Rules and Regulations U7s to U16s

The Welsh Rugby Union has positively changed the way rugby is played at mini and junior levels in order to help develop more athletic, skilful and attacking rugby players.

The Pathway offers a progressive way of introducing the game to young players and developing coaches. It also aims to deliver a game that is fun to play, enjoyable, stimulating to coach and promotes open running rugby.

Running with the ball, passing and having the ability to beat an opponent are the Welsh way. In order for the WRU to promote and develop these skills, the pathway has been adopted for young players in Wales.

Contesting the ball is introduced in a controlled rationale at the age of ten with the aim to help players to gain confidence in this aspect of the game. With these skills being developed progressively at each age group, it is the WRU’s belief that young players will be encouraged to stay within rugby and enjoy the benefits of the game.

The WRU Rugby Pathway also includes information and guidance for coaches to introduce and develop skills both safely and effectively. The nature of the WRU Rugby Pathway will, it is hoped, assist coaches across Wales to deliver the skills of the game in a progressive and developmental manner.

To access all the Age groups pathway laws go to the pathway section under playing

Online Registration is designed to support the vision of the WRU to achieve: More People, More Often, with More Enjoyment and More Success.

Online Registration is a process that each player, coach, referee, team manager and first aider in Wales, across all age group undertakes prior to the beginning of each new season.

Each year, every player in Wales (parent or guardian of the player if the player is under 18) will access the WRU Player Registration website  and submit their Online Registration for the forthcoming season.

Any players returning to their club/hub the following season must complete the registration process prior to the season commencing in September. Any new player must complete the registration process prior to taking part in any activity.

Online Registration will ensure that each year the WRU and clubs will have accurate, real-time data on all active and inactive players throughout Wales. It will allow clubs to generate teams sheets more efficiently, auto populate sections of the audit and allow the WRU to support and develop all active and inactive players.

 Registration of Mini and Junior Players (U7 – U16) 

For a player to be eligible to play for a Mini or Junior team of a Club and/or Girls Hub, that player must be registered for & verified by the Club and/or Girls Hub upon the WRU Digital Registration portal. Players are eligible to register from the age of 6yrs.

The Club/or Girls Hub registering the player must:

Use the digital registration and verification portal for all Mini and Junior players at the time of the registration

Follow the registration and transfer procedures set out by the WRU at the time of the players’ registration.

In the case of a dispute about the registration of Mini and Junior players, the appropriate WRU Rugby Officer has the power to deal with such a dispute in accordance with the WRU Regulation in place at the time.

Once an age group reaches 25 registered players, they cannot accept any transfers into the team.

Clubs and Girls Hubs may register up to 30 players in each age group at Mini & Junior Level and would require applying for squad extension to exceed this limit.

Players registered with a Club and/or Girls Hub must re-register as active each season on the WRU Digital Registration Portal.

Players will remain registered with a Club/or Girls Hub until:

They transfer to another Club.

They are deregistered by the Club.

They are determined to be free agents.

They become a free agent.

A free agent is a player who has not played for a Club/Girls Hub for at least 4 months (applicable from August to May) and can prove that to be the case.

*A free agent may register with another Club and will not be counted as a transfer into that Club in the current season.

**The Four-month period starts from the last time a registered player has played for the club/Girls Hub and does not include the off season (June & July).

If a player is no longer available to play for a Club and or Girls hub (they decide to stop playing) it is important that the Club/Girls Hub de-registers the player. To de-register a player the Club/Hub should complete the appropriate process by notifying the relevant rugby officer for the region.

When a player has been de-registered by a Club/Girls Hub, they shall not be re-registered by that Club/Girls Hub for a period of at least 4 months. By implementing this provision, the WRU shall ensure that de-registration is not used by the Club/Girls Hub as a tool to avoid the limitations of squad numbers and the transfer regulations.

A girl player can play in the mixed and girls only pathway within the same season and is eligible to hold a dual registration up to U11s. The player will be required to follow the pathway rules for the club or hub they are representing at that time.

Deregistering players and disbanding teams

Players who do not wish to continue playing rugby and wish to de-register from their club/Girls Hub are required to contact their club official to begin the process. The club/Girls Hub official will inform the relevant WRU member of staff who will deregister the player. The player will not be eligible to play for another club/Girls Hub for a 4 month period applicable from August the 1st onwards.

