ITADOC1.-PATHWAYTOPLAYTOUCHFORIRELAND
ITADOC1.1-NationalPlayingSquadsSelectionPolicy
IntendedAudience–ITAMembers
INTRODUCTION:
TheITArecognizesthatselectioninarepresentativeteamisthepinnacleofahugeamountofhard
workandtraining.‘Selection’asdefinedinthispolicyistheprocessundertakentoensurethebest
available players are chosen to represent Ireland. This policy is designed to ensure that all teams
representingIrelandareselectedunderafairandequitableprocessforallplayers.
1.0
SELECTIONOBJECTIVES
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
1.6
ToselectathletesthatwillformteamstoachievethebestpossibleresultsforIrelandinWorldCups,
EuropeanChampionships,HomeNationsandotherInternationalmatches/events.
To select athletes for development events that have the best chance of contributing to major
tournamentsuccessinfuture.
Toemployanopen,practicalandfairselectionprocessthatgivesallathletesachancetochallenge
forInternationalselection.
TodevelopselectorsandtoguidetheselectionprocessinIreland.
Tohaveallteamsselectedusingtheselectionprocess.
Tohavecoachestakeanactiveroleintheselectionprocess.
2.0
ITAPLAYERELIGIBILITYREGULATIONS
2.1
2.2
2.3
TobeselectedintoanIrelandTeam,PlayersmustbecurrentfinancialmembersofIrelandTouch.
ItiscompulsoryforallplayerstoattendtheSquadTrials.
SelectionRegistrationtobecompletedwithIrelandnolaterthanonefullweekpriortotheevent.
3.0
PLAYERDISPENSATION
3.1
3.4
AnyplayerunabletoparticipateattheIrelandTrialsmustsubmita‘PlayerDispensation’formtothe
TechnicalPaneloneweekpriortotheevent.
Verbalnotificationfor‘PlayerDispensation’willnotbeacceptedunlessunderextenuating
circumstances.
‘PlayerDispensation’FormswillbereviewedbytheTechnicalPanelwhowillsubmita
recommendationtotheSelectors/Coachesconcerned.
AcceptanceofdispensationdoesnotautomaticallyplaceaplayerintoanyIrelandTeam.
4.0
FITELIGIBILITYCRITERIA
3.2
3.3
For FIT (Federation of International Touch) eligibility criteria for representing a country at
internationallevelinTouch,pleaseseerelevantITAPathwaytoPlayforIreland–Doc1.3.
5.0
PLAYINGDIVISIONS
5.1
5.2
OpenDivision–Playersselectedintothesedivisionsmaybeofanyage.(Mens,Womens&Mixed)
AgeDivisions–PlayersselectedintotheseALLAgedivisionswillbeinaccordancewiththeirdateof
birth.
Ifapersonchoosestoplayinadivisionalagegroupoutsidetheirdivisionbyage,thatpersonwillbe
consideredforthedivisiontheyplayandwillnotbeconsideredfortheircorrectagedivision.
5.3
6.0
6.1.
6.2
6.3
6.4
6.5
6.6
6.7
6.8
SELECTIONFRAMEWORK
TherelevantTrials/SelectiondateswillbepublishedinadvanceandavailabletoathletesfromIreland
Touchbyemailorotherformofcommunication.
PlayerassessmentandtheselectionofIrelandtrainingsquadsistobeconductedbyapproved
SelectorsandSquadCoachesunderthegovernanceoftheTechnicalPanel.
TheSelectorsandSquadCoaches,underthegovernanceoftheTechnicalPanel,areresponsiblefor
establishingthestrategicselectioncriteriaforidentifyingIrelandsquadsandteams.Thiswillinclude
the number of trials which need to be attended, the retention of existing squad players, continuity
anddevelopment.
The Technical Panel has final sign-off on selection criteria and all selections of training squads and
teams.
AnalysisofindividualplayerabilitieswillbegovernedbytherespectiveCoach’swrittenspecificteam
requirementssubmittedpriortotheeventcommencing.
Touchisateamsport.Whilstathletescandoagreatdealtodevelopinanindividualenvironment,
ultimately that athlete has to be able to realise their potential and perform within a team.
Acknowledgementismadethatinselectingforateamsport,combinationsofathletes,thebalanceof
a squad and the ability of athletes to play in more than one position are also considered alongside
individualskilllevel.
AllplayersmustadheretoIrelandTouchcodesofbehaviourasoutlinedintheIrelandTouchPlayers
Agreement.
Player’sconduct,includingconductfromprevioustours,maybetakenintoconsiderationduringthe
selectionprocess.
7.0
TEAMFINALISATION
7.1
TheSelectorsinconjunctionwiththeCoacheswilloverseetheimplementationoftheselection
processandfinalisationofallIrelandTeams.
IrelandSquads+Shadowswillbefinalisedattheconclusionofthedesignatedtrials.Squad/Shadows
generallytoconsistofthetop16players,followedbythenext4players.Insomecases,Squadsmay
trainwithslightlylargernumbers.Insuchcases,theSquadwillbereducedto16+4shadowsnoless
thanonecalendarmonthbeforetheTournamentinquestion.
Athleteswillbenotifiedoftheirselectionornon-selectionassoonaspossiblewithanagreedmethod
ofcommunication.
ConfidentialityofallIreland-selectedplayersmustbestrictlyadheredtobyallSelectorsandCoaches.
FinalIrelandSquadswillberatifiedbytheChairmanofSelectorspriortotheirrelease.
TheCoachofeachsquadwillbeavailabletodiscusstheselectionresultswithaffectedathletes.NonselectedathleteshavetheoptionfordiscussionstobewitnessedbyanotherIrelandTouchSelector
anddocumented.
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
8.0
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
PLAYERREPLACEMENT
Anyselectedplayerthatwithdrawsfromtheselectedplayerlististosupplywrittennotificationof
theirwithdrawaltotheirrespectiveSquadCoach,and/ortheTechnicalPanelimmediately.
TheSelectorswillco-ordinateareplacementplayer(fromthelistofextrassupplied)through
discussionswiththeSquadCoaches.
Shouldareplacementdecisionbeunabletobefinalised/agreedbetweenSelectors/Coaches,thenthe
TechnicalPanelwillbeaskedtomakethefinalselectiondecision.
Playersfromtheoriginalselectedplayerlistwillnotbereplacedunlessallpreviousselectedshadows
havebeentakenupintotheteam.
9.0
9.1
9.2
9.3
9.4.
REVIEWPROCESS
Anathletemayrequestareviewofanygivenselectiondecisionbysubmittinganemailrequestfora
review, including the grounds for a review, to the Chairman of Selectors within 3 days of the
announcementoftherelevantselectiondecision.
ThereviewwillbeundertakenbytheChairmanofSelectorsandtheTechnicalPanelwithin7daysof
receipt of the review request and may at the Chairman of Selectors/Technical Panel’s discretion
includeameetingwiththerelevantathleteorHeadCoach.
The Chairman of Selectors/Technical Panel shall have an unfettered discretion either to uphold or
amendtheoriginalselectiondecisionasaresultofthereviewandwillcommunicatethedecisionto
therelevantathlete(s)andSquadCoachassoonasreasonablypracticable.
ThedecisionoftheChairmanofSelectors/TechnicalPanelisfinalandbindingontheathletebeingan
exerciseofdiscretioninthematterofselection.Itisnotadisciplinaryor‘judicial’findingandassuch
isnotsubjecttoappeal.