HUNTER VALLEY JUNIOR RUGBY LEAGUE
Competition Rules & Regulations
(As amended 10th February 2009)
The Hunter Valley Junior Rugby League is a competition of the Country Rugby League of NSW administered
under license by the Newcastle Rugby League Limited. The Hunter Valley Junior Rugby League is a combined
competition of the Newcastle Schoolboys Junior Rugby League Association, the Maitland & District Schoolboys
Rugby League Association and the Hunter Valley Group 21 Junior Rugby League and will conduct Rugby League
competitions within the guidelines as set by the Australian Rugby League, the Country Rugby League and the
Newcastle Rugby League.
Definition of Terms
‘Administrator’ shall mean the Newcastle Rugby League representative employed to assume the role as
secretary of this competition
‘League’ shall mean Hunter Valley Junior Rugby League.
‘Committee’ shall mean the competition committee of the Hunter Valley Junior Rugby League.
‘Constitution’ shall mean the Constitution of the Newcastle Rugby League Limited
‘CRL’ shall mean the Country Rugby League of NSW Inc
‘Executive’ shall mean the Executive Committee of the Hunter Valley Junior Rugby League.
‘Group 21’ shall mean the Hunter Valley Group 21 Junior Rugby League
‘Maitland Schoolboys’ shall mean the Maitland District Schoolboys Rugby League Association
‘Newcastle Schoolboys’ shall mean the Newcastle Schoolboys Junior Rugby League Association
‘NRL’ shall mean the Newcastle Rugby League Limited
‘Premiership Competition’ shall mean the competition matches played prior to the commencement of the
semi finals series
“Home Grown” shall mean a representative player that has played Representative football in the previous
season, he shall be classed as “Home Grown” to his club of where he was registered with in that previous year.
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1. Competition Committee
(a) The Committee shall consist of eleven (11) members.
(b) The eleven (11) members of this committee shall be:
i. Three (3) delegates from Newcastle Schoolboys;
ii. Three (3) delegates from Maitland Schoolboys;
iii. Three (3) delegates from Group 21;
iv. One (1) delegate from the League and;
v. The Administrator.
(c) The League delegate shall be the Chairperson.
(d) The Administrator shall have no voting rights.
(e) The Committee shall administer the affairs of the League with the power conferred
on it by the Constitution, these Rules and by the Resolutions passed by the Committee.
2. Executive Committee
(a) The Executive Committee shall consist of five (5) members each of whom shall be a member of the
Competition Committee
(b) The five (5) members of this Committee shall be:
i. The Chairperson of the Competition Committee;
ii. The Administrator;
iii. One (1) representative from each of the Newcastle Schoolboys Rugby League, Maitland
Schoolboys Rugby League and Group 21 Junior Rugby League, who will each be a Vice President.
3. Sub - Committees
(a) The Judicial Committee shall consist of three (3) members as appointed by the League of which one
(1) shall be the Chairman.
(b) The Disciplinary Committee shall consist of three (3) members as appointed by the League of which
one (1) shall be the Chairman.
(c) The Match Review Committee shall consist of three (3) members as appointed by the League of
which one (1) shall be the Chairman.
(d) The League shall from time to time be permitted to employ a sub-committee to act on its behalf
and within the boundaries of these Rules and Regulations and the Constitution.
4. Competitions
(a) The League shall provide a series of Rugby League Football competitions for players in such age
groups as determined by the League.
(b) A club which enters a team or teams in a competition conducted by the League in one season shall
not be entitled as of right to enter a team or teams in that competition in the following season.
(c) The Committee shall be entitled to refuse the application of any club to enter a team or teams in
any competition conducted by the League.
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(d) The Committee shall be entitled to approve the application of a club on specified terms and
conditions and may by resolution cancel such approval if in the opinion of the Committee the club
or any member thereof has not complied with any of such terms and conditions. The Committee
shall at least seven (7) days before the meeting of the Committee at which a resolution pursuant to
this Rule is proposed to be put, give notice in writing of such meeting and such intended resolution
and he/she shall before the passing of such resolution have had the opportunity to give either
orally or in writing an explanation or produce such evidence as may be relevant.
