Welcome

Congratulations on being elected as an officer of the Lee Women’s RFC. This year will
be filled with many triumphs and challenges that will stretch and strengthen your leadership
skills. With the help of your leadership and that of the leadership team, the club can be taken to
new limits.

Throughout the year, it is the leadership team’s responsibility to make the girls excited
about playing; however, it is usually evident that they don’t need much encouragement to keep
the excitement levels up. Just keep in mind that they, not the leadership team are the heart and
soul of the team.

Finally, as the year moves along, always keep God at the center of this team. Everything
that is done must be done for Him. Keep your personal walk with Him strong. The girls look to
you for guidance and strength both on and off the field so keep firmly grounded in His word.

This year is going to be a great year for the team. Enjoy every moment and learn from
every situation. God Bless!

1|Page
 Table of Contents
I. Code of Conduct…………………………………………….....page 3
II. Officer Expectations……………....………………………......page 4
III. Bimonthly Meetings……………………………………….....page 6
IV. Breakdown of Positions: President………………………......page 7
V. USA Rugby…………………….……………………………..page 12
VI. Game Day……………………….…………………………...page 13
VII. Appendices
Appendix A: USA Rugby Coordinator’s Guide……….…..page 16
Appendix B: Game Day Information…………….………..page 29
Appendix C: Initial Information……………….…………..page 33
Appendix D: Emergency Information……………………..page 36
Appendix E : Current Information………………………....page 38

2|Page
3|Page
 Officer Expectations

Each officer is expected to be an example to each other, the players on the team, the
school and the local community. Throughout the following year, all officers should be working
together to better and prepare for the future of the team.

The Lee Women’s RFC is very different from most, if not all, rugby teams because of the
members’ commitment to serving Jesus above all. The priorities of the leaders should be as
follows: serving God and glorifying him first, committing themselves to their schooling second,
and serving the purpose and needs of the team third. Though we are a part of this team to play
rugby, we are first here to get an education.

Because the leaders should be serving God first, each are expected to uphold the
community covenant that Lee University has set forth as well as the code of conduct set forth by
the team. Everyone should sign these, but it is up to the leaders to make sure everyone follows
them by first leading by example.

Interlaced through every move the leadership will make should be unity. When the
leadership functions as one cohesive unit, the team will follow. However, each officer should be
promoting three aspects of unity—interpretation, up-talking, and advocating.

Though officers are here to promote unity and better the team as a whole, each officer is
expected to bring something different to the table. Having seven officers who all view the
mission of the team in the exact same way will create no diversity and consequently, no
dimensions in the team leadership. With each officer interpreting the mission in a different way,
it will create more opportunities for growth. With that, each officer is expected to welcome new
ideas and deal with differences in opinions with maturity and level heads.

Part of interpretation is having an overall goal for the team and making it known to the
leaders at the beginning of the year. Think long and hard before starting this position about
where you would like the team to end up spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally and
discuss it at the first meeting. Keep future players in mind throughout any plans being made.

Up-talking is precisely what it implies. It is keeping only good talk among leaders. This
means no trash talking or putting down ideas, statements, etc. Attitude reflects leadership, so
keeping the positive attitudes permeated throughout every aspect of the team, will strengthen the
leadership as a whole.

Another huge part of up-talking is not talking poorly about another player, leader, or
coach behind their back. This creates triangulation, where a third party is dragged into a problem
that should be between two people. This happens a lot on and off the rugby field and it isn’t
limited to officers. If players come to an officer complaining about another player, officer, or
coach, one of two things should be done. The officer should either tell the other person to go talk

4|Page
to the player that they have a problem with and completely eliminate the third party, or the
officer should gather the two people together and act as a mediator while they talk out their
issues. Either of these measures will eliminate dissention among team members and promote
more unity.

Finally, unity means advocating the team. Obviously, since you are already a leader, you
care about the team; this aspect of unity is just reminding the leaders to be vocal in both speech
and action about their love of the team and the players on it to the players, school, friends,
family, and communities. The players should be the people receiving the most attention because
by seeing the enthusiasm of the leaders, they in turn will get excited about the team and want to
uphold its expectations for them.

As a final note, the leaders are expected to be at every rugby related event—every
practice, game, and gathering. If there are extenuating circumstances, obviously it is ok, but the
players will look to the leaders to see how they treat rugby events and imitate likewise. So show
up to everything and be on time.

Enjoy your time serving, it is a worthwhile job. Follow these expectations and everything
will run smoothly. Above all though, look to serve our Lord Jesus Christ. Only He can direct our
paths and the future of this team. Have fun with this position and team!

5|Page
 Bimonthly Meetings

Communication is the key to any organization. To keep communication at a maximum in

the Lee Women’s RFC, the leaders will meet every two weeks after a Wednesday night practice
in order to update other leaders on news for her given field.

Meetings can be held wherever is best, but they should always be kept to a maximum of
an hour. Obviously if there are special circumstances that prolong it that is fine, but keep it as
short as possible—everybody has homework to do.

The secretary will be taking notes for the meetings, so she should make sure to bring
paper. Everyone else would be wise to take supplies for writing as well. Before the meeting, one
of the chaplains should pray. After that, each officer is expected to give a status report of where
she is with assignments as well as other projects she has been involved in. All information on
what has been going on with each officer should be stated in this meeting. It is designed to
inform and support the group leaders.

After the status reports are given, there will be a time for reporting problems and special
topics. If there are any problems or difficulties within a given field, it should be reported and
solved. This is not only for problems that already exist, but also for problems that could arise in
the future. Special topics should include but aren’t limited to opportunities to ask any questions
about anything regarding rugby, announcements, etc.

