rugby, regional, state, national or international rugby organizations and their affiliates, and the public.

d) To develop and encourage a positive family-oriented atmosphere to the Teams, Clubs, Conferences and NCYRA so as to empower parents to learn about the sport, help run the Clubs, and exert a positive influence where it is needed.

2) Rugby Laws and Variations The NCYRA shall determine the law variations under which each Division shall play the game of rugby. These shall be consistent with those variations prescribed by USA Rugby, but where USA Rugby provides latitude for choice of law variations for the various age groups, NCYRA shall determine the appropriate method of play.

3) Student-Athlete Status NCYRA supports the ideals of promoting student-athletes. To this end we support the basic principles of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIIF) policies related to student-athlete participation and conduct. We recognize that there is no current agreement between Clubs with regard to eventually seeking CIF status and that it may never occur, however, we recognize the benefits of adopting certain policies that promote proper student-athlete conduct and standards. To this end we will adopt the following guidelines: a) It is recognized that participation in rugby is a privilege, not a right.


b) It is recognized that school attendance comes first, athletic participation is secondary.

c) All Players must be enrolled in a school (or home schooled in an appropriate program or graduated early by virtue of GED requirements) and be a fulltime student.

d) A Player who is expelled from school shall be ineligible while expelled. e) Grade Point Average (GPA) The NCYRA supports academics above

participation in rugby, however, it is not practical for the NCYRA to monitor or check the GPA of student-athletes. Therefore, it is strongly encouraged that all Coaches monitor their P , as is reasonably practical, and that all Players achieve and maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA, on a 4.0 scale. At this time there shall be no action or recourse from opposing Teams for Players that do not meet this minimum standard.

Any Team or Club found to have allowed participation in an NCYRA sponsored or sanctioned event (matches, tournaments or tours) of one (1) or more of their Players that are in violation of these requirements will immediately be referred to the Disciplinary Committee and may be sanctioned, suspended or disassociated until such time as they have shown clear indications and assurances to the Disciplinary Committee that they have corrected and/or rectified their violation and that they will assure appropriate participation in future events. Additionally scrutiny will be utilized for not less than one (1) season following such an occurrence. Multiple violations of a Team or Club shall result in suspensions or disassociation.

4) Code of Conduct The NCYRA shall adopt a Code of Conduct that shall set forth expected conduct of Players, Coaches, Administrators and spectators. Violations of the Code of Conduct shall be referred to the Disciplinary Committee for review and possible sanctions. The Safety Policy and Code of Conduct form must be signed annually and submitted to the NCYRA by the Head Coach of all Teams and Referees prior to participating in any NCYRA sanctioned event. An NCYRA Sanctioned Event is any Conference Match, Tournament or Tour that is organized, coordinated or managed by the NCYRA.

5) Safety Policy It is NCYRA Policy that every school, club, team or other party with any responsibility for a rugby activity or

who participate in or attend the same. In the event that any organizer determines that there is a foreseeable risk of harm to a participant in a rugby activity or event, it is the responsibility of that organizer to promptly eliminate or guard against such risk or, if necessary, terminate the activity or event. The NYCRA shall only be responsible for safety at those events for which it specifically assumes

The Safety Policy and Code of Conduct form must be signed and submitted to the NCYRA by the Head Coach of all Teams and Referees prior to participating in any NCYRA Sanctioned Event.


6) Trainers The home Team shall reasonably endeavor to provide, within their means, first aid support to all Players at all matches. It is encouraged that home Teams provide a qualified sports medicine Trainer at all High School matches. Both visiting and home Team Coaches agree that the h determinations and decisions are final regarding injured Players continuing participation. If the visiting Team also has their own qualified Trainer, the visiting Teams Trainerdeterminations and decisions will take precedence for their Players only. If the home Team is unable to provide a Trainer, and the visiting Team has a Trainer, the visiting Team Trainer will take on the role of the home Team Trainer.

