Dear Honorary Secretary,

World Rugby has introduced three Law changes to the game, effective from 1^st July and will be implemented immediately ahead of the start of the 2024/25 season, across both the domestic and professional games.

Please ensure that these law changes to the game are passed on to your coaches and players and to note, Irish Rugby will host a webinar in mid-September to deliver some of the early insights from Year 1 of the Tackle Law Amendment trial and as part of this webinar, there will be the ability to ask questions regarding all current laws in the domestic game, including these three new law changes.

As the new season approaches, it is important that all Players, Coaches and Club members are aware of the three new Law changes that have come into effect for rugby at all levels in Ireland.

The Law changes are designed to make the game both safer and more enjoyable for participants and spectators.

The changes are detailed below, and Irish Rugby has created a micro learning module to help further people’s understanding of the new adaptations. As part of this module, you will have access to video examples of all the Law changes and knowledge checks to clarify understanding.

1.  No Croc Rolls

Rationale: to reduce dangerous clear-outs which could injure lower limbs. Definition of Croc Roll:

A prohibited action where a player laterally rolls/twists or pulls a player, who is on their feet

in the tackle area, to ground. The action often lands on the player’s lower limbs.

2.  No scrum option from a free kick

Rationale: To reduce the amount of scrums/reset scrums.

3.  Offside in front of kicker

Rationale: To allow more space for counterattack.

Players must actively retreat away from the receiver after their team kicks possession to the opposition.

Micro learning Module – New Law changes

Further information can also be found on World Rugby’s website.

All stakeholders in Irish Rugby are reminded that we move into Year Two of the Tackle Height Adaptation trial where the legal tackle height is below the base line of the sternum. Further details, along with micro learning modules are available here.

The time and date of the webinar in mid-September will be circulated to all clubs and schools in the coming weeks.

Best wishes to all Clubs and Schools for the 2024/25 season.

Club Safeguarding Guide

Section 1: Club & Volunteer Responsibilities in Age Grade Rugby

Section 2: Club Action Plan

Section 3: Club Welfare Officer

Getting to Know Your Role

Section 4: Sample Noticeboard Section 5: Notes

Irish Rugby Football Union

10-12 Lansdowne Road I Ballsbridge I Dublin 4 I D04 F720

T +353 01 6473800 I F +353 01 6473801

www.irishrugby.com O O0

+IRFU

1: Club & Volunteer Responsibilities in Age Grade Rugby

All clubs offering rugby to children & young people need to:

Adhere to the IRFU Safeguarding Policy	Appoint a Club Welfare Officer (CWO)	Make clear what the club ethos is
Ensure coaches & volunteers have been safely recruited	Give all volunteers the opportunity to attend relevant training	Ensure that everyone has access & adheres to the Codes of Conduct
	Reinforce that activities should be fun & inclusive with a focus on playing & skills development
Ensure a good ratio of		Guide coaches/
suitably qualified or		volunteers to take the
experienced coaches/		time to listen to the views
volunteers to players		of players
		SUPPORT
Strive to create a physically & emotionally safe environment	Ensure that all players are properly registered on the IRFU system	Signpost to/seek guidance from expert organisations if needed

Adhere to the IRFU Safeguarding Policy	Sign the Declaration of Intent	Complete the vetting process before starting
Attend relevant training, including safeguarding	Plan & prepare for each training session & match	Ensure activities are fun & inclusive
Have a good attitude & respect for the ethos, laws & traditions of rugby	Actively listen to players, so that they can express their thoughts & feelings	Encourage players to problem solve & make their own decisions
Turn mistakes into a positive learning experience for players	Be fair when dealing with players, particularly with selection & inclusion	Keep up to date with age appropriate sports information

Icons made by: Freepik; Wanicon; Eucalyp; Geotatah; Good Ware; Phatplus; Photo3ideastudio; Monkik; and Smash Icons from www.flaticon.com

2: Club Action Plan

All clubs offering rugby to children & young people have specific responsibilities to create a safe and positive environment in which players can enjoy rugby safely. For further information go to Section 1: Club and Volunteer Responsibilities – Age Grade Rugby

The Club Welfare Officer (CWO) will co-ordinate this work, supported by other members of the club. See Section 3: Club Welfare Officer – Getting to Know Your Role

Club Season Plan

Many activities are ongoing but the season plan below highlights key actions:

Start of Season	Mid Season	End of Season
Safeguarding Risk Assessment & Child Safeguarding StatementParent & coach briefingsCoach & volunteer registration, vetting & safeguarding trainingPlayer registration & permissions	SG3 trainingSharing best practice, advice & guidanceSupporting the voice of the player to be heard in the clubEncouraging parental involvement	Sport Ireland AuditSuccession planning

Appointing a Club Welfare Officer/Deputy (CWO)                                                                               Completed

(ü)

• The CWO must be in place before any age-grade activities                                                                                      o

start https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit- of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/