Clearly, this is a pretty easy agenda to understand. If the leaders are communicating
regularly then there shouldn’t really be any big problems within the group. As a note though,
keep business talk during these meetings, not outside. Obviously if there are small things
throughout the two weeks that needs to be dealt with then they should, but keep it to a minimum.
If leaders are making decisions and acting upon them without the knowledge of all the other
leaders, it is so much easier to create confusion and frustration among the leadership. Making
decisions outside of the meetings will cut off the communication for which the meetings were
created. The biggest place where this is a problem is making financial decisions. Make sure any
anticipated money issues are resolved during the meetings, because two weeks is enough time to
commission a check.

Just talk with each other. That will keep this organization running smoothly. Remember,
business during bimonthly meetings only. Period. Other than that, have fun!

6|Page
 Breakdown of Positions:
President

The president’s position in an organization is all too often singled out in the leadership
team as being the best to have, however, one position cannot function without the other and
therefore one job does not have seniority. You have the hardest job because everything ends with
you. You were elected though because the team has deemed you as qualified to lead the club
because they think you see the bigger picture. Congratulations!

Because the president is considered the director of the positions, all eyes look to her to
make sure things run smoothly. Everything in this manual should be known to the president by
heart as it will help the leadership function well as a team.

In order for the leadership to flourish, the president must find a way to make the
leadership team function as one cohesive unit. One way to do that is to have the leaders take
some time to hang out and get to know each other. People don’t want to talk to people they don’t
trust. This will help boost the communication in the group. The other thing that will help with
communication in the group is holding bimonthly meetings.

Every two weeks a meeting should be held after practice for the leaders only. The
purpose of these meetings is to check in with every leader. It is the job of the president to make
sure these meetings stay focused. Every leader should give a status report of what they’ve been
doing and if they have any ideas in regards to making the team function better. For more
information on the bimonthly meetings, please refer to that section of the manual.

Past there, the vice president should be the right hand. Communication with her will be a
priority, considering it is her job to do anything that the president can’t or shouldn’t do. Do not
hesitate to rely on her for anything, she is there to help. Since the president will be leading the
other positions, the breakdown of positions for each officer is also listed in this manual. This is
to ensure that every officer is doing her job.

Duties and Relationships with Administration

As a preliminary action, the president and vice president should immediately schedule a
meeting with the director of campus recreation, Kevin Hudson. Every game, practice, purchase,
anything will have to go through him, so it would be good to find out what his expectations are
for the leadership.

Some other things that should be done first are as follows:

7|Page
  Spend some time e-mailing the administration whether it is Mr. Hudson, Larry Carpenter,
MidSouth Rugby, USA Rugby, or the referee’s association. Every person or organization
will be looking for something different in terms of expectations and it would be good to
find out what those are.
 Talk to the contacts on the other teams. Let them know that there has been a change of
leadership and ask if they have any pointers. In rugby, everyone wants to help everyone
and it wouldn’t hurt to start making friends with them. At that time it might also be a
good idea to start scheduling games with them—it’s never to early to start.
 Depending on the time, an e-mail should be sent out to reserve a room for the
informational meeting for the first week of school at the beginning of each semester for
new players

Lee Women’s RFC has an outstanding reputation with these organizations because the leadership
has not been friendly and communicative with them, but they also see the drive and
determination the team has to succeed. It has been mentioned before by administration that
previous leaders have gone above and beyond the normal requirements and have gone out of
their way to make sure everything is done correctly. It is the duty of the president to make sure
that these standards are upheld.

Team Information

Naturally, the team should be practicing together, often times twice a week. The
leadership may choose to change these days or times, however, it must go through administration
no matter what. At the beginning of the semester the president will have to get a form through
Mr. Hudson’s office and fill it out for the require days and times. After that, an e-mail to either
Mr. Hudson or his secretary, Joyce Starr, will suffice to confirm times and locations. It is
imperative that this form is filled out immediately upon arrival at school because the location is a
highly sought after spot.

While it is lighter longer, practices are usually held on Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-
8pm. After daylight savings, practices usually switch to 5-7pm on the same days. The team has
always practiced on the field behind Storms hall. Occasionally if weather is too bad, a request
will be put in by the president to change the location of practice to Mayfield gym.

For every practice there are certain rules that the school sets out. The team must have the
location reserved and there must be at least one CPR certified individual there at all times. As a
team, it has been decided that every practice will require at least one trainer. There are coaches
usually available and boys who help out beyond that, but occasionally nobody is there to lead
things. It is the job of the president to talk to one or both of the coaches and get a game plan so
that she may run it herself.
Though there is a rugby class to help inform and train the players in rugby, the leadership
may decide to hold team workouts separately from that. If that is the case, the president or vice
president should organize those.

8|Page
 Although problems do not arise often with any of the players, they do come up. The
president or vice president should handle these. One way to avoid problems like these is to
enforce the idea of up-talking. Nothing bad should be said behind a player’s or leader’s back.
The idea is to promote unity within the team. If a problem should arise there should be no
triangulation. This means talking bad to someone about somebody else. All problems should be
immediately taken up with the president by the player herself. The president then should talk
with her about it and, if necessary, bring in the other teammate(s) to talk as well.

Finally, make sure the girls know that they are expected to uphold the community
covenant as well as the code of conduct. Players on the team are not just responsible for
themselves, everything reflects also on the team. If there are players not upholding the code of
conduct, it is the president’s job to sit down and talk with them about it. If a player does not
uphold the community covenant, a coach and/or school administration must be notified. There
have been cases in the past where girls have gotten in trouble for not upholding the community
covenant and it almost shut down the women’s team altogether. Do not let them be fooled into
thinking that what they do won’t affect the team.

