Registration & Transfer of Junior Players 2013/14 1. Registration 1.1 Clubs are to register their intention to administer team(s) at specific age groups for the coming season with their Welsh Rugby Union District Junior Association by 1st August each year; or as soon as possible when new team(s) are planned. No Club team may register more than 25 players in an age group squad unless their Welsh Rugby Union District Junior Rugby Association grants specific permission to do so. 1.2 All players who represent a Club shall be registered as a member of the Club with the relevant Welsh Rugby Union District Junior Association. 1.3 Players registered with a Club remain registered with that Club until they transfer to another Club, or are de-registered by the Club or they have not played for a club for at least a year and are as such deemed as free agents. Only new players or players transferring to a new Club are required to register/re-register in any season. Players who have not played for a Club for at least one year, i.e. 12 months, will be deemed to be “free agents” and as such they will be able to register with a new Club without the formality of transfer. 1.4 Each Welsh Rugby Union District Junior Association will decide the frequency of renewing ID cards in the eight year period players are under their charge. 2. Transfers 2.1 An application by a player to transfer from his parent Club, the transferor, shall first be considered by the transferee Club to assess it’s ability to accept the player, then the transferor Club to formally acknowledge the transfer and then the District Junior Rugby Association. Approved applications shall be processed in accordance with the attached Player Transfer Form. 2.2 The only grounds a parent Club has for turning down a request for transfer are: a) The Club to which the player wishes to transfer already has its full quota of players registered under the local District’s scheme. b) The player involved is subject to Disciplinary action. c) The player has been already selected as a member of the Region’s or District’s age group squad for the season in which the transfer is requested. If such a player does transfer then he will lose his place in the Regional or District squad. 2.3 No more than three players shall be permitted to transfer into one team within any season, closed season or the period between seasons unless clubs mutually agree that players in excess of this limit may transfer. 2.4 Where a Club sets up a new team (New Team Definition – A Club’s initial entry into Junior Rugby, or the Club did not run a team a year younger in the previous season, or the Club starts up a new age group after the start of the season) then the following rules on transfers shall apply:- 2.5 a) The new team shall have sufficient players to play who are “new” players and who are not registered members of another Club. No more than three players may transfer into a new team during their first season. b) Players can only transfer to a new Club with the full consent of the parent Club and may do so in excess of the three player limit established in 2.3 above if the transferor and transferee Club mutually agree. c) Teams or groups of players shall not move en-bloc from one Club to another without the full consent of the parent Club and Welsh Rugby Union District Junior Association. No player may transfer to another Club after the 31st January of the playing season unless he moves to live in another District. 3. Appeals 3.1 The Parent/Guardian of a player whose request to transfer has been refused, shall have the right to appeal against the decision. The appeal must be submitted to the Community Rugby Operations Manager of the Welsh Rugby Union within 48 hours of receiving the decision from the parent Club. 3.2 The Management Committee of the parental District Association will be required to consider the appeal within 7 days of receipt, and if the appeal is supported, notify the parent Club that their decision has been overruled. Where the parent Club accepts the ruling of the Welsh Rugby Union District Junior Association or no written appeal is received within seventy two hours, the Parents/Guardians of the player will be notified by the Honorary Secretary of the Welsh Rugby Union District Junior Association of the approval to transfer and given an agreed transfer date. 3.3 The parent Club will have 48 hours from receipt of notification, that the player can be transferred, to appeal against the decision. The appeal must be lodged with the Community Rugby Operations Manager of the Welsh Rugby Union, in writing giving reasons for the appeal, and accompanied by a deposit of £25. On receipt of the written notice of appeal and £25 deposit, the Honorary Secretary of the local Welsh Rugby Union District Junior Association shall forward immediately all correspondence, deposit and explanations of refusal of the Clubs and Association to accept the transfer request to the Community Rugby Operations Manager of the Welsh Rugby Union. 3.4 The Welsh Rugby Union Regulatory Committee will then be convened to consider all circumstances of the case and shall notify all individual parties. The Union’s decision shall be final. Notes for Guidance: 1: The player must not play for the new Club until this form is returned authorised. Once authorised it should be given to the new Club who will use it to support the players registration with the new Club. A new ID card will also be required to be issued to the new Club. 2: Players should receive the completed form within 7 days of the date the form was handed to the present Club. If the transfer is refused by the present Club, and is referred to the Parents/Guardians on appeal to the District Registration Officer a further 7 days will be required. The authority taking the decision will keep the player’s Parents/Guardians informed of the progress. 3: A player who has not heard of the decision within 7 days, should contact the relevant District Registration Officer for a report on progress. Welsh Rugby Union Junior Player Transfer Form Part 1. To be completed by Player’s Parent/Guardian and to be submitted to Player’s proposed new Club. Player’s Name…………………………………….. Date of Birth……………….. Address………………………………………………………………………………… Telephone Number……………………………… Present Club……………………….......... Registration No. ……………... Proposed Club………………................. Parent/Guardian’s Signature………………………............ Date………………... Part 2. To be completed by Player’s proposed new Club (Secretary/Chairman). i) We are able to accept Player Transfer Request and confirm that we are fully compliant with the WRU Transfer Regulations as laid out below. ii) We are not able to accept Player Transfer Request as this is not compliant with the WRU Transfer Regulations. Please delete i) or ii) as appropriate. Maximum number of Players a Club can register in any age group team is 25. A Club may only transfer up to a total of 3 Players who are registered with other Clubs in any particular season. No registered player may transfer to another Club after the 31st January. District Players requesting a transfer to another Club may only do so out of season as otherwise they will not be eligible to continue playing District Rugby until the following season. Signature................................... Name……………………………. Date…………….. Position held……………………………... Club………………………..............RFC Part 3. To be completed by Players present Club (Secretary/Chairman) and to be returned to Registration Officer within 3 days of receipt (subject to acceptance by proposed new Club). We agree to the above transfer request / We do not agree to the above transfer request (state reason). Signature.................................... Name.............................................. Date....................... Position held.................................................. Club....................................................RFC _____________________________________________________________________ Part 4. To be completed by District Registration Officer and returned to the Player’s new Club with copy to the Player’s Parent/Guardian. The transfer has been approved from ....../....../...... Transfer reference no. ....................... Signature (District Reg. Officer)....................................................... Date..........................