Touch returns after a successful first year and we cannot wait to see you all on the pitch!

Date and Location

Saturday 28th October 2023

Riverside Sports Complex, Nottingham, NG7 2TG

https://goo.gl/maps/sfRwKLeojas7UpT68

Playing Surfaces

All games will be played on grass surfaces.

Accepted Entries

The below teams are accepted as entrants for this competition.

Teams are listed in the order in which they are ranked for the pool draw (see Sport Specific Regulations for method.)

1. Loughborough 1 2. Nottingham Trent 1 - Timberwolves 3. Durham 1 - Knights 4. Cambridge 1 5. Birmingham 1 - Lions 6. Edinburgh 1 - Stags 7. Loughborough 2 8. Leeds 1 - Headrow 9. Manchester 1 10. Nottingham 1 11. Edinburgh 2 - Wildcats 12. Nottingham Trent 2 - Army 13. Durham 2 - Archers 14. Leeds 2 - Belgrave 15. Birmingham 2 - Pumas 16. Leeds Beckett 1 17. Wolverhampton 1 18. Manchester 2 19. Loughborough 3 20. Loughborough 4

Supporting documentation, rules and regulations

The UTC Season Information Pack can be found here. Sport Specific Regulations can be found here. Sport Specific Affiliations can be found here. FIT 5th Edition International Playing Rules can be found here.

Schedule and Format

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JaNJZb-Rd5ZLzG4o-6izpWdCzmzR0aKFdm4d1uC0vQU/e dit

The 20 Teams are split into 4 Pools of 5 Teams

Teams will play all teams in their Pool during the morning games - The winners of each pool will advance to the Cup Semifinals - The 2nd placed Teams in each pool will advance to the Plate Semifinals - The 3rd placed Teams in each pool will advance to the Bowl Semifinals - The 4th placed Teams in each pool will advance to the Shield Semifinals - The 5th placed Teams in each pool will advance to the Salver Semifinals - All teams will play 6 games - If a team loses their Semifinal, they will still play in a play-off game after.

Current Standings

NA - 2022-23 Season Standings have been used to rank teams for the Pool draw.

BUCS points

BUCS Points are not directly available at this singular event. Please see the UTC Season Information Pack for further information. This event is a qualifying event for the National Championships. Performance in the event and the other respective regional qualifier will determine rankings for the National Championship events. BUCS Points will be awarded after all National Championship events have taken place.

Withdrawals

As of publishing this document, any withdrawals from the event will not be refunded. The schedule and format will not be revised and all the games relating to the withdrawn team will be recorded as ‘Byes’

Refereeing

Player Referee slots will be allocated as per the Sport Specific Regulations. Due to the number of Full-Time Referees attending, it is likely that Player Referees will be required to facilitate the tournament so please be prepared regardless. Teams should ensure that their Player-Referees come prepared with a whistle. Player Referee Allocations will be completed nearer the time of the event.

Teamsheets

Players must be added to teams on the BUCS Play system by 5pm on Tuesday 24th October. These players are then checked against the ETA Membership Database to ensure they have a valid ETA Membership. (Instructions on how to obtain membership are in the Season Info Pack.) Club Captains with be notified of any players not with a membership before the event, it is then their responsibility to sort. Fielding a player without a valid membership may result in a penalty or disqualification. England Touch will then release digital playing teamsheets via this link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rqLaEtonprF_AiYmRE6tK-6ZgA_9ngvYWR5UayUicKs/edit? usp=sharing Team Captains must ensure that each player’s shirt number is filled out before their first game on the event day. This is used to track scoring and MVP records.

On the day timings

REGISTRATION & ARRIVAL TIME 08:00 Teams are required to arrive and Register. The team sheet must be completed with player shirt numbers.

CAPTAIN’S BRIEFING TIME 08:30 Team Captains are required to attend Event Control for a briefing at this time.

FIRST GAME KICK OFF TIME 09:00

LAST GAME KICK OFF TIME 16:50

PRESENTATION CEREMONY 17:30 - 17:45 Presentations will take place in the Club Room off of the bar where the following trophies will be awarded: ● Cup - 1st Place ● Plate - 5th Place ● Bowl - 9th Place ● Shield - 13th Place ● Salver - 17th Place ● Most Valuable Players (Female & Male) (as voted for by opposition teams) ● Most Valuable Referee The ETA would be very grateful if as many teams as possible stayed for the presentations as this adds to the atmosphere and allows teams to celebrate together. Nominating MVPs After each game, team captains will be asked to nominate a female and male player from the opposition. These will be tallied up through the course of the event with the most nominated players receiving an award. This is part of the community we create in Touch Rugby and we think it is very important that this is celebrated.

