www.stivesrugby.com.au Saints Rugby St Ives Rugby Club Inc. PO Box 790, St Ives, NSW 2075 Australia
Minis Season Guide
Contents Welcome ...... 1 About The Club ...... 1 The Minis Competition ...... 2 Rules ...... 2 Team by Age Group ...... 2 Game Day and Wet Weather ...... 3 Training ...... 3 Clothing ...... 3 Registration ...... 4 Parental Involvement...... 4 Code of Behaviour ...... 4 Players Code of Behaviour ...... 4 Parents Code of Behaviour ...... 5 Spectator Code of Behaviour ...... 5 Player Development ...... 5 Child Protection Act 1998 ...... 5 Ground Locations ...... 6
Welcome Welcome to another great winter of Rugby. This document is designed to give you, the parent or guardian, a better understanding of how the club works. It also describes the expectations the club has of you as a member. Like all amateur sports club, if we all work together we’ll not only have a great season, we’ll also have a club we can be proud of.
About The Club The club formed in 1957 when St Ives was largely a rural community of Market Gardeners and Orchardists. The club started playing competition Rugby at the Village Green and won their first junior premiership in 1959. We moved to Hassall Park in 1965 and in 1967 the club entered its first team in the Saints Rugby PO Box 790, St Ives, NSW 2075 Australia sub-districts competition. A couple of years later we won back to back premierships in 1972 and 1973. It was also in 1973 that we sent our first contingent of players to tour New Zealand. A tradition that continues today with the U14’s The club continues the competitive spirit today, ranked in the top 20 teams in the NSW Suburban Rugby competition. A competition affectionately known as the “Subbies”.
The Minis Competition The Minis competition is ungraded. Unlike Junior Rugby that is run by Sydney Junior Rugby Union, Minis are organised by Gordon Junior Rugby Union Club. We are 1 of 9 village clubs in the Gordon catchment area. Other clubs involved include Mosman, Hunters Hill and North Sydney. This means travelling time getting to games is quite reasonable. Typically games are held on Saturday mornings starting in the last weekend of the autumn school holidays. Games are not normally held during public or school holidays. The draw is rarely available until a week before the first game. Prior to the announcement of the draw, key session dates are published on the St Ives Rugby website. Your manager will notify you when and where the games are to be held, when details come to hand. There is no representative Rugby pathway until players reach U10.
Rules Mini Rugby is governed by what is known as TryRugby Kids Pathway. The aim of the TryRugby Kids Pathway for U6 to U12 players is to provide a series of age-specific modified rugby games. These modified rugby games progressively develop the individual skills, fitness and team work of all players in accordance with their physical maturity and understanding of the game. The rules are designed to make Rugby safe for young players. The most important rules are: U5 – U7 do not tackle, they play double-handed tag. Players to not push or contest the scrum. Tackling above the armpits is illegal. Head gear is encouraged.
You can find out more by visiting Kids Rugby Pathway and the Laws of the Game.
Team by Age Group The age group a player belongs to is determined by the age of the player on the 1st of January. Some players in U8 for example, may well be 8 years of age before the season even starts. Players can play a year above their age group. Players are not allowed to play in a younger age group unless dispensation is given to a player.
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Saints Rugby PO Box 790, St Ives, NSW 2075 Australia
Game Day and Wet Weather You need to consult with your manager but players are normally expected to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to start time. This allows the players to warm up and avoid injury. Towards the end of this document is a list of ovals, estimated travel times and links to Google Maps to help you plan your trip. Many clubs update their websites when games are called off due to wet weather. Your manager should also notify you. Be aware of this during inclement weather. Also don’t forget the mouth guard!
Training Training is held at Hassall Park on a Friday at 5:30-6:30pm, except during school holidays. In the lead up to the first competition games in April, players are expected to wear runners, not Rugby boots. Although not mandatory, it is recommended that players also wear mouth guards. Like all sports, one of the great skills players learn is discipline. At this age it is inappropriate for coaches to discipline players. We ask all parents to be mindful of this. If your child is being disrespectful to the coach or disrupting training, please talk to your child after training and explain to them the need to respect the coach and other players and to be disciplined while training. We also ask parents not to interrupt training by talking to the coach. The coach needs to be focused on the players for the full hour. If you need to say something, talk to the manager or wait until after training has finished. We recommend parents come upstairs to the clubhouse, get out of the cold and enjoy a drink and the company of their fellow members.
Clothing The club provides the Rugby balls and jerseys the players wear in competition matches. You will need to provide the following: St Ives Rugby shorts St Ives Rugby socks Boots Mouth guard (Compulsory U8 and up) Protective gear (Optional and must comply to IRB standards) St Ives training gear (Optional)
Skins, compression garments and alike are permitted but must not extend below the knee. Players must not wear jewellery, head or wrist bands or similar items of adornment are strictly prohibited. All jerseys must be returned to the manager immediately after each game. The manager will have organised a roster of parents to wash the jerseys and have them returned on Friday during training. St Ives club gear can be purchased through Xpress Promotions. You can get %10 off boots, mouth guards, protective gear and all other sporting equipment by shopping at SPORTFIRST at St Ives. Just mention you are with the club.