7) Single School vs. Multi-School Definitions a) Multi-School High School: A Team or Club with Players from more than one

school that do not meet the Single-School definition below but otherwise meet the USA Rugby and NCYRA eligibility requirements, and the eligibility and geographic requirements of their individual Conference.

b) Single-School High School: A Team or Club with Players from a single designated high school, that meet the USA Rugby and NCYRA eligibility requirements, and the eligibility and geographic requirements of their individual Conference, with the following clarifications/exceptions: a maximum of three (3)* registered and age appropriate Players that do not attend the designated high school may participate with the single-school Team under the following conditions: i) The Player must be named and then designated by the appropriate

Conference Administrator prior to playing in any Conference match, and ii) The Player must have a permanent resident address within the school district

boundaries in which the designated high school is located and be enrolled in an appropriate GED or home school program, or

iii) The Player must be a fulltime enrolled student at an appropriate aged school (i.e. high school, charter school, continuation school, etc) within the same school district boundaries as the single-school, or in a school that is in a district contiguous to the same school district in which the designated single-school is located and where there is no other such program available to the Player.

Furthermore, a maximum of three (3) individual Players may be designated during the course of the prescribed rugby season, regardless of the Player(ie. injury, relocated, quit, etc.). The intent of this section is that single school Teams do not game the system by rotating or backfilling Players. *Note: Currently USA Rugby allows only two (2) non-school Players, but this seems excessive given where youth rugby is at in its development stage. It is the intent of the NCYRA to bring up this issue and advocate for a change at the next appropriate USA Rugby venue.

8) Division Group Definitions, and Age and Eligibility Requirements NCYRA shall periodically determine the Division groups under which rugby shall be played in Northern California. The current age definitions are based on the Player


ages on September 1st, preceding the current season. So, for example, for the 2010 season, the age is determined as of September 1, 2009. The Division groups are: a) High School Varsity A (Gold) Club and Single School Varsity Must be U-19

and enrolled, attending and in good standing in a high school or an equivalent non-post secondary educational program or institution (home schooled). The player must be within four (4) years of the moment the player first enrolled in the ninth grade, regardless of when the player started playing rugby or had the ability to start playing rugby. Players may also be eligible if they would otherwise be in high school but have graduated early by virtue of early graduation and/or passing, or in the process of passing, the GED.

b) High School Varsity B (Silver) Same requirements as above. c) High School Junior Varsity (Frosh/Soph) Club and Single School Junior

Varsity Must be U-17 and enrolled, attending and in good standing in a high school or an equivalent non-post secondary educational program or institution (home schooled), and be a high school Freshman or Sophomore.

d) Middle School Must be enrolled, attending and in good standing in a 6th, 7th and/or 8th grade school or other appropriate educational program (home schooled).

e) U-12 Youth Must be U-12 and enrolled, attending and in good standing in a grade school or other appropriate educational program (home schooled).

f) U-10 Youth Must be U-10 and enrolled, attending and in good standing in a grade school or other appropriate educational program (home schooled).

g) U-8 Youth - Must be U-8 and enrolled, attending and in good standing in a grade school or other appropriate educational program (home schooled).

Any Club or Team found to have allowed participation in an NCYRA sanctioned or sponsored event (matches, tournaments or tours) of one (1) or more of their Players that are in violation of these requirements will immediately be referred to the Disciplinary Committee and may be sanctioned, suspended or disassociated until such time as they have shown clear indications and assurances to the Disciplinary Committee that they have corrected and/or rectified their violation and that they will assure appropriate participation in future events. Additionally scrutiny will be utilized for not less than one (1) season following such an occurrence. Multiple violations of a Club or Team shall result in suspensions or disassociation. *Note. The NCYRA also supports active engagement with USA Rugby regarding the age and school requirements for High School rugby and will actively pursue measures to modify USA Rugby rules and regulations to be compatible with the more restrictive NCYRA Bylaws and Policies

