TOURNAMENT GUIDELINES

The Tournament Committee of the EPRU shall have the responsibility for sanctioning all tournaments held within the jurisdiction of the Union. A "tournament" shall include all festivals, invitationals and competitions where eight (8) or more teams participate. *Note* Only Full Members of the EPRU can host tournaments.

Clubs desiring to host a tournament must file a Tournament Approval Form (link above), along with a payment for $50 payable to "EPRU" NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 31ST of the previous year in which the tournament will be held. Requests received after October 31st may be rejected. All financial obligations to the EPRU must be current and hosts MUST be fully enrolled in the current USA Rugby membership year.

All tournaments must carry liability insurance coverage. All players and reserves must carry at least $100,000 medical coverage and clubs must have liability coverage for a minimum of $1,000,000. A healthcare professional must be present for the duration of the tournament. All players must be currently registered members of USA Rugby. The tournament host is responsible for checking membership and not allowing anyone to play who cannot provide proof of enrollment.

The EPRU, after sanctioning a tournament, will contact the Referees Society regarding the number of referees requested. The Referees Society will appoint a Head Referee for the tournament. The Head Referee and the Club's Tournament Coordinator will decide on which option to choose for scheduling referees. Clubs CANNOT invite outside referees without contacting the Referees Society first. It is recommended that teams try to schedule tournaments early in the playing season, or out of season, in order to secure referees. Tournaments scheduled during the season cannot be guaranteed referees even if approved by the Union.

The Disciplinary Committee shall have the additional responsibility for taking appropriate action against individuals and/or teams that:

• Do not honor tournament commitments
• Act in any manner which is detrimental to the tournament or the spirit of rugby
• Attempt to play any ineligible players

*Note* Any player sent off the field during a tournament is ineligible to play for the rest of the tournament.

The EPRU may refuse to sanction a tournament for failure to follow the Disciplinary Committee's recommendation.

It is the responsibility of the Club's Tournament Director or Committee to invite only members in good standing from any Union. There will be no recourse through the Union should a club allow non-members to participate in their tournament and an incident, or incidents, occur that would normally warrant disciplinary action.

The EPRU Executive Committee will decide any scheduling conflicts.

Teams holding and/or attending any unsanctioned tournaments will be subject to disciplinary action and fines.