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SCC 25 12 17 Agenda and Minutes

December 18, 2025

 

December 17, 2025

Call to order – Al – 8:00 PM CST

Roll Call – Michael

Approval of past SCC minutes – Michael

Chairs’/Officers’ Reports

Secretary – Michael

Admin – 

  • Refund processing
  • Web Contact form responses
  • Jeremy has picked up the ball temporarily
  • Outstanding Club Pays Invoices
  • USAR/RX has provided a partial solution to allow GUs better control

GU configuration of Club or Player Pays Registration 

  • Other

USAR Liaison – Elaine

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
    • ETA Friday
  • Moving forward with discussion on venue for 15’s nationals.  Agreed on cost in principal and to begin working on finer details of agreement.
  • Working on finalizing “minimum standards” document for Super Regionals.
  • Email to follow but 15’s Committee has reviewed a Waiver request from Carolinas regarding their Mens D2 pathway as it conflicts with existing Eligibility regulations.  Modified proposal was sent and Committee believes that the options at hand are beyond the Committee’s powers and will be sending to SCC for final determination.  More to come.
  • Committee has a first draft of a Promotion policy as it applies to 15’s NCS.  Plan to have clean version to Exco and SCC in respective Jan-2026 meetings.
  • Last of the four Regional MOU’s has been received.  Plan to take all four documents and work towards a master document for future reference and publication.
  • Committee has affirmed that the World Rugby Law 3.34 that allows up to 12 Interchanges per match is a GU level decision.  The Committee believes that the current NCS structure shall be retained (8 subs with exceptions) and that none of the four Super Regionals shall be allowed to use the Interchange structure nor shall it be permitted at Club Finals. 
  • Committee (Allison T) will reach out to the Pacific Region as it relates to the upcoming WD1 Regional competition.  As it stands it appears that there are only 3 viable GU’s that can put forward a team.  Goal is to reach agreement on how the 4th team is decided.

7’s Comp – David Fee

  • I have spoken to USA Youth & HS Folks, and we are potentially looking to combine our events in August at the Maryland facility.  Exciting stuff to bring all 7s together in one place
  • I also spoke to McPhail briefly about partnering with a venue for 5+ years or so:
    • Stop “renting” vs owning
    • Putting $$$ to better use
    • Growing the Game Together
    • Partnering with Youth & HS

Eligibility – Tam

  • REMINDER: USA Club Rugby Website: Resources Page. https://usaclub.rugby/resources/
    • This page continues to be updated, please review for information such as 2025-26 waiver decisions, international clearances, professional (MLR) players, 3.4.3. Recognized Competitive Match form, U18 player waiver form, senior club waiver form, etc.
  • ACTION ITEM: SCC Requirement: 7s Eligibility/RX Officer
    • Each GU/TU fielding competitive sevens clubs must have a sevens eligibility/RX officer(s) by 31-January-2026.
    • The 7s officer will work with eligibility and RX. We will set up an email group for general topic discussion/help, but we will have at least one group call to discuss how we need RX to be used: setting up and the naming of 7s teams, Q tournaments, approved recognized competitive tournaments (cross-checked w/the 7s committee), roster entry requirements/deadline, locking roster deadlines, etc.
    • Will set up a call to discuss how we need/want to proceed with these groups and the standards we expect everyone to follow.
    • RX/CMS for club sevens training sessions, and discussion/review of club sevens eligibility guidelines and competitions policies will be scheduled in February. 
  • Call for SCC Vote: Adopt the 2026 Club Sevens Regulations.

Treasurer – Tim

  • 2025 11 Nov USA Club Rugby Assoc Statement of Activity
  • 2025 11 Nov USA Club Rugby Assoc Statement of Financial Position

Discipline – Megan

  • Working with 15s on Super Regionals
  • Call out to Union Presidents for JO training
  • Reviewing a number of reg 18s

Governance – KJ

  • Working on developing onboarding presentation based off of AGM presentation from WRCRA Conference 2025

DEI – Robert

  • Proposed DEI Committee Slate December 2025
  • Full detail DEI_Committee_Slate December 2025
    • Jonathan Enari – Midwest
    • Diana Roman – Capital
    • Emma Footit – Rocky Mountain
  • Motion: Committee Second: NorCal  Approved by acclamation
    • Approval of DEI Committee Slate

Vice Chair – Wes

  • No Report

USAR Director Report – Rick

  • December 11 Board Meeting.
    • Chair’s report
      • World Rugby leadership discussions about RWC and Grow the Game funding
      • Pies continues to get smaller – looking to have concrete number in January
    • CEO Report
      • Community T&E position filled: Keving Battle
      • Publicity/Marketing – Paris Maguire to lead national team work, Calder Cahill to focus on community rugby
      • Preliminary report on Sanctioning policy work – aiming to January action item
    • Governance/policy
      • Updated Conflict of Interest and Code of Conduct
      • Report on Athlete Safety (“Transgender”) policy
      • Safesport audit/certification – USAR Compliant
    • Finance/Risk
      • Projected to end the year with $3.8 million in reserves compared to a negative ($0.5) million in reserves 3 years ago. $3.8 million in reserves equates to 2.3 months in reserves
        • Best practice/goal is 3-6 months in reserves.
        • Given our concentration of revenue from WR, best practice would be to get closer to the 6 months of reserves.
      • World Rugby funding flat while player & travel costs are subject to inflationary increases.
      • Received $250K grant from the Mark Cuban Foundation
      • Denis Shanagher appointed to WR A&R Committee
    • High Performance
      • Reviewed player/coach/match official pathway planning – continues to be National Team focused
  • Other
    • Launched another review/planning effort – pro bono from McKinsey & Co

 

USAR Referee and Laws Committee (RLC) – David Chapman

  • A month or so ago, the 15s Comp Committee ok’ed the revision to the Tech Zone policy to simplify it for events and weekly use. I’m on a Tech Zone Materials Working Group chaired by Rosalind Anderson with three others to discuss the setup and operations of TZs, albeit for high-level USAR events. Before I publish the revision, I will be talking with this group for possible issues and looking at processes that we might adopt.
  • I will be submitting the 12-interchange policy for review by the RLC’s Laws Working Group, the Comp (15s) and Elig Committees, and then on to the ExCo for review and possible SCC approval. The goal is to adopt the policy – as optional – for post-May 2026 regionals and to provide a national standard for weekly use. Capital and others have used it since the 2023-2024 cycle without any major issues.

Chair report – Al

  • CA draft sent to Bill Goren
  • Review of KPIs
  • Expand community involvement at International events

New Business

Adjourned

  • Motion: NorCal. Second: SoCal
    • Meeting adjourned at 9:38 PM CST

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