SENIOR CLUB RUGBY COUNCIL COMMITTEES The Senior Club Rugby Council invites nominees for election as Council Chairs for five committees: Competitions, Discipline, Diversity Equity & Inclusion, Eligibility, and Training & Development. Nominations are put forward by Council Unions through their Council representatives. Unions are encouraged to internally select their best candidate prior to nomination. The Chairs of all committees are elected from among nominees put forward by the Council. Council Union representatives are asked to complete the nomination form after endorsing nominees from their union [Note: Rocky Mountain Rugby is represented by its union president, Erik Geib]. Nominations will close at 5pm pacific Friday, June 19. Elections will take place June 23. Persons elected as Committee Chairs will be members of the Council Executive Committee. They will be responsible for leading the initial work of recommending for Council adoption:
Committee Descriptions The following are preliminary committee descriptions developed by a Council ad hoc working group. They are included here to assist the nomination process. Final responsibilities will be outlined by the Committees and recommended to the full Council. The Competitions Committee’s preliminary responsibilities will likely include:
The Discipline Committee’s preliminary responsibilities will likely include:
The Eligibility Committee’s preliminary responsibilities will likely include:
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee’s preliminary responsibilities will likely include:
The Training & Development Committee’s preliminary responsibilities likely include:
The council will also begin population of its Audit & Risk and Governance & Operations committees between June 30 - July 28. The Financial Oversight, Risk & Audit Committee is chaired by the Council Treasurer and its preliminary responsibilities likely include:
The Governance & Operations Committee is chaired by the Council Vice Chair and its preliminary responsibilities likely include:
Rocky Mountain Rugby is accepting nominations for endorsement through June 19 for chair positions, and June 30 for general committee membership.
Rocky Mountain Rugby held a Board meeting on June 2, 2020. The minutes are available here. Rocky Mountain Rugby
Board of Directors Meeting 2 June 2020 Time: 4:00 - 5:30 PM Mountain Location: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/rugbymeeting Attendees: Rich Cortez (Chair), Erik Geib (President), Tracy Curtis (VP), Bob Lesnansky (VP-Finance), Jeanna Beard (VP-Communications), Mark Huff (Referees) Guests: Sean Cox (Mid-America GU President), Ed McKenna (outgoing College Commissioner) Agenda: 1. Return to Play (please read the attached document in advance; also found at https://assets.usarugby.org/docs/medical/USAR-R2P.pdf) VERIFY ALL: Montana is open, per Ed (verify with Montana government) Utah has had Youth practices, per Ed (doesn’t mean this is allowed) From the Denver Rec and parks department, per Erik Limited to 25 group Spectators discouraged Maintain contact information/rosters with phone number and addresses No sharing snacks or water Consider holding matches every 2 weeks Colorado: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TlXejV_rut-h2epW5Fv9RBzN1ZW_reJV/view Wyoming, per Rich: every person in school needs 10 square feet upon Maybe no out of state travel for team sports What’s each state in terms of staging - 6 states of colleges. Men’s D1A College - CO, NM, WY, UT Men’s D2 College - MT, UT, CO, ID Men’s Small College - CO, NM Women’s D1 College - WY, UT, CO, NM, MT, ID (Boise State re-joining) Women’s D2 College - CO Women’s Club- UT, CO Men’s Club D2: UT, CO Men’s Club D3: CO, WY Men’s Club D4: CO Motion for Jeanna to lead tracking the stages in each state Next steps (Jeanna) -tracking stages for the States - -what protocols as we approach Level 5 for RTP -how do we enforce fans -zero tolerance for individuals not following - is there an appeals process? - Organizations - have x time punishment - individuals involved - have y time punishment - Keep everyone involved with transparent information via social media. Next steps (For all - continuing conversation offline): -Erik to create R2P page with Google sheet embedded on rockymountainrugby.org -keep looking at guidance (14 days between games? Maybe play 10s? etc.) as we progress through stages -how to manage absence of spectators, keep refs safe, track additional roster info, take temperatures, etc.? -address types of suspension/discipline for non-compliance -event organizers -event participants -those affiliated with event organizers and participants (non-involved teammates) -realistically, may not be able to play until there’s a vaccine or