Touch Rugby National Championships Round 1 2023-24

DATE Saturday 9th March 2024

LOCATION Riverside Sports Complex, Nottingham

ADDRESS Nottingham, NG7 2TG

MAP HYPERLINK https://goo.gl/maps/sfRwKLeojas7UpT68

All games will be played on grass surfaces.

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.

SCHEDULE & FORMAT

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p7PglZqSA4icbd6v_0-XwTgLrwhp8oz1hDQvrX7PM24/edit? usp=sharing

- The Top 16 Teams are split into 4 Pools of 4 Teams

- Teams will play all teams in their Pool during the morning games

- Teams are seed into quarterfinals

- Teams advance to a semifinal or play-off

- Teams then play a final or a positional play-off game

- All teams in the Top 16 will play 6 Games

- The remaining 19 Teams (ranked 17-35) are split into 5 Pools of 4 Teams (one Pool with a BYE)

- Teams will play all teams in their Pool during the morning games

- Teams are then seeded based on their pool finishing position (1st Place Finishers then 2nd Place Finishers etc.)

- The Top 8 will advance to the Bowl Competition

- The next 8 will advance to the Shield Competition

- The remaining teams will play a 3-Team Salver Round Robin

- All teams will play at least 5 games, most will play 6.

Regional Qualifying Rounds have been used to seed the draw. Statistics and Regional Positions can be found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ezU-CcEjDJ7Rmn4LBDfU90pDyrYBOOJkJe-mHebfKT8/edi t?usp=sharing

BUCS Points are not directly available at this singular event. Please see the UTC Season Information Pack for further information. BUCS Points will be awarded after all National Championship events have taken place.

As of publishing this document, any withdrawals from the event will not be refunded. The schedule and format will not be revised and all the games relating to the withdrawn team will be recorded as ‘Byes’.

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.

Players must be added to teams on the BUCS Play system by 5pm on Tuesday 24th October. 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: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yHKV8v4K5x9KWcHSvZK58g5osaknqM2EcI5cJuQxIP0/edi t?usp=sharing 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.

FIRST GAME KICK OFF TIME 09:00

LAST GAME KICK OFF TIME 16:00

PRESENTATION CEREMONY 16:45 - 17:00 - Presentations will take place in the Club Room off of the bar where the following trophies will be awarded:

● Cup - 1st Place

● Plate - 9th Place

● Bowl - 17th Place

● Shield - 25th Place

● Salver - 33rd 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.

EVENT CLOSING TIME The event will be closing at 17:30 and the venue will be closed at 18:00.

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 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.

CHANGING FACILITIES Full changing facilities, toilets and showers are available at the grounds. Note that all items are left at the owner's risk. Allocation of Changing Rooms will be released at a later date.

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

FOOD & DRINK Full food and beverage options may be available at the event, this has not yet been confirmed. We would recommend bringing lunch and after event meals. But further light snacks, tea/coffee may also be available. This will be confirmed shortly.

EVENT CONTROL Event Control will be located in the main pavilion as shown on the site map. The event briefing will happen her

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.

MEDICAL SUPPORT

edical 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.

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 at http://www.englandtouch.org.uk/play/code-of-behaviour/ 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.

EVENT SPONSORS - The event is being held in partnership with Sheffield Hallam Sport, they are kindly providing their high performance facilities for the day, please treat the site with respect and make use of the food and drink on offer.

SOCIAL MEDIA - Ensure your players are following @universitytouchuk on Instagram for all the latest updates, inside stories and behind the scenes competition. Please tag: @bucssport @englandtouch @universitytouchuk In your instagram stories, also use the hashtags: #touchrugby #bucssport #universitytouchchampionships

In the first instance, all questions and enquiries should go through your IA.

If you have any issues, or need further questions answering, please contact: BUCS - issues regarding BUCS Play, team sheets or deadlines ETA - Jack Harris on [email protected] for event details or clarifications.