Codes of Conduct will ensure that all youngsters and the individuals who work with them will enjoy the game in safe environment. When working with young people, coaches and officials must adopt the following guidance.

Always be publicly open when working with young people. Avoid situations where you and an individual child are completely unobserved.

Rugby is a physical game. Situations will occur when, in order to teach or coach certain techniques, it is necessary to make contact with the player. However, the following must apply.

 1.    Parents and young players must be made aware of situations in which this may happen when they join the club.
 2.    Physical handling should only be used for safety reasons or where there is no other way of coaching the technique.

Contact or touching which is inappropriate (not directly related to the coaching context) or aggressive, will not be tolerated.

If groups are to be supervised in changing rooms, always ensure that individuals work in pairs, and that gender is appropriate. Ideally, young people should not have to change in the same place as adults.

Where mixed teams compete away from home, they should be accompanied by at least one male and one female adult.

Volunteers and professionals must respect the rights and dignity and worth of all, and treat everyone equally.

Coaches should hold a current RFU coaching award or recognised award.

Coaches must consistently display high standards of personal behaviour.

Coaches must place the well-being and safety of the player above the development of performance. Coaches should:

Avoid overplaying of players (particularly talented players). All players need and deserve equal opportunity to play.

Remember that young people play for fun and enjoyment and that winning is only a part of it

Motivate youngsters through positive feedback and constructive criticism.

Ensure that contact skills are taught in a safe, secure manner, paying due regard to the physical development of young players.

Never allow young players to train/play when injured.

Ensure equipment and facilities are safe and appropriate to the age and ability of the players.

Coaches should keep up to date with knowledge and technical skills and should be aware of their own limitations. Coaches should only work within the limitations of their knowledge and qualifications.

Coaches must ensure that the activities which they direct or advocate are appropriate to the age, maturity and ability of the players.

Coaches should always promote the positive aspects of their sport (e.g. fair play), and never condone law violations or use of prohibited substances.

Coaches should never overly criticise players or use language or actions which may cause the player to loose self-esteem or confidence.

Young people should not be allowed to drink alcohol or encouraged to drink alcohol if they are under the legal age to do so.

Practice to be avoided         

Everyone should also be aware that as a general rule, it does not make sense for a coach to:

Spend amounts of time alone with children away from others

Take children alone on car journeys, however short.

If it should arise that such situations are unavoidable, they should only take place with the full knowledge and consent of someone in charge of the club and/or a person with parental responsibility for the player

If you accidentally hurt a player, or cause distress in any manner, or the player appears to respond in a sexual manner to your actions, or misunderstands, or misinterprets something you have done, report the incident to a colleague supported by a written report of the incident as soon as possible. Parents/carers should also be informed of the occurrence.

Practice that is prohibited by the RFU

Individuals should never:

Take young people to their home or other secluded places where they will be alone.

Engage in rough, physical games, sexually provocative games or horseplay with young people.

Take part in any dynamic games or training sessions with young people. If there is a need for an adult to facilitate learning within a coaching session through the use of coaching aids, e.g. contact pads, this should be done with the utmost care and with due regard to the safety and well being of the young players.

Share a room with a young person unless the individual is the parent/guardian of that young person.

Allow any form of inappropriate touching (not specifically related to the coaching of the game).

Make sexually suggestive remarks to a young person, even in fun.

Use inappropriate language or allow young players to use inappropriate language unchallenged.

Allow allegations by a young person to go unchallenged, unrecorded, or not acted upon.

Do things of a personal nature for a young person that they can do for themselves, unless you have been requested to do so by the parent/carer. (Please note that it is recognised that some young people will need with things such as lace tying, adjustment of tag belts, fitting head guards etc.)

Depart the rugby club until the safe dispersal of all young people is complete.

Cause an individual to loose self-esteem by embarrassing, humiliating or undermining him/her.

Treat some young people more favourable than others.

Agree to meet a young person on your own or on a one-to-one basis.