May 21, 2025
Call to order – Al – 8:00 PM CST
Roll Call – Michael
- Meeting Attendance – 2024 / 2025 Season and Conflict of Interest statements
Approval of past SCC minutes – Michael
- Last Meeting Minutes – SCC 25 4 16 Agenda and Minutes – USA Club Rugby
- Motion: Norcal. Second: Carolinas. Approved
Chairs’/Officers’ Reports
USAR Liaison – Elaine
- No Report – On vacation
Secretary – Michael
- Reminder on time management
- Tracking action Items in Action Item Tracker
- Completed items are there. Just filtered out
- Eligibility for NCS
- Working with Tam and DC created an improved document management process. Part of it is a hierarchy for clubs to store their eligibility files including templates. Limited screenshot below of committee view. Clubs were given access to only their folders. GU admins to their SRs and down.
- Looking at using RX next year for at least some of the validation.
- Club Competition Recaps
- Atlantic Super Regional 2025 Preview – USA Club Rugby
- Gulf Coast Super Regional 2025 Preview – USA Club Rugby
- Northern Super Regional 2025 Preview – USA Club Rugby
- Pacific Super Regional 2025 Preview – USA Club Rugby
- National Championship 2025 Preview – USA Club Rugby
- Link to full Archive: Club Comp Recaps Archives – USA Club Rugby
- Stats grabbed May 13th
- Action Item: Put in a request for a plugin or feed for the Website from live RX?
15’s Comp – David McPhail
- Action Item from SCC 24 02 19: 15s committee to create document with minimum Super Regional standards to go with budget increase
- Will be developed after 2025 cycle
- USA National Championship Results:
- RX Results
- MD1 – Belmont Shore 27 Old Blue 12
- WD1 – Utah Vipers 45 NOVA 36
- MD2 – Atlanta Old White 39 Boise United 8
- WD2 – Las Vegas Irish 31 Phoenixville Whitehorse 24
- MD3 – Columbia Rhinos 39 Scottsdale Blues 19
- National Championship Planning / Schedule
- USA Club Rugby National Championship Structure & Scheduling Proposal (2026–2028).docx
- Scheduling proposal was shared with both Exco and SCC at prior meetings; approved.
- Based on the document and need to have balance in the schedule and increase referee availability suggest we break the regions into defined dates:
- Committee suggests Pacific & Gulf Coast take the earlier SR dates being April 24-26.
- Local GU playoffs; April 12th weekend
- Committee suggests Northern & Atlantic take the earlier SR dates being May 1-3.
- Local GU playoffs; April 19th weekend
- Nationals on May 15-17; site TBD pending bids
- MOU’s
- Fifteens committee will begin reaching out to each of the four SR’s to discuss drafting of each regions document over June & July. Final drafts will be due in August and implementation by Sept-1st.
- RFP’s for Nationals 2026
- Plan to get out RFPs by the end of June. Gather over summer and start the selection process by no later than Sept 1st.
- 2026-27 Eligibility Reg’s
- Planning a kick off meeting with Tam’s group on June 4th to work on regulations for next season. Planning on first meeting June 4th with completion date on June 17th
7’s Comp – David Fee
- Declaration to Compete July 1 – Swick to get out next week to not step on anything XV
- Tournaments are posted
- Competitions – USA CLUB RUGBY Webpage
- Qualifiers – USA CLUB Rugby Webpage
- Rugby Rx – committed to use for 7s, want to avoid issues with Eligibility
- Ideas to make the National Championship Event Better
- Proposing a National Planning Doc – Schedule and reference document to point towards and a precursor to MOU’s for the regions
Eligibility – Tam
- The 15s and eligibility committees will begin working on the 2025-26 fifteens competitions and eligibility guidelines with a goal of having a draft to the SCC by July 1st.
- Any suggestions or input from the SCC will be added to the discussions.
- RX refresh date is right after club 7s then back up a few days after
- Action Item: Request from NorCal for Eligibility Committee to consider eliminating the residency requirements
Treasurer – Tim
- April 2025 bookkeeping is complete.
Discipline – Megan
- Nationals
- Team check-ins worked out well.
- Onsite 1 red card, 4 citings and all hearings on site.
- No missed cards
- To all Presidents, we are doing disciplinary training. Free with union approval. Contact me for more information.
Governance – KJ
- Action Item from SCC 25 04 16: KJ (Governance) to send info to Michael (Secretary) to post a request for nominations
- Michael received two drafts from KJ and is working with her
- DEI, Governance, Eligibility and Discipline chairs up for reelection
- Utah is in process
DEI –
- No Report
Vice Chair – Wes
- SRs went well. Particularly Pacific
Board Report – Rick
- Board Meeting April 24.
- Council reports
- Each council reported on their progress and activities.
- Chair’s report
- Discussed World Rugby update affirming WR’s strategy going forward including USA world cup events.
- Discussed transgender policies and possible changes from WR, USOPC and NCAA.
- Working toward a July 19 stakeholders meeting in DC.
- CEO report
- Reviewed draft strategic plan in anticipation of July 19 stakeholders meeting.
- USAR 50th anniversary celebration.
- Sanctioning Policy Working group active and coordinating with the Club Council Chair.
- Discussion about transgender policy – under review.
- Finance report
- No material change in forecast since last update. Still on track to meet the budget for the year.
- A&R Committee approved and recommends the board reappoint Waugh & Goodwin as our independent audit firm for our 2024 financial statements
- D&O – flat renewal thru 1/1/27. Huge win given recent lawsuits.
- Saved $5K on Dropbox licensing
- Received first tranche of Michelle Kang’s W7s donation.
- Council reports
- Nominations and Governance committee.
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- “At-large/independent” Director recruitment open. 95 applications received to date.
- Meeting every other Monday on the director search.
- Affiliate director to be opened to relevant organizations (MLR, WER PR7’s) in June.
- Other
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- Met with Al Lucas and Bill Goren re: strategic vision and club community.
- Bill Goren and Board Leadership met with World Rugby leadership in Los Angeles. The Super Rugby franchise in the USA idea was broached.
- Men’s 7s head coach left and was replaced with Zach Test
- Please note USA Rugby has launched a search for a person to fill a vacant ‘at-large’, or independent, member of the Board of Directors. This is a spot reserved for someone not currently affiliated with a USAR constituent body or organization. The position description, an outline of the ideal candidate profile, and a form to submit expressions of interest can be accessed through this application link:
USAR Referee and Laws Committee (RLC) – David Chapman
- 20250519 RLC Meeting
- Highlights
- RLC governance structure could change
- Monthly referee seminars are going well
- Nominations and voting will be coming out in June or sooner
- Few complaints have been received so far about the referee assignments for the Super Regionals and the Championship. Looking for feedback
Chair report – Al
- Action Item from SCC 24 08 21: ExCo to look into covering players even when non registered players are involved
- Sent email to Bill Goren to secure a quote. Ex. New players showing up for first practice and an injury occurs
- Great work done by everyone working on SRs and Nationals
- Rick and I had a call with Bill Goren about the strategic plan. He’s working to get us more support.
- Committee chairs up for reelection. Current chairs have done a great job. Job descriptions will be going out
- Not a lot of information on stakeholders meeting. In process.
- Great conversations at Nationals about go forward plans and how to improve. ExCo will be working on it
New Business
- Extension of Competitions Recaps for 7s:
- Motion to cover cost of 7s for summer.
- Monthly articles by region. 8 regions.
- Will approach 15s extension in August
- Motion: Norcal Second: Socal Approved
Adjourned
- Motion: NorCal. Second: Florida
- Meeting adjourned at 9:42 PM CST
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