Touch Rugby Championships - National Round 1 (CANCELLED)

Dates:

Saturday 7th February 2026

Venue:

Riverside Sports Complex

Address:

Riverside Sports Complex,

Nottingham,

NG7 2SA

The below teams are accepted as entrants for this competition. Teams are listed in the order in which they are ranked for the pool draw (see Sport Specific Regulations for method.)

Division 1 - Cup / Plate (Pools A – D)
 

Division 2 - Bowl / Shield / Salver / Vase (Pools E – K)

The UTC Season Information Pack can be found here.

Sport Specific Regulations can be found here.

Sport Specific Affiliations can be found here.

FIT 5th Edition International Playing Rules can be found here.

We will move to using the Tournify App used during the ETA NTS tournaments last summer for the national UTC round, the link for this event can be found here.

Please see the link here to the traditional excel schedule, this will not be updated on the day. The ETA will endeavour to update in the week following the event for future reference.

Division 1 – Cup / Plate

• The top 16 ranked Teams are split into 4 Pools (Cup / Plate) of 4 Teams
• Teams will play all teams in their Pool during the morning games
• The winners / 2^nd placed teams of each pool will advance to the Cup Quarter Finals
• The 3^rd / 4^th placed teams in each pool will advance to the Plate Quarter Finals
• Teams will then play semi finals / finals / play off games through the afternoon

Division 2 – Bowl / Shield / Salver / Vase

• The next 25 ranked teams are split into 7 Pools (Bowl / Shield / Salver) of 3 / 4 teams
• Teams will play all teams in their Pool during the morning games
• Teams will then be ranked based on their group finishing position (the 7 1^st placed teams placing 1^st – 7^th, the 2^nd placed teams placing 8^th – 14^th, the 3^rd placed teams placing 15^th – 21^st and the 4th placed teams placing 22^nd – 25^th.
• Teams placed 1^st to 8^th will qualify for the Bowl, teams placed 9^th to 16^th will qualify for the Shield, teams placed 17^th to 20^th will qualify for the Salver and the teams placed 21^st to 25^th will qualify for the Vase.
• Teams in the Bowl / Shield will play quarter finals, semi finals, final and play off games through the afternoon.
• Teams in the Salver will play semi finals, final and play off games through the afternoon.
• Teams in the Vase will play semi finals, with the winners playing in the final and the losing semi finalists playing a round robin with the 25^th ranked team.

• All teams will play 5 / 6 games

The regional round final placing have been used to rank teams for this competition.

Teams finishing in 17^th / 18^th from the Bowl Division will be promoted to the Cup / Plate Division to replace the teams finishing 15^th / 16^th place in the Plate Competition for National Championships Round 2.

This event is the first national event with the points awarded by the final standings in this round being added to those awarded in rounds 2 & 3. BUCS Points will be awarded after all National Championship events have taken place based on the overall points gained in the 3 National Championship rounds. 

Please find the breakdown of BUCS Points available here

Please see REG 7.9 for our withdrawal policy

Teams who withdraw will still be charged the entry fee.

Player Referee slots will be allocated as per the Sport Specific Regulations. Due to the number of Full-Time Referees attending, it is likely that Player Referees will be required to facilitate the tournament so please be prepared regardless.

Teams should ensure that their Player-Referees come prepared with a whistle.

Player Referee Allocations will be completed nearer the time of the event and included on the Ref Allocations tab of the schedule.

Players must be added to teams on the BUCS Play system by 23.59pm on Tuesday 3^rd February.

These players are then checked against the ETA Membership Database to ensure they have a valid ETA Membership. (Instructions on how to obtain membership are in the Season Info Pack.)

Club Captains with be notified of any players not with a membership before the event, it is then their responsibility to sort.

Fielding a player without a valid membership may result in a penalty or disqualification.

England Touch will then release digital playing teamsheets via this link 

Team Captains must ensure that each player’s shirt number is filled out before their first game on the event day.

This is used to track scoring and MVP records.

REGISTRATION & ARRIVAL TIME

08:00

Teams are required to arrive and Register.

The team sheet must be completed with player shirt numbers.

CAPTAIN’S BRIEFING TIME

08:30

Team Captains are required to attend Event Control for a briefing at this time, this will be at the side of the steps in front of the pavilion.

FIRST GAME KICK OFF TIME

09:00

LAST GAME KICK OFF TIME

15:30

PRESENTATION CEREMONY

16:15 – 16:30

EVENT CLOSING TIME

The event will be closing at 16:30 and the venue will be closed at 18:00.