If a Club/Girls Hub requires to disband a team at any age group the Club/Girls Hub must advise the WRU Regional Rugby officer & WRU Manager immediately that the team has been disbanded. At that time the registration of the players in the disbanded team will be the responsibility of the WRU. The Club/Girls Hub folding the team will not be permitted to run the age group in the following season.

Age banding

Players are required to play within their own age band within the mixed and male pathway set via the academic school year group. Players are eligible to play up a year group where required and when deemed safe by qualified coaches.

Players are not permitted to play up a year group from U8s to U9s (Tag rugby to contact rugby)  in any circumstance.

Players are not permitted to play down an age group in any circumstance within the male, mixed or female pathway.

Players within the female pathway are able to play within the allocated two-year age bandings as follows

• U7s & U8s (School Year 2 and Year 3)
• U9s & U10s (School Year 4 and Year 5)
• U11s & U12s (School Year 6 and Year 7)
• U13s & U14s (School Year 8 and Year 9)
• U15s & U16s (School year 10 and Year 11)

No extenuating circumstances can be granted to play outside of these age bandings or for players to play down an age band.

The recommended squad size is 25 players.

Once an age group reaches 25 registered players, they cannot accept any transfers into the team, an additional 5 players can be added to a squad as long as they are new players to the game. (taking your squad to a maximum of 30) Clubs/Girls Hubs may register up to 30 players in each age group at Mini & Junior Level and would require applying for squad extension

Squad Extensions

For a club/hub to make an application to register more than 30 players in an age group they must provide the following information to a WRU Rugby officer for consideration –

• Rationale outlining the reasoning for a squad extension
• A brief of the Clubs and players in the locality of the application club and the impact (positive and negative) on the neighbouring clubs ability to play and recruit players
• Outline of Facility and resource support for additional players (Training and playing)
• Outline of playing opportunities for additional players including the management of adequate game time (Half a game)
• Outline of additional qualified coaches supporting additional players (Player to coach Ratio)
• De – registration of inactive players has been carried out

The transfer of Mini and Junior Player

A player who is registered with the Welsh Rugby Union and requires a transfer to another Welsh rugby Union club must complete the mini and Junior transfer process.

The process will be initiated by the proposed Club/Girls Hub and will require the following –

Proposed new club/parent to complete section 1 (player information) and section 2 declaration to accept the new player and send to players current club. (Must be M&J Chair/Secretary)

Players current club receive and sign section 3 accepting/declining the application for a transfer by the proposed new club (Must be M&J Chair/Secretary)

New club/hub to apply for transfer to WRU Rugby Officer by forwarding all complete paperwork.

The Welsh rugby union staff member  will liaise with all club/hub representative with outcome of decision

When a transfer request is submitted by a club M&J Chair/secretary, a reason for transfer must be provided on the application. A transfer request may be denied if a full and valid reason for transfer is not provided.

When a transfer application has been submitted to the Welsh Rugby Union, it will take up to 14 days to complete. The transferring player should not play with the club/hub they intend to transfer to until the transfer has officially been approved by the WRU.

No more than three (3) players shall be permitted to transfer into one age group in a club/hub in one season which runs from June 1st to May 31st.

A player selected in a representative rugby programme  in Wales including district and regional age grade rugby will not be permitted to transfer in the season they have been selected.

No transfers will be permitted following the transfer deadline of January 31st.

 

 

For a club/hub to start a new Mini and Junior section and/or age group they are required to meet the following criteria to ensure the new start up is sustainable and safe and suitable for participants and volunteers.

For a club/hub to set up a “new team” within their mini and junior section they must reach the minimum number of ‘New’ and unregistered players:

• Mini teams (U7s to U11s) require 10 new/ Unregistered players.
• Junior teams (U12s to U16s) require 15 new/ Unregistered players.

These players must register Via the WRU online registration system for the new team to be in consideration to be sanctioned.

When a club/hub has registered the number of players required and has met the New Team criteria they can make a formal application to the relevant area WRU General Manager to request sanctioning to begin playing and training.

All new teams are required to meet the New team criteria below prior to any games being sanctioned –

All players and volunteers must be registered online via the WRU game locker.

Each team must have the following volunteers

• An appropriately qualified and DBS checked coach (1:15 coach to player ratio)
• A team manager
• A qualified first aider
• A qualified match official
• A safeguarding lead for the club/section team
• A management group or committee to support the running and development of the new team/section (Infographic please)

Clubs/hubs must evidence that they have appropriate facilities to cater for and host any new or additional teams.

