1. Laws of the Game

Matches will be played under the laws of Rugby Football as framed by the International Rugby Football Board. The laws will be adapted to seven a side rugby as framed by the NSWRU Model Rules.

2. Carnival Format

Country/Suburban Mens Open Division – 24 x Teams from Metropolitan suburban competitions and country competitions.
The country/suburban division will be seeded into 8 pools of 3 teams, each team will play 2 pool games (Seeding of teams is the sole responsibility of the Organising Committee).

* After the pool rounds;

8 Teams seeded 1 will play off for the Premier Division.

8 Teams seeded 2 will play off for the Bowl Division.

8 Teams seeded 3 will play off for the Plate Division.

* Winners of the Quarter Finals in each division will proceed to the Semi Finals.
* Winners of the Semi Finals will proceed to the Final.

Prize Money

Premier Division – 1st $3000, 2nd $1000, 3rd & 4th Each receive $500.

Bowl Division - 1st $750, 2nd $250

Plate Division - 1st $500, 2nd $250

Highest placed Mid North Coast team wins $500 (New)

Women’s Division – 8 x Women Senior Teams
The Women’s teams will be seeded into 2 pools of 4 teams

* Teams in each pool will play each other in the rounds and then will be seeded 1, 2.
* The team placed 1st in their pool will play a team placed 2nd in their pool in the Semi Finals.
* Winners of the Semi Finals will proceed to the Final.
* Prize money –Women’s Division – 1st - $1000, 2nd - $500

NB The organising committee reserve the right to alter this format depending on the number of teams entered.

3. Team & Participant Registration

* All teams competing must be registered to a rugby club that is affiliated to an Australian or State Rugby Union or an affiliated body.
* No invitational team entries will be accepted.

* All participants must be registered on the Team Player Registration Forms for each game.

* Each participant must be a registered rugby person listed in My Rugby Admin.

* Each partipant must have their own personal insuirance to cover their expenses and to compensate them for any injury, disability, workers compensation and long term incapacitating injury.

As a minimum this is to equate to the level of cover provided under the ARU Insurance Scheme, for more info please refer

http://www.rugby.com.au/community_rugby/policies_and_procedures/insurance,

598.html

* If the participant is from overseas (and not covered with Medicare), they have some form of gap insurance that covers those costs that would otherwise be met through Medicare.

* All participants that are part of a team belonging to an affiliated club must be registered with that club and their details must appear in the ARU database My Rugby Admin.

4. Points System
Win = 3 points, Draw = 2 points, Loss = 1 point, Forfeit = 0 points.

5. Playing Times
a)  Pool games, Quarter Finals, Semi Finals, Women’s Final, Bowl & Plate Final will all consist of two 7 minutes halves, 1 minute break for half-time. Premier division final will consist of two 10 minutes halves, 1 minute break for half-time.
b)  Games on both fields will start every 17 minutes, thus allowing a 2 minute break between games. Each half ends immediately when the siren blows (i.e. there is no injury time, the ball is dead when the siren blows).
c)  The time keeper will be sole judge of time. The Organising Committee reserves the right to reduce playing times due to weather conditions or if the carnival is running behind time.
d)  The Organising Committee reserves the right to eliminate a team if the team is not ready to proceed onto the field 5 minutes prior to the advertised time.

6. Sign Ons
a)  A very strict program must be observed. Teams can register a maximum of 11 players (this is new, previous CH7's, 12 players were allowed to be registered with only 10 to play in each game. Now 11 players can be registered & play in each game) for the tournament. Each team must also provide 1 Touch Judge and 1 Football per game.
b)  At least 20 minutes before each game (i.e. before the start of the proceeding game), the team manager must register the 11 players that will run on (i.e. 7 plus 4 reserves) plus their touch judge on the team sheets provided. No more than 7 players can be on the playing field at any time.
c)  Any team playing an unregistered player will be disqualified from the competition.

