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1.1  For the purposes of these Regulations the terms below shall have the following meanings assigned to them unless the context otherwise requires.

Age of Majority is deemed to be acquired on a Person’s 18th birthday.

Agent means an agent or adviser acting on behalf of a Person, Union, Rugby Body or Club in relation to that Person’s, Union’s, Rugby Body’s or Club’s activity in the Game.

Appeal Committee has the meaning given to it in Regulation 20.

Association means an association of Unions recognised by the Council.

Broadcasting Rights has the meaning given to it in Regulation 13.1.

Bye-Laws means the Bye-Laws for the time being adopted by World Rugby and in force.

CEO means Chief Executive Officer of World Rugby appointed by the Council.

Citing Commissioner has the meaning given to it in Regulation 20.

Clearance means the written consent (in the standard form) authorising a Player to participate in the Game in a New Union at the request of such New Union and signed by:

(a)     the Player’s Current Union;

(b)     the Union for whom the Player plays International Matches where such Player has represented that Union in a Match covered by Regulation 8.3 or 8.4;

(c)     the New Union.

Contract Player has the meaning given to it in Regulation 4.5.7.

Core (mandatory) Concussion Player Welfare Standards means the standards that apply to access temporary replacement to undertake a HIA which are contained in the HIA Protocol. The Protocol is available for elite level match day medical staff here.

Council means World Rugby’s Executive Council which comprises representatives of Unions and Associations appointed as provided in the Bye-Laws and which manages and controls the affairs of World Rugby.

Club means a body or organisation affiliated directly or indirectly to a Union.

Cross-Border Matches means Matches between teams from different Unions below National Representative Team level organised under the jurisdiction of a Union or recognised Tournament Organiser or other Rugby Body.

Cross-Border Tournament means a tournament in which Clubs or Rugby Bodies from different Unions meet to participate in a Series of Matches at 15-a-side or an abbreviated version of the Game.

Current Union means the Union with which a Player is Registered.

Designated Release Events means Union Designated Release Events and Combined Teams Designated Release Events.

Disciplinary Committee has the meaning given to it in Regulation 20.

Disciplinary Officer means the person appointed by World Rugby on its behalf to investigate, present and enforce (as appropriate) World Rugby Regulations and to administer in particular Regulations 6 (Wagering), 17 (Discipline – Foul Play) and 18 (Misconduct and Code of Conduct).

Disciplinary Tribunal means any appointed Judicial Officer, Judicial Committee, Disciplinary Committee, Appeal Officer and/or Appeal Committee.

Dual Registration means registration with two Unions in the circumstances permitted under Regulation 4.5.8 and 4.5.9. 

Game means rugby football played in accordance with the Laws of the Game.

GRTP Programme means the Graduated Return To Play programme of World Rugby (contained in the World Rugby Concussion Guidance), which incorporates a progressive exercise programme that introduces a player safely back to the sport in a step-wise fashion. The programme is available here.

HIA Protocol means the Head Injury Assessment Protocol of World Rugby developed to support Law 3.11 (Temporary Replacement for Head Injury Assessment in elite adult matches, which have been approved in advance by World Rugby) and Regulation 10.1 (Concussion). The Protocol is available for elite level match day medical staff here.

Host Union means the Union under whose jurisdiction an International Match is played.

Home Ground has the meaning given to it in Regulation 2.1.4.

Home Union means the Union with which a Player is or was first Registered, or, if different, the Union where a Player was trained or developed.

International Match means any match played between National Representative Teams selected by Unions whether at 15-a-side or an abbreviated version of the Game.

International Tournament means a tournament in which teams representing Unions at any level meet to participate in a Series of Matches whether at 15-a-side or an abbreviated version of the Game.

International Tour means a Match or Series of Matches in which a team representing a Union at any level participates against a National Representative Team and/or other Rugby Bodies or Clubs in the jurisdiction of another Union.

IOC means the International Olympic Committee being an association created by the Congress of Paris of June 1894 and which is entrusted with the control and development of the Modern Olympic Games pursuant to the Olympic Charter.

Judicial Committee has the meaning given to it in Regulation 20. For the purposes of Regulation 21, “Judicial Committee” also includes any administrative person or body authorised to impose a sanction under the relevant anti-doping rules.

Judicial Officer has the meaning given to it in Regulation 20.

Judicial Tribunal: Judicial Officers, Disciplinary and Judicial Committees, Appeal Officers and Appeal Committees may each be referred to as a Judicial Tribunal in Regulation 20

Match means a Game in which two teams compete against each other.