• Key skills: approachable, good communication, relates well to children & adults, organised, computer literate.
• If possible, the club should appoint a Deputy CWO too.                                                                                      o
• The CWO must complete the vetting process                                                                         o https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of- rugby/safeguarding/recruitment/

The CWO must attend relevant training, including safeguarding https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the- game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/training/The CWO poster with up-to-date contacts must be displayed and shared widely (noticeboard, website, social media platforms, parent & coach briefings) so that players, coaches and parents know how to get in touch

o     o

https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of- rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/

Safeguarding Risk Assessment & Child Safeguarding Statement (CSS)

• Clubs are required to carry out a Safeguarding Risk Assessment and sign and publish their Child Safeguarding Statement (CSS) (noticeboard, website, social media platforms, parent & coach briefings) as a result https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit- of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/
• These must be uploaded to RugbyConnect by mid-October every year.
• These are live documents and should be reviewed every 2 years in line the the IRFU Safeguarding Review.
• Templates will be provided by the Spirit of Rugby Officer, although clubs must ensure that statements are specific to their circumstances.
• Throughout the 2 years, clubs must be active in ensuring the identified actions are carried out.

Completed (ü)

o

o

o

Parent & Coach Briefings		Completed (ü)
	Parent & coach briefings are a great way to communicate important information at the start of the season. How this is done is up to the club, it could be a presentation at club registration or an information evening, or it could be sent out in short bursts through the club’s social media platforms.Templates are available from the Spirit of Rugby Officer which give guidance on the type of information to share including Expectations, Codes of Conduct, Role of the Parent/Coach, Reporting Procedures.	o

Coach & Volunteer Registration Completed (ü)

• Clubs must ensure appropriate supervision levels for                                                                                      o

teams through recruitment of coaches and other volunteers https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the- game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/

• All coaches and volunteers must have an active                                                                                      o

registration with the club before they start.

• This means that they have been approved by the club for membership purposes and can complete their vetting through the IRFU online system

Registration page

• The CWO will need to work with the Club Registrar (or be                                                                                      o

approved as a Registrar) to be able to see/approve memberships.

Coach & Volunteer Vetting Completed (ü)

• All coaches and volunteers must have an active Rugby                                                                         o Connect Vetting Credential with the club before they start https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of- rugby/safeguarding/recruitment/
• This means that they have been vetted by the IRFU through the Garda Vetting/Access NI systems and a decision has been made on the suitability of the applicant based on the information provided. This does not negate the responsility of the clubs to carry out an appropriate selection process, including taking up references.
• The CWOs role in this process is to verify ID for each

applicant ensuring that it meets the requirements of the                                                                                      o

Garda Vetting/Access NI processes and to confirm that they have seen the original ID and that it matches what has been uploaded to RugbyConnect.

• Vetting will be renewed every 2 years in line with the                                                                                      o

Spirit of Rugby Vetting Policy.

Coach & Volunteer Safeguarding Training Completed (ü)

• All coaches and volunteers must complete relevant                                                                         o safeguarding training before they start https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of- rugby/safeguarding/training/
• Training should be renewed every 3 years in line with the                                                                                                  o

Spirit of Rugby training guidance for clubs.

Player Registration & Permissions Completed (ü)

• Clubs need to gather parental consent to participate in                                                                                      o

club activities including relevant medical/behavioural information. This should be done through the IRFU online system https://rugbyconnect.irfu.ie/

• Clubs can choose to add to the questions recommended by the IRFU if they wish. This should be done when the memberships are being set up each season.
• Safeguarding information should be made available on sign up so that parents & players know standards of behaviour expected https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing- the-game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/

Sharing Best Practice, Advice & Guidance Completed (ü)

• There is a lot of information to share with parents,                                                                                      o

coaches and players. CWOs should be able to give practical advice, support and signpost to relevant policies, procedures and guidance.

• CWOs should develop a good working relationship with the                                                                                      o

Branch Spirit of Rugby Officer and familiarise themselves

with the Spirit of Rugby section of the IRFU website https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit-of- rugby/

• Clubs should ensure that there is an up-to-date section on

their noticeboards and website dedicated to safeguarding                                                                                      o

information https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the- game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/

• Information should be available in a variety of formats to                                                                                      o

allow for the inclusion of young people with a disability etc

The Safeguarding Risk Assessment will specify the information that needs to be shared, especially around reporting a concern.The CWO will need to work closely with the age-grade committees, convenors/co-ordinators, coaches & volunteers to ensure all of those working with children & young people have up-to-date information.The CWO will work with the age-grade committees, convenors/co-ordinators, coaches & volunteers to share relevant information on nutrition and concussion etc https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/nutrition/ https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/medical/https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/medical/irfu- concussion-protocols/

o       o

Supporting the Voice of the Player Completed (ü)

• The CWO will influence policy in relation to age-grade                                                                                      o

players by sitting on the Executive/Management Committee or by having access to meetings.

