Rugby Union

Safety rules and procedures are important because of the degree of body contact in Rugby Union. The nature of the activities makes it unsuitable for very young students. Rules for the game of Walla Rugby and other approved modified forms of the game should be used for the specific age-groups.

As part of the process of safety self-regulation, all persons engaging in this activity should identify the hazards, assess their significance and manage the potential risks including any additional hazards not mentioned here

Hazards that may be encountered in rugby union include:

• equipment (e.g. goal posts, corner posts)
• body contact

The categorisation of these conditions is subjective and offered as a starting point for risk management planning. The actual degree of risk is best ascertained by persons with intimate local knowledge present at the site of the activity.

Participation in rugby union involves high risk (level 3).

If an adult other than a registered teacher is engaged for instruction, a registered teacher should be present to take overall responsibility.

One adult present should have knowledge of, and an ability to perform, first aid procedures. Minimum requirements; Senior First Aid (e.g. QAS, St. John's Ambulance) or the equivalent.

During competition, a qualified first aid officer/sports trainer should be located in an accessible position to the field(s) of play to provide immediate first aid assistance. There must be phone access to call an ambulance if required.

The qualifications listed in this section are minimums for each type of situation. Leaders are encouraged to seek training to raise their qualification level above the minimum listed.

The leader should be:

• a registered teacher with competence (demonstrated ability to undertake the activity) in the teaching of Rugby Union
• an adult who has Level 1 coaching qualifications from the Australian Rugby Football Union

Competition games should be controlled by competent coaches and officials.

A referee who is currently a student of a participating school should not be appointed to referee a game in which his/her school is playing, unless there is agreement by officials of both teams for that to occur.

In competition games, where touch judges are not provided by the Referees' Association, each school should endeavour to provide a competent touch judge (such as an older student or parent).

A first aid kit should be available at all venues where lessons and competitions are conducted.

The teacher should introduce the activity comprehensively and include:

• appropriate warm-up and warm-down activities
• instruction in rules, safety procedures and prerequisite skills
• progressive and sequential skill development
• a structured training and coaching program and selection criteria for teams (training should be specific to player position)
• modified games that match the skill and fitness levels of students, e.g. walla rugby.

Students should have progressed through the skills and knowledge areas associated with the modified games before participating at a level governed by the full laws of the game.

Teachers should select students on the basis of ability and suitability for the position/s they are to play (for example, students with long thin necks should not play in the front or second rows of the scrum).

The playing area should be level, grassed and free from obstacles and loose objects.

A minimum space of five metres should surround each field.

Player equipment, including footwear, headgear and shin pads, should comply with age standard levels appropriate to the laws of the game.

Correctly fitted mouthguards should be worn for playing and practising.

When playing on a field, if one or more students are wearing footwear, all students should have footwear. All boots should be made of safe materials, provide protection for the feet and have non-slip soles.

Boots should be inspected before each match. Boots with loose, sharp-edged or excessively worn studs and sharp-edged soles should not be worn.

All goal posts should be padded.

Corner flags and other markers should be made of non-injurious material.

Teachers should select students on the basis of ability and suitability for the position/s they are to play.

Teachers should identify students who may be suffering an existing injury. If there is reason to believe that a student is injured, the teacher should seek first aid treatment.

Procedures should be established for the management of any student receiving an injury to the head.

Open cuts and abrasions should be treated immediately. If bleeding cannot be controlled completely, the player should not be allowed to return to the field of play. All clothing, equipment and surfaces contaminated by blood should be treated as potentially infectious.

Students should not return to playing after injury until it is clear that the injury has been managed. If there is any doubt, the student should not play until medically cleared.

• HLS-PR-013: Developing a Sun Safety Strategy
• SCM-PR-002: School Excursions
• HLS-PR-005: Injury, Illness and Dangerous Event Recording and Reporting
• HLS-PR-003: First Aid for Schools and Non-school Locations