Summary of ORFU Disciplinary hearings – Season 23/4

Correct as of 08 February 2024

NB: this excludes age grade hearings and any hearings not complete at time of publication.

Notes about Discipline

Discipline is one of the core values of rugby. The RFU Discipline team strives to ensure that rugby is a game of controlled physical endeavour and that it is honest and fair.

The RFU’s disciplinary regime reflects World Rugby Regulation 17.

It exists to penalise players whose foul play or misconduct is other than purely accidental, and one of its most important principles is to prevent the risk of injury to other players in a dynamic and physical sport.

Players have an obligation to ensure that they do not cause injury to opponents, so there is a presumption that any conduct which is proscribed by World Rugby Law 9 (foul play) merits a sanction.

The RFU Discipline Department deals with foul play and misconduct cases in levels 1-4 of the Game.

It also deals with appeals from Constituent Body Disciplinary Panels and other specific cases that the Constituent Body Disciplinary Panels do not have the power to deal with, for example, breaches of World Rugby Regulation 10 and 21 (medical and anti-doping) and RFU Regulation 21 (Safeguarding).

There are 35 Constituent Bodies to which the RFU delegates disciplinary powers. These bodies will normally deal with misconduct and foul play cases at level 5 and below.

Members of the RFU Disciplinary Panel and Constituent Body Disciplinary Panels are trained and accredited to sit on such cases by the RFU. In all cases heard by an RFU panel, a written judgment is produced and published on the website.

POLICIES AND GUIDANCE

  • Age grade rugby guidance
  • RFU club disciplinary guidance
  • RFU Guidance to Adult Disciplinary Hearings
  • Citing Complaint Level 3 and Below Form
  • Yellow and Red Cards Levels 1-4 Form
  • Red Card Report Levels 5 Form

Click here

 

Oxfordshire RFU Disciplinary hearings

All enquires relating to discipline should be put through the Oxfordshire RFU Disciplinary Secretary:

Jenny Bosley: Mobile: 07742 732014 Email: bosleys.computer@outlook.com,

The Secretary and the Panel Members are all accredited by the RFU.

Panel Members: Doug Humphries, Doug Bosley, Hywel Evans, Ron McDonald, Duncan Nicholl.

Occasionally and in special cases other accredited members may be called in to sit on the panel.

 

The Constituent Body (CB) Disciplinary committee has the power delegated down from the RFU and acts in relation to clubs in its membership and individuals that are members of those clubs under RFU Regulation 19 RFU Regulation 19 in relation to:

(a) any infringements of any law of the game

(b) any conduct which in the opinion of the CB is prejudicial to the interests of the Union or the Game contrary to RFU Rule 5.12.

(c) any infringement of any of the RFU regulations and/or World Rugby Regulations relating to the game.

 

Each of the CBs clubs is required to have in place a constituted disciplinary committee, that is charged with maintaining the standards or discipline within both senior and junior levels of the club. They should have in place a process that makes sure that any disciplinary issue, i.e., red card etc. in reported to the Oxfordshire Disciplinary Secretary within 24 hours of the event happening. If this is not reported within the time limits to the Disciplinary Secretary, then there maybe a extra admin fee made.

EACH CB CLUB IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR PLAYERS

 

The procedure for Oxfordshire CB Discipline hearings is as follows:

  • When a club has a player red carded and sent from the field of play, that club should, within 24 hours,report the sending off to the Oxfordshire Disciplinary Secretary.
  • That player is immediately suspended from playing from the time he/she is sent off until the official county hearing is held.
  • The Disciplinary Secretary, when having received the referees report, will contact the clubs disciplinary contact, asking them to arrange for their player to complete the players action form and return it to the Disciplinary Secretary as soon as possible, along with any relevant statements that they wish to give.
  • If the player pleads guilty, then he/she is agreeing with the referees report, and the case can be heard on a papers only basis. This means that the player does not have to attend a face-to-face hearing.
  • If the player pleads not guilty, then a face-to-face hearing will have to be arranged to which you will be informed of time & place. The player must attend along with at least one officer of the club and any witnesses to the incident.
  • In cases where it is Papers Only the panel will communicate by email and telephone between themselves. The decision of the panel will be emailed to the Clubs disciplinary contact usually within 24 hours of the hearing.
  • With cases that are face-to-face in front of a panel, the decision will be given on the night of the hearing.
  • All discussion by the panel is confidential.
  • A formal RFU CB Judgement will be sent to the Clubs disciplinary contact.
  • There are Admin fees that must be paid for hearings, £40 for papers only and £60 for face-to-face hearing. A player cannot play again until the admin fee has been paid, whether or not the sanction has been served. The account details for payment of the admin fee are on the bottom of the Action Form.

Please follow the link for the contact information for the Oxfordshire RFU Disciplinary Secretary.

Oxfordshire CB 2023

 

For further information:

Chair of Governance and safeguarding