(e) Each club shall nominate in writing their intention to field team/s within the competition/s on the
form prescribed by the League prior to the close of the nomination period as set by the League. All
forms shall be fully completed with Coach Details etc as specified. Clubs to also provide any and all
documentation to support divisional changes that they have requested. All clubs will be held
responsible for correct grading nominations. Any club that deliberately or falsely grade teams will
face disciplinary action as the Committee deems fit.
(f) Each age group shall be divided into a series of competitions and shall be referred to as divisions.
(g) The teams participating in each division shall be decided by the Committee.
(h) Each division shall participate in a premiership competition and a finals series of matches
(i) In each premiership competition, a series of ‘home and away’ based matches shall be played.
(j) In each match of premiership competition the following points shall be awarded;
i. Two (2) points shall be awarded for a win, a forfeit and a bye;
ii. One (1) point shall be awarded to each team for a draw;
iii. Zero (0) points shall be awarded for a loss.
(k) To constitute a valid premiership competition each team within such competition must play each
other at least once.
(l) After the completion of at least two (2) rounds but no more than three (3) rounds of the
premiership competition the Committee may review each premiership competition and re-grade
such competition as it sees fit.
(m) The Committee shall give at least 14 days written notice of its intention to review premiership
competitions.
i. A club who wishes to have a competition reviewed or a team re-graded must notify the
Committee in writing on or before 5pm on the Monday prior to the Committees’ review.
5. Registration and Clearances
(a) All players shall be registered with their respective Associations and in accordance with the Country
Rugby League before taking part in any game in any one season.
(b) A player is permitted to sign only one (1) Country Rugby League registration form each season
unless such player has transferred to another club.
(c) Any player, transferring from one (1) club to another shall have a clearance from his previous club.
(d) A player can represent more than one (1) club in any one season provided that the player receives
a clearance from his previous club.
(e) A club shall not be permitted to register any player/s after June 30 in any one season.
(f) All players shall be subject to a registration/identification card system. This card shall be available
at all games for inspection. A request to inspect such cards must be made by an official of the team
and must be made through the Ground Manager. Failure to present this card may result in loss of
any points gained in this game.
(g) A player shall not transfer to a Club of another Association participating in this League unless
approved by the Association the player is transferring from.
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i.
In the event that the player is denied a transfer by the Association such player may apply in
writing to the League to have such decision reviewed.
ii. A player who did not register for a club in the previous season shall be exempt from
preceding rule.
(h) Any team who fields an unregistered or unqualified player shall automatically lose any competition
points gained in any match in which such player took part. The non offending team shall have the
points automatically awarded to them. The Committee may at its complete discretion impose
further penalty.
(i) Any club found to be playing players below their age group will face disciplinary action as the
Committee deems fit.
(j) Players found to be playing in a team that is below their own age group will face disciplinary action
as deemed fit by the Committee.
6. Player Qualifications & Movements
(a) A player, who has participated in three (3) or more matches in a higher age group or division who
wishes to return to the lower age group or division, shall be required to apply in writing at least 14
days prior to the completion of the premiership competition to the committee for permission to
return to such age group or division.
i. A player participating in an Under 17’s or 18’s competition shall be eligible to represent his
senior club in a senior competition with an exemption from the preceding rule.
ii. For the purposes of finals series qualification such player shall be deemed eligible to
participate in the competition in which he played the majority of his games.
(b) A club that has two (2) or more teams competing in the same competition shall, prior to the date of
the competition review, notify in writing to the administrator a list of 9 players for each team who
shall remain with that team for the entire season.
i. All players excluded from the nominated list/s shall be permitted to participate in any team
throughout the premiership competition.
ii. All players excluded from the nominated list/s shall be considered qualified for the purpose
of finals series matches in the team in which he has played the majority of matches
throughout the premiership competition.
7. Accreditation
(a) All coaches are required to be properly accredited as per the ARL Document – “Period of Coach
Accreditation”.
8. Representative Players
(a) A player is deemed a representative player if in the previous season he is selected and participates
for;
i.
A National Aged or School Representative Team;
ii.
A State Aged or School Representative Team;
iii.
A Harold Matthews or SG Ball Team; and
iv.
A Country Rugby League Group, Division or Region in Country Clusters or Country
Championship matches.
v.
Newcastle or Maitland Schoolboys U/12’s fixture played at Energy Australia Stadium.
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(b) A player returning to his club from a Harold Matthews or SG Ball team must play in the highest
division in the age group he wishes to participate in but shall be subject to Rule 9(e).