9) Competition Management System (CMS) Registration, Rosters, Photos, School Verification and Age Determining Documents for Players, Coaches and Referees a) Registration - The NCYRA utilizes a Competition Management System (CMS) for

all dues, fees, registration, documentation and eligibility issues. Club Administrators must properly register all Players, Coaches, and Referees prior to participating in any NCYRA Sanctioned event. The proper registration includes annual NCYRA Club and Player Dues, Coaches Dues, Referee Dues, USA


Rugby CIPP Player, Coach and Referees Dues, Player Pictures, Player School ID Cards, and for Players competing in Under 12 and younger Divisions, Birth Certificates or Passport copies. A Player, Coach or Referee cannot participate in any NCYRA sanctioned event unless they have properly been registered and are in good standing with the NCYRA, their respective Conference, and USA Rugby.

b) Rosters - NCYRA Player Rosters must be input into the CMS at least four (4) hours prior to the start time of the NCYRA Sanctioned Event (ie. Conference Match). This allows the opposing Teams the opportunity to review and print the Rosters, though it is not required, from the CMS prior to traveling to the Event.

c) Photos Player Photos must be input into the CMS prior to participating in any NCYRA Sanctioned Event. Player Photos should be portrait styled color pictures from the shoulders up. File sizes should be less than 250 kb.

d) School Verification - School ID Cards or other form of School Identification

to participating in any NCYRA Sanctioned Event. File sizes should be less than 250 kb.

e) Age Determining Documents - For all Players and Teams participating in Under 12 or younger Divisions, all Players must have an age determining document input into the CMS prior to participating in any NCYRA Sanctioned Event. This could include a scanned copy of a birth certificate, passport or any other legal document. File sizes should be less than 250 kb.

f) Failure to comply with the items above can result in sanctions by the NCYRA and

time of the Event, or by the Regional Disciplinary Committee (RDC) or NCYRA Inter-Conference Disciplinary Committee (ICDC) subsequent to the Event.

10) Dues Structure The NCYRA shall periodically determine the dues structure for its Conferences, Clubs, Teams, Coaches, Administrators and Players, and all such participants shall only be eligible if such dues are paid prior to participating in an NCYRA Sanctioned Event. All NCYRA Club Dues must also be paid prior to any Club Team participating in any NCYRA Sanctioned Event. In addition, all USA Rugby Player, Coach and Referee Dues must be paid, which they are automatically paid through CMS, prior to any participation in an NCYRA Sanctioned Event. It is desirable to maintain a reasonable dues structure to minimize hurdles to participation, but it is also recognized that a budget is required to pursue the Policies. It is agreed that dues shall initially be: a) $20 $40 per individual High School Players, Coaches and Administrators b) $15 $30 per individual Middle School Players c) $10 $20 per individual Youth Players. d) $30 per Coach e) $20 per Administrator f) $0 $10 per individual Referee g) $150 for annual Club Dues (this amount is for each Club, regardless of how

many USAR Club ID # are issued for the Club)


h) Current USA Rugby annual dues as determined by USA Rugby 11) Coach Development, Licensure and Certification

All Teams shall have an NCYRA Licensed Certified Coach, at or above the appropriate Classification, in attendance and in charge at all NCYRA Sanctioned Events. No NCYRA Sanctioned Event can take place without a Licensed Certified Coach present. All Clubs, Coaches, Players and Administrators shall be registered with NCYRA and shall pay the required seasonal dues prior to commencing any NCYRA sanctioned or sponsored events. In addition, all Coaches must be incompliance and certified with the USA Rugby Coach Development program. The NCYRA shall establish and provide a comprehensive NCYRA Coaches Licensure Certification program with three levels of Classifications: Level A High Performance/All-Stars, Level B High School and Middle School, and Level C Youth. At least two (2) courses per Level B and C Classifications shall be provided annually in geographically diverse locations, and one (1) Level A course. Coach Licensure Certification will be mandatory for all Levels in 2012. Current USA Rugby Certified Coaches will automatically be classified at Level B. Coach Licensure Certification higher than what is required for the level of the Team are acceptable. The NCYRA will seek to provide coaching development opportunities and resources to improve the quality and experience of rugby coaches in Northern California. Areas to be considered shall include coaching clinics, first aid training, participation in Positive Coaching Alliance, and other activities that will increase and improve the pool of active rugby coaches in Northern California.