Fundraising

Though the treasurer should have the main duty in organizing fundraising events, the
president will be responsible for helping out with those. The treasurer can easily get swamped
with a lot of different money situations, so helping would greatly increase the chance of success
each event has.

Lee University has an extremely strict regimen for fundraising, so getting money outside
of the allocated amount will be difficult. The school has limited soliciting funds to only personal
sources. This means that the only money the team can ask for is through personal contacts the
players have. Obviously pushing the girls will be difficult, so something like a brochure that they
can give to their contacts may be the best way to sell the team.

Another way of getting money would be by doing work around the school. A talk with
the athletic director, Larry Carpenter, would be needed to find out exactly what can be done, but
generally the school will pay for athletic teams to do work such as manning the concession stand
at volleyball games. There are other options that the team can do as a whole as well. Once again,
a talk with Mr. Carpenter is needed, but it is possible to have the team sign up to work for
professional sports (such as NASCAR or local NFL teams) and get paid. A word from the wise,
though, getting money from Mr. Carpenter has been described as trying to make a rock bleed, so
make sure all details are set up first. Things like how much money, specifically, will be involved,
where it will be going (get an account number from Mr. Hudson before doing this, that is where
it will be going), and when it can be expected. If there are any discrepancies, Mr. Carpenter will
jump on it and it will be nearly impossible to get money from him. Talk to Mr. Hudson about all
information that will be needed before talking with Mr. Carpenter.

9|Page
 Though the school does not allow soliciting funds through any source but personal ones,
they do allow merchandise to be sold. This could involve anything from a brownie bake sale in
the girls’ dorms to selling t-shirts to friends and family. The president and treasurer should team
up to decide what fundraising ideas should be presented to the leadership and team.

Publications and Promotion

Promotion of the team will be key in not only getting funding, but also for getting support. The
goal of the team is to not only gain notoriety within the school, but also within the community.
Many Cleveland residents already attend many sports games of Lee University and ideally
women’s rugby would fall in naturally with those. One way to promote the team is to post fliers
around town whenever there is a home game. Another way would be if there is a communication
or journalism student on the team, they could maybe write up a media or pr plan including news
releases that could be sent to all local media outlets.

Often times Lee University media organizations will want to write stories about either
games, players, or the team as a whole. The president should be the only one to participate in
these interviews unless she chooses to have someone else do it for or with her. There have been
problems in the past of miscommunications creating false facts about the team, so this should cut
back greatly on it. It is encouraged to have the interviewer hold an interview with more than just
the president though. It will create more dimensions within the team and it will provide different
viewpoints. Players other than the president can also help attract more potential players as well.
As Dr. Freake says, ―Recruit, recruit, recruit!‖

Game Day

Game day will be a highly stressful day for the president. It will be her job to make sure
that everyone else has their job done. The president, however, will have to schedule those games.

In the spring the matrix season will begin, so there will already be a set schedule set forth
by MidSouth Rugby. If the leadership wants to schedule other games, it is alright to do so. The
fall is a different story. Since it is non-matrix play, every game will have to be set up by the
president. The earlier you begin booking these games, the less work that will have to be done
closer to school. After a schedule is made and received, it should be submitted to Mr. Hudson for
approval. He will need to know this schedule as soon as possible, so he can make sure the home
field is available, if needed. Along with that, it would be helpful to get contact the opposing
teams as soon as possible for exact times, just to make things easier for planning. As far as USA
Rugby is concerned, especially in regards to game day, it would be good to talk with the vice
president to know what to expect and what needs to be turned in. Just be aware of when dues for
various organizations are due so that the team is eligible to play. For more details about game
day and the duties everyone is to perform, please refer to the game day section of this manual.

10 | P a g e
 Finally, there are a few odds and ends things to cover. There are a few Lee events that
will be important for which to have an informational booth. Club Lee in the fall will help
tremendously in garnering attention from the new students at the school. Lee Day in the spring
will have prospective students come and look at the school and possibly what clubs they want to
enter. Once again, in order to recruit new players, this will be helpful. Finally, at homecoming in
the fall, many alumni will come to see the school. This is a great opportunity to show the alumni
that there is a women’s rugby team now and it might get them interested in donating to the team.

This is a huge position to fill, but know that the rest of the leadership is there to support
for anything. Don’t fall into the habit of thinking you have to do everything by yourself either.
The vice president is there specifically to help so take all the chances you get to utilize her
capabilities. Above all though, have fun! You set the standard for the team, and if you’re having
fun and keeping the standards, then the team will follow. Enjoy!

11 | P a g e
 USA Rugby

USA Rugby will be a tough beast to handle. The vice president will help with making
sure that everything is in order and up to standards with USA Rugby and MidSouth Rugby.
Though the official matrix starts in the spring, all players wanting to play in the fall must be
registered. Unfortunately, this leaves very little time to return to school, recruit girls, and register
them, but it must be done as fast as humanly possible. However, it might be helpful to get a head
start on this process. An easy way to do this would be to get all of the players who intend on
coming back the following semester to fill out the player eligibility and wavier forms. Do not,
however, have them registered (or CIPP’ed to use USA Rugby terminology) before the following
semester.There are circumstances that come up that do not allow the players to come back.

Proper protocol for having everyone registered through USA Rugby and paid for can be
done one of two ways depending on the leadership’s preferences. The first, and slightly outdated
way of registering, is to have the secretary collect each player’s paper form of the player
eligibility form and, after copying them, turn them over to the treasurer so that she may add up
the total amount including the processing fee for each form, have Mr. Hudson commission a
check and submit it via mail. The other option is to have the secretary collect each player’s paper
form of the player eligibility form and to submit it online by having one of the leaders put it on a
credit card and have the individual reimbursed.

