GOREY RFC IS DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE THE RETURN OF OUR TAG RUGBY TOURNAMENT FOR 2013

TOURNAMENT DETAILS

The tournament will run for 10 weeks from Thursday 13th June 2013 through to Thursday 15th August.

There will be a TWO FREE TRIAL NIGHTS on Thurs 30th May & 6th June, so please come along and give it a try!

Matches will take place in Gorey RFC from 7:30pm to 9:30pm each Thursday.

Each evening there will be a BBQ and music along with the bar being open to enjoy a well earned drink after the game.

Teams consist of a maximum of 13 players, both male and female, of all standards.

If you don't have a team but still want to play, just let us know as we will be putting together teams for individual players. 

You don't have to have played rugby in order to take part!

There are seven players on the pitch at any one time, and for mixed leagues, you must have a minimum of three females on the pitch at any one time.

All games last for 40 minutes, 20 minutes each half.

For mini leagues, games will last for 20 minutes in total, with no half time break.

If your kick off is at 7:30pm, it is advised that you turn up a minimum of 15 minutes beforehand. This will allow you to register, find your pitch, and stretch properly before your game commences. All games will kick off exactly on time and if you are not there on time, the opposing team will be awarded points for every minute you are late.

If you realise that you do not have sufficient players to take the field, please turn up with whatever numbers you have. Gorey RFC senior players will be on hand to fill in any gaps should they arise. Please let the organisers know when you arrive and they will find extra players for you.

See below for all of the rules. It is advised that you read these in advance of playing as there are a few different rules in effect across the country. 

TEAM REGISTRATION

To register your own team you must have a minimum of seven players, and a maximum of 13 players.

If you fall short of the required seven players, you can still register your details and your team will be paired with other registrations falling short of the seven players.

All male teams will be entered in the ‘Male League', mixed teams will be entered in the ‘Mixed League' and mini teams will be entered in the ‘Mini League'.

If you want any more information please email: goreytagrugby@gmail.com or call 087 950 7999 and let us know of your intention to enter a team. This way we can schedule your league games in advance.

All registrations must be entered before 6th June 2013.

PAYMENT

Each adult / student team costs €250 and each Mini team costs €200 for the duration of the tournament.

It is the responsibility of the team captain / organiser to collect monies from the rest of the players in advance of the first game. All entry fees must be paid in full before your first game. Payment can be posted to the club along with your Registration Form or can be paid on the first Thursday at the ground before your game between 6pm and 7pm.

GEAR REQUIRED

Rugby / Soccer boots are recommended but not mandatory, you can play in runners.

To assist the referees it is advised that your team wear the same colour top, again this is not mandatory.

Tag shorts are mandatory, and if you do not have a pair they can be purchased at Gorey RFC during the first two Thursday's. They can also be purchased in any Elvery's sports shop.  

THE BASICS

• Tag Rugby is a non-contact form of rugby where a "tackle" involves removing a "tag"which is attached to the shorts of the ball carrier. Each side has six "tags" to score atry.
• After each "tag", the tagged player stops, places the ball on the ground and rolls itbackwards with the hand to a team-mate standing behind. This is called a ruck ball.The team-mate standing behind is called a scrum-half.
• A try is scored in the same way as in other forms of rugby i.e. by touching down theball on the ground over the tryline while retaining control of the ball.
• If no try is scored after the sixth "tag", the opposition shall gain possession of the balland they shall restart play with a ruck ball.
• Again, as with other forms of rugby, the normal ruling for pass being behind or lateralwith the player being passed to applies.
• A match shall consist of 2 halves of 20 minutes and such injury time as may be playedat discretion of the referee.
• At the start of the game the referee tosses a coin and the winner of the toss decideswhether to kick of or to choose an end.
• The field of play will be a maximum of 70 metres long by 50 metres wide.
• The law of advantage takes precedence over most other laws and its purpose is to makeplay more continuous with fewer stoppages for infringements. When the result of aninfringement by one team is that there opponents may gain an advantage, the refereedoes not whistle immediately for the infringement, the referee allows play to continuewith the option to return to the original offence.

