Contents:

1. General

2. Incoming Tours

3. Outgoing Tours

4. General

5. Incoming Tours

6. Outgoing Tours

7. Record Keeping

8. General

9. Approval

TOURS / CROSS-UNION MATCHES
(including 15 a-side, 10 a-side and 7 a-side)

Professional Clubs, National Representative Teams and other elite teams - Men’s, Women’s and Age Grade National Representative Teams

10.1 General

• 10.1.1 RFU Regulation 10.1 to 10.3 applies to men’s and women’s Professional Clubs, National Representative Teams and other elite teams.
• 10.1.2 Players must not participate in any match referred to RFU Regulations 10.2 and 10.3 (whether in England or abroad) without the approval of the Club to which the Player is affiliated, and unless the match has been approved in accordance with this Regulation 10.
• 10.1.3 For the purposes of this Regulation 10 the use of the definition ‘Premiership’ and ‘Championship’ shall mean the Premiership and Championship levels of both the men’s and women’s game (including their equivalents in other Unions).
• 10.1.4 For the purposes of this Regulation 10, the use of the definition ‘Professional Club’ shall mean a club, region, province or such other team authorised by another Union to play in that Union at a level equivalent to that of the Premiership or Championship in England, including academy players and ‘A’ teams of such club, region or province.

10.2 Incoming Tours

• 10.2.1 No Club, person or entity may arrange or fulfil any of the matches described in RFU Regulation 10.2.2 in England without:
  • a) in respect of matches during the Season, the written approval of the RFU and any such application must be made in writing in such form prescribed by the RFU and submitted to the RFU not less than 2 months before the date of the proposed match or within such other time frame as the RFU may determine in exceptional circumstances; and
  • b) in respect of matches outside of the Season, notification to the RFU not less than 3 weeks before the date of the proposed match in such form prescribed by the RFU and provided the RFU does not confirm its disapproval within 7 working days of receipt of such written notification.
• 10.2.2 The matches to which RFU Regulation 10.2.1 applies are as follows:
  • a) a Premiership or Championship Club seeking to host or play a match against a National Representative Team from a Union outside England ranked inside the World Rugby’s top 20 Unions, or a Professional Club from another Union;
  • b) any Professional Club from another Union seeking to play a match against another Professional Club from another Union;
  • c) a match between a senior National Representative Team or next senior National Representative Team and senior National Representative Team or next senior National Representative Team from two different Unions outside of England (as defined by the World Rugby);
  • d) a match between a scratch or composite team (as defined by World Rugby) and
    • i) a Premiership or Championship Club; or
    • ii) a senior National Representative Team or next senior National Representative Team from any Union; or
    • iii) a Professional Club from another Union; or
    • iv) a scratch/composite team (as defined by World Rugby) (e.g. Barbarians, World XV) from another Union.

10.3 Outgoing Tours

• 10.3.1 All Outgoing Tours by a Premiership or Championship Club must comply with the requirements set out in World Rugby Regulation 16 and such other World Rugby Regulations as may be applicable.
• 10.3.2 The RFU shall have the power to take disciplinary action in relation to players and other personnel in respect of all matches involving its Clubs regardless of whether the match is played in England or in another Union, subject to any competition regulations or tour agreements stating otherwise.
• - Men’s National League Rugby and below, Women’s Level 2 and below, and all Age Grade Rugby (excluding Age Grade National Representative Teams)

10.4 General

• 10.4.1 This Regulation 10.4 applies to the following:
  • a) adult men’s Incoming Tours and Outgoing Tours at National League Rugby and below;
  • b) adult women’s Incoming Tours and Outgoing Tours at Level 2 and below;
  • c) Incoming Tours and Outgoing Tours in respect of Age Grade Rugby; and
  • d) Incoming Tours and Outgoing Tours in respect of teams representing a Constituent Body.
• 10.4.2 Players must not participate in any match referred to in Regulations 10.5 and 10.6 (whether in England or abroad) without the approval of the Club to which the Player is affiliated, and unless the match has been approved in accordance with this Regulation 10.
• 10.4.3 In respect of 10.4.1(a) and 10.4.1(b) only, a Constituent Body may in its discretion grant blanket approvals for all or some Incoming Tours and/or Outgoing Tours, which may be granted for all the Constituent Body’s Clubs or on a tour-by-tour basis or on a club- by-club basis. Any blanket approval may be subject to conditions or be withdrawn at any time at the discretion of the Constituent Body (for example in the event of disciplinary, safeguarding or other concerns). In the event that no blanket approval is granted, the process set out in 10.5 and 10.6 will apply.
• 10.4.4 The RFU has prepared additional resources pertaining to Tours which are available at Tours Resources, including the Touring with Children – Safeguarding Guide and Clubs are reminded of the need to have appropriate insurance in place prior to travelling abroad.

