GAME ON!

Application: Applicable to the following grades (designated non-premier grades)

• Senior Rugby: Women's 10s, First Grade and Under 85kgs
  
• Secondary School Rugby: 2C, 1RB, 5B, 5C, 6B, U15B, U14B, U15R
  
• Junior Rugby: All Grades
  

DEFINITIONS

Temporary Replacement: A player who temporarily replaces another who leaves the field to have bleeding controlled and/or an open wound covered, or who replaces a front row player who has been temporarily suspended or required to leave the field to obtain a mouthguard.

Permanent Replacement: A player who permanently replaces an injured player or a front row forward who has been ordered off.

Rolling Substitutions: up to 12 tactical substitutions (per team), which can be made only when the ball is dead and with the permission of the referee.

Secondary School Rugby: all grades of rugby between U14 and U19 inclusive, including all grades played by teams comprising secondary school students (whether representing schools or clubs).

Designated Premier Grade Competitions: rugby competitions that have been designated as such by the Provincial Union/s (or other organisation, such as a regional secondary school sports authority) having jurisdiction over that competition. For the avoidance of doubt more than one grade may be designated as a Designated Premier Grade Competition.

Game On Provisions: means the provisions set out in appendix 1.

LAW 3 – NUMBER OF PLAYERS – THE TEAM

3. WHEN THERE ARE FEWER THAN FIFTEEN PLAYERS

(a) When a team participating in a Designated Premier Grade Competition is unable to provide at least 15 players for a match (including the number of trained front rowers required by 5(e)), that team shall forfeit the match and the opposition team will be deemed to have won the match and will receive the winning competition points (without any bonus points). The match may still be played in accordance with the Game On Provisions (without impact on the official match result or competition points).

(b) When a team or teams participating in a competition that is not a Designated Premier Grade Competition is or are unable to provide at least 15 players for a match (including at least 3 players who are trained to play in front row positions), but both teams have at least 10 players, the game will proceed in accordance with the Game On Provisions, without any consequence to the match result or competition points.

5. THE FRONT ROW – REPLACEMENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

(c) The replacement of a front row forward must come from suitably trained and experienced players who started the match or from nominated replacements. A player other than a nominated front row player is permitted to play in the front row only when uncontested scrums are being played and there are no available front row replacements.

(d) A team in a competition that is not a Designated Premier Grade Competition must have a minimum of 3 players trained to play in front row positions.

If a team in a Designated Premier Grade Competition nominates 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 or 20 players, it must have a minimum of 3 players trained to play in the front row positions.

If a team in a Designated Premier Grade Competition nominates 21 players, it must have a minimum of 4 players who are trained to play in front row positions.

If a team in a Designated Premier Grade Competition nominates 22 players, it must have a minimum of 5 players who are trained to play in front row positions.

(e) When a team or teams participating in a competition that is not a Designated Premier Grade Competition is or are unable to provide sufficient players who are trained to play in front row positions for a match in accordance with 5(e), the match will proceed with uncontested scrums in accordance with the Game On Provisions, without any consequence to the match’s result or competition points.

15. ROLLING SUBSTITUTIONS

(a) Rolling Substitutions are not permitted in Designated Premier Grade Competition matches or matches in Secondary School Rugby. Rolling substitutions are permitted in matches in competitions that are neither Secondary School Rugby nor Designated Premier Grade Competitions, where that match is played in accordance with the Game On Provisions.

LAW 5 – TIME

5.1 DURATION OF MATCH

Each half of an Under 19 match last 35 minutes playing time. Play in a match lasts no longer than 70 minutes. After a total of 70 minutes playing time, the referee must not allow extra time to be played in the case of a drawn match in a knock out competition.N.B: 90 minutes is the maximum paying time permitted in one day for players in all grades o rugby Under 19 and below (World Rugby Guideline).

5.2 VARIATIONS IN DURATION OF MATCH

The duration of matches in competitions that are not Designated Premier Grade Competitions, that proceed in accordance with the Game On Provisions, may be varied in accordance with appendix 1.

Appendix 1 - GAME ON PROVISIONS

1. Game On is a flexible game format designated to enable games to proceed with meaningful outcomes despite teams being unable to meet normal team number and/or front row considerations. It applies to all adult club and secondary school rugby competitions that are not Designated Premier Grade Competitions.

2. Game On is only to be used when a team(s) has less than 15 players and/or insufficient players trained to play in front row positions to commence the match.

3. The rules to apply to matches under the Game On Provisions are determined as follows:

a. Team Size (when one or both teams has less than 15 players). Playing numbers (between 10 - 15 a side) are determined by agreement between the Teams. In the event of no agreement, the playing numbers will match the number of players that the team with the fewest players has.

b. Rolling Subs (Grades above Secondary School Rugby only). Rolling subs will be permitted in all games played under the Game On Provisions unless the teams agree that Rolling Subs will not be used, and notify the referee prior to kick-off. 1/2 Game rule applies to Secondary School Rugby.

c. Contested or uncontested scrums. Subject to availability of a minimum of three players trained to play in front row positions to start in each team, the match will commence with contested scrums, but for the avoidance of doubt will revert to uncontested scrums if any of those trained players leave the field.

d. Length of match. To be agreed between the teams (with 40 minutes being the minimum and 70 minutes being the maximum for Secondary School Rugby, and 80 minutes being the maximum for grades above Secondary School Rugby). If no agreement is reached, the match duration will be based on team size as follows:

10 a side - 2 x 20 min halves. 40 min max.

11 a side - 2 x 25 min halves, 50 min max.

12 a side - 2 x 30 min halves, 60 min max.

13/14 a side - 2 x 35 min halves, 70 min max.

15 a side - 2 x 40 min halves, 80 min max (Secondary School Rugby 70 mins max).