Presentations will take place in front of the pavillion where the following trophies will be awarded:

• Cup - 1st Place
• Plate - 9th Place
• Bowl - 17th Place
• Shield - 25th Place
• Salver – 33^rd Place
• Vase – 37^th Place
• Most Valuable Players (Female & Male) (as voted for by opposition teams)
• Most Valuable Referee

The ETA would be very grateful if as many teams as possible stayed for the presentations as this adds to the atmosphere and allows teams to celebrate together.

Nominating MVPs

After each game, team captains will be asked to nominate a female and male player from the opposition. These will be tallied up through the course of the event with the most nominated players receiving an award. This is part of the community we create in Touch Rugby and we think it is very important that this is celebrated.

VENUE & PITCH MAP

Exact Pitch location is yet to be determined.

PARKING

Parking at the venue, Riverside, is free for all users.

Coaches can remain onsite (if your coach driver wishes to leave site, please can you ask them to remain on site until at least 8.45am to avoid blockages on Lenton Lane).

All vehicles must park in the purple highlighted carpark. Only event control and emergency vehicles will be allowed beyond the barrier located at the red line.

FURTHER TRAVEL LINKS

For additional information on travel to or from the venue, please visit the University of Nottingham website.

WEATHER, CLOTHING & KIT

Weather

Please attend the event with the appropriate items of kit that you will need to stay warm and dry throughout the day. All players are permitted to wear any clothing item underneath their playing shirt, that keeps them warm, provided there are no rigid elements to it and it does not cover the shirt number.

Kit & Playing Attires

Please see Rule 4 of the FIT 5th Edition Playing Rules here for a full breakdown of permitted attire.

No jewellery must be worn and it is strongly advised that watches are not worn either. If a participant desperately wishes to wear a watch, this must be covered by a soft wristband, sweatband or medical tape.

Boots with screw-in studs are not permitted.

CHANGING FACILITIES

Full changing facilities, toilets and showers are available at the grounds. Note that all items are left at the owner's risk. Teams will be allocated specific changing rooms, these will be shared with other teams where required with each team being allocated a male and female changing facility.
 

EVENT CONTROL

Event Control will be located in the main pavilion as shown on the site map. The event briefing will happen at the bottom of the steps in front of the pavilion. 

MEDICAL SUPPORT

Medical support will be located in the main pavilion physio room as shown on the site map.

As part of our commitment to quality and making the day a competitive but safe event, we have secured expert physio, sports therapy and first aid cover for the duration of the event and the season. 

Please note that there will be a £5.00 charge for taping (free if you supply your own).

In the case of needing medical assistance during a game, please notify your nearest events assistant or attend event control.

WATER REFILL

Water refill is available in all changing rooms and externally on the pavilion building.

FOOD & DRINK

Full food and beverage options are to be confirmed.

All participants must comply with the ETA and BUCS Code of Conduct while taking part and supporting at UTC events, the full details can be found here

The ETA Code of Behaviour applies to all participants including players, coaches, referees, administrators and supporters and sanctions can be applied to individuals, teams and clubs as necessary. Participant enjoyment should not be compromised at any point and necessary actions will be taken should they be needed to ensure this. The decision will be made by the tournament control. Your cooperation on this matter is greatly appreciated.

The event is being held in partnership with University of Nottingham, they are kindly providing their facilities for the day, please treat the site with respect.

The National Championship events are also being sponsored by AICPA-CIMA who will be present at the event.

BUCS’ mission is to provide exceptional student sporting experiences that inspire, develop and unite. 

Critical to our success is our commitment to always providing safe, friendly and enjoyable environments for all participants. Whether competing, coaching, officiating, volunteering, working or spectating at these events, the welfare of all is critical to our mission. 

To find out more or report a concern, please click here. 

The sustainability of our event matters to us and these are the positive steps we are taking to manage our environmental impact:

· All staff and volunteers are encouraged to travel to the event via public transport

How can you help at this event? Here’s some ideas:

· Be self-sufficient by using refillable bottles and coffee cups to reduce waste

· Travel smarter – as a team on a minibus, cycle or use public transport

· Go paperless - use your phone for all event information

· Find directions from Nottingham Train Station:

• Walk to Arkwright Street (Stop ME01)
• Board Nottingham City Transport Navy 49 Bus towards Boots Queens Drive
• Travel for 12 stops (12 mins) and exit the bus at Imperial Tobacco (Stop LI38)
• Walk 0.8 miles (17 minutes) to Riverside Sports Complex

If you have any issues, or need further questions answering, please contact:

BUCS – Joe O’Loughlin ([email protected]) for issues regarding BUCS Play player entry.

ETA – Ian Tankard on [email protected] for event details or clarifications.