Membership with Rocky Mountain Rugby: Benefits & Services

Rocky Mountain Rugby provides members with a variety of benefits and services depending on their individual and/or club level of membership. As a founding organizational member of USA Rugby, all Rocky Mountain Rugby members also receive the benefits of USA Rugby membership.

General Membership Benefits - Rocky Mountain Rugby

Clubs affiliated with Rocky Mountain Rugby contribute to the RMR General Fund through a combination of club dues and individual player dues. Typically, 15-20% of all dues go to the 'general fund,' with the remaining 80-85% going to discretionary budgets. For the 2021-2022 season, Rocky Mountain Rugby has slightly altered this formula to account for USA Rugby's dramatic governance and operational restructuring.

Via the general fund, all members of Rocky Mountain Rugby annually receive:

-Proper adherence to governance and financial operational requirements, including governance of bylaws and regulatory policies, business filings, and bank account management

-Organization of local competitions including the scheduling and oversight of competition structure as well as competition management such as weekly follow-up regarding roster management, score submission, and other reporting

-Coordination with other unions, conferences, and match organizing bodies outside of RMR, including agreements of reciprocity on issues of governance and operations

-Storage of, and free access to, equipment including:
  -5 sets of goal posts
  -9 sets of goal post pads
  -6 wooden scoreboards
  -sideline rope
  -_ sets of field flags
  -field lining equipment, including stripe liners and measuring tape
  -jerseys for temporary usage, such as at all-star events or at tournaments for new clubs
  -match and training balls for tournaments and RMR-sponsored events

-Regular election of officers, executives, and representatives

-Promotion of clubs, individuals, and competitions through media administration across RMR's social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and a Newsletter distributed to a mailing list of 24,000+ rugby individuals in the greater Rocky Mountain Region
​See: News Submission Request Form

-Promotion of clubs, individuals, and competitions through the Rocky Mountain Rugby website (rockymountainrugby.org; soon to be rockymountain.rugby), including the updating of news and scores

-Referee rate negotiation and joint referee management 

-Local training & education modules

-Compliance oversight and database management 

-General support of all-star & select-side programs

-Contract administration of organizational duties, such as finance

-Ability to attend RMR Executive Committee meetings

-Coordination of the RMR Annual General Meeting, which includes the public display of RMR financials

​-Voting rights* at the RMR Annual General Meeting

​-Disciplinary Committee action**

-Appeals Management**

  *clubs must be in good standing to retain their rights; clubs are allowed up to 2 individuals at each AGM
  **Disciplinary Committee action and Appeals Management may vary by national college association but is available to all members upon pathway definition

Grants & Other Programs - Rocky Mountain Rugby

From year to year, Rocky Mountain Rugby has also contributed General Fund dues towards the following programs and initiatives: 

-Match balls for use in competition

-Seed money for events, including the Rocky Mountain Challenge and the re-launch of the RMR (née ERRFU) Hall of Fame

-High performance player grants

-New club grants

-Combine & clinic funding

-Support for the USA Indigenous Warriors

-Refunds for clubs, as appropriate (COVID-19 pandemic, etc.)

Match balls for members in 2021-2022

USA Rugby Benefits

As a full organizational member of USA Rugby, Rocky Mountain Rugby and its members receive the benefits of USA Rugby membership [see: Draft Community Service Agreement for Senior Clubs]. It is a requirement of Rocky Mountain Rugby that individuals be members of USA Rugby in order to be in good standing with Rocky Mountain Rugby. Membership with USA Rugby includes the following benefits:

-Liability Insurance for Clubs

-Supplemental Accident Insurance for Individuals

-SafeSport training and reporting structures to prevent sexual misconduct and abuse, bullying, hazing, harassment, physical abuse, and emotional abuse; this training is required for all coaches and officials

-Background checks on coaches and officials

-The ability to play other USA Rugby members through reciprocity agreements between organizational members

-Management and Support of Membership Database for the tracking of membership and compliance with regulatory policies and procedures

-A Competition Management System for the tracking of rosters, match statistics, and competition data

-Access to World Rugby & USA Rugby Training & Education courses and modules, including coach and match official accreditation, and the management and support of an online Learning Management System (LMS)

-World Rugby international clearance for touring individuals and clubs

-Support for rugby development, operations, and the USA National Teams through staffing at a professional national office

-Oversight of all revenue and expenditures, including required USOPC and World Rugby financial reporting and audits

-Discounts with USA Rugby partners

USA Rugby also provides, through its Councils:

-Representation in USA Rugby governance

-Policy creation above & beyond local policy guidance

-National Championship Series coordination and event management

-Eligibility waivers & competition/eligibility appeals

-Oversight of USA Rugby financials

-Direct election to the USA Rugby Board of Directors

-Committees dedicated to Audit & Risk, Competitions, Discipline & Appeals, Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Eligibility, Governance, and Training & Education

Additional Senior Men's Benefits - Rocky Mountain Rugby

Dues specific to senior men's players pay for the following benefits:

-Costs associated with playoff events, including field rental/set-up, trophies, equipment, on-site medical, and match official costs for events such as:
  -the Frontier Conference XVs Championships
  -the Frontier Conference 7s Series
  -local Rocky Mountain Rugby league-specific championship finals (e.g. Men's D4 finals, or D2/D3 finals in years where clubs request such events)
  -the re-launched Kickoff Tournament 
  -the Eastern Rockies Cup Finals
  -a subsidy towards at least one annual 7s National Qualifier

-Playoff grants for teams advancing beyond local play (budget-dependent)

-A funding contribution to the Denver Elite City 7s program, which is the RMR Men's 7s All-Star Program

-Fees for match administrators in the trial Match Administrator Program

-The planned re-launch of the Men's XVs All-Star Program

-A funding contribution to the General Fund

Disbursement of Men's club-related funds is at the discretion of the Men's Director.

Additional Senior Women's Benefits - Rocky Mountain Rugby

Dues specific to senior women's players pay for the following benefits:

​-Costs associated with playoff events, including field rental/set-up, trophies, equipment, on-site medical, and match official costs for events such as:
  -the Frontier Conference XVs Championships
  -the Frontier Conference 7s Series
  -local Rocky Mountain Rugby league-specific championship finals
  -the Rocky Mountain Rugby Women's Festival Series
  -a subsidy towards at least one annual 7s National Qualifier

​-Playoff grants for teams advancing beyond local play (budget-dependent)

-The planned re-launch of the Women's XVs All-Star Program

Disbursement of Women's club-related funds is at the discretion of the Women's Director.

Additional College Program Benefits - Rocky Mountain Rugby

Coming soon! The collegiate game is in the process of undergoing a massive reorganization to align with different affiliate national organizations. Each organization provides different benefits and thus there will be a difference in what additional benefits RMR does/doesn't provide between each organization. Many collegiate services and benefits (such as playoff organization) are provided through national associations.

Dues specific to college programs pay for the following benefits: 

-Costs associated with local/regional playoff events, including field rental/set-up, trophies, equipment, on-site medical, and match official costs for events.

-Playoff grants for teams advancing beyond local play (budget-dependent)

Disbursement of conference-related funds is at the discretion of each conference commissioner.

To be updated by Fall 2021.