12) Club Incorporations For proper liability, insurance and legitimacy purposes the NCYRA will actively promote and provide advice and technical assistance to Clubs to incorporate as 501(c)3 non-profit corporations.

13) Team Definition for Youth Divisions For the purposes of a Team definition in the NCYRA Bylaws, for Youth Divisions it shall be a minimum of fifteen (15) Players and one certified Coach.

14) Scheduling The NCYRA shall determine, by the regularly scheduled quarterly November or December Board Meeting, and prior to any current season, all post-season schedules, including Northern California playoffs, select side matches, playoffs towards national championships, or other competitions as applicable. All Conferences shall determine their own season schedules to conclude prior to any applicable post-season events. Each Conference Representative (Director) shall be responsible for submitting their respective Conference season schedule to the NCYRA by the last Friday of January on the form provided by the NCYRA. These schedules shall include all the Conference matches, dates, times and venues (field locations). The purpose of this submittal is to create a NCYRA Master Schedule and to organize and coordinate with the Referee Society to provide Referees for the events. Because Referees are limited the priority for providing Referees shall be in the order of Divisions, going from Varsity A, Varsity B, Junior Varsity, Middle School School, U-12, U-10 and U-8. If Referees are not assigned it is the responsibility of the Home


Team to organize them as specified in the Match Facilities and Oversight section. The NCYRA shall endeavor to post all scheduled Conference matches, with Referees assigned, on their website.

15) Match Results It is the responsibility of the Home Team to properly input Conference Match Results within seventy-two (72) hours of a Conference Match. It is also the responsibility of the Home Team to scan and e-mail or fax the Player Rosters of both Teams participating and the Match Results page, with the Referees signature and verification, to the NCYRA within seventy-two hours (72) hours of a Conference Match. Red and Yellow Card violations must be included in the Match Results page. The NCYRA will input all Red and Yellow Card violations into the CMS. Failure to comply with this requirement can result in forfeiture of the match as determined by the RDC or ICDC. It is specifically the intent of the NCYRA not to post Middle School and below age group Division match scores as the purpose and intent of these Divisions is to introduce the sport of rugby in a positive and rewarding manner through well organized and safe events, and promote the ideals of strong character, good sportsmanship, leadership, good citizenship, fair play and camaraderie. Winning, losing and keeping track of Conference match results and standings does not meet the goals and objectives of these age groups, rather making the student-athlete a

16) High Performance Committee (All-Stars) The High Performance Committee shall

promote and organize select side events, including Conference, NCYRA, state-wide and/or national events. The Committee shall work to produce a consistent approach to selecting and promoting high performance Players and Coaches, and provide suitable competition for them. It is contemplated that several age grade select sides will be promoted, such as Varsity, Junior Varsity and Middle School. High Performance efforts may also include 7-a-side rugby. The NCYRA shall seek to

at all age levels. 17) Coach Certification, Development and Resources (moved to Policy 11) 18) Referee Development, Coordination and Management (will move to Policy 12)

a) The NCYRA has will establish a working an active NCYRA Referee Committee which will provide leadership and direction for Referee development, Conference and Tournament Match Scheduling for all Divisions, and a Strategic Plan to establish a sustainable, well organized and competent pool of Referees, with the explicit intent of eventually providing qualified and Certified Referees to all NCYRA Sanctioned Events. For the present, the hierarchy of providing qualified and Certified Referees will flow from High School competition through Middle and Youth. It is intended that all Conferences or Regions will provide a Referee Coordinator who will be a Member of the NCYRA Referee Committee and will work through a central repository to schedule Referees for NCYRA Sanctioned Events. The NCYRA shall seek to support the development of new Referees and provide for scheduling of Referees for games. This shall be done in consultation with the Referee

b) Each Team shall be required to have at least one (1) certified Referee that is affiliated with their Club. For example, a Club with five (5) Teams must have five


