SYDNEY WESLEY RHINOS 10S TOURNAMENT

TOURNAMENT RULES – 10s

Formal Rules

Note 1: Disciplinary matters will be governed in accordance with World Rugby’s regulation 17 (Foul Play)
and regulation 20 (Misconduct).

Ten-A-Side Law Variations

1. Rules for the tournament shall follow the spirit of the Laws for Ten A-Side, i.e.:
a) The team that scores shall restart
b) All kicks at goal and at the kick-off shall be drop kicks
c) All infringements by a team taking a kick-off/restart shall result in a free kick to the opposition.
2. The scrum must have five players from each team in it at all times. If a team is unable to field a
competitive front row at the commencement of a match, the match is forfeit. When a team has to
revert to no-push scrums during a match, the other team shall have the option of a free kick on its
put-in, rather than an uncontested scrum. No player in the scrum is allowed to pick the ball up at
the scrum.
3. If a team elects to take a penalty kick at goal, a drop kick must be used and must be taken within
30 seconds of the nomination to kick at goal.

Sending Off and Sin Bin

4. A player or participant sent off by a referee or found guilty of an equivalent offence or breach of
the Code of Conduct by the Judiciary Officer, will not play or participate again in the tournament.
The referee will send a written report to the Constituent Body of Rugby Union to which the player’s
team and the player belong. No team shall field a player or official currently banned from playing
rugby in any other jurisdiction. The player cannot be replaced for the rest of the tournament. I.e.
The squad will have to play with 15 players if one is sent off.
5. A player who is sent to the sin bin will be suspended from play for two minutes of actual playing
time and sit in the designated sin bin seat. Timing of the sin bin will start once the referee has
called time on. On completion of the two minutes, the player cannot re-enter the field until the
officials allow him to.
6. All assistant referees are referees appointed by the PNGRURA Referees Association.

Composition of the Teams

7. Teams are allowed to name up to 18 players in their squad on both days of the tournament.
8. Teams will not be able to replace any of the named 18 players under any circumstances.
9. For each match a team shall comprise 10 players selected from a squad of up to 18 players, who
must all be registered before the start of play.
10. Interchange of players will be allowed during the course of the match as follows:
● At one period of the team’s choosing in the First Half
● At one period of the team’s choosing in the Second Half
● At Half Time
● Any number of players may be replaced at these 3 times.
● Rolling Substitutions are allowed.
● If a player ‘goes down’ injured, then he can be replaced, with the approval of the match officials,
irrespective of the timing during the game.
● The incoming interchange player shall first report to the fourth official at halfway with an
interchange card and advise the fourth official of the player to be replaced, which will occur
during the next stoppage in play (free kicks and penalties are not stoppages).
● The fourth official will bring the interchange to the attention of the referee. Any infringement of
this rule, or any player/official/coach leaving their designated reserve bench area during play,
may at the referee’s discretion, result in a penalty kick being awarded, where play is taking place.
11. No borrowing of players from other teams is permitted. The only players to be used must be
 the 18 registered by the team prior to the tournament for Day 1.
12 No persons shall enter the playing area during a match except medically trained persons, who may
enter at any time to tend to an injured player. Team members acting as waterboys may enter the
playing area during a stoppage in play, but only with the permission of the referee. They must wear
bibs to identify themselves.

13. Tournament format

● There will be 8 teams in two pools of 4. Each pool consists of one team seeded 1-4, one
team seeded 5-8.
● All decisions regarding the seeding of teams are the sole responsibility of the
tournament organisers.
● Play will commence with the teams in each pool playing against one another.
● On Day 1 the team listed first in the programme will kick off, defending the scoreboard
end.
● On Day 2, team representatives will toss a coin with the referee during half time of the
preceding game to decide either kick off or end choice.
● In each pool game, three points will be awarded for a win and one point per team for a
draw. No points is awarded for a loss.

