SCC 24 11 20 Agenda and Minutes

November 20, 2024

Call to order – Al – 8:01 PM CST

Roll Call – Michael

• Meeting Attendance -SCC 24 11 20 Agenda and Minutes.pdf and Conflict of Interest statements 

Approval of past SCC minutes – Michael

• Last Meeting Minutes – SCC 24 10 16 Agenda and Minutes – USA Club Rugby
  • Motion: Texas. Second: Carolinas. Approved

Chairs’/Officers’ Reports

Secretary – Michael

• Website Competition pages updated. Please review for accuracy 
  • https://usaclub.rugby/xvs/
  • https://usaclub.rugby/7s/
• NDA Tracker status
  • Contact Nick directly with issues
• Action item from SCC 24 10 16: Michael to create Google Doc or other instrument to collect ideas to resolve sanction issues
  • See link Policy Suggestions
  • Policy Suggestions responses
  • Action item from ExCo 24 11 04: Wes and David McPhail to use information collected from Policy Suggestions form and put together a draft sanctions policy. 
    • Rick suggests coordinating with USAR

15’s Comp – Andrew/David M

• • Andrew and David have been working successfully  toward January 1st transition
  • Proposal: The deadline for committing a GU’s intention to send a divisional champion (or the applicable alternative structure) to regionals to be moved up to December 1. If a team is to be added after December 1 it would take the unanimous consent of the impacted GU’s and the XV’s Comp Committee. Failure to have a team attend would result in a fine to the GU that would be at the discretion of the XV’s Comp Committee depending on time until Regionals, but no less than $1k. 
    • Motion: Capital. Second: SoCal. Approved
  • Proposed Structure as of Today. Unions to keep us updated of changes and final seeding. 

• • • Atlantic

• • • • MD1: Champion of NE/Empire league vs Champion of EPRU/Capital League
      • WD1: 1 league spanning all 4 unions
      • MD2: Champions from New England, Empire, Eastern Penn, Capital
      • WD2: Champions from New England, Empire, Eastern Penn, Capital
      • MD3: Champions from New England, Empire, Eastern Penn, Capital
      • WD3: (No NCS Pathway): Champions from New England, Empire, Eastern Penn, Capital
      • MD4: (No NCS Pathway): Champions from New England, Empire, Eastern Penn, Capital

• • • Gulf

• • • • MD1: Texas Champion; Florida Hybrid D1 Champion; (Discussion ongoing)
      • WD1: D1 Champion of Texas Hybrid league
      • MD2: Champions from Texas, Florida, Carolinas, True South
      • WD2: Champions from Texas, Florida, Carolinas, True South
      • MD3: Champions from Texas, Florida, Carolinas, True South, Georgia (play-in match between last year’s #4 and #5)

• • • North

• • • • MD1: Midwest Champion vs RMR Hybrid league D1 Champion
      • WD1: Midwest Hybrid Champion
      • MD2: Champions from Midwest, Mid-America, RMR, Midwest #2
      • WD2: Champions from Midwest, Mid-America, RMR, Midwest #2
      • MD3: Champions from Midwest, Mid-America, RMR, Midwest #2
    • Pacific
      • MD1: NorCal Hybrid D1 Champion, PNRFU Hybrid D1 Champion, SoCal Champion, SoCal #2
      • WD1: SoCal Champion, NorCal Champion, PNRFU Hybrid D1 Champion. (Proposal to have RMR Champion come to make 4 teams)
      • MD2: Champions from NorCal, SoCal, PNRFU, Southwest
      • WD2: Champions from NorCal, SoCal, PNRFU, SouthWest
      • MD3: Champions from NorCal, SoCal, PNRFU, SouthWest
• We are now slated to have 3 Super Regionals, CRAA Nationals and LA 7’s on the same May 3rd/4th weekend. 
  • Note: NCR 7s Championships is April 26, 27, 28
  • Potential Referee scheduling issue
  • Where possible, please consider adjusting the Super Regional dates
• Nationals weekend before Memorial Day

7’s Comp – David F

• RFP for 7s National Championship is out, 
  • Only received one back – Madison
  • Due December 1st
• Action items once committee set:
  • TOR’s
  • Eligibility
  • Select Championship site via RFP’s
• Presenting the following committee structure for approval. Geographically diverse. 
  • 1 Dave Fee – Chair
  • 2 Kerri O’Malley – Florida/South
  • 3 Dave Codell – South/MA
  • 4 Fil Kueppens – Texas/RR
  • 5 Pat Boyle – Mid Atlantic
  • 6 Carly MacKinnon – PAC NW
  • 7 Justin Boyd – SO CAL
  • 8 Nick Johnson – ROCKY MTN
  • 9 Steve Lewis – NorthEast
  • Dave McPhail – XVs Chair, Non Voting
  • Motion: Texas. Second: True South. Approved

Treasurer – David D

• 2024/25 Proposed Budget
  • Proposed Budget
  • Questionnaire
  • Questionnaire Responses 
  • Motion: NorCal. Second: Carolinas. Approved
• Proposed Uniform Refund Policy:
  • Proposed Refund Policy:  2024-11-03 – Proposed Refund Policy.docx 
  • Tabled to December for further SCC review
• Revised Sept. 2024 Financial Statements:*
  • Sept. 2024 Monthly Statement (Revised)
  • Sept. 2024 Statement of Financial Condition (Revised)
• Oct. 2024 Financial Statements:
  • Oct. 2024 Monthly Statement 
  • Oct. 2024 Statement of Financial Condition  
• Membership Report:
  • Nov. 19, 2024: YOY Registration Comparison (2023/24 v. 2024/25) – Running 11% ahead of last year at this time:  
  • 2024-11-19 – YOY Comparison of Membership Registrations (to SCC) – 2023-24 v. 2024-25 
• 2023 Tax Returns:
  • A copy of the tax return is available on request by emailing treasurer@usaclub.rugby
• Other Report Items:
  • Community Agreement Renewal / Potential National Office Dues Increase
  • Additional Policies Forthcoming:
    • Reimbursement Policy (EXCO Approval Only)
    • Conflict of Interest Policy
    • Whistleblower Policy
    • Document Destruction Policy

Discipline – Megan

• Wrapped up all discipline classes for 2024
• No dates for 2025 classes yet
• Lots of Regulation 18. (Misconduct And Code Of Conduct) and referee abuse issues
  • Working with local unions to address
• Helping mentor local unions on process and procedures. 
• Sitting in on 10+ calls a week
  • Primarily hearings.
• Inviting local unions to sit in on calls to learn
• Working on standardization of DC training 
  • We have had over 75 people take the course, and we have seen that because of the training and education we have provided there is more of a streamline process and procedure so far being carried out across all union representatives that have taken it.
  • There is still more work to be done, and training courses will continue to happen in 2025. 
  • Course dates have not been set as of yet, but once they have, I will provide those dates in an future update

Governance – KJ

• New Committee Members – Alyssa McMullen (Mid-West), Kevin Raymond (SoCal)
  • Motion: Texas. Second: SoCal. Approved
• Please review Nomination Process draft
• Utah
  • Governance received an LAU application from Utah. 
  • We had a discussion about LAU versus GU in our committee meeting. 
  • Utah wants to create a structure and be formally recognized as an entity. They stated in a year or two, they would like to officially be a GU. 
  • Part of the process outlined is questions from EXCO, Governance and Competitions within 60 days of application. 
  • 90 days to act 
  • Estimated for proposal to SCC on February call

Eligibility – Tam

• USA Youth & High School Rugby have updated their regulations. 
• They are a parallel organization to USA Club Rugby under the USA Rugby umbrella 
• 2024-25 USA Rugby Youth and High School (YHS) Policy.
  • Effective immediately, the guidelines below are pertinent to Adult rugby:
  • Players of any age competing in Adult (college and/or senior club) rugby will no longer be eligible for Youth/High School rugby.
  • Players under the age of 18, but who are at least 17 years of age, may not participate in contact activities with any Adult rugby club without an approved USA Rugby Waiver for Exceptional Players.
  • Players under the age of 19, but who are at least 17 years of age, may not play in the front row without a waiver from USA Club Rugby.
  • Coaches allowing any player under the age of 18 to participate in Adult rugby contact activities (practice, games, all codes), or any player under the age of 19 to play in the front row without the approved waiver are subject to sanction.
  • Youth/high school players who participate with a senior club, even if solely for non-contact activities, must register with senior club rugby as the USA Rugby Youth/High School insurance does not apply to Adult rugby.
  • In both scenarios involving players under the age of 18 (contact/non-contact) all members of the senior club must complete the Safe Sport for Players module before the waiver will be approved.
  • These eligibility guidelines apply for the full year: Fall to Fall.
• To align with the USA Rugby YHS policy, we are seeking approval to update the 2024-25 Senior Club Rugby Regulations:
  • USAR Youth_HS Policy 2024-25.pdf
  • ELIGIBILITY COMMITTEE.20.NOV.2024.pdf
  • U18 Exceptional Player_U19 Front Row Waiver.pdf  (Does not restore eligibility. Only to allow U18 to play with adults)
• Motion to approve the changes
  • Motion: Capital. Second: Midwest. Approved

DEI – Holly

• No Report

Vice Chair – Wes

• Working on Sanctioning doc

Board Report – Rick

• Board Meeting November 7.
  • New M7s coach Simon Amor was introduced. First priority is preparation for the first stop of the series and Setting team culture, mind set and style of play.
  • CEO report
    • Developing plan based on core rugby values
    • Staffing updates – close to hire on Compliance Officer and Operations Manager
    • Consultant has provided initial report on philanthropy – recommending a fundraising ‘board’ to oversee
    • USOPC – submitted draft bylaws for review – expect to be certified 12/26
    • WR Chair election upcoming – note outcome has been announced with Brett Robinson of Australia elected chair. Bob Latham termed out on executive council with Sally Dennis of Canada elected to step into the slot.
  • Budget report – 2024 forecast shows performance ahead of budget with revenues at $8.6m and expenses at $7.8m. Continuing to project a shortfall for ‘25 fiscal year.
• High Performance
  • Presented USOPC post-Olympic player survey results – mixed.
  • Joint management committee not discussed.
• Committee Activities
  • Governance working group.
    • Draft bylaws for USOPC review – retains supermajority requirements for bylaw amendments and any dues changes. Continue to consider separating member insurance coverage from member registration fees (dues). For example, if club member registration fess of $45 include $18 to cover insurance premiums, set dues at $27 and separate out insurance premiums to float as rates change.
    • Nominating committee – no new activity – structure change proposed in draft bylaws presented to USOPC. 5 members to consist of current council BOD members rather than non- board members

USAR Liaison – Elaine

• Working through sanctioning issues 
• I’m working through a full review on the USA website and making recommendations on how to make it more user friendly/get rid of old info, etc.
• I’ll be sending compliance report emails out in the couple of days post meeting. 

USAR Referee and Laws – David Chapman

• R&L is meeting on December 3; that will be my first one. The agenda has not been released yet.
• Super Regional scheduling 

Chair report – Al

• Welcoming input on sanctioning 

New Business

• None

Adjourned

• Motion: NorCal. Second: Capital
  • Meeting adjourned at 10:02 PM CST