Updated: February 2024

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Gordon District Junior Rugby Union (GJRU) is responsible for the administration of junior rugby teams representing GJRU in age groups from Under 10 to Under 18 in the New South Wales Junior Rugby Union State Championship competition each year.

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The GJRU Committee shall oversee the administration of the representative teams in conjunction with the duly appointed Representative Co-ordinator.

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For the purposes of this document the GJRU Committee definition shall represent the actual GJRU Committee or any subcommittee that it may delegate its authority to with respect to the management and administration of the GJRU representative program.

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The GJRU Committee is seeking to ensure an open and transparent selection process for all players within the Gordon District and reserves the right to modify or change the Representative rules contained in this document without notice and at any time it deems necessary.

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The U10 and U11 age groups are currently classified by the SJRU as development age groups that do not contend for a state championship

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1 – GJRU Representative Commitments
The GJRU Committee and Representative Co-ordinator shall be responsible for;
(a) Fielding the most competitive team available to it to represent GJRU.
(b) The appointment of a suitably qualified coach or coaches for each representative team.
(c) The appointment of a team manager or managers for each representative team.
(d) The appointment of independent team selectors who will have primary responsibility for the selection of teams in designated age groups in conjunction with the team coach for that age group. Team selectors and team coaches shall have sole discretion as to the selection of each team and no interference from any other person is permitted. Such selections must fall within these GJRU Representative Rules.
(e) Organising trial matches for each team where appropriate.
(f) Organising travel and accommodation arrangements where required.
(g) Organising uniforms and other clothing as may be made available to the players from time to time.
(h) Organising the provision of equipment for the use of each team.

 

No person shall undertake any position or role, whether official or unofficial, associated with a Gordon District Junior Representative Team without the prior approval of the GJRU Committee.

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2 – Teams
​Each representative team shall;

​(a) Comprised of a maximum of 18 players (Under 10s & U11s), 25 players (Under 12s to Under 17s) or any other such number of players as applicable under the NSWJRU State Championships Competition Rules or as otherwise directed by the GJRU Committee. Players must be of the appropriate age group.
(b) Have a coach or coaches appointed by the GJRU Committee.
(c) Have a manager or managers appointed by the GJRU Committee.
(d) Have additional staff appointed as may be required, such staff having first been approved by the GJRU Committee.

3 – Coach Eligibility
For a person to be appointed as a Coach of a GJRU Representative Team that person;
(a) Must hold the appropriate coaching qualifications being a minimum of smart Rugby.
(b) Must commit without reservation to giving priority to developing the skills of the individual players in the context of coaching the team by reference to age appropriate skills sets.
(c) Must be available to:
(i) Attend all ‘Coach the Coaches’ sessions conducted by the GJRU
Committee.
(ii) Attend appropriate skills sessions to which will be invited the Selectors, the players who wish to be considered for selection in the
team you are coaching and the Coaches of the District’s club teams for that specific age group. These sessions are designed to create a greater opportunity for the Coach and Selectors to assess the ability of players prior to trial games and to promote co-operation between the District’s club coaches of that particular age group.
(iii) Attend to view prospective player’s trialing for representative team selection where available at club trial games and, as a minimum, at the All Gordon Trials and Representatives Selection Day.

(iv) Attend at least one SJRU Club game for each of the highest graded teams from each Gordon Junior village club, prior to
selections.
(e) Must complete and submit the relevant declaration in respect of working with children.
​(f) Must abide by the Junior Rugby Union Code of Conduct. GJRU Rep coaches CANNOT be involved with a village club team in the
same age group. This includes being a coach, assistant coach, manager or trainer.
 
4 – Manager Eligibility
For a person to be appointed as a Manager of a GJRU Representative Team that person;
(a) Must complete and submit the relevant documentation in respect of working with children.
(b) Must abide by the Junior Rugby Union Code of Conduct. Managers will be appointed by the GJRU Committee as soon a possible
after the selection of the Representative Teams.

5 – Independent Selector Eligibility
For a person to be eligible to be appointed as an independent Selector, that person must;
(a) Be approved by the GJRU Committee must have the appropriate level of experience and expertise deemed necessary by the GJRU Committee.
(b) Attend appropriate skills to which will be invited the Selectors, the players who wish to be considered for selection in the team you are coaching and the Coaches of the District’s club teams for that specific age group. These sessions are designed to create a greater opportunity for the Coach and Selectors to assess the ability of players prior to trial games and to promote co-operation between the District’s club coaches of that particular age group.
(c) These selectors must have no affiliation with the age group in question and should be selected from a broad cross section of applicants. The coach is permitted to be involved in the selection process however carries the same single vote as each of the Independent Selectors.

In considering the selection of players, the Selectors must have regard to the requirement of the Coach to give priority to developing the skills of the individual players in the context of coaching the team by reference to age appropriate skill sets.