If the second method is chosen, it is necessary for not only the treasurer to have given
the check commissioned by Mr. Hudson upfront to the individual, but also for the secretary to be
present to provide the information for registration. Generally, the second option is more
convenient; however, it is a lot easier for people to fall through the cracks and the credit card
used to not get compensated. The best method to ensure that people are compensated is to have
the treasurer make a receipt of every player who has paid their dues and only register those girls.
There cannot be registration without payment, so it is imperative that the players know that they
will not even be registered before payment. The payment due date is at least three weeks
before the first game. That way there is enough time for a check to get commissioned to the
paying leader.

Additionally, every semester there will be a regional meeting regarding clubs, new rules,
business, etc. Every club will be required to have at least one member attending and they will
always meet in Nashville. It would be good to collaborate with the men’s team and have only
one person go per meeting, alternating each time. This can be done is through a proxy. The form
is can be download at http://www.midsouthrugby.com/MidSouth/Home_files/Proxy.pdf.

Obviously, USA Rugby will take a great deal of collaboration and cooperation amongst
the leaders, so it would be good to deliberate everything before the end of the semester so that it
is ready at the beginning of the next. For more information regarding USA Rugby protocol, refer
to the USA Rugby procedures and guidelines found in this manual.
12 | P a g e
 Game Day

In USA Rugby and MidSouth Rugby, paperwork is half the battle when it comes to game
day. By filling out and having copies of paperwork, it will greatly reduce the chance the team has
for penalty. Teams have actually lost league points for either not having or not turning in the
proper paperwork, and since team standings are reliant upon league points and not games won, it
is a big deal to have those taken away.

To ensure that no points are taken from the team’s standing, here are the necessary steps
for game day procedure. For every game there will be a separate binder filled with paperwork
necessary to prove eligibility for the team and players. These will consist of:

 Lee University sports liability form for every player

 Lee University insurance information form for every player
 USA Rugby player eligibility form for every player
 USA Rugby player waiver for every player and coach
 USA Rugby collegiate eligibility form sealed by the registrar
 The most up-to-date printout of our team’s roster available at
https://membership.usarugby.org/PublicRosterRpt.aspx under Lee University RFC
Women’s. This sheet may be printed again if new players are added later in the year.
 The most up-to-date printout of the roster of the opposing team’s roster available at
https://membership.usarugby.org/PublicRosterRpt.aspx.
 Match day roster available at
http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&pid=gmail&attid=0.5&thid=11eff96fbdd1f9d1&mt=
application%2Fpdf. This will need to be filled out every game.
 Participation agreement available at
http://www.midsouthrugby.com/MidSouth/Home_files/Agreement.pdf. This will need to
be done once a year.

Prior to home games, approval will be needed to get the field. A game schedule should be
submitted to Mr. Hudson by the president at the beginning of the semester so that he can have as
much advance notice as possible. For away games, the secretary will have to turn in the
paperwork required as listed in her breakdown of positions at least two weeks prior to leaving.

After getting approval for the home field, posters should be made to post up around
school. This may be done by whichever leader wants to do it, so long as it gets done. Two weeks
before the game the chaplains should call the restaurant or pizza place to tell them about the
order that will be placed and ask about possible deals so that they can give an estimate to the
treasurer. The treasurer will then have to get checks commissioned for the referee and the after
game social. In the meantime, the president should be communicating with the opposing team to
give game times, directions, and after-game social information. More information will be listed
in her breakdown of positions.

13 | P a g e
 About a week from game time the posters should get approval from the school and posted
up in every major location and bulletin board. At this same time, or even a little closer to game
day, an e-mail should be sent to the dean of students, Alan McClung. The e-mail should be
written as an announcement for the entire school as the dean of students will forward it to the rest
of the school.

The Wednesday before the game player’s should be reminded of their duties for the
following Saturday—either field set-up or teardown. The vice president will be overseeing the
field set up. The easiest way to ensure that the field is done by game time is to start early Friday
afternoon. It will always take a few hours to spray the lines, so don’t underestimate timelines.
The spray paint should have been bought by this time as well. The field is up to the leadership
team to determine the best way to spray paint, but it is highly encouraged to start with the
corners and then fill in the lines.

After the lines are spray painted, the field goal posts should be set up. All of the supplies
for the posts will be in the softball house, so the vice president will have to get keys to it from the
recreation center beforehand. Make sure there is plenty of time to set these up because it can be a
little difficult to find the holes to the posts sometimes. Finally, white fence lines will have to be
put up along the fan side of the field. This can be done on Saturday though, by the teardown
team, to keep tasks evenly distributed between set up and teardown. Any leftovers of supplies
should be kept in the softball house, or if the team would like to ensure that no supplies are
stolen, they can go home with one of the leaders.

On Saturday, game day, everyone will be in go mode. Make sure the team is out there
when the coach tells them to be there. If it is an away game, this will be absolutely imperative
that they are on time. If it is a home game, the teardown team should be out about an hour before
the rest of the team to set up the white fence lines. Once the team is there, the bleachers will need
to be moved closer to the field and, if necessary, have them moved from the recreation center to
the field.

The president should call two hours before the game to make sure the team is on their
way and aren’t lost or if it’s an away game a phone call should be made confirming the game. If
there are any other things that need to be done on the field, the vice president should be making
sure those are done. The secretary should have everything needed for the game day binder,
making sure to print out rosters the night before (this is because teams can change their rosters
up to game day). The treasurer should make sure that there is money for the referee and for the
after game social. Photographers should be enlisted to take pictures for the game by the historian
at this point too.

