Dear Affiliate and Club Presidents,
As you’re aware, Australian Rugby is undertaking significant reform to provide a sustainable future for Rugby at all levels, including community Rugby.
These reforms will provide certainty for the continued funding for grassroots Rugby.
From 2015, individuals will now register; pay to play Rugby; and pay to be insured themselves, rather than being managed through clubs.
This ensures players know where their registration fees are directed and eases the administrative burden on clubs.
This is mandatory national policy, which means players can only take the field after paying their national and state registration fee and national insurance levy.
As you know, affiliates and clubs have the opportunity to add registration fees at a local level to ensure you can continue to provide appropriate services for players. These additional fees are at your discretion and will vary according to your service proposition.
In addition to registration fees (national, state union, club), players must pay an individual levy to be covered by the ARU’s market-leading insurance offering.
This insurance offering provides coverage to players at a rate that is extremely competitive when compared to other major Australian sports. It provides the Australian Rugby family with the assurance that players, coaches, match officials and volunteers will be protected in the case of injury or other incidents.
The cost of this insurance coverage for senior club players in 2015 will be $60, instead of $75 as previously communicated. This represents a 20% cost reduction for individual players. There will be no rebates to clubs and the ARU will be accountable for any shortfall in achieving the required insurance pool.
In summary – the cost to play Rugby in Queensland in 2015 will be:
Competition Category National Participant Registration Fee Note: All money is directed automatically to Member Union State Participant Registration Fee Note: All money is directed automatically to Member Union National Participant Insurance Levy Note: All money is directed automatically to insurance company Total National Participant Registration Cost
Under 6/7 $11 $40 $0 $51
Junior (U8-U18) $27.50 $40 $8 $75.50
Senior $33 $65 $60 $158
We are encouraging players to register online through Rugby Link for the 2015 season.
Competitions and clubs that activate online payment through Rugby Link will allow players to register; pay their national and state registration fee; pay their insurance levy; and pay for any other affiliate or club registration fees in one transaction.
All funds collected through the National and State Participant Registration Fees will be automatically directed to the relevant State or Territory Union and the National Participant Insurance Levy will be immediately disbursed to the ARU’s insurer to protect all participants, clubs, coaches, volunteers and match officials.
The ARU does not receive any financial gain from the Registration Fee or Insurance Levy.
For players who don’t pay their National and State Participant Registration Fee or National Participant Insurance Levy online, the club will be liable for their players’ registration and insurance payments. We strongly recommend that all clubs ask their players to register and pay online.
Further information on changes to individual participant registration is available at
www.rugby.com.au/gameplan.
We will need your help to update your stakeholders about these important changes.
Action for you:
Please forward the attached letter from me to your senior players by Friday 9 January 2015 prior to Rugby Link ‘Go Live’ on Monday 12 January 2015.
Kind regards
Bill Pulver