7. Drawn Matches
a)  There is no extra time in pool, quarter final & semi final matches. Drawn Semi finals will be decided according to most tries is the winner, if tries are equal – first try scorer, if no tries – first points, if no points – flip a coin.
b)  There will be 3 minutes extra time each way for a drawn Final for all divisions. If a draw remains after the extra time, the Final will be decided according to most tries is the winner, if tries are equal – first try scorer, if no tries – first points, if no points – declared joint winners and prize money split.

8. Drawn Teams in a Pool
If teams are drawn on equal points after all the pool games have been played, the winner will be decided on the best for and against ratio from all 3 pool games played, if teams have the same for and against ratio– flip a coin.

9. Kick Off’s, Penalty Kicks, Conversion Kicks
All kick-offs, penalty kicks and conversion kicks must be taken by a drop kick and completed within 40 seconds of being awarded. The referee shall allow the kicking side a reasonable time to obtain possession of the ball.

10. Games Starting
There will be no lining up of teams in the centre of the field to shake hands until the Finals. The toss involving the Referee and 2 captains of the teams must occur before the teams take the field.

11. Restarts
The scoring team will take the kick off to restart play.

12. Injury Time
There is no time off allowed for injuries. If a serious injury occurs and an ambulance is required the game will be declared finished and the current score will remain.

13. Interchange
a)  Players are able to interchange with reserves during the game. This can only occur when one team scores points. Note that a total of only 10 players can take the field during one game. All reserves from both teams must be within the interchange area near the official scorer’s desk. A reserve can not take the field until the replaced player has entered the interchange area.
b)  Players are not allowed to reserve or play for other teams during the day, they must only play with the team they originally signed-on with.
 If a player registered with one team takes the field of play for another team, both teams are disqualified for the remainder of the tournament.
c)  The minimum number of players to commence a game is 5. NB the laws require a minimum of 3 players in a scrum; 2 players in a line-out.

14. Send Offs, Sin Bins & Blood Bins
Send Offs: Should a player receive a “red card” the player will be sent from the field of play and take no further part in the tournament.  His/Her place in the team and registered squad will not be replaced.  A player who receives a Red Card will be referred to their local judiciary committee. 

Sin Bins: Should a player receive a “yellow card” the player must leave the field of play and take no further part in the match.  Should a player receive “2 Yellow Cards” during the course of the tournament he/she will be suspended for one match.  Should a player receive “3 Yellow Cards” he/she will be suspended for the duration of the tournament.  The duration of a sin bin will be 2 minutes, after which a replacement player may enter the field of play.

Yellow Cards are accumulative, and will be advised to the player’s home union.

Blood Bins: In the event of a player being sent to the “Blood Bin”, he/she will have 5 minutes to return to the field of play.  Half time will not be included in the 5 minute period.

15. Disputes
The Competition Organising Committee will adjudicate all disputes and the Committee’s decision will be final.

16. Prizes
Prizes & Cheques will be awarded immediately after the Premier Division Final.

17. $500 to Highest Placed Mid North Coast Team (New)

As an incentive to attract more local teams, there is $500 on offer to the highest placed Mid North Coast team, in addition to other prize money gained on the day.

Teams qualifying in the Premier division will be deemed higher than any place in the Bowl or Plate divisions. Similarly teams qualified in the Bowl are deemed higher than any place in the Plate.

If teams are drawn after their last match, the winner will be decided on the best for and against ratio from all games played, if teams have the same for and against ratio– flip a coin.

18. Medical
Each team must provide a qualified medical officer.  The Tournament Committee will provide 2 Qualified Medical Officers during the course of the tournament that will be stationed in front of the club house.

19.  Match Officials
The Mid North Coast Rugby Union Referees Association will appoint Match Officials.

20. Playing Area
Only players and trainers/medical officers are permitted within the roped-off playing area.

21. Tournament Committee
The tournament Committee reserves the right to alter the format of the tournament in the event of unusual weather, or any other unexpected circumstances.  Any team found to be in breach of the above tournament rules may be disqualified from participation in the tournament.