Material Benefit means money, consideration, gifts or any other benefits whatsoever promised or given to a Person or any other individual, body corporate, partnership (or any other entity or body whether incorporated or not) at his direction in respect of such Person’s participation in the Game, but shall not include bona fide reimbursement of expenses incurred for reasonable travel, accommodation, subsistence or other expenses incurred solely and directly in relation to the Game.

Match Official means a referee and/or a touch judge and shall include, when appointed, a Citing Commissioner and/or the fourth official.

Minor shall mean a person who has not reached the Age of Majority as referred to in World Rugby Regulations

National Olympic Committee means the body recognised by the International Olympic Committee as having responsibility within their respective territories for developing, promoting and protecting the Olympic movement in accordance with the Olympic Charter.

National Representative Team means a team selected by a Union to represent that Union.

National Squad means the group of Players (of any number) selected by a Union from time to time from which Players may be nominated to represent that Union’s two senior National Representative Teams.

New Union means the Union with which a Player wishes to become Registered.

Non-Contract Player has the meaning given to it in Regulation 4.5.7.

Olympic Charter means the codified document which embodies the fundamental principles of Olympism, the rules and bye-laws of the International Olympic Committee and which governs the organisation, action and operation of the Olympic movement and sets out the conditions for the celebration of the Olympic Games.

Olympic Events means those events set out in Regulation 8.6 and Schedule 2 to Regulation 8 (reflecting the current Olympic cycle).

Person means a Player, trainer, referee, touch judge, coach, selector, medical officer, physiotherapist or any other individual who is or has been at any time involved in the Game, or in the organisation, administration or promotion of the Game.

Player means a player of the Game who is a Non-Contract Player or a Contract Player.

Registered/Registration means registered with a Union, whether directly, or indirectly via registration with a Club or other Rugby Body affiliated to such Union.

Regulations means Regulations Relating to the Game binding on all Unions and Associations and which have been passed by the Council or which may hereafter be passed by the Council under the powers contained in the Bye-Laws.

Regulations Committee means the Committee appointed pursuant to Regulation 2.2.

Residence means the place or location in which a Player has his primary and permanent home and Resident shall be construed accordingly.

Rugby Body means a provincial union, district, state, group of Clubs, Tournament Organiser, or similar organisations, recognised by and/or affiliated directly or indirectly to a Union.

Series of International Matches means two or more Matches at International level played between National Representative Teams selected by Unions.

Series of Matches means two or more Matches.

Standard Dual Registration Forms means the standard form used by a Student and/or Serviceman’s Home Union to permit the Student or Serviceman to register with a second Union pursuant to Regulations 4.5.8 and 4.5.9.

The British and Irish Lions means “The Lions – A team comprising of Players selected from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales”.

The Combined Team of the Pacific Island Unions means a combined team comprising of Players selected from the Pacific Island Unions of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga.

Tournament Organiser means any entity that arranges, organises and has administrative responsibility for a tournament or Series of Matches (whether international or below international level). The Tournament Organiser must be recognised as such by the Union(s) in whose territories the relevant tournament or Series of Matches are played and/or whose affiliated teams or National Representative Teams participate in such tournament or Series of Matches.

Tours Agreement means the agreement approved by the Council which provides for the terms under which a Union visits another Union or Unions.

Union(s) means every national rugby Union for the time being in full and/or associate and/or recognised regional development membership of World Rugby and/or an Association.

World Rugby means World Rugby, being the association of Unions or Associations in membership of World Rugby in accordance with the Bye-Laws, formerly known as the International Rugby Board.

World Rugby Judicial and Disciplinary Panel means a panel of individuals from which Judicial Officers, Appeal Officers, or members of a Judicial/Appeal Committee may be selected in accordance with Regulation 20

World Rugby Sevens Tournament means the Rugby World Cup Sevens (Finals and Qualifying Matches), the World Sevens Series and such other Sevens Tournaments that World Rugby shall from time to time designate.

1.2   Unless the context otherwise requires in these Regulations the masculine gender shall include the feminine gender and the singular shall include the plural and vice versa.    

1.3   In these Regulations, reference to a Law is a reference to a Law of the Game.

1.4   In the event of any inconsistency between the Council’s Tours Agreement and these Regulations, these Regulations shall prevail.

1.5   In the event of any inconsistency between the Laws of the Game and these Regulations, the Laws of the Game shall prevail.

1.6   In these Regulations, reference to the secretary of a Union shall include the Chief Executive Officer appointed by a Union or such other person acting in a similar capacity and vice versa.

1.7   These Regulations shall be interpreted in accordance with Regulation 2.1.6.

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