• The CWO will need to work closely with the age-grade                                                                                      o

convenors/co-ordinators to implement policies, procedures and practices that are in the best interests of age-grade players https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit- of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/

• The CWO will ensure that they are well-known to age-

grade players and approachable should they wish to raise                                                                                      o

an issue https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the- game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/

• The CWO should actively listen to the voice of children &

young people within the club by hosting youth                                                                                      o

consultations and linking with the IRFU Youth Council (& provincial forums) https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the- game/spirit-of-rugby/youth-council/

• The CWO should directly involve young people to help                                                                                      o

spread welfare messages across the club, including the Codes of Conduct, Anti-Bullying Statement and Social Media policies https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the- game/spirit-of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/

Speak to players when they are leaving, about the reasons for leaving. Try to spot trends and/or potential harmful issues that might arise from poor coaching or team practices.

o

Encouraging Parental Involvement		Completed (ü)
	Clubs should encourage the involvement of parents in club activities. Gather information from parents about skills, knowledge & experience they have that could contribute to the club or write up a list of tasks where help is needed and circulate this to parents.	o

Sport Ireland Audit		Completed (ü)
	Clubs are required to complete the Sport Ireland Audit, as directed by Spirit of Rugby staff.The Audit is a key priority for Sport Ireland, and full compliance with the process is required to ensure compliance with Sport Ireland’s Safeguarding programme and continuation of funding. A guide to completing the Audit will be provided by the Spirit of Rugby Officer.	o

Succession Planning		Completed (ü)
	Clubs should actively plan for volunteers moving on from their roles, identifying potential new volunteers to fill roles as soon as possible. Ideally this should be done so that those currently in the role can help with handing over the role to the new volunteer.Clubs should talk to volunteers when they finish in their role and where necessary make changes to the roles of volunteers, training and/or support they receive.	o         o

Icons made by: Wanicon; Good Ware; Freepik; Eucalyp; Geotatah; Vectors Market; from www.flaticon.com

3: Club Welfare Officer Getting to Know Your Role

All clubs offering rugby to children & young people have specific responsibilities to create a safe and positive environment in which players can enjoy rugby safely. For further information go to Section 1: Club and Volunteer Responsibilities – Age Grade Rugby

To ensure that these responsibilities are being carried out, the club must appoint a Club Welfare Officer (CWO) who will co-ordinate this work. If possible, the club should appoint a Deputy CWO too.

Upon taking up the role, the CWO/Deputy must:

Complete the vetting process	Attend relevant training, including safeguarding	Display the CWO poster with up-to-date contacts
https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit- of-rugby/safeguarding/recruitment/	https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit- of-rugby/safeguarding/training/	https://www.irishrugby.ie/playing-the-game/spirit- of-rugby/safeguarding/best-practice/

Club Season Plan

Many activities are ongoing but the season plan below highlights key actions:

Start of Season	Mid Season	End of Season
Safeguarding Risk Assessment & Child Safeguarding StatementParent & coach briefingsCoach & volunteer registration, vetting & safeguarding trainingPlayer registration & permissions	SG3 trainingSharing best practice, advice & guidanceSupporting the voice of the player to be heard in the clubEncouraging parental involvement	Sport Ireland AuditSuccession planning

Themes

The key activities can also be broken down into 3 main themes, although they all work together to help the club to create a safe and positive environment for players that meets legislative requirements and good practice standards:

Compliance	Advice	Child-Centred Ethos
Safeguarding Risk Assessment & Child Safeguarding StatementCoach & volunteer registration, vetting & safeguarding trainingPlayer registration & permissionsSport Ireland AuditSuccession planning	Parent & coach briefingsSharing best practice, advice & guidanceEncouraging parental involvement	SG3 trainingSupporting the voice of the player to be heard in the club

Support

As the main point of contact for all safeguarding matters within the club you will be supported by the relevant Branch Spirit of Rugby Officer:

• Luke Murphy (Connacht) – luke.murphy@connacht.ie
• Billy Phelan (Leinster) – billy.phelan@leinsterrugby.ie
• Emily O’Leary (Munster) – emilyoleary@munsterrugby.ie
• Kerry Spence (Ulster) – kerry.spence@ulsterrugby.com

For further information and resources go to Section 2: Club Action Plan

Icons made by: Wanicon; Eucalyp; Geotatah; and Freepik from www.flaticon.com

4: Sample Noticeboard

There is a lot of information to share with parents, coaches and players. One way to do this is through the use of a noticeboard (or a virtual noticeboard). Examples of information that should be shared:

CWO poster with up-to- date contact details

Safeguarding Risk Assessment

Child Safeguarding Statement

Code of Conduct Parents     Codes of Conduct Players     Anti-Bullying Statement

IRFU Safeguarding Policy       Reporting Procedures                                           Information about

Training Courses

Links to IRFU Website

Safeguarding Policy

Safeguarding Policy

Best Practice

Best Practice

Recruitment

Recruitment

Information for Parents & Guardians

Parents & Guardians

What to do if you have a Concern

Concerns

Information for Young People

Young People

Information about Training Courses

Training

Icons made by: Freepik and Good Ware from www.flaticon.com

5: Notes

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………