(c) A player/s replacing a Harold Matthews or SG Ball representative player/s during the NSWRL
District Representative season shall be permitted to return to a lower division upon the return to
the team of the aforementioned representative player/s.
(d) A Representative Player may only play in a higher age group providing it is not lower than 3rd
Division.
9. Transfer of Representative Players
(a) A team may have an unlimited number of “Home Grown” representative players participating in
such team.
(b) If a club has six (6) or more representative players in an age group, no additional representative
players may transfer to that club and participate in that age group.
(c) If a club has five (5) representative players in any age group, only one (1) representative player may
transfer to that club and participate in that age group.
(d) If a club has four (4) or less representative players in any age group a maximum of two (2)
representative players may transfer to that club and participate in that age group.
(e) The Committee at its complete discretion may permit the transfer of any player/s to a club to
participate in an age group after receiving a written application from a player, club or an
Association requesting dispensation from the aforementioned rules.
10. Uniforms
(a) Players must appear on the field in proper football uniform in the clubs registered colours, bearing
the CRL Logo and play in the jersey as numbered on the team sheet. No number shall be duplicated
and shall be attached to the jersey according to Section 4 Clause 3 of the Australian Rugby League
Laws of the Game Edition 5.
11. Match Officials
(a) In the event of the League being unable to appoint or provide an accredited touch judge for a
match the home club may appoint a person to fulfill this position.
i. The appointed person must be two (2) years older than the age group of the match being
played.
ii. The appointed person shall not, and the referee shall not request the appointed person to,
enter the field of play to report “foul” play.
12. Match Results
(a) Match results shall be entered online no later than 11am on the first working day following the
game being played, should there be a problem with entering the results they shall be emailed or
text messaged into the Competition Administrator no later than 11am on the first working day
following the game being played.
(b) All match result sheets are to be forwarded to the Administrator on or before the third business
day after the fixture.
(c) A club found to have breached Rule 12 (a) and/or (b) may be subject to a financial penalty as
imposed by the Competition Committee.
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13. Deferred Matches
(a) A club that wishes to alter the date and/or time of a scheduled home fixture must give at least 21
days notice in writing to the Administrator before the particular series.
(b) A team with three (3) or more representative players selected to participate in a representative
fixture may request the deferral of their match when such matches are scheduled to be played on
the same weekend.
i. A representative fixture shall be defined as a;
1. NSWRL Junior Representative Fixture
2. CRL Aged Championships Fixture
3. Australian Schools Aged Championship Fixture
(c) All postponed, deferred or abandoned fixtures shall be replayed as soon as practical, at a time and
at a venue as determined by the Administrator.
14. Forfeits
(a) If a team forfeits a game to another team, the match shall count as a game played, and be declared
in favour of the side receiving the forfeit. The ‘for’ points allocated to the side receiving the forfeit,
will be the average points of the winning sides for the remainder of the round. The side forfeiting
will receive these points against.
(b) A team that forfeits 3 times within a competition series shall be removed from the competition.
(c) If a club has two or more teams in the same age group any forfeit by a team in that age group must
be by the lowest division team.
(d) A club who has a team who wishes to forfeit a match shall be required to notify the Administrator
not less than 24 hours prior the scheduled time of the match.
(e) A club who fails to give such notice may be fined an amount not exceeding $200 and may be
required to pay the fees of the match official/s of that match.
15. Match Times
(a) The match times for all premiership and finals series matches shall be;
Under 13’s
2 x 25 Minute halves with a 5 Minute interval.
Under 14’s
2 x 25 Minute halves with a 5 Minute interval.
Under 15’s
2 x 30 Minute halves with a 5 Minute interval.
Under 16’s
2 x 30 Minute halves with a 5 minute interval.
Under 17’s
2 x 30 Minute halves with a 5 minute interval.
Under 18’s
2 x 35 Minute halves with a 5 minute interval.
(b) There shall be no time off during premiership competition matches with the exception of match
delays due to ground control procedures as outlined in 21(g).
(c) If a commenced match is delayed for more than 30 minutes the match shall be abandoned.
i. If more than 10 minutes of the second half of such match has been completed before its
abandonment the match shall be deemed completed.
ii. If less than 10 minutes of the second half has been completed the match shall be replayed.
16. Replacements
(a) Each team shall be permitted the following number of replacement players in any one match.