PLAYERS

• A team must have no more than 7 players on the field at anytime. There can be any number of authorised replacements. The maximum number of players per squad for any given match is 15. Any players not playing in at least 3 matches prior to the playoffs/semi-final/finals may not play in those matches.
• In the case of social/mixed league games, the maximum number of male players on the field at anytime is 4.
• If a player has an open or bleeding wound he/she must leave the playing area immediately. The player may not return until the bleeding has been controlled and the wound has been covered. A player may not wear any item that is contaminated by blood.
• A player must not wear any item that is sharp or abrasive. A player must not wear jewellery or glasses. A player must not wear gloves.
• All players must wear approved Tag shorts when participating in matches and if a player is not wearing approved Tag shorts the player shall not be permitted to play in the match.

SCORING

• In mixed games, a try scored by a female player shall be worth 3 points and a try scored by a male player shall be worth 1 point.
• Veteran players i.e. players over the age of 50 will be awarded 3 points for each try that they score except in mixed games where they will be awarded 1 point for each try they score.
• A player may not dive to score a try unless there is no defender within 10 metres.
• In order to score a try after a ball has been kicked a player must regain possession of the ball prior to carrying it over the try line.
• In mixed games, a male player can not pass the ball to a female player after crossing the tryline nor can he run back into the field of play to pass the ball to a female player.
• When a try is scored the scoring team shall restart play with a drop-kick from the halfway line.

DEFENCE

• When a tag is removed, the defender must hold it in the air where the tag was made,drop it at that point and assume a marker position (i.e. a position 1 metre directly in front of the player who has been tagged), or return to the defensive line.
• At a ruck ball all defenders must be at least 7 metres from the ruck ball and there may only be one marker.
• A player may defend with 1 or no tags, however if he/she receives the ball he/shemust play the ball immediately i.e. pass or kick it taking not more than 1 step.
• A defender must not deliberately obstruct a ball carrier or a member of the other team who does not have the ball.
• At ruck ball situations the defensive line (except the marker) must be at least 7 metres back from the ruck ball. The defensive line must be at least 10 metres back at all penalty and kick-off situations.
• If a defender makes a tag after the tagged player has passed or kicked the ball, the referee may call "Late Tag, Play On" and allow the attacker to progress with only one or no tags until the next tag is made by the defending team or the ball goes out of the Field of Play. An attacker with one or no tags shall be deemed to have been tagged if a defender comes within tagging distance.
• If it is a simultaneous tag and off load, no action is taken and the attacker must replace the tag before being able to attack again. The referee will call "Ball away".
• If an attacker not in possession is tagged before receiving the ball the referee will call "Early tag". The referee may then play the advantage and penalise the defender if necessary.
• Under no circumstances can the marker run around and retrieve the ball from the scrum half position.

ATTACKING

• A player may pass the ball to a team mate by throwing the ball to another player or handing the ball to another player without throwing it. A pass must be lateral or backwards, but not forwards in which case a turnover will be awarded.
• If a player in possession of the ball falls or dives to the ground and a defender is within tagging distance, a tag shall be counted. A Try will not be awarded if the attacker in possession of the ball falls or dives over the tryline and in doing so prevents a tagging.
• If an attacker in possession of the ball is tagged in the in-goal area before he/she scores a try, he/she shall be asked to conduct a ruck ball five (5) metres out from the tryline.
• If a player in possession is tagged behind their own tryline, his/her team will restart play with a drop-kick from the centre of their tryline.
• The scrum half can pass or kick the ball with only one tag on as long as they do so immediately (one step).
• If the scrum half is not in position within 3 seconds of the ball being played at a ruckball, a turnover will be awarded to the defending team.
• A player in possession must not attempt to bump or fend off a defender in their attempts to remove a tag nor whilst chasing the ball.