6 – Player Eligibility
For a player to be eligible to participate in the NSW Junior Rugby Union State Championships as a representative of Gordon District Junior Rugby Union that player:
​(a) Must be registered with a recognised Gordon Junior Club;
​(b) Must play the full season for the Gordon Junior Village club that the player is affiliated with for all ages from U10 to U18, i.e. no exemption for prior service.
​(c) Must abide with any other selection requirements imposed (e.g. paragraph f to m).
​(d) Must qualify under the NSW State Championship Rules and Regulations.
(e) Must be available for all training sessions designated by the team coach.
​(f) Must be available for all trial games and competition games as required.
​(g) Must make his/her best endeavors to ensure that he/she will not play or be required to play in any other sporting competition on the same day as any NSWJRU State Championship game prior to that game.

​(h) Must be available to travel with the team by coach as required by the GJRU Committee.
(j) Is required to play in the appropriate Representative Team age group for players of that age, irrespective of the age group that person may play with in their junior club.
(k) Must abide by the Junior Rugby Union Code of Conduct.
(l) Must play in the all Gordon Trials and at the Representatives Selection Day unless a dispensation to play has been sought and obtained from the GJRU Committee.
(m) Must play for your club team before ever playing a trial game for Gordon.
(n) To ensure an impartial merit based selection process all trialing players must not wear any Gordon representative clothing during trial games (e.g. socks, shorts, training jerseys etc.).
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Gordon Junior Village clubs need to ensure that their Representative players, play a minimum of 4 games with the Gordon Junior village club in the period following the conclusion of the State Championships.

Outside of district transfers are permitted to trial for GJRU representative teams subject to registering with one of the village club and meeting all other criteria.

The GJRU committee has the capability to overrule any transfer of players from outside our district if it becomes aware of a pattern of behaviour whereby clubs or individuals are inducing players to join our district.

The current SJRU rule is that no club can accept more than two Rep player transfers into a single age group in any given year, irrespective of the district they have come from.  If one of our village clubs is in breach of this rule by accepting more than the permitted number of Rep players, only the first two that register with that club will be permitted to trial for a Gordon Rep team.  This rule is subject to dispensation in certain circumstances.

 
7 – Player Eligibility Exemptions
Should a player wish to participate in the NSW Junior Rugby Union State Championships and that player does not meet the eligibility criteria because of injury, illness or for any other reason, that player:
(a) must apply in writing to the GJRU stating the reason for requesting an exemption.
(b) must produce a medical certificate in the case of injury or illness verifying the nature of the injury or illness and the period during which the player was unable to participate in playing with that Gordon Junior village club.
(c) in any other case that player must provide documentary evidence as to the reason he/she was unable to participate in playing with his Gordon Junior village club and the period of such inability.

Upon receipt of all necessary documentation the Representative Co-ordinator will, as soon as practicable, forward such documentation to the GJRU Committee together with a recommendation, for the GJRU Committee’s consideration.

​8 – Coaches’ Responsibilities
(a) To assist the Independent Selectors in the selection of the team, the Selectors having the primary responsibility for the composition of the team.
(b) To train the players to the best of the Coach's ability.
(c) To appoint a Captain of the team.
(d) To provide each player with an equal opportunity.
(e) To ensure all GJRU, SJRU and NSWJRU rules and guidelines are met and adhered to with regards to all representative players under their charge.

9 – Managers’ Responsibilities

(a) To ensure that each player is provided with up to date information relating to the date and time of training, trial games, competition games, excursions and social events.
(b) To ensure the GJRU Coaches Treat all players with respect and provide a safe & fun environment for all players to develop their skills & capabilities.
(c) To ensure that each player is provided with the necessary equipment, including playing uniform, to satisfactorily fulfil his Representative opportunities.
(d) To ensure that the team is provided with the necessary equipment to satisfactorily fulfil its Representative goals.
(e) To ensure that all jerseys are collected at the conclusion of each game/day and to arrange for the laundering of the jerseys and to ensure their availability prior to the commencement of each game.
(f) To ensure that the full set of jerseys and all other equipment is returned to GJRU as soon as practicable following the conclusion of the NSWJRU State Championships.
(g) To ensure all GJRU, SJRU and NSWJRU rules and guidelines are met and adhered to with regards to all representative players under their charge.

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10– Player Transfers Between Districts
Should a player registered with a Gordon Junior Village Club wish to represent a district other than Gordon in the NSWJRU State
Championships, that player:
(a) Must have participated in the process for selection in a Gordon Representative Team for that year.
(b) Must have been unsuccessful in that selection process.
(c) Must have had written application made to the Representative Committee from the district seeking that player's availability.

(d) Must apply in writing to the GJRU Committee for permission to play for another District.
(e) Must have received approval from the GJRU Committee to play with another district.

11 – Parent/Carer Expectations
Notwithstanding the below, ALL Parents & Carers are expected to abide by the Spirit of Junior Rugby at ALL times.
(a) All parents are expected to abide by all GJRU, SJRU, NSWRU & ARU expectations of behavior at all times.
(b) No parent shall in anyway entice any player to move from one village club to another. Any parent who is deemed to have breached this protocol will be required to attend a GJRU Citing commission, along with the Club President to explain their actions. The GJRU Citing Commission has the sole discretion to apply any penalty it sees fit, which may include the exclusion of the parent’s child to play representative rugby for Gordon or any other district.
(c) Parents of players selected will be expected to fulfil several roles, and must commit to assisting the Coaches & Managers as requested

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