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a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Under 13’s – 6 replacements of unlimited interchange
Under 14’s – 6 replacements of unlimited interchange
Under 15’s – 6 replacements of unlimited interchange
Under 16’s – 6 replacements of unlimited interchange
Under 17’s – 6 replacements of unlimited interchange
Under 18’s – 6 replacements of unlimited interchange
17. Temporary Suspension (Sin Bin)
(a) The period of temporary suspension shall be ten (10) minutes which shall commence when the
referee resumes play.
(b) A player placed in the sin bin shall be accompanied by the team manager to the match official
table and remain there for the length of the temporary suspension.
(c) The club match officials shall time the period of temporary suspension and shall advise the player
upon the completion of the temporary suspension.
(d) At the completion of the temporary suspension the player may re-enter the playing field when
permitted to do so by the Referee or Touch Judge.
18. Dismissed Players
(a) A player dismissed from the field of play shall immediately go to the dressing room and be
accompanied by the team manager. He shall change from his playing attire and he shall not reenter the playing arena after his dismissal.
(b) The referee shall complete a dismissal report immediately after the match. It is the responsibility
of the club to collect the report from the match officials
(c) The player will be referred directly to the Judiciary Committee.
(d) A player found guilty and subsequently suspended by the judiciary committee shall be deemed
suspended from all facets of rugby league until such suspension is completed.
(e) A referee who has been appointed by the League or a Committee of the League to a match shall,
without delay, report to the League any instance or instances of misconduct or foul play during the
progress of that which led to the dismissal of a player or players from the field of play. A player or
players dismissed from the field of play shall be suspended until the dismissal report has been
determined by the Judiciary Committee.
(f) A referee or touch judge who has been appointed to a match by the League or a Committee of the
League may report any instance of misconduct by a player or players irrespective of whether such
misconduct occurred before, during or after such match, and whether it shall have led to the
player or players being ordered from the field of play. The referee will prepare a match report with
a copy given to the club.
(g) If a match report of misconduct by a player/s, before, during or after match is written and a charge
made, the player/s shall appear before the Judiciary Committee whether the player/s has been
ordered off or not.
(h) If no charge is made the Match Report shall be referred to the Match Review Committee who may
call on the player(s) to appear before the Judiciary Committee to answer a charge the Match
Review Committee may lay.
19. Finals Series Matches
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(a) At the conclusion of the Premiership Competition, the first five (5) teams in each competition shall
be ranked in order according to the number of competition points awarded to them and shall take
part in a finals series of matches to determine the premiers in each grade.
(b) If at the conclusion of the Premiership Competition, two (2) or more teams are equal in competition
points then for the purpose of determining the order of placement of the teams for the finals series,
the teams will be ranked in order according to their points for and against, multiplied by 100, and
the highest percentage shall prevail.
(c) When the five teams in each grade to take part in the finals series have been determined, the order
of play shall be as follows:
Match A
Match B
Match C
Match D
Match E
Match F
Elimination Semi Final
Qualifying Semi Final
Minor Semi Final
Major Semi Final
Preliminary Final
Grand Final
Team 4 v Team 5
Team 2 v Team 3
Winner MATCH A v Loser MATCH B
Team 1 v Winner MATCH B
Winner MATCH C v Loser MATCH D
Winners MATCH D v Winner MATCH E
(d) Times of play shall be the same times as for premiership competition matches.
(e) There shall be time off in all finals series matches.
(f) The venue for each finals series fixture shall be decided by the Committee.
(g) All results throughout the Finals Series shall be entered online by 8pm on the Saturday the games are played.
20. Golden Point Extra Time
(a) If scores are equal at the conclusion of any finals series match golden point extra time shall apply
whereby the first scorer of any point or points shall be declared the winner.
(b) The commencement of the first period of extra time shall be determined by the toss of a coin as
described under the Laws of the Game.
(c) If no point or points have been scored after a period of five (5) minutes, the referee shall cease play
and the teams shall immediately change ends.
(d) The team that did not commence the previous five (5) minute period of extra time shall commence
the next five (5) minute period of extra time.
(e) A maximum of four (4) periods of extra time shall be permitted.
(f) In the event of the match remaining drawn after the fourth (4 th) period of extra time the following
shall apply;
i.
