NERFU Social Match Sanctioning Form »
USA Rugby 3.4.3 Qualifying Match Request Form »
No fees are assessed and no fixtures are denied by NERFU if they’re between two clubs in good standing.
NERFU Social Match Sanctioning #
It’s important that all rugby matches played are sanctioned – and subsequently logged in Rugby Xplorer – in order to leverage USA Rugby insurance and to comply with Disciplinary policies. Beyond meeting minimum requirements, it’s beneficial to all clubs and players to maintain a record of achievements.
The NERFU Club Sanctioning Form should be used by clubs who wish to schedule a “social match’. A social match is any fixture that takes place outside of union scheduled competitive play and tournaments. This includes: Friendlies, Test Matches, and matches with teams from outside of our Union which are hosted by a NERFU member club.
(Note, if the Home Team is not a member of NERFU, you must request sanctioning from the union of the non-NERFU home team instead. If the fixture is with an informal team which is not registered with any union, please email
admin@nerfu.rugby and your division director. We’ll review the situation with you and work towards ensuring we can get it set up in RX correctly and all players kept safe.)
Unsanctioned Match Risks: #
- Injured players cannot leverage their medical insurance coverage as provided with their USA Rugby membership
- Certificates of Insurance issued for your venue partners are not valid for unsanctioned matches
- Being unsanctioned exposes your club to litigation
- Foul Play and Misconduct cannot be enforced – meaning if a player from an opposing team breaks the leg of one of your players with an illegal tackle, they potentially go scott-free
- Unsanctioned matches can’t count against suspension terms – meaning you effectively extend the suspension of your own players by a week
USA Rugby Rule 3.4.3 Qualifying Matches #
Eligibility for players to participate in the USA Club Rugby National Championship Series (NCS), including Super Regional competitions (such as the Atlantic Super Regional), is met in part by participating in qualifying matches. These matches need to be flagged at the national level and as such, teams must alternatively request match sanctioning from USA Club Rugby using the link above.