During the game, the leadership team should be both encouraging the players in their
playing ability and telling them what to do and where they should be. The entire leadership team
should function as captains of their given sections (backs or packs). Communication at all times
will make the team work more cohesively and ultimately more successfully and the leadership is
expected to lead by their examples. Obviously tempers can flare and people can get frustrated
during the game including the leaders, but the other leaders should do their best to neutralize the
offending situation.

After the game, the chaplains will call to order pizza or give directions to a restaurant,
depending on the food they decided on. The vice president will have the teardown team take
14 | P a g e
down the fences and the goalposts before they leave. In the meantime, the president or captain if
they’re not the same person should meet with the referee along with the opposing team’s captain
to have match day rosters signed. The winning team’s captain will collect them and will fax them
to MidSouth Rugby the following Monday. Jerseys will also have to be cleaned and as a
suggestion, the leaders should rotate who cleans them.

For more information regarding game day procedures, please refer to the USARS
Conference Commissioner’s guide.

Have a great game day!

15 | P a g e
 Appendix A:
USA Rugby Coordinator’s Guide

January 13, 2009

Brian Stringer

Director
Collegiate Rugby
USARScolldir@msn.com
931-598-5352
Fax: 931-598-9919

USARS 2009 Collegiate Men’s and Women’s Matrix Championship

Conference Commissioner’s Guide

Objective

Provide guide lines to assist the conference commissioners accomplish their roles in supervising
the collegiate teams to meet the various administrative and match playing requirements of the
2008 competition.

1. CIPP Registration

USA Rugby requires every participating club to have every player, coach and their club
registered in the CIPP program before the start of the matrix. Additional players can be added if
required after the start of the competition provided their registration is completed before playing
in any matrix game, except the player must participate in at least two competitive games before
the USARS play-offs. The CIPP enrollment regulations have been changed for 2007 onwards.
Clubs can now commence registering players from September 1, 2007 without waiting until
January 1 as previous. Additionally, all new players should be registered before playing in any
game, even fall friendlies. Registration is undertaken on line at the USA Rugby web site
(www.usarugby.org). The membership menu is located on the left hand home page panel.
Majorities of clubs have already used this procedure, but be ready to assist any clubs who may be
new to the procedure. Also, make sure you check the current CIPP registration status of every

16 | P a g e
club in your conference before the first games take place. The USA Rugby web site allows for
CIPP interrogation, so check well in advance.

Report any discrepancies immediately to the club (make sure you have the correct contact
information for each club) and the Conference Chair (shown at the top of the 2008 schedule and
on the Commissioner’s contact sheet). Any club in breach of the CIPP requirements will:

 Forfeit any game in which un-CIPP’d players participate.

 Receive a possible suspension from the 2009 competition.
 Receive additional sanctions from their LAU.
 Be reported to the Director of USARS Collegiate Rugby (me), who may invoke
separate/other sanctions over and above the LAU.
The game check-in procedure should prevent non CIPP’d players from taking part, However, in
the past offending players have slipped through the net.

USARS 2008 Collegiate Men’s and Women’s Matrix Championship

Conference Commissioner’s Guide – Page 2

2. Club Eligibility

Every participating collegiate team must satisfy the following requirements:

 The club is in good standing with their respective LAU, and that all dues, including
referee society dues have been paid to include the period of the matrix and any
subsequent National Championships.
 The club must be recognized by their college/university and be in good standing.
 There must be no sanctions in place, imposed either by their college/university and/or by
their LAU that will prevent them from meeting their matrix game obligations.
 The club must be CIPP registered with its own CIPP number (separate from the players).
 The club must have a CIPP’d coach, approved by USA Rugby (an attempt to keep sex
fiends and criminals out of the collegiate game).

3. Player Eligibility

This is always a problem for a small minority of clubs, despite the clarity of the USA Rugby
Collegiate Eligibility Requirements. You’ll find the complete guide-lines and eligibility forms on
the USAR web site. (I’ve included a synopsis with this document). Please take the time to
familiarize yourself with the documentation. Here are some of the important points you need to
look out for:

 The eligibility form is made up of 5 pages. The first 2 pages clearly state the
responsibility of the club and of the university’s registrar in completing the
documentation. Pages 3 -5 are used to list the roster.
17 | P a g e
  The club is responsible for listing alphabetically every eligible full-time undergraduate
student on their playing roster, together with the player’s signature, date of birth, student
ID number and current CIPP number (now you see why registration comes first).
 The University is responsible for completing ―Date of first enrollment‖, ―transfer date‖
(if applicable), ―full time status‖ (MUST be yes) and ―undergraduate status‖ (MUST be
yes).
 Once completed, each page is signed, stamped with the university seal and endorsed by
the University Registrar and Club Sports/Athletic Director.
 Every line not used for a player’s name etc MUST be crossed out with a permanent line.
(Clubs are known to deliberately leave the lines blank and add more players after the
event and without certification. White-Out has also played it’s part in deception).
 Clubs must be encouraged to insure they present the documentation to the registrar’s
office well in advance of their first game.
 For 2008 I’m requesting you advise every club in your conference that they must provide
you with a copy (fax/pdf) of their completed eligibility forms before the start of the first
matrix games. This will, hopefully, avoid problems of the past and have all clubs ready
on time.

USARS 2008 Collegiate Men’s and Women’s Matrix Championship

Conference Commissioner’s Guide – Page 3: Player Eligibility (continued)

Clubs can add eligible new players at any time during the matrix as long as the requirements are
fully observed and you receive copies of the form before the new player participates in matches.
Clubs cannot attempt to use a player who has been CIPP’d but not certified on the Player
Eligibility Form.
Clubs should make a legible copy of the Eligibility Form for inspection so the original can be
kept in a safe place.