14. Pool standings

● If two or more teams in the pool finish level on points awarded to them under rule 13
above, the team which has the highest points difference will be declared the winner
● If the try count is equal, the team which has the highest for/against points difference is
the winner.
● If the for/against points difference is equal, the winner is the team scoring most points.
● If the most points scored is equal, the outcome will be determined by the toss of a coin.

15. Knockout (Day 2)

● On completion of the pool games, there will initially be two knockout competitions; the
Cup and Bowl.
● All teams will advance to the Quarter Finals of the Cup.
● On completion of the Cup Quarter Finals, the winners (of the Cup Quarter Finals) will
advance to the Cup Semi-Finals.
● The 4 losing teams in the Cup Quarter Finals will play in the Plate Semi Finals.
● The winners of the Bowl Semi Finals will advance to the Bowl Final. (Tournament ends for
the losers).
● The winners of the Cup Semi Finals advance to the Cup Final.

16. Duration of Games

● The duration of all games, including finals, is 10 minutes each half, with a two-minute
interval.
● In the event of a tie in any Knockout game, sudden-death extra-time is played.
● Extra-time is in periods of five minutes and teams will change ends without an interval.
● The side that first kicked off will do so in the first period of extra-time.
● Any subsequent kick-offs, as required, will alternate between the sides.
● The team that scores first in extra-time will be declared the winner. (Any score).

The rules of the tournament, including their interpretation and any additional rules, are at the sole
discretion of the tournament organisers, whose decisions shall be final.
 Code of Conduct for Players, Coaches, Referees and Administrators

Interpretation
● "Rhino Rugby Tens" means the Rhino Rugby Club Tens Tournament for which this Code of
Conduct Applies.
● "Participant" means any player, referee, touch judge or other match official, selector,
coach, trainer, manager or other team official, or any individual involved in the
organisation, administration or promotion of the HKFC Tens
● “RRC” means Rhinos Rugby Club
● Words in the singular include the plural and vice versa.
● A reference to a gender includes the other gender.

Object

The Game of Rugby Football and the RRC Tens will be damaged by any impairment of public confidence in
the honest and orderly conduct of matches and competitions or in the integrity and good character of
participants.

General Club Rules

In the event of any of the above terms and conditions contravening the Club’s Articles of Association,
Byelaws and Policy Statements, then the Articles of Association, Byelaws and Policy Statements shall
apply.

Code of Conduct

All participants in the RRC Tens are bound:

(a) Not to bet on the outcome or any aspect of a Rugby Football match or competition.

(b) Not to throw or fix a match, try to achieve a contrived outcome to a match or a competition, or
otherwise influence improperly the outcome or any other aspect of a match or competition.

(c) Not to seek or accept a bribe or other benefit to do anything mentioned in paragraph (b).

(d) To report immediately to the RRC Tens Tournament Director any offer of a bribe or other
benefit to do anything mentioned in paragraph (b), or any attempt by any person to do
anything mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b).

(e) Not to engage in any doping practices.

(f) To comply with RRC 's Code of Conduct? for Referees, Coaches and Players.
 (g) Not to repeatedly breach the Laws of the Game relating to Misconduct.

(h) Not to abuse, threaten or intimidate, either physically or verbally any other participant covered
by the definition of participant in Point 1.

(i)
Not to show unnecessary obvious dissension, displeasure or disapproval towards a referee,
touch judge or other match official, his or her decision, or in general terms, following any
decision by a match official.

(j) Not to use crude or abusive language or gestures to any participants or spectators.

(k) Not to do anything which is likely to intimidate, offend, insult or humiliate another participant
on the grounds of race, colour or national or ethnic origin of the person.

(l) Not to conduct themselves in any manner, or engage in any activity, whether on or off the
field, that would damage public confidence in the honest and orderly conduct of matches and
competitions or bring into doubt the integrity and good character of participants.

(m) Not to do anything which adversely affects or reflects on or discredits the Game of Rugby
Football, RRC, any Member or Associate Member of RRC, the RRC Tens or any squad, team,
competition, tournament, sponsor, official supplier or licensee, including, but not limited to,
any illegal act or any act of dishonesty or fraud.