covid is gone; need to be prepared for possibility of no rugby until then (note: this is what roller derby has said) 2. Annual General Meeting - how/when/etc. Virtual AGM Bobo will check doing the zoom through his work account. Breakout rooms available for zoom - great for different groups June 28th 9am-1pm Nominations in advance due to online format; nominations to close by June 21 (Update: June 24) -Erik to make the nomination form. Information (time, location, agenda) to be online by June 7; sent out thereafter Need to be able to make recording available 3. USA Rugby Reorganization Update USAR changed its bylaws: Shifting from Congress to Council model Expert Committees are no more - now intertwined with the Councils Board switching to 4 athletes, 3 community reps, and 4 at-large directors Previously was 6 at-large (independent) directors, 2 athletes, and 1 community rep Complete community control of the audit & risk committee and nominations committee (Sr. Club, College Club, Youth; plus two athletes) - Sr. Club - 19 unions w/ weighted votes depending on percentage of sr. clubs 1 rep - default is the prez, but it can change depending on the union; RMR’s rep is president until otherwise changed USA dues will go down, but the Council dues may go up; hoping for a net wash and either equal or improved standard for member value Every council has more power - treasurer, etc. 7 Committees: DEI, Training and Education, Audit risk/treasury, governance and operations, eligibility, competitions, discipline Sportlomo competition system Terms of reference settled for senior club council - College club - Not that far along - no terms of reference for college council Participation of groups that may not become members of USA rugby Asking everyone to sign a letter of intent to say which entity they will belong to. Collegiate Rugby Assoc. Of America = Full USAR members, D1A Men, and D1 and D2 women American College Rugby, Inc. = Full USAR members National Collegiate Rugby Org = own registration/champ/independent from USAR, ref society heard they're supposed to be totally independent Council - reps by division: D1 elite men, D1AA men and women, D1A, D1 men and women, D2 men and women, and small college men and women D1 women partner with CRAA D2 women undecided Who’s in charge of the referees in these two different organizations? D2 men partner with NCR D1AA men remain with USAR D1A men with CRAA Small college men working with D1AA and D2 for matches 4. Budgeting - 2020-2021 / 2021-2022 expected impacts; refunds for 2019-2020. -men’s and women’s senior levels -issue refunds -we may need to consolidate old accounts (from the dissolution of the Western RFU and/or ERRFU) -sending out refunds to groups that have paid in surplus of operating costs (College still has accounts receivable; refunds to go to senior clubs who’ve paid beyond programming received) -also make payment to Howard for outstanding 7s items -minor account adjustments to be made; some internal between accounts but club by club adjustments will also need to be sorted during refund process -approval by board (no objection) -Jeanna to follow up with women’s clubs for mailing addresses; Erik to follow up with men’s clubs 5. College Realignment - Ed is stepping down as commissioner. We'd like to formally thank him and discuss our action plan for how we keep all the different paths straight again with multiple points of leadership. College realignment otherwise touched during re-org discussion Re-org good launching point to re-establish regular dues structure 6. Registration system(s) changing -Sportlomo - NO IDEA how good or bad with two months to go -Need access for colleges using non-USAR platforms to monitor registration(s) 7. Senior Club Alignment/Realignment - Frontier/Red River Women's D1; union-focused approaches; etc. -empower league manager to sort it out to talk to other leagues. -hopefully the other union has a RTP point person -looking 3+ weeks out -national council - everyone is empowered to be autonomous for nationals - may not be a “NATIONAL” date thing anymore; union-to-union and league-to-league communication working backwards from a goal instead of top-down date assignment for multiple steps 8. Changes at Glendale and knock-on effect(s) into our other clubs & programming. -concerns about competitions - new team, existing club?, multiple clubs? Lose WPL team? -union should lead with the group of players - grants, bridge loans? How does the union help RMR keep a WPL team. -anything that can be done to start the club -RMR is here to support them as needed - grants/bridge-loans -”This is everyone’s team” -politics could get in the way with other -perception is that men don’t support women’s rugby - RMR will take a stand. Organizational commitment to ensure status in the WPL isn’t threatened. -helps with College women and girls’ rugby in the area as well and brings the possibility for more clubs in the union -organizational commitment to keeping a WPL side and integrating the solution with our community Date/Time: 2 June 2020 from 4:00-5:30 PM Mountain
