Code of Conduct

Southern California Youth Rugby abides the Codes of Conduct of the governing bodies – USA Rugby and World Rugby. The SoCal Board of Directors adopted the Code of Conduct available in the link below and detailed on this page.

Southern California Youth Rugby Code of Conduct

If you have observed or experienced an issue, please share here: SoCal Feedback Form – or email valory@socalyouth.rugby.

WORLD RUGBY CODE OF CONDUCT: Reg 18, Appendix 1

1. All Unions, Associations, Rugby Bodies, Clubs and Persons:

1.1. Must ensure that the Game is played and conducted in accordance with disciplined and sporting behavior and acknowledge that it is not sufficient to rely solely upon the Match Officials to maintain those principles;

1.2. Shall cooperate in ensuring that the spirit of the Laws of the Game are upheld and encourage players to refrain from committing acts of foul play (including by refraining from selecting them where appropriate);

1.3. Shall not repeatedly breach the Laws of the Game;

1.4. Shall accept and observe the authority and decisions of Match Officials and all other rugby disciplinary bodies, subject to Regulation 17;

1.5. Shall not publish or cause to be published criticism of the manner in which a Match Official handled a Match;

1.6. Shall not publish or cause to be published criticism of the manner in which Council or any other rugby disciplinary body handled or resolved any dispute or disciplinary matter resulting from a breach of the Bye-Laws, Regulations, or Laws of the Game;

1.7. Shall not engage in any conduct or any activity on or off the field that may impair public confidence in the honest and orderly conduct of a Match, tour, tournament or Series of Matches (including, but not limited to, the supply of information in relation to the Game, directly or indirectly, to bookmakers or to persons who may use such information to their advantage) or in the integrity and good character of any Person;

1.8. Shall not commit a breach of any of the World Rugby Regulations;

1.9. Shall promote the reputation of the Game and take all possible steps to prevent it from being brought into disrepute;

1.10. Shall not abuse, threaten or intimidate a Match Official, whether on or off the field of play;

1.11. Shall not use crude or abusive language or gestures towards Match Officials or spectators;

1.12. Shall not do anything which is likely to intimidate, offend, insult, humiliate or discriminate against any other Person on the ground of their religion, race, sex, sexual orientation, colour or national or ethnic origin;

1.13. Shall not do anything which adversely affects the Game of Rugby, World Rugby, any member Union or Association or any commercial partner of the Game.

2. Each Union and Association is under an obligation to comply with and to ensure that each of its members comply with this Code of Conduct and adopt procedures to monitor compliance with and impose sanctions for breaches of the Code of Conduct by Persons under its jurisdiction.

USA RUGBY CODE OF CONDUCT

USA Rugby shall expect and require that all persons associated with USA Rugby to conduct USA Rugby business with integrity and to maintain the highest standard of personal conduct in the affairs of USA Rugby.

1. Purpose

This policy constitutes the Code of Conduct (Code) of USA Rugby. This Code of Conduct is intended to protect the safety and well-being of individuals who associate with USA Rugby, and to ensure that all individuals who associate with USA Rugby conduct themselves with integrity, maintain a high standard of ethical conduct, and promote the Olympic & Paralympic values, spirit, and ideals.

2. Applicability of Policy

This Policy applies to all USA Rugby members, board members, officers, directors, committee members, task force members, employees, coaches, independent contractors, officials, and volunteers, and anyone participating in USA Rugby events and activities (collectively, “Affiliated Individuals”). All such Affiliated Individuals should become familiar with the rules and standards of this Code.

3. Legal Compliance

USA Rugby requires that Affiliated Individuals follow the Code of Conduct and abide by all applicable USA Rugby policies and procedures; United States federal, state and local law as applicable, including the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act; and foreign law as applicable. If an Affiliated Individual should ever encounter a conflict of law, such as a conflict between United States and foreign law or have any questions about the legality of any action, contact the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee (contact information below) for further information and guidance.

4. The Code of Conduct

All Affiliated Individuals must:

Adhere to the anti-doping rules and policies of the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, USOPC, World Anti-Doping Agency, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, and World Rugby, as applicable.
Adhere to the rules and policies of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, including, but not limited to, the SafeSport Code and the USA Rugby athlete safety policy.
Comply with the Olympic Movement Code on the Prevention of the Manipulation of Competitions, and commit to promote sport free from manipulation, corrupt conduct, or using or disclosing inside information for any purpose.
In competition, compete to the best of his or her ability while being safe and sportsperson like.
Respect and comply with the laws of the state and/or country in which I am training, traveling, or competing, including, but not limited to, laws governing the possession and use of drugs and alcohol, and providing of drugs to any person and of alcohol to minors.
Be responsible for his or her own behavior and for reading, understanding, and abiding by all applicable policies, including those of USA Rugby, as well as the competitions and events in which he or she participates.
Respect and abide by all other rules, policies, and procedures of USA Rugby, and of the facilities and accommodations in which he or she trains and lives at and/or uses.
Never engage in discrimination of any kind on whatever grounds, be it race, color, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, national origin, or other status.
Demonstrate good sportsmanship by showing respect toward teammates, coaches, competitors, officials, and audience members at all events and competitions.
Refrain from foul language, violence, and behavior that could reasonably be deemed dishonest, offensive, intentionally malicious, or illegal.
Respect the property of others and not vandalize, damage, or steal any such property.
Agree to refrain from authorizing the use of photographs, films, or videos of a member in USA Rugby apparel or equipment or the use of the USA Rugby logo for the purpose of trade, without the prior written consent of USA Rugby.
Understand that any act, conduct, or personal appearance, even if not expressly enumerated above, that violates the spirit and intent of this Code of Conduct, or brings disrespect or dishonor to myself, my fellow athletes, USA Rugby, or the United States, is a Code violation.
Understand that, if under the age of 18, his or her parents or legal guardians may be notified of all written reports of counseling or misconduct.
Understand that any dispute or action arising from this Code of Conduct will be resolved as outlined in Section 6.

Specifically, COACHES, and those functioning as coaches, must:

Treat all athletes with respect at all times.
Be aware of the health and safety of all athletes at all times in regard to our sport. If the conditions are unsafe, follow best practices and not allow the health and safety of the athletes to be compromised.
Recognize the signs of injury, physical and psychological stress in themselves and in athletes, take these indicators seriously, and refer or seek out appropriate and qualified support.
Be prepared with an executable emergency plan for their primary use facilities that has been shared and practiced.
Assist the athlete in forming goals and expectations that are realistic and practical with consideration of the age, resources and experience of the athlete.
Consistently give the athletes the opportunity to develop their sport and non-sport skills translating into other facets of their lives (e.g. time management, goal setting) at a minimum of once per season.

Specifically, OFFICIALS must:

Maintain a current and thorough knowledge of the rules and officiating procedures of our sport and officiating procedures
Conduct themselves impartially, professionally and in good faith.
Assist with the development of lesser-experienced officials as needed.
Take ownership of actions and decisions made while officiating.

Specifically, PARENTS, FANS, and SPECTATORS must:

Respect and show appreciation to all competitors, officials, and volunteers.

Encourage athletes to compete within the rules and to resolve conflicts positively.

Never ridicule a participant for making a mistake during a competition, practice or training session.

Respect the decisions of officials and encourage participants’ continued effort.

USA Rugby and the US Center for SafeSport require the reporting of sexual misconduct by or of any member of USA Rugby to the US Center for SafeSport Response and Resolution Office. REPORT/Seek SAFESPORT Support: 833-587-7233 / Submit Online

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