When starting a new team and/or section all newly registered players in the mixed or male pathway are required to be in a single age band.

All players within the girl’s pathway are required to be in the correct double age banding (U8s, U10s, U12s, U14s & U16s)

Note- Players can play up an age group within the male or mixed pathway but under no circumstances can they play down an age group.

This is not applicable in the mixed pathway for an U8s player playing up to U9s (Tag to contact)

If clubs are requesting to start a new team in the mixed and/or male pathway with players over two age groups they must contact their relevant WRU staff member for guidance.

Governance

When a new team has been sanctioned to begin training and playing by the WRU they will then serve a three-month in-season probationary period.

During this probationary period no transfers shall be allowed into the ‘new team’.

Following the completion of the probationary period the new team or section will be bound to the transfer rules and regulations in line with all M&J sections (A maximum of 3 x transfers in one season per age group).

Under exceptional circumstances where teams have unsustainable playing numbers and/or localised barriers to availability and accessibility of players teams of the same age group and in close proximity will be granted permission to combine their players to play fixtures.

Clubs/hubs must complete the online “permission to combine” application form in order to seek permission to combine two clubs to form a team and play a fixture, both clubs must be part of and complete the application. (Applications have a 14 day window to be approved)

Please click the link below and complete the application form

https://forms.gle/byFRmiDpndBpZdea9

In the male game only teams in the U15, U16 and U18 age group will be considered to combine players to play fixtures,  In the girls hub game the U12 to U18 age groups will be considered to combine players to play fixtures.

Applications submitted will be received by Welsh Rugby union members of staff who will review the information and contact clubs for further discussion and sanctioning/non sanctioning.

Teams sanctioned to combine to complete fixtures will do so with specific conditions included but not limited to –

• Each club/hub taking clear responsibility for player, coach and parent code of conduct and any disciplinary action
• Each club/hub provides in writing the agreement of the allocation of the appropriate portion of the club development grant if applicable.
• A Specified time period that the two clubs/hubs agree to merge for which is also sanctioned by the WRU.
• Should a club/hub have less than 10 actively registered players a merger will not be granted and players should transfer to a new team.

The WRU Rugby Community Department has launched the ‘WRU Team Manager Application’ to manage team sheets and registrations for Junior to senior rugby.

via your mobile device click here: teamsheets.wru.wales to download the application

Team sheet submission

Digital Team sheet submission for all Junior age groups in the mixed, boys and girls  game will become mandatory from the 1st of January 2025.

Non submission of team sheets may result in disqualification from regional competitions and/or events.

Each year, every coach in Wales (parent or guardian of the coach if the coach is under 18) will access the WRU Game Locker website www.wrugamelocker.wales to register to the club and their ‘intent to coach’ in the forthcoming season.

The aim of the WRU is to successfully establish accurate real-time data on all coaches in Wales, in order to develop and support every coach and their chosen path throughout the game.

The aim of the WRU will be achieved by Online Registration, between July and September ahead of the start of each new season. Coaches will have the responsibility to register to the club and their ‘intent to coach’ for the forthcoming season. Once the registration has been submitted, the club will verify the coaches’ position. At this point, both the personal details of the coach and their coaching commitment will be secured, and the WRU database will be updated allowing the coach to coach.

Coach registration

All coaches are required to register via the game locker to coach at a Welsh rugby union member club. Prior to taking part in any activity Coaches are required to follow the full registration process which also includes the completion of the the DBS check

Coach qualifications

Coaches are required to hold the appropriate coaching qualification for their age group prior to taking part in coaching activity. The Mandatory and recommended coaching qualification for each age group is as follows –

Age Group	Mandatory	Aspiring
U7s to U8s	TAG	CoachEarly Contact
U9s to U11s	CoachEarly Contact	Level 1
U12s to U13s	Level 1	Level 2
U14s to U16s	Level 2	Level 3

The U18 game management group is part of the Welsh Rugby Unions administrative structure to support the pathway in developing more and better players in Wales.

The U18s game management group will provide support to local clubs M&J sections/volunteers through dissemination of information, modelling of good practice via local collaboration workshops, support in the provision of mini & Junior festivals and support in the provision of local fixture matrix.

Name – The organisation shall be called the District … U18 Game Management Group

Affiliation – The U18 Game Management Group is part of the Welsh Rugby Unions administrative structure to support the pathway for players in Wales and shall be affiliated to the Welsh Rugby Union Limited (“The WRU”).