(5) Certified Referees. This requirement is so that the NCYRA will have enough Referees to cover all Conference Matches during the season. A Licensed certified Coach can also be a certified Referee. have to referee at least half (1/2) of the number of Conference Matches as the Team plays each year. Referees should, not shall, referee unaffiliated matches only. There may be times when a Certified Referee must referee a match where his/her Team or Club is competing, but this should be avoided to the greatest degree possible.

c) Failure to name and provide the requisite number of Certified Referees representing the specific Teams, prior to the start of Conference Matches, shall result in forfeitures of those Conference Matches played until such time that a referee is named and certified. Failure to provide a Certified Referee to referee half (1/2) as many matches by the end of the season can result in forfeiture of matches and/or disciplinary action by the NCYRA.

d) In the event that there has been no Referee assigned by the NCYRA Referee Committee or Regional Referee Coordinator, it is the responsibility of the Home Team to arrange for a Referee. There must be a Certified Referee for all High School Conference Matches or the Conference Match must be forfeited by the Home Team.

19) Disciplinary Committees Each Region shall establish their own Regional Disciplinary Committee (RDC) who will consider any proposed disciplinary actions, or shall in some circumstances delegate that authority to the Inter-Conference Disciplinary Committee (ICDC) shall act on all referrals or complaints of violations within one (1) week of the notification and their decisions shall be final. RDC meetings or deliberations can occur via conference call. The ICDC will deal with all violations that affect Inter-Conference issues, such as Playoffs and Club, Team or Player disassociations.

20) Staffing The Board of Directors shall periodically determine the need to hire staff to carry out the Policies of the NCYRA. Hiring of staff shall be carefully considered relative to achieving the Policies and consistent with the budget. While the budget is expected to start as a relatively modest amount, it is recognized that a significant amount of work will be needed to achieve the Policies of the NCYRA and appropriate funding will be desirable.

21) Insurance The Players shall comply and meet all insurance requirements as set by the NCYRA Bylaws and USA Rugby.

22) Public Education / Public Relations The NCYRA shall seek to promote the sport of rugby to the public through all reasonable means possible, including media, events, educational opportunities, etc.

23) Sponsorship / Fundraising The NCYRA shall seek sponsorship and fundraising activities to help fund the pursuit of the Policies.

24) Database


The NCYRA shall maintain a database of Clubs, Teams, Coaches, Administrators and Players and shall make such database available to its constituents via a NCYRA website.

25) Organizational Resources The NCYRA shall seek to assist new Clubs and Teams in setting up operations, provide guidance for best practices, and provide other assistance to promote the development of new Clubs and Teams.

26) Budgets It is recognized that the Policies are ambitious and will require a lot of volunteer time and money. The NCYRA shall prepare annual budgets to reflect its annual objectives and such budgets shall be approved by the Board of Directors.

27) Match Facilities and Oversight It is ultimately the responsibility of the Home Team to organize and/or provide appropriate Referees and Match Officials for home scheduled matches. It is also the responsibility of the Home Team to provide match fields that are consistent with the rules and regulations set by the NCYRA and USA Rugby, which includes, but is not limited to a regulation sized field that is free of obstructions and other unsafe playing conditions, and has clearly marked lines, goal posts, crowd control measures and other safety precautions.

28) Website The NCYRA shall seek to maintain a current and professional website that provides as many tools as possible to assist in the pursuit of the Policies. This will include an active database, links to rugby resources, educational materials, coaching materials, referee materials, Bylaws, Policies, season schedules, post-season schedules, match and Division results, promotional materials, current communications, transparent information as to the budget, and so on.