4. Match Day Roster Forms and Procedures

This form is completed by every team prior to the start of a matrix game, except for 2008 we’re
going to adopt the procedure used by USA Rugby for the 2007 National Collegiate D1 and D2
Championships, where participating clubs are permitted to complete their match day roster as the
game progresses. This allows team’s greater flexibility with their substitutes. Previously, the
entire selected roster had to be presented prior to the kick-off, preventing the use of a substitute
in the case of an unforeseen injury, a tactical change precipitated by the events of the game etc.

Every team will still be responsible for checking the player eligibility document of their
opponents before the kick-off. The procedure is:

 The players from both sides line up with their student ID and in the same sequence as
their names appear on the eligibility document.

18 | P a g e
  A representative from both teams (captain, coach, club manager) checks the student ID
(MUST have a picture, or supplemented with a drivers license/passport etc.) against the
name on the eligibility form and satisfy themselves the paperwork is correct.
 Any discrepancy must be noted as a protest on the Match Day Roster Form and the
referee notified before the kick-off. An ineligible player cannot be permitted to play and
must be reported for attempting to do so.
 The referee is responsible for recording the score on each Match Day Roster Form, which
must be signed by both captains. The referee must confirm that the match field was in
order and that crowd barriers, post pads and flags had all be provided and that the playing
uniforms of both teams was acceptable. He/she will sign the form accordingly.
 The captain/representative of the winning side is responsible for faxing you both rosters.
This should be done Monday morning after the game (assuming it was played on
Saturday). You must check each roster to make sure there are no protests or adverse
referee comments. If there are, these must be reported to the Conference Chair who will
investigate the protests and consider the appropriate action/sanctions.
 Each game score must be e-mailed to Mike Cobb mike.cobbtire@birch.net on Monday,
making sure you are clear about the division, conference, gender and teams to avoid any
confusion, as Mike has to collate every conference result from the previous Saturday’s
games.
 Make a folder so you can keep the rosters and Eligibility forms together.

USARS 2008 Collegiate Men’s and Women’s Matrix Championship

Conference Commissioner’s Guide – Page 4 Match day procedures (continued)

If any team in your conference is successful and proceeds to the South play-offs, that team’s
documentation must be faxed to me.
D1 and D2 men and women’s teams advancing to the National Championships are required to
repeat the process of Player Eligibility. The document must also be verified by their LAU
collegiate rep and the South Collegiate Director.
Successful D1 and D2 Clubs, moving onto the USAR National Championships are subject to a
random documentation inspection. Clubs are selected by USAR, and it is imperative that their
documentation has been fully checked at the matrix competition level.
Every club should make a game-day folder so all relevant information can be kept safe and
available for inspection. The folder should contain:
 A copy of the Eligibility Form
 The Match Day Roster
 Their most current CIPP registration print out form USA Rugby
 Their opponent’s most current CIPP print out
 The USA Rugby waiver forms (see below) signed by every player on the roster.
 The Championship Participation Agreement (see below).
 Copies of every player’s medical insurance certificate (in case of an emergency).
 The 2008 Collegiate Participation Form (see below)

19 | P a g e
Maintaining the folder from the beginning of the matrix will simply preparations for the play-
offs for the successful clubs, when it will be double-checked by me.

5. USA Rugby Waiver Release Form

Just for the attorneys. Every player on every participating team must provide their name,
signature and date on an individual waver release form. The forms must be completed before any
player participates in a matrix game. This is self-regulatory; we have no way to double check
that the players on the match roster have completed the waiver release, unless the opposing
team’s representative requests inspection (which they don’t).

Legally, however, it is imperative the waiver release is completed as required.

6. USA Rugby Championship Participation Agreement

A two-page document that every participating club must sign before the start of the competition.
The section provided for signing by the LAU rep can be left unsigned, unless and until the club
proceeds to the South Championships when it must be signed. This is usually done by fax; there
is no requirement to have original signatures unless specifically asked for by USA Rugby.

7. Protests, Disputes and Resolution

Protests and Disputes are rare but they happen, and you need to be prepared to act if one comes
your way. The ones I came across in 2007 included a game played on a football field with only
one set of (football) posts; A club battling bad weather to reach their opponents, only to find the
game cancelled; Clubs trying to play with less than 13 players without offering a forfeit (the
minimum

USARS 2008 Collegiate Men’s and Women’s Matrix Championship

7. Protests, Disputes and Resolution - Page 5 (continued)

acceptable by USA Rugby); a post-grad student trying to be an undergraduate (read the

eligibility requirements – max 5 years as an undergraduate, the fifth year can be used by a post
graduate student only if he/she gained their undergraduate degree at the same university);
Disciplinary issues (red cards – I need to know because this will set a whole different procedure
in motion); For 2008 the South is also going to be tough on forfeitures and last minute no-shows.

In the event of a dispute (remember, it must be recorded on the match-day roster form) the team
making the protest must, within seven days (the sooner the better), e-mail you with a clear
synopsis of their protest. You are the first line in the communication chain. Consider the protest
and advise the Conference Chair at the same time. I’m always available to help, although I leave

20 | P a g e
the final decision-making up to the commissioner and chair, unless it involves one of my
conferences.

If you are commissioner of a conference outside your LAU, contact the appropriate LAU
collegiate rep and advise them of the issue. They need to be involved. Try to resolve the dispute
without having to refer to either the chair or myself (that’s outside of me helping unofficially).
Only if you reach an impasse, or fail to get a club’s cooperation, do you move it upwards.