In all finals series matches with the exception of a grand final the winner of match shall be;
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1)
2)
The team that scored the first try;
If no tries have been scored the winner shall be the team who scored the most
goals;
3)
If no goals have been scored the winner shall be the team that scored the most field
goals;
4)
If no points have been scored the winner shall be the team who conceded the least
amount of penalties;
5)
In the event that the number of penalties is equal the winner shall be decided by a
toss of the coin as described under the Laws of the Game.
ii. In a grand final match the two participating teams shall be declared joint premiers.
21. Ground Management
(a) Each venue shall be prepared in accordance with the ARL Laws of the Game and Country Rugby
League’s Risk Management Policy.
(b) Each club shall clearly display the National Code of Conduct in prominent positions throughout
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
(l)
(m)
(n)
their home venue.
A Country Rugby League Training and Match Day Safety Checklist shall be completed prior to the
first scheduled match of each day. Each checklist shall be kept and produced upon request by the
League.
The host club must provide a Ground Manager for each field of play who shall, in conjunction with
the match referee, be responsible for ground control.
The appointed Ground Manager shall wear a fluorescent vest which shall have ‘Ground Manager’
printed on the back.
The Ground Manager may acquire the services of additional personnel to assist in controlling the
ground.
The Ground Manager may request the referee to stop the match whilst ground control procedures
are enforced. Time out shall apply during this period.
The Ground Manager shall report any incident or breach of the National Code of Conduct, the ARL
Rules of the Game, the HVJRL Rules and Regulations or any other rules governing the game of
Rugby League to the Administrator on a HVJRL Incident Report Form prior to 5pm on the second
business day following the completion of the match. A Ground Managers Incident Report shall not
require a fee.
Each participating team shall supply one (1) Club Match Official (CMO) who shall be positioned at
the official table for the duration of the match.
It shall be the responsibility of the CMO to record match scores, keep time and complete match
sheets.
Each match sheet shall be completed in its entirety and forwarded to the Administrator on the first
business day following the completion of the match.
Each player must sign the Match Sheet alongside the corresponding number of his playing jersey
prior to the commencement of the game.
Each player at the time of signing the match sheet shall present his Photographic Identification
Card (PIC) for viewing by the opposing team manager.
Any player who fails to produce their PIC may at the request of the opposing team manager be
declared ineligible to participate until such time as the PIC has been produced.
i. In the event of player being declared ineligible to participate a report must be made to
the Ground Manager and/or Referee who shall report the event in their match report.
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21.1
On Field Personnel
(a) All On Field Personnel shall carry out their duties as identified and outlined in the On Field Personnel
Policy of the Country Rugby League.
(b) All official personnel over the age of fourteen (14) years, who enter the Field of play to attend a player,
must possess a Leaguesafe Certificate of Attendance or an accredited ARL First Aid Officers Certificate.
(c) Only an accredited ARL First Aid Officer shall administer first aid or offer advice to an injured/ill player.
(d) All injuries/illnesses and assessment must be recorded in an Injury Report Booklet.
(e) The accredited First Aid Officer shall at all times, whilst a game is in progress, be situated on the
sideline in a position to respond quickly should an injury/illness occur.
(f) The accredited First Aid Officer shall have the final say on whether a player should continue in the
game and/or when to resume playing in that game. If a doctor is in attendance at a venue, he/she shall
make decisions in conjunction with the First Aid Officer. The doctor shall have jurisdiction on the final
decision on a player’s welfare.
(g) Each team shall supply one (1) or more First Aid Officers to each fixture.
(h) The policing of the Rules and Regulations relating to On Field Personnel during match day shall be the
responsibility of each team manager in conjunction with the Ground Manager.
(i) If the above personnel are not in attendance, the game shall not commence until such persons are
available.
(j) Each team may engage and use a maximum of three (3) on-field personnel during
a game.
(k) In all cases when FAO’s/Leaguesafe enter the Field of Play to attend to an injured/ill player, administer
water, or deliver messages, they must immediately leave the field once their assigned task has been
completed.
(l) In the event of a clash of the on field personnel’s coloured shirts with a team’s jersey on-field
personnel may, upon the approval of the referee and/or ground manager, wear another coloured shirt
but the alternate shirt shall not equate to a higher level of accreditation than the person has attained.
(m) In the event of an altercation between players on and/or off the Field of Play all
FAO/Leaguesafe personnel must immediately distance themselves from the incident except where an
injured/ill player needs shielding from further harm.