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Saints Rugby PO Box 790, St Ives, NSW 2075 Australia
Registration All players must be registered to play weekend matches. The money you pay is spent in a number of ways: Registration helps pay for the $20,000’s we pay to Ku-ring-gai Council every season. The council maintains and upgrades the playing fields, provides lighting and a number of other services. The council is not making a profit out of providing these services and gives good value. Association registration fees to organising bodies, in this case Gordon Rugby. Insurance to protect the club against litigation and to ensure successful litigants receive the due amount of compensation. Improving and maintaining the facilities of the club.
The club asks that you register early in the pre-season for administrative purposes. We have to justify the number of teams prior to Gordon Juniors creating the draw. St Ives Rugby will happily refund any player who decides they don’t want to play prior to the first game. Visit our Join Now page and register online.
Parental Involvement The success of the players, the team and the club is reliant on your support. There is an expectation that you will assist in washing jerseys, providing the oranges and helping out in the canteen and BBQ. But the club also needs people to help in the running of the club. The club is always looking for people to help out by becoming: Coach or Manager. Touch Judge, Referee or Ground Marshal. First Aid Officer. To work behind the Bar on training nights (the club will pay for your RSA certification). Committee Member and offering your services and expertise.
Code of Behaviour Players Code of Behaviour Co-operate with your coach, team mates and opponents; remember, without them you will have no game! Play because you want to, not just because other people want you to. Play for the fun of the game and for the fun of being with your friends. Play by the laws of the game; to do this you have to know the laws. Try to do the best you can for yourself and your team. Be a good sport; cheer good play from both for your team and your opponents. Treat all players as you would like them to treat you. Do not bully or take unfair advantage of other players, especially ones who are smaller than you. Control yourself and never let your temper get the better of you; these actions are ugly and unacceptable. It is unacceptable to criticise or abuse officials, coaches and other players, argue with the referee, deliberately foul an opponent, or throw equipment. Dangerous or unsafe play will not be tolerated.
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Saints Rugby PO Box 790, St Ives, NSW 2075 Australia
Parents Code of Behaviour Do not force an unwilling youngster to participate in rugby. Remember, young people are involved in rugby for their enjoyment, not yours. Encourage your child always to play by the laws. Teach young people that honest effort is as important as victory so that the result of each game is accepted without undue disappointment. Turn defeat into victory by helping young people work towards skill improvement and good sportsmanship; never ridicule or yell at your child for making a mistake or losing a game. Remember that young people learn best by example. Do not publicly question the referee's or linesman's judgement and never his/her honesty. Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from junior rugby. Recognise the value and importance of volunteer coaches and referees; they give their time and resources to provide recreational activities for your children.
Spectator Code of Behaviour Remember that young people are not miniature Wallabies. Be on your best behaviour; don't use profane language or harass players, coaches or referees. Applaud good play by your own team and the visiting team. Show respect for your team's opponents without them there would be no game. Condemn the use of violence in all forms. Sledging cannot be accepted in any shape or form; players and referees are not fair game.
Player Development At St Ives, player development is inclusive. Rugby is not about winning or losing, it’s about developing the player as an individual. We want to be a part of that development. If you are aware of issues that may impede a player’s mental or physical development, it is important that you bring this to the attention of the team manager and coach. Rugby can be a great opportunity but those responsible cannot help unless they are aware of the situation.
Child Protection Act 1998 St Ives Junior Rugby Club is committed to ensuring that the safety, welfare and well-being of children are maintained at all times during their participation in rugby and any other activities run by the Club. The Club ensures that all Club officials who have unsupervised contact with children or young people comply with legislative requirements.
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Saints Rugby PO Box 790, St Ives, NSW 2075 Australia
Ground Locations Club Ground Google Map Chatswood Beauchamp Park. Nicholson Street, Chatswood (16 mins)
Hornsby Mark Taylor Oval (16 mins) Waitara Avenue, Waitara
Hunters Hill Boronia Park, (24 mins) Park Road, Hunters Hill
Killara West Pymble Lofberg Oval (11 mins) Lofberg Road, West Pymble
Lane Cove Blackman Park (22 mins) Lloyd Rees Drive, Lane Cove West
Lindfield Lindfield Oval (5 mins) Tyron Road, East Lindfield
Mosman Balmoral Park (27 mins) The Esplanade, Balmoral
North’s Pirates Tunks Park (24 mins) Brothers Avenue, Cammeray
Roseville Roseville Chase Park (16 mins) Cardigan Road, Roseville Chase
St Ives Hassall Park Hassall Street, St Ives
Wahroonga Cliff Oval (13 mins) Cliff Avenue, North Wahroonga
Willoughby Willoughby Oval (18 mins) Warrane Road, Willoughby
*Times are approximations and can vary due to traffic conditions.
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