8. Documents

The following sample documents are included for your reference. I will provide you originals,
updated where required, in early January 2008. They will also be available on the South web site,
and where possible, you should include them on your Union web site also. They will also be
made available on the two USARS Google groups ―rugby-south-college-women‖ and ―rugby-
south-college-men‖.

Regardless of all this availability, you’ll find some team in your conference missing paperwork
or not understanding the requirements, so be pro-active and monitor your teams well before the
first kick-off.

And finally, I’m here to help, so never hesitate,

Good luck.

Enclosures:

 USA Rugby Collegiate Eligibility Form: Page 1 and 2 – Instructions

 Eligibility Form: Pages 3 – 5.
 USA Rugby South Match Day Roster Form: (2007 version)
 USA Rugby Waiver and Release
 USA Rugby Team Participation Agreement
 USA Rugby Team Participation Agreement – Page 2
 USA Rugby Guidelines and Collegiate Eligibility Requirements

21 | P a g e
1. USA Rugby Collegiate Eligibility Form: Page 1 and 2 – Instructions

22 | P a g e
2. Eligibility Form: Pages 3 – 5. To be completed by participating clubs and their University
Registrar.

Note: These copies are for information only and must not be used by participating clubs. Useable documents will be
provided (or can be down loaded for the USA Rugby web site).

23 | P a g e
3. USA Rugby South Match Day Roster Form (2007) – The 2008 form will be very
similar but include a provision for teams to complete the roster as the game progresses.
This form is signed by both captains and the referee. The captain of the winning team
will fax/pdf you both rosters.

24 | P a g e
4. USA Rugby Waiver and Release – to be signed by every eligible competing player
before the start of the matrix or before the individual participates if later. Documents for
entire team to be kept in the team’s matrix folder. (For 2009 we’ll be using the 2008
waiver).

25 | P a g e
5. USA Rugby Team Participation Agreement – to be signed by all clubs making it to the
USARS play-offs. (2 pages).

26 | P a g e
 6. USA Rugby Team Participation Agreement – Page 2

7. USA Rugby Guidelines and Collegiate Eligibility Requirements

National Collegiate Club Championships

4.1. Collegiate Club Eligibility

a) Each club must be recognized by the college/university.
b) Each club must be in good standing with the college/university.
c) Each club may carry an unlimited number of players on its roster.
4.2. Player Eligibility
27 | P a g e
In order to participate in a Qualifying Match, and in the National Collegiate Club
Championship, the player must meet all of the following eligibility criteria at the time of
competition:
a) Be within five (5) years of the moment the player first enrolled in a university,
college or junior college, regardless of when the player started playing rugby or had the
ability to start playing collegiate rugby. Any college courses that are taken during high
school do not start the eligibility clock.
b) The player must be enrolled full-time and in good standing, as defined by the
university or college registrar and an undergraduate student seeking his/her first
bachelor's degree. Exceptions:
1. A player in his/her final term may carry less than a full-time academic load
and still maintain eligibility. This is only permitted if the player is a graduating
senior and a letter from the Registrar confirming such status is obtained. This
exception may only be used once.
2. A player may maintain eligibility after completing and or receiving an
undergraduate degree if that player is enrolled full time in post-graduate studies
(graduate school or pursuance of an additional Bachelor’s Degree) provided the
player is attending the same institution they received their first undergraduate
degree from and the player still falls within his/her 5 years of collegiate eligibility.
3. A player competing for an institution utilizing the quarter system is eligible
through the National Championship of that year if he/she completed the
requirements to graduate during the winter quarter. That player must be a
graduating senior and this exception requires a letter from the registrar confirming
such status. This exception may only be used once in a player's career and once
used that player loses all future collegiate eligibility.
c) The player must play on the team representing the school in which he/she is enrolled.
d) The player must not have played in a Qualifying Match for any other club during the
Fifteens Competitive Season.
e) Players must meet and remain in compliance with all applicable amateur standards.
f) See Section 13.5 for additional information about potential waivers

Brian Stringer
November 2007/January 2009
\USARS\2008 Matrix\conference guide lines
Version 2

28 | P a g e
 Appendix B:
Game Day Information
Eligibility Form

29 | P a g e
Dimensions of the Field

30 | P a g e
 Set-Up and Teardown Volunteer Sheet

Name Field Set-up Field Teardown

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

31 | P a g e
Passenger Information (for away games)

Copies of drivers licenses’ should be attached

Driver #1:
Name:________________________________
Car Make and Model:_________________________________
License Plate Number:_________________________________
Passengers:____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Driver #2:
Name:________________________________
Car Make and Model:_________________________________
License Plate Number:_________________________________
Passengers:____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Driver #3:
Name:________________________________
Car Make and Model:_________________________________
License Plate Number:_________________________________
Passengers:____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Driver #4:
Name:________________________________
Car Make and Model:_________________________________
License Plate Number:_________________________________
Passengers:____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Driver #5:
Name:________________________________
Car Make and Model:_________________________________
License Plate Number:_________________________________
Passengers:____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

32 | P a g e
 Appendix C:
Initial Information
Code of Conduct Sheet

Lee University Women’s Rugby Football Club

Code of Conduct

As a student of Lee University and a member of the Lee University Women’s Rugby
Football Club hereby do pledge, under no coercion, to follow and abide by all of the rules,
regulations, and subsequent disciplinary procedures.

General Rules of Conduct

I. I will maintain a Christ-like demeanor both on and off the field.

II. I will uphold the principles and teachings set forth by Lee University.
III. I will uphold the rules set forth by the Lee University Women’s Rugby Football Club.
IV. I will strive to lead by example as a member of the team, community, church, and Lee
University.
V. I will attend 75% of all club functions (practices, socials, field set up/teardown,
fundraising events, etc.) or provide a legitimate excuse to the head coach or officers in
advance.
VI. I will be held accountable for all my actions both on and off the field.