10.5 Incoming Tours

• 10.5.1 No Club, person or entity may arrange or fulfil an Incoming Tour unless:
  • a) the Incoming Tour approval form has been completed in full and submitted to the appropriate hosting Constituent Body (or the RFU in respect of a Constituent Body team); and
  • b) the Club or third party organising the Incoming Tour has confirmed in writing that the Incoming Tour will be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game, this RFU Regulation 10 and such other World Rugby and RFU Rules and Regulations as are applicable; and
  • c) in respect of any teams or players from Unions outside England, the written consent of those Unions has been obtained and evidence of such is provided in writing to the Constituent Body (or the RFU in respect of a Constituent Body team); and
  • d) the written consent of the appropriate hosting Constituent Body has been obtained (or the RFU in respect of a Constituent Body team). This consent may be granted to a club on a pre-approved basis for a match or series of matches by its Constituent Body and, in doing so, it must then comply with Regulation 10.7.1 by gathering the appropriate records; and
  • e) written notice of the proposed Incoming Tour may also be given to the RFU together with details of the fixture(s) to be played and copies of such permissions and consents as may be required by World Rugby Regulations if the Constituent Body so desires but there is no obligation to notify the RFU.

10.6 Outgoing Tours

• 10.6.1 No Club, person or entity may arrange or fulfil an Outgoing Tour unless:
  • a) the Outgoing Tour approval form has been completed in full and submitted to the appropriate Constituent Body (or the RFU in respect of a Constituent Body team); and
  • b) the written consent of the appropriate Constituent Body has been obtained (or the RFU in respect of a Constituent Body team). This consent may be granted to a club on a pre-approved basis for a match or series of matches by its Constituent Body and, in doing so, it must then comply with Regulation 10.7.1 by gathering the appropriate records; and
  • c) written notice of the proposed Outgoing Tour may also be given to the RFU together with details of the fixture(s) to be played if the Constituent Body so desires but there is no obligation to notify the RFU.

10.7 Record Keeping

• Constituent Bodies must ensure that they have a record, available to the RFU when requested, of all Incoming and Outgoing Tours (including Home Union cross border matches) arranged by their clubs during the season. Where the Constituent Body has provided its clubs with pre-approval for matches, as permitted by RFU Regulations 10.5 or 10.6, then at the end of the season the Constituent Body must collect from the relevant clubs the following information for each match:
  • a) Name of RFU Club
  • b) Date of Match
  • c) Venue (Home or Away)
  • d) Name of Opponent’s Club and which Union it is a member of
  • e) Details of teams involved (1st XV men, 2nd XV Women, U16s boys etc)
  • f) Result
• 7 A-SIDE AND 10 A-SIDE TOURNAMENTS – ALL LEVELS (EXCLUDING AGE GRADE RUGBY)

10.8 General

• 10.8.1 RFU Regulations 10.8 and 10.9 apply to adult men’s and women’s 7 a-side and 1o a- side tournaments played in England at all levels of the Game.
• 10.8.2 The Regulations relating to 7 a-side and 1o a-side matches or tournaments played outside England are set out in RFU Regulations 10.3 and 10.6.
• 10.8.3 The Regulations relating to 7 a-side and 1o a-side matches and tournaments in Age Grade Rugby are set out in RFU Regulation 15.

10.9 Approval

• 10.9.1 No Club, Constituent Body or Player at any level shall take part in any 7 a-side and 1o a-side tournament in England unless:
  • a) the tournament is approved in writing by:
    • i) the Constituent Body in which the tournament is being played; or
    • ii) the RFU in respect of tournaments run by the RFU, a Constituent Body or involving Championship and National League Rugby Clubs; or
    • iii) Premier Rugby Limited in respect of tournaments involving Premiership Clubs; and
  • b) the tournament organiser has confirmed in writing that:
    • i) the tournament will be played in accordance with the Laws of the Game (as modified by the relevant World Rugby variations), RFU Regulation 10 and such other World Rugby and RFU rules and regulations as are applicable; and
    • ii) adequate medical cover and facilities will be in place, and that all relevant statutory and legal health and safety regulations that may be in force will be complied with; and
    • iii) in respect of any teams, clubs or players from Unions outside England, the relevant provisions of RFU Regulations 10.1 to 10.6 have been complied with; and
    • iv) it will adhere to such other requirements as the Constituent Body, the RFU or Premier Rugby Limited (as applicable) may require.
• 10.9.2 Organisers are reminded of the need to have appropriate insurance in place in relation to the tournament.