(n) On-field personnel shall not enter the line of sight of a player when they are attempting a kick for goal,
do anything which may in any way unnecessarily interfere with or distract an opposition player whilst
they are participating in the match.
(o) All on-field personnel must be identified with the following coloured shirts and be displaying their
accreditation as supplied by the Association:
HEAD TRAINER
(p) The Head Trainer shall wear an orange shirt with ‘Head Trainer’ printed on the rear of the shirt
(q) The Head Trainer shall have a minimum qualification of FAO level 1
(r) The Head Trainer shall be the most senior person within the FAO team and shall make the final
decision on a player’s welfare.
(s) All coaches, administrators, players and match officials shall comply with the decision of the Head
Trainer. If a doctor is present, he/she in, conjunction with the Head Trainer shall make the final
decision on a player’s welfare.
(t) The Head Trainer shall have unlimited access to the field of play to attend to injured or ill players and
to administer water but shall not be permitted to convey messages or become involved with the
interchange of players.
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FIRST AID OFFICER (FAO)
(u)
(v)
(w)
The FAO shall wear a blue shirt with ‘First Aid Officer’ printed on the rear of the shirt.
The FAO shall have a minimum qualification of FAO level 1.
The FAO shall be permitted access to the field of play to assist an injured/ill player, to administer
water in extreme climate conditions but shall not be permitted to convey messages or be involved
with the interchange of players.
(x)
In the event that the FAO is the only accredited person in attendance he/she shall be permitted to assume the
roles and responsibilities of the Leaguesafe trainer.
LEAGUESAFE
(y) The Leaguesafe trainer shall wear a yellow shirt with ‘Leaguesafe’ printed on the rear of the shirt.
(z) The Leaguesafe trainer shall have a minimum qualification of Leaguesafe.
(aa) The Leaguesafe shall be permitted access to the field of play to administer water, convey messages
and to assist in the interchange of players.
22. Complaints and Citations
(a) Where the League receives a complaint from a member of the League or a Club concerning the
conduct of a player registered with the League in the course of or immediately subsequent to a match
in which the player registered with the League takes part, and such conduct has not been the subject
of a report to the League by the referee in charge of the match pursuant to Rules 47 and/or 48, the
Match Review Committee may call on the player concerned to appear before the Judiciary Committee
to answer a charge that the conduct complained of constitutes conduct contrary to the policy or
prejudicial to the interest, welfare or image of the League or the game.
i.
ii.
A complaint under this rule must be left at the registered office of the League not later than
5.00p.m. on the second business day following the date of the match in which or after which
the conduct complained of its alleged to have occurred.
The Match Review Committee may at any time call on a player registered with the League to
appear before the Judiciary Committee to answer a charge, that his conduct, particulars of
which shall be specified in such charge, by that player in the course of or immediately
subsequent to a match which the player took part constitutes conduct contrary to the policy or
prejudicial to the interest, welfare or image of the League or the game.
(b) Complaints by Clubs, Players, Officials against:
i.
A player during a match or immediately subsequent to a match in which he participated;
1. Must be received by the League not later than 5.00p.m.on the second business
day after the match.
2. A fee of $200 must accompany the complaint.
3. The Match Review Committee shall consider the complaint and may require the
player to appear before the Judiciary Committee to answer a charge.
4. In such a complaint, it shall be the responsibility of the complainant to present
all evidence.
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5. Should the complaint arise from alleged illegal play on the field, then irrespective
of whether or not the Referee took action on the field at the time, the Match
Review Committee may require a player to appear before the Judiciary
Committee to answer a charge the Committee has laid.
ii.
Any member of the League, Club or any individual member thereof (including Life Members):
1. Must be received by the League not later than 5.00p.m.on the second business
day after the match.
2. A fee of $400 must accompany the complaint.
3. In such a complaint, it shall be the responsibility of the complainant to present
all evidence.
4. A Match Review Committee will consider the complaint and may require the
League, Club or Member to appear before a Disciplinary Committee to answer a
charge that the Committee has laid.
5. If the Match Review Committee refers the complaint to a Disciplinary Committee
the fee shall be refunded to the complainant.
(c) A player who has been reported to the League by a referee or touch judge pursuant to these Rules
shall be suspended until the dismissal / match report has been determined by the Judiciary Committee.