Rules for Home and Away Matches

I. I will follow all rules of conduct as deemed by Lee University, the coaching staff, faculty
advisor, and the team officers.
II. I will maintain appropriate behavior at all times, and not participate in any behavior
unbefitting of Lee University, the coaching staff, the team, and myself.
III. I will uphold the rules of curfew as set by the coach.
IV. I will not have members of the opposite sex or non-members of the Women’s Rugby
Football Club in my room while traveling.
V. I will not partake in the consumption of alcoholic beverages, illicit drugs, and/or sexual
promiscuity as set forth by Lee University and the Women’s Rugby Football Club.

33 | P a g e
 Disciplinary Actions
If any member of the Lee University Women’s Rugby Football Club is found to be in
violation of any of the previously mentioned rules, the following procedures will be enacted:

I. The information will be given to both the head coach and the elected team officers to
determine whether the information is reliable and reputable.
II. The accused member will be brought before the head coach and officers to be questioned
regarding the incident and will be given the opportunity to present their side of the
situation. A meeting will be held between the head coach and the officers to determine
what disciplinary actions should be taken.
III. Upon further investigation, the involved team members may be brought before the head
coach and officers for further questioning.
IV. Depending on the severity of the infraction the individual will be subjected to the
following:
MINOR: Meeting with the head coach and officers where the disciplinary actions
will be determined. Minor infractions are cumulative and following three (3)
infractions in one semester will result in suspension of the Women’s Rugby
Football Club for the remainder of the semester. The member may be eligible for
reinstatement the following semester at the discretion of the head coach and
officers.
INTERMEDIATE: Temporary suspension from the Women’s Rugby Football
Club, meeting with the head coach and officers and subsequent action to be taken.
SEVERE: Immediate and permanent removal from the Women’s Rugby
Football Club and the infraction will be turned over to Lee University for further
discussion.
V. The decision of the head coach and officers is final.

Closing Statement

This article is not worded as to be all encompassing. Any actions by the club and members
deemed to be inappropriate by Lee University, the head coach, or the club officers will be
handled appropriately and fairly.

Printed Name:___________________________________________Date:___________________

Signature:______________________________________________Date:___________________

Witness Signature:______________________________________Date:____________________

34 | P a g e
Insurance Information Sheet

Lee University Insurance Information

Name:________________________________________________

Hospital Insurance? _________YES __________NO

Insurance Company:____________________________________________

Policy Number:_______________________________

Group Number:_______________________________

Signature: _______________________________________________

35 | P a g e
 Appendix D:
Emergency Information
Resident Director Contact Information

In Case of Emergency
Occasionally on the fields a player will get injured pretty badly. After calling 911 (if
necessary), one of the chaplains should refer to the ICE player information form and call the
player’s emergency contact. In the mean time, the secretary should be taking information down
of what happened and calling to leave a message with Mr. Hudson so that he stays updated.
Finally, if the injury is bad enough then the RD of the player’s resident hall should be called for
the head’s up. They have to go through their own procedure of emergency through the school, so
they will need to be informed. The RD’s numbers are as follows:

Brinsfield Row: Mandy Stockton Livingston Hall: Shannon Balram

423-961-6096 423-614-6042 ext. 6042

Cross Hall: Tiffany Brooks Nora Chambers Hall: Stephanie Goodrich

423-614-6024 ext. 6024 423-614-6016 ext. 6016

Davis Hall: Elizabeth Costa Simmons Hall: Kate Gilliard

423-614-6030 ext: 6030 423-614-6059 ext. 6059

Keeble Hall: Melissa Jones Tharp Hall: Ellen Hughey

423-614-6074 ext. 6074 423-614-6063 ext. 6063

36 | P a g e
 ICE Player Information Sheet

Name Phone Number Emergency Contact Number and Name Res. Hall
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

37 | P a g e
 Appendix E:
Current Information
Current Leader Contact Information

President: Christina ―Smitty‖ Fullerton Coach: Dr. Michael Freake

Cell: 727-798-5545 Home: 423-559-2129
E-mail: cfulle02@leeu.edu Work: 423-614-8282 Ext: 8282
E-mail: mfreake@leeuniversity.edu
Vice President: Zeevelle Nottingham-
Lemon Coach: Nancy Campbell
Cell: 443-825-5407 Cell: 901-573-5995
E-mail: zeevelle86@yahoo.com E-mail: ndenni01@bellsouth.net

Secretary: Available Director of Campus Recreation: Kevin

Hudson
Treasurer: Delaney Walker Work: 423-614-8458 Ext: 8458
Cell: 912-271-9355 E-mail: khudson@leeuniversity.edu
E-mail: djw_1200@yahoo.com
Campus Recreation Secretary: Joyce Starr
Historian: Available Work: 423-614-8450 Ext: 8450
E-mail: jstarr@leeuniversity.edu
Chaplain: Katie Ayres
Cell: 937-570-7286 Athletic Director: Larry Carpenter
E-mail: kayres00@leeu.edu Work: 423-614-8440 Ext: 8440
E-mail: lcarpenter@leeuniversity.edu
Chaplain: Rachel Lins
Cell: 302-448-0581 Collegiate Rugby Coordinator: Brian
Stringer
E-mail: rachel_lins@hotmail.com
Cell: 931-598-5352
E-mail: brianstringer@msn.com

38 | P a g e
Current Game Schedule

For current game schedules, please go to www.leewomensrfc.weebly.com.

39 | P a g e