Agenda: 1. Return to Play (please read the attached document in advance; also found at https://assets.usarugby.org/docs/medical/USAR-R2P.pdf) 2. Annual General Meeting - how/when/etc. 3. USA Rugby Reorganization Update 4. Budgeting - 2020-2021 / 2021-2022 expected impacts; refunds for 2019-2020. EG to try to send a proposal on this as a starting point for discussion by noon on June 1. Men's & Women's senior clubs will be receiving partial refunds. 5. College Realignment - Ed is stepping down as commissioner. We'd like to formally thank him and discuss our action plan for how we keep all the different paths straight again with multiple points of leadership. 6. Registration system(s) changing 7. Senior Club Alignment/Realignment - Frontier/Red River Women's D1; union-focused approaches; etc. 8. Changes at Glendale and knock-on effect(s) into our other clubs & programming. Dial-In Information*: Dial-in number (US): (605) 313-5572 Access code: 536837# International dial-in numbers: https://fccdl.in/i/rugbymeeting Online meeting ID: rugbymeeting Join the online meeting: https://join.freeconferencecall.com/rugbymeeting *Note: Only invited participants may participate in the set agenda. Members are invited to listen in on discussion and may be afforded an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the meeting, if time permits. UPDATE (2 June 2020): Rocky Mountain Rugby Return to Play State-by-State Status Updates
USA Rugby released its Return to Play (R2P) protocols today, which will govern the steps necessary before rugby is resumed. The Rocky Mountain Rugby Board of Directors will discuss R2P at its board meeting in the first week of June. As of now, play is still suspended within the geographic territory of Rocky Mountain Rugby. Clubs may only participate in online trainings or in-person cardio sessions that maintain proper distancing and do not use a ball. All physical contact is prohibited, and individuals must follow government guidelines for safety.
ROCKY MOUNTIAN RUGBY BYLAW PROPOSALS
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – JUNE 2020 Purposes:
Change #1: Section 4.07.5 5. VICE-PRESIDENT - FINANCE. The Vice-President - Finance ("Treasurer") will collect, account for, budget and administer the funds of the Union. The Treasurer shall maintain the financial records of the Union, and give these records to his/her successor in good order. Change to: 5. AT-LARGE DIRECTOR. The At-Large Director is a member of the union elected to the Board to represent a wide swath of union interests. The At-Large Director shall direct special projects as assigned and represent the union broadly. Change #2: Section 8.02 Section 8.02. CERTAIN CONTRACTS AND CHECKS. All deeds, documents, transfers, contracts, engagements, bonds, bills of exchange and other instruments shall be signed by the President or Vice President and any one of the Officers holding the office of Treasurer or Secretary. No other person, Officer, member or other party connected with the Union shall have any authority to bind the Union by any contract or agreement or to pledge its credit. All checks must be signed by the Treasurer (provided, however, the Secretary shall be additional signatory on Union accounts in the event of the unavailability of the Treasurer). All checks over $1,000 in value must be authorized in writing by the President or Vice President. Final responsibility for all expenditures shall rest with the Executive Committee. Change to: Section 8.02. CERTAIN CONTRACTS AND CHECKS. All deeds, documents, transfers, contracts, engagements, bonds, bills of exchange and other instruments shall be signed by Chair or President and either the Treasurer or Secretary. No other person, Officer, member or other party connected with the Union shall have any authority to bind the Union by any contract or agreement or to pledge its credit. All checks must be signed by the President or the Treasurer (provided, however, the Secretary shall be additional signatory on Union accounts in the event of the unavailability of the Treasurer). The Treasurer shall be appointed by the board and shall collect, account for, and administer the funds of the Union. The Treasurer shall maintain the financial records of the Union, and give these records to his/her successor in good order. The President shall be responsible for ensuring the Treasurer has an accurate accounting of all revenue and expenