CRIEFF AND STRATHEARN RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB
Junior Rugby Section Policy
By registering their children to play or train with Crieff Junior Rugby, parents/guardians accept the following club policies.
1. Club Identity and Purpose
Crieff Junior Rugby is a section of Crieff and Strathearn Rugby Football Club. Crieff Junior Rugby exists to promote the enjoyment of Rugby Football among children and young people in school ages up to S4. The club coaches junior players of all ages and, in years P4 and over, organises them into teams to compete in the sport of Mini-Rugby (P4-P7) and Midi-Rugby (S1-S4), as defined by the SRU. Crieff Junior Rugby is administered by a Coaching Committee.
The Club believes in competitive rugby, and children in years P4 and over will take part in matches with other clubs where there will be a winning and a losing side.
Players in school years P4 and over take part in contact Rugby. Whilst the rules are designed with the safety of players as a paramount consideration, junior players will be participating in a very physical environment. The rules of Mini- and Midi-rugby are available on the SRU website.
2. Correct Playing Age
Players are able to play in teams and attend coaching based on school year and not their age. Players in school years P3 and below train with the Microbes Section. Players in P4-P7 train and play matches in their respective year groups in the Mini-Rugby section. Players in school years S1-S4 train and play matches in their respective year groups in the Midi-Rugby section.
3. Notification of Fixtures and Cancellations
Fixtures and training sessions will be advised via email and via the Rugby Club Information Hotline 07704 180974. If parents give any member of the coaching team their email address, then notifications will be sent by email of fixtures and training. We ask that parents/guardians correctly inform themselves by either of these two means. Coaches will not be responsible for telephoning round to confirm that parents/guardians are correctly informed, but coaches will make their phone numbers available to parents/guardians on request to enable parents/guardians to check match and training session status in case of uncertainty.
In the cold or very wet weather, it is likely that some fixtures will be cancelled at short notice. Whilst every effort will be made to provide 24 hours’ notice of cancellation, parents / guardians should check email by 9am or by telephoning the Rugby Club Hotline or the relevant coach on the morning of the game to avoid wasted journeys.
3. Club Playing Strip (for P4-S4 only)
The club provides players in P4-S4 with a Crieff Rugby shirt for each match, which should be returned to the coach responsible after the player has changed at the end of the match(es). From time to time, an opportunity for junior players to purchase their own club shirt may be organised.
Junior players are asked to provide the remainder of the strip themselves, although any similar suitable clothing is fine. The rest of the Crieff strip is navy rugby shorts, and blue and gold rugby/football socks. These are standard items available from most sports shops.
For training sessions, any suitable clothing should be worn.
Junior players are advised to bear in mind that we often play in cold and wet conditions, and therefore they may wish to wear a wicking undershirt (not cotton) under their rugby shirt, and bring a warm waterproof top and tracksuit trousers to training sessions and matches
4. Team Selection
Crieff Junior Rugby does not as a rule select teams for matches based on ability and will provide any registered player of the correct age who has attended training and who arrives for a match with the opportunity to play. The coach responsible for the team during the match will endeavour to provide game time for all players present, but this cannot be guaranteed and the substitution of players during a match is at the coach’s sole discretion.
However, depending on the number of players available to play, the coaches reserve the right to select the strongest team of players in advance, or to field an “A” team and a “B” team at each age group, based on experience, commitment to training and ability.
5. Subscriptions
Please refer to MEMBERSHIP web page for current details ( season 2010/2011)
Microbes (P3 and below) do not pay an annual subscription. Instead, they are asked to bring one pound to each training session.
6. Disruptive Behaviour
Crieff Junior Rugby exists to promote the enjoyment of rugby among all its junior members. Where the behaviour of an individual junior player is affecting the enjoyment of the other junior players in the club, the Club will act in the interests of the majority of players. Unreasonable behaviour by either players or parents will not be tolerated and very disruptive players who repeatedly spoil the enjoyment of others will be asked to leave the club. In this case their membership subs will be refunded.
If parents/guardians feel their child needs additional support in this regard they are encouraged to be present during matches and training sessions.
7. Junior Player Welfare
7.1 Insurance
Crieff Junior Rugby players who have paid their subscriptions are insured under the SRU Insurance policy. Parents/guardians hereby accept that the members of Crieff Junior Rugby Coaching Team or other Club Officials have no personal liability arising from the participation of junior players in training sessions or matches.
7.2 Gum Shields and Studs
The Club requires that Gum shields should be worn in any contact situation.
The Club insists that boots must have appropriate studs. Combination metal / plastic studs or football studs are not acceptable for playing rugby because of the risk of injury to other players. The club strongly prefers that boots have proper rugby studs. Boots with blades may be acceptable depending on the design, and in this case the decision of the coach or referee in question is final. Since other clubs we play against may have different policies, parents/guardians are advised that the safest course of action is to provide their children with boots with traditional rugby studs.
7.3 Medical Issues
Parents/Guardians hereby consent to their child receiving medical treatment, including anaesthetic, which the medical authorities present consider to be necessary, and agree to inform Crieff Junior Rugby should this consent change.
Parents/Guardians should advise Crieff Junior Rugby in writing at the start of the season of any relevant medical condition or allergy affecting their child
7.4 Child Protection
Crieff Junior Rugby has an active child protection policy, copies of which are available to all parents.
From time to time the club may take, or cause to be taken, photographic images of junior players. If parents/guardians have any concerns about their children being photographed for this purpose then they must notify the club in writing at the beginning of the season.
7.5 Protection from Injury
Parents/guardians are advised the mini-rugby, as defined by the SRU, is a contact sport. The specific rules of Mini Rugby and Midi Rugby are designed with the safety of junior players as a paramount consideration, and all matches are refereed by SRU-registered referees.
8. Data Protection
All information given by parents/guardians will be held on a secure database and will only be used to maintain a safe and enjoyable environment for our junior players.
Parents / guardians hereby consent to basic information about their junior players (name and date of birth) being submitted by the club to the SRU for the purposes of maintaining the SRU’s statistics on Rugby in Scotland.
9. Maintenance of this Policy
This policy is developed and maintained by the Coaching Committee of Crieff Junior Rugby. Members of the Coaching Committee are qualified SRU Rugby Coaches and members of Crieff and Strathearn Rugby Football Club, who have been proposed and elected by existing members of the Coaching Committee. The Coaching Committee also elects individuals to positions of responsibility within the Club. Any parent/guardian who wishes to complete the SRU Rugby Coaching Foundation Course may approach the Coaching Committee for election. We would welcome your help.