EVENT CLOSING TIME The event will be closing at 18:00 and the venue will be closed at 18:30.

Venue information

PARKING Parking at the venue, Riverside, is free for all users. Coaches can remain onsite All vehicles must park in the purple highlighted carpark. Only event control and emergency vehicles will be allowed beyond the barrier located at the red line.

FURTHER TRAVEL LINKS For additional information on travel to or from the venue, please visit the University of Nottingham website.

WEATHER, CLOTHING & KIT Weather Please attend the event with the appropriate items of kit that you will need to stay warm and dry throughout the day. All players are permitted to wear any clothing item underneath their playing shirt, that keeps them warm, provided there are no rigid elements to it and it does not cover the shirt number. Kit & Playing Attires Please see Rule 4 of the FIT 5th Edition Playing Rules here for a full breakdown of permitted attire. No jewellery must be worn and it is strongly advised that watches are not worn either. If a participant desperately wishes to wear a watch, this must be covered by a soft wristband, sweatband or medical tape. Boots with screw-in studs are not permitted.

Changing Facilities

CHANGING FACILITIES Full changing facilities, toilets and showers are available at the grounds. Note that all items are left at the owner's risk.

Team are allocated to the following changing rooms: ● Referee Changing 1 - Gender Diverse & Inclusive, single occupancy for anyone to use ● Referee Changing 2 - Female Referees ● Changing Room 1 - Male Referees ● Changing Room 2 - Loughborough Male ● Changing Room 3 - Loughborough Male ● Changing Room 4 - Loughborough Female ● Changing Room 5 - Nottingham Trent Male ● Changing Room 6 - Durham Male ● Changing Room 7 - Nottingham Trent & Durham Female ● Changing Room 8 - Birmingham Male ● Changing Room 9 - Edinburgh Male ● Changing Room 10 - Birmingham & Edinburgh Female ● Changing Room 11 - Manchester Male ● Changing Room 12 - Leeds Male ● Changing Room 13 - Manchester & Leeds Female ● Changing Room 14 - Leeds Beckett & Cambridge Male ● Changing Room 15 - Nottingham & Wolverhampton Male ● Changing Room 16 - LB, Cam, Notts & Wolv Female

Event control

Event Control will be located in the main pavilion as shown on the site map. The event briefing will happen here.

Water Refill

Medical support will be located in the main pavilion physio room as shown on the site map. As part of our commitment to quality and making the day a competitive but safe event, we have secured expert physio, sports therapy and first aid cover for the duration of the event and the season. Please note that there will be a £5.00 charge for taping (free if you supply your own). In the case of needing medical assistance during a game, please notify your nearest events assistant or attend event control.

Food and Drink

Water refill is available in all changing rooms and externally on the pavilion building.

Full food and beverage options may be available at the event, this has not yet been confirmed. We would recommend bringing lunch and after event meals. But further light snacks, tea/coffee may also be available. This will be confirmed shortly.

Code of Behaviour

All participants must comply with the ETA and BUCS Code of Conduct while taking part and supporting at UTC events, the full details can be found at http://www.englandtouch.org.uk/play/code-of-behaviour/ The ETA Code of Behaviour applies to all participants including players, coaches, referees, administrators and supporters and sanctions can be applied to individuals, teams and clubs as necessary. Participant enjoyment should not be compromised at any point and necessary actions will be taken should they be needed to ensure this. The decision will be made by the tournament control. Your cooperation on this matter is greatly appreciated.

Sponsors and Social Media

EVENT SPONSORS - The event is being held in partnership with Sheffield Hallam Sport, they are kindly providing their high performance facilities for the day, please treat the site with respect and make use of the food and drink on offer. SOCIAL MEDIA - Ensure your players are following @universitytouchuk on Instagram for all the latest updates, inside stories and behind the scenes competition.

Please tag: @bucssport @englandtouch @universitytouchuk In your instagram stories, also use the hashtags: #touchrugby #bucssport #universitytouchchampionships

Further Questions and Support

If you have any issues, or need further questions answering, please contact: BUCS - issues regarding BUCS Play, team sheets or deadlines ETA - Jack Harris on [email protected] for event details or clarifications