RRC Tens is obliged:

(a) To comply with, and to require all persons affiliated to it, to comply with this Code of Conduct.

(b) To adopt appropriate procedures for monitoring compliance with, and imposing sanctions for
breaches of, this Code of Conduct by participants in membership with it or affiliated to it.

Procedure

1
Upon becoming aware by citing that an alleged breach of this Code of Conduct has occurred,
the RRC will set up a Sub Committee under the RRC Tens Judicial Officer to consider the
matter.

2
The Sub Committee will proceed to review and consider the alleged breach. The Sub
Committee may consider any evidence, which may be available, and call for representations
from Participants concerned as to the circumstances of the breach and may require the
Participants to provide relevant information.
 3
The Sub Committee will confirm its findings and sanctions, if any.

4
If the Sub Committee is dissatisfied with the manner in which a Participant has conducted itself
in respect of the investigation of or inquiry into an alleged breach, the Sub Committee may
impose such sanctions as it thinks appropriate against that Participant.

5
Due to the short duration of the RRC Tens there will be no appeal against any decision of the
Sub Committee.

Citing Procedures

● RRC will appoint RRC Tens Citing Officers

● Only the RRC Tens Citing Officers and the Referee Manager will be able to cite Participants in the
RRC Tens.
● A citing can be made against the RRC Tens Code of Conduct or for an incident in a match.
● The citing can be made for any relevant incident in a match. If the Referee officiating in the
match or any Assistant Referee has seen the incident a citing may still be made, if the Citing
Officer feels that the appropriate level of action was not taken.
● If the citing was for an incident in a match, a citing complaint should only be made if the Incident
would have resulted in a red card. The citing must be reported to the RRC Judicial Officer within
60 minutes of the incident or when in a match, within 60 minutes of the match finishing or within
60 minutes of the respective team’s next match, whatever is the earlier.
● Following a citing, the matter will be dealt with by the RRC Tens Judicial Officer in accordance
with the Procedure in Section 5 of the Code of Conduct.
● The Sub Committee will consider the citing as soon as practical after the notification of the citing
and in any case before the Participants next activity in the RRC Tens.

Referees

The Referee Manager for the tournament is Mr Petero Kilori of the PNG Rugby Referees Association.

The Referees’ Expectations and how games will be refereed.

1. Tens is an open flowing game that is exciting to watch and be involved in. The referees will assist
in making it so.
2. Quick ball and space to play it will be a focus for the officials. This requires good compliance at
the breakdown; focus will be to get the tackler away and ensure that players stay on their feet.
3. The offside line will be well managed, and players will be expected to set a good standard. Pillars
will be pushed back behind the last man’s feet and players infringing will be quickly dealt with.
4. From a law point of view, a reminder that no one in the scrum may unbind to pick up the ball.
The ball must be taken by No 9. There must always be 5 in the scrum.
5. The Head Contact Process will be strictly enforced.
6. Deliberate knock downs will be dealt with on a risk and reward basis.
7. Cynical play, slowing down play, deliberately throwing or kicking the ball away will be yellow
carded.
8. Citing Officials will observe all games.
9. Judiciary Officers will be available to ensure prompt decisions. (Normally within one hour of the
offence being cited).
Any doubts, look to the World Sevens Series. We will, as referees, be trying to create a similar continuity
and spectacle for spectators.

Head Injury Assessments:

Please note that there will be a “Recognise & Remove” policy on head injuries for the tournament as
advised by PNGRU Medical Team.

“Recognise & Remove” means that there will be no “Head Injury Assessment” allowance for players. This
also means that if the Doctor & or Physio decides whether the player should be taken off the field for
suspected (or clearly a definite) concussion, they will not be allowed to play for the remainder of the
tournament.

The referees are aware of this policy & will help the Medical team to enforce it. If any player who has
been removed from the field of play at any stage of the tournament for a concussion attempts to return
to the field, the referee will stop the game & ask them to leave the field.
Player welfare is of paramount importance.