January 2019
Law 6 (TMO)
EXCO noted that a revised TMO protocol was trialed in November 2018. The results were positive and EXCO agreed to introduce this revised protocol into law which can be found in Law 6.16 in the link below:
Law 15 (Ruck)
EXCO agreed that there is a need to make the laws regarding offside lines at the tackle and ruck more consistent and approved the changes to Law 15.4 which can be found at the link below:
These changes have immediate effect and should be adopted for all competitions which commence after January 1, 2019. This includes Super Rugby, the Six Nations, Rugby World Cup etc.
Coach & Manager Resources
ARU Game Management Guidelines 2017 – guidelines ensure that participants at a community level are aware of areas of the game that require more specific coaching and/or consistency in refereeing.
Rugbylink Quick Help 2017 – a quick guide from the SJRU for team officials to navigate Rugbylink. Topics include assigning teams, team photos and entering scores. All Coaches & Managers must also sign-up as Team Officials in Rugbylink so that you can be allocated to your Team lists.
Time Recording Log – to assist Manager’s when recording time off and on the field for ALL Players to promote equal game time and player development for all.
Resources:
- 2018 Competition Rules; now available on the SJRU website > Resources > Forms, Links and Downloads
- 2018 Match Day Manual; now available on the SJRU website > Resources > Game Day
- Coaching Session Plans; now available on the SJRU website > Resources > Coaching Rugby
Role Definitions
In something as big as Mosman Junior Rugby Club there are many people who pull together to generate a great result. In our case there are a number of roles that are worth quickly outlining:
Coaches are responsible for running training sessions and coaching their team on game day. They are also primarily responsible for encouraging all members of the team, no matter what their skill level. For example, Coaches may provide encouragement awards on a rotational basis at the end of each game. It is a mandatory requirement that all coaches are Smart Rugby certified and the club strongly encourages coaches to also obtain their Level 1 certification, which the Club will pay for. Smart Rugby can now be completed online via the new ARU Learning Centre.
Managers should be the first point of contact for day-to-day queries from Parents and to provide parents with key information such as game details, training arrangements and weather updates. Managers in turn will liaise and receive information from their AGC, and if necessary can refer issues to the AGC or Minis Coordinator for resolution. Managers also work with, and assist the coach on game day (e.g. substitutes, timekeeping), and are responsible for compliance with the SJRU Competition Rules.
Age Group Coordinators (AGC) work closely with the MJRC Committee to ensure each age group is operating smoothly and has all the relevant information. AGCs are expected to attend monthly MJRC Committee Meetings generally held on the first Monday of every month. AGCs should prepare a short overview of how the age group is progressing for the Committee to review at these meetings.
Coaches, Managers and Team Officials also need to meet relevant Working With Children (WWC) requirements. Parents or close relatives of children in the team are exempt from having to complete a WWC check. However, any other team officials who do not have a child or close relative in the team, will need to visit the WWC website and complete the process for a check. Once the check has been conducted and approved, then a copy of the WWC form must be lodged with secretary@mjrc.com.au.
Approach to Appointing Coaches
Standards, process and set rules around our approach to appointing coaches
- We are a community club if there are willing and competent parents volunteering to coach then this will take preference over paid external coaches.
- All coaching appointments (in association with the relevant AGC) will be agreed by the coaching committee made up of: Nick Bousie (Director of coaching), Damian Martyr (coaching committee rep) & John Mutton (President) by the end of February.
- In the spirit of balanced participation volunteer coaches should offer to share the coaching duties each year, coaches should not coach the same team more than 2 consecutive years unless first agreed by the team parent group, the AGC and then approved by the coaching committee. The decision will be made in the best interests of the group of players with their development and enjoyment as the primary focus.
- Given we are a family club it is understood parents volunteer to coach the team their child is in. In a situation where a coach’s child moves teams either up or down the AGC needs to flag this immediately to the coaching committee and a coaching replacement &/or solution will be worked through and agreed.
- If external coaches are needed this should be flagged by the AGC (prior to the end of February) to the coaching committee and a coaching solution will be agreed by that committee in conference with the AGC.
- Parents of that team will bear the burden of the cost of the external coach (As a recommended cost guide, subject to experience of the coach, max $50 per hour for 4 hours a week. This should total approx $200 per family for the season)
- On a case by case basis special consideration will be given to families that cannot afford the additional cost of the external coach, this should be flagged by the AGC to the coaching committee who will agree an appropriate solution.
MJRC’s Game Day Protocol
- Parents should be advised to arrive at the ground at least 45mins before kick off, that allows for Friday evening traffic and those noted stragglers
- Club position on mouthguards is No Mouthguard No Play!
- Five main positions required for each game are Coach, Manager, Trainer & Ground Marshall
- The Manager will coordinate the activities prior to game day and be the go between on game day. Photo sheets for each team should be printed off and stored in a folder that lives in the Manager’s bag. The Manager should print off Rugby Link team sheets and bring with them on game day. Upon arrival at the ground they should seek out the Opposition Manager and introduce themselves, once the sheets are signed by the players they are exchanged and filled out during the match and then given back at the end.
- The Manager to record the game time each player receives as per the Time Recording Log, that can be delegated at Manager’s discretion. The Manager will enter the result into RugbyLink.
- The Manager should draw up a roster for Ground Marshall so each family has a turn. The Ground Marshall can be anyone, Mum, Dad, Grandparent, etc but NOT a sibling or anyone under 18. Their role is to quell any abusive or inappropriate behaviour by parents towards the referee or players. They wear the Orange bib which should be in each kit bag. They are allowed to stand within the ropes and move up and down the sideline and they should introduce themselves to their opposition Ground Marshall so as they can assist each other if necessary.
- Rostered Ground Marshall family also to bring oranges for halftime and snakes for after. Oranges are a proven to be reenergising and good for a focus at halftime.
- Only Coaches, Managers and Trainers are allowed within the ropes but have to stay within the marked player’s box as well as any reserve players
- The Trainer has to wear the Green bib which is in each bag. In our experience the Trainer should be the same person each week and they are as important as the Coach on game day. The Trainer will run the water and attend to any injured players (but always refers to the ground appointed medic). They are also to run the coaches messages when we score or the opposition scores. It helps to have the same voice deliver those messages each week. The Trainer will also monitor any poor sportsmanship and can stop it infiltrating a frustrated team, there is nothing more disheartening or deflating for a child learning to play rugby than to be bagged by his mates. The Trainer is allowed to enter the playing field whenever a player is injured or there is a try scored. At NO time should the trainer approach or speak to the referee, all correspondence to go through the captain
- We never laugh at, bag or make fun of the opposition! Any player doing so should be warned and then benched if it continues
- The Coach should respectfully remind the referee prior to kick off of any rules particular to their age group. For example, for the 10’s its that the halfback can’t follow the ball at the scrum and the No 8 cant pick the ball up. Coach responsible for ensuring all players are given equal game time throughout the season. View the team as a squad rather than run on and reserve players. Given our numbers all forwards will at some stage be required to play in the front row so need to give all time in that position at training.
- ALL players to shake hands with opposition AND referee post match regardless of result.
Our aim is to make sure you get all the support and help you need to make your role productive and enjoyable. Please feel free to contact us at any time with any suggestions on how we can make things better for you.