Objectives – To promote, foster and encourage the development of rugby for boys and girls aged 6 to 16 years and who play for Clubs and girls Hubs across Wales.

Membership –

The U7 to U16 GMG shall be composed of Clubs and Girls Hubs/clubs within their geographical catchment area.

Clubs and girls Hubs must become fully sanctioned members by the WRU before their mini & junior teams may affiliate to the GMG and start to play rugby.

To become a member of the GMG a Club or Girls Hub must meet the criteria outlined in the “starting a new mini and junior section and or/club” section within this document.

Member Clubs must agree to abide by these Terms of Reference, the memorandum and Articles of the WRU, the rules, regulations and resolutions of the WRU, the Laws of the Games and the Bye Laws, Regulations and Resolutions of World Rugby.

Member Clubs are expected to attend their area representative U18 GMG Forums & meetings.

The U18 Game Management Group in conjunction with the WRU will work with clubs and girls hubs to

Encourage, share and model on and off field good practice and distribute these practices to member clubs

Support in the provision of playing opportunities Via fixture matrix and District Festival/ tournaments.

Disseminate important information to member clubs relating to the administration and development of the game nationally and in their geographical area  including and not limited to processes on applications to tour, applications to host tours and applications to host festivals.

Be a point of contact for member clubs for enquiries and points of clarification

Actively organise and deliver rugby opportunities in line with the Welsh rugby unions strategic priorities in association with Welsh Rugby Union Staff

Permission to Tour

All Clubs/Girls Hub are required to submit a request to tour application for both international and domestic tours no less than 14 days prior to the scheduled start date of the tour.

All Clubs/Girls Hub are required to meet the following criteria prior to be given permission to tour –

All players are registered and active via the WRU online registration system

All Players and the accompanying travelling party have travel insurance either as a group or through personal coverage.

*You will need to provide evidence of the insurance coverage in the application.

Please use the link below to access the form for permission to tour

https://forms.gle/jNCW24HoGSVRewfDA 

Permission to host a Touring team

All clubs/Girls Hub are required to submit a permission to host a touring team application if they intend to host a club outside of Wales.

In order to host a tour game the incoming clubs/Girls Hub must provide the following information and meet the required criteria below  –

The touring team’s National Governing Body has granted official permission for their tour in writing.

The touring team’s National Governing Body has granted official permission for their tour in writing.

The age of the touring team players is the same age band as the host team.

The touring team players are registered to their respective NGB in accordance with their administration governance.

Confirmation of the residence of the touring team while they are in the country.

Written Confirmation the touring team have medical cover ( Death,  Permanent Total Disability and Medical expenses)

 Please use the link below to fill out the form for permission to host a touring team

https://forms.gle/tKTrn5CBW3JaZWrY6

Permission to host a festival, tournament or event

All clubs/Girls Hub are required to submit a permission to host application if they intend to host a tournament or festival.

In order to host a tournament or festival clubs/Girls Hub must meet the following criteria

All Mini Age Groups (7’s-11yrs) must be titled and run as festivals only

The mini festival must not have any outright winners and scores kept (medals for participation are permitted but not essential).

Half a Game Initiative for Mini Age Groups to be introduced

Referees are fully qualified

All players are fully registered and registration cards evidenced on the day

First Aiders are provided

Please use the link below to fill out the form for permission to host a festival or event

https://forms.gle/cWYQiNSTq4K29f1U7

Cross border fixtures

Permission for Cross border fixtures (Fixtures outside Wales) is to be applied for in the same way as a permission to tour application, a cCub/Girls Hub must receive permission to play any team outside of Wales.

Clubs/Girls Hub will not be permitted to play against school teams in any age group.

The half a game initiative requires Clubs/Girls Hub to pledge at least half a game of rugby to every mini and junior player every weekend..

Half A Game provides equal playing opportunities for minis and juniors with the overall aim to recruit and retain more children in the game by focusing on the rewards of participation rather than the results of a match.

RECOMMENDED PLAYING TIME

As per world rugby recommendations the Welsh rugby union recommends the following playing time for mini and junior players

in Wales:

1.5 games per week

A rest period of 24 hrs between games

where a player has played 1.5 games per week for two consecutive weeks with a rest period on week 3.

The WRU will be adopting the world Rugby regulations on recommended playing time.

https://www.world.rugby/the-game/player-welfare/guidelines/age-grade