KICKING

• Kicking is only allowed in limited circumstances in IRFU Tag compared to other forms of rugby.
• Drop-kicks will be used to restart play after scores and at the commencement of each half.
• A tap-kick is used to restart play after a penalty is awarded.
• A grubber-kick (i.e. a kick no higher than 1.5 metres) is permitted in general play.
• Chip-kicks (i.e. kicks that go a maximum of 15 metres and no higher than 5 metres above an opponent's head) are only allowed in the men's' and veterans' games. No up and under kicks/"garryowens" are allowed.
• A defender may call a mark from a chip-kick in the field of play and the game shall restart with a tap-kick by the player who caught the ball.
• The players from the kicking team must be behind the ball when it is kicked
• All restart/drop-kicks must go at least 10 metres and the kicking team must stay at least 2 metres back from the receiving team while the ball is in the air.
• If a ball bounces in the field of play from a kick and then rolls over the touchline (without being touched) a ruck ball will be awarded to the non-kicking team 5 metres in-field from where the ball crossed the touchline.
• If a ball is kicked, in general play, and a member of the kicking team re-gathers a ball that has not touched a member of the opposing team, play shall continue and the tag count shall continue. If a member of the kicking team gathers or re-gathers a ball that has struck and been played at by a member of the opposing team, play shall continue and the tag count shall be restarted.
• If the ball is kicked and it crosses the receiving team's tryline after it strikes a player from the receiving team who has deliberately played at the ball, a drop-kick from the centre of the receiving team's tryline will restart play.

KNOCK-ONS

• A turnover will be awarded to the non offending team in the case of a knock-on. A player may not knock-on deliberately and a penalty may be awarded if he/she doesso.
• If a player propels the ball in a backward direction play will continue.

PENALTIES

• Penalties are taken by way of a tap-kick in any direction. If a player chooses to use he ruck ball action instead of taking the tap-kick it is still deemed to be a tap-kick.
• The offending team must retire 10 metres from where the penalty is to be taken.
• Further misconduct by the offending team shall allow the referee to advance the mark of the penalty once only, by ten 10 metres.

FOUL PLAY

• In the event of misconduct by a player, the referee shall, at his/her discretion, caution, sin-bin (for 5 minutes) or dismiss the player.
• If a player is sent off he/she shall receive a one week suspension. If the offence is deemed serious enough by the senior referee and the relevant venue manager the matter may be reported to a disciplinary panel established by the IRFU and the player may face such further suspension as that disciplinary panel sees fit.

GOREY TAG RUGBY TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• Wearing of Tag Rugby Shorts is mandatory. Shorts will be available to purchase on the first two evenings of event. IRFU approved shorts are also acceptable. Players should wear suitable footwear for the conditions and venue. Gorey RFC Tag committee reserves the right to remove players if footwear rules of a venue are breached. Jewellery is not permitted and we strongly advise that fingernails should be cut short to prevent injury to oneself and opposing players.  
• Registration Forms must be completed and returned by 6th June 2013. Forms can be posted or submitted online on the club's website. Payments can be posted along with your form or can be paid on the day of the first game, between 6.30pm and 7.30pm. Teams that have not signed in or paid the full fee will not be permitted to play. Each game will be 20 minutes a side and each team will have one game each Thursday. Fixtures and results will be available on the Gorey RFC website. Gorey RFC Tag committee reserves the right to change kick-off times due to unforeseen circumstances. Gorey RFC Tag committee reserves the right to cancel any event due to unforeseen circumstances. In the above cases the affected team captains will be notified.
• Tag rugby is a non-contact sport and as with all sport there is a risk of injury. All players take part at their own risk and it is entirely at the discretion of each team and player whether or not to take part in the event as a whole or in any particular game. It is the decision and responsibility of each individual player to ensure he/she is fully covered in accordance with his/her specific needs when participating in Tag Rugby. Gorey RFC does not take any responsibility for any players and each Team Captain must sign the team sheet before each Tag event acknowledging this. Gorey RFC takes no responsibility for, and hereby, excludes liability to the fullest extent permitted by law, for any personal injury or loss or damage to any personal property sustained while playing Tag rugby or while present at Gorey RFC grounds. 
• Tag Rugby is a non-contact social sport. All players who take part agree to play in a sporting manner. Gorey RFC Tag committee reserves the right to discipline individual players who show unacceptable behaviour to the referee, another team/player, venue manager of anyone else associated with the event. Gorey RFC reserves the right to discipline the offending team by deducting points from their match score or, in extreme circumstances, by removing that team from the tournament with no refund.
• Each time must ensure that all players arrive in good time for the start of their game. For every minute that a team is late, the opposing team will be awarded One Point. If a team is more than 15 minutes late or fails to show for their match they must forfeit and the opposing team will be awarded a 20-nil winning score.
• The decision of the referee is final
• The Rules of the game are available on the Gorey RFC website
• Gorey RFC reserves the right to change these Terms and Conditions at their discretion.