The League may permit the player to continue to play until he has been notified by the Administrator
to attend a meeting of that Committee.
(d) The decision of the Judiciary Committee in respect of matters referred to it under these Rules shall be
final subject only to the right of an appeal to the Appeals Committee.
23. Appeals
(a) A Player/Member or Club who has been disqualified, suspended and/or fined by the Judiciary or
Disciplinary Committee shall be entitled to appeal to the Newcastle Rugby League if;
i. They have the permission of the club to appeal;
ii. They desire to produce on appeal, evidence of which he did not know before the conclusion of
the hearing before that Committee, and of which he could not have become aware, if he had,
before the conclusion of the hearing before that Committee made all investigations and
enquiries that could have been made by him, or he desires to appeal against the severity of the
penalty given by the Judiciary or Disciplinary Committee; and
iii. They lodge the appeal within seven (7) days after the conclusion of the hearing.
(b) All Appeals against the decision of the Judiciary or Disciplinary Committee shall be forwarded to
the Administrator.
(c) All Appeals shall be accompanied with a cheque drawn to the Newcastle Rugby League for $400.
24. Appeals to the Country Rugby League
(a) Should either party be aggrieved by the decision of the Appeals Committee, it has the right to
appeal to the Appeals Committee of the Country Rugby League.
i. By a player against a suspension or fine must be lodged with the General Manager of the
Newcastle Rugby League within 48 hours of the decision appealed against.
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ii. Against any other decision of the Newcastle Rugby League must be lodged with the General
Manager of the Newcastle Rugby League within five (5) days of the decision appealed against.
iii. Must be accompanied by a cheque made payable to the Country Rugby League for $400.00.
(b) A witness, being a member of the League, Affiliated League or Association who was present at the
original hearing and who absents themselves from the Appeal to the Country Rugby League, shall
present evidence to the Board of Directors to show cause as to why an automatic fine of $200
should not be imposed as a result of his/her non-attendance at the Appeal to the Country Rugby
League.
25. Judiciary Committee Hearing Procedure
(a) Present in the room: Player, player Representative, Referee and/or Touch Judge, Referee’s
Representative and Judiciary Committee.
(b) Before proceedings begin, the Judiciary Chairman shall ask the player if he has read the relevant
report(s) and understands same. If the answer is no, the player and his representative may be
allowed to leave the room to read and discuss reports, before returning to the hearing. If the
answer is yes, the player shall be asked whether he pleads guilty or not guilty to the charge or
charges as read.
(c) If the player pleads guilty: Referee gives his/her report – player may address the Committee on
how he thinks it should deal with him by way of penalty etc, and he or his representative may
address the Committee on his previous record, length f playing career, produce character
references etc.
(d) If the player pleads not guilty: Both parties (referee and player) gives evidence, can call witnesses
(allowable by the Judiciary Chairman) produce video evidence of the alleged incident, etc. the
evidence, witnesses, etc of the parties can be questioned or cross examined by the referee and visa
versa.
(e) At the conclusion of all evidence, the player and the Referee shall be asked if they desire to add,
alter or subtract any part of their evidence, before the Judiciary Committee deliberate and reach a
decision as to guilt. The Judiciary Committee has the right to question or cross examine all parties.
(f) All parties shall then leave the room and the Judiciary Committee shall then consider the evidence,
deliberate and reach a decision as to guilt.
(g) If doubt exists on any particular point the Judiciary Chairman may recall the parties before reaching
a decision.
(h) The Judiciary at it discretion adjourn any hearing, have player or Club reproduce video evidence
deemed to be available but not produced, or for any reason it considers good purpose would be
served in helping it reach a decision or penalty.
(i) Upon reaching a decision, the Chairman shall re-call all parties to the room and inform them of its
decision. If found guilty the player/representative may then address on the question of penalty,
produce character references, good record etc.
(j) All parties shall again leave the hearing whilst the Judiciary Committee considers the question of
penalty.
(k) The parties shall then be recalled and informed of the decision as to penalty.
(l) The Judiciary Committee shall determine if any Club Official or other observer including the press
may attend at Judiciary hearing.
(m) All proceedings of hearings shall be recorded and kept in security until the appeal period has
expired.
(n) When a penalty is imposed on a player, he is to be informed that he has the right of appeal and
should consult his Club Secretary regarding the proper procedure.
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