There has been a recent fixture where under age players (u14) were allowed compete in an under 16 game, this has now been addressed with the clubs concerned.
Statement from Keith Hule, North Wales Junior Chairman (pictured)
All clubs:
To remind everyone of the rulings: A player is only allowed to play up one age group, if a game has a mixed age groups then the oldest age group sets the game, for example a game of u15's & u16's would be an under 16 game, under 14's or below and u17's or above would not be allowed to play in any circumstances.
The WRU have introduced a rider to that ruling regarding under 8's who are not allowed to play up a year as contact rugby is not to be played by any age group below under 9.
Current sanctions available to the WRU Junior Association for those clubs breaking this ruling include:
•£50 fine for each overage or underage player found to be playing.
•£50 fine for a team found to be playing underage or overage players.
•£100 for a club playing underage or overage players in teams.
•£50 for a team playing against underage or overage players.
•£100 for a club allowing a team to play against underage or overage players.
•Suspension of all Mini & Junior rugby for repeated breaches of the ruling.
Can I please stress the importance of checking player eligibility to play in a game by means of their ID cards then the problems noted above would not occur.
Below is a statement via the WRU regarding the above.
Keith Hulse
Registration Secretary, Gogledd Cymru
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31st October 2012
STATEMENT: (from email 31.10.12)
The provision that a Mini or Junior player may "play up" a year was a decision of the Union's General Committee and has been in place for the entire period of my employment with the Union, now more than 23 years.
Some 2 or 3 years ago the Union's Regulatory and Game Policy Committees reaffirmed the policy but added a rider in that players in the Under 8 age group may not play up into the Under 9 year.
The rationale for the rider being that the union does not want players to play any form of contact rugby until they enter the under 9 age group.
The concept of playing up must be considered on the basis of what is in the best interests of the player rather than there being any reference to the needs of the team.
I am aware that in very recent times the IRB has requested all Unions to report on their policies of players playing in and out of their age groups, that reporting process will stimulate further Committee discussion of this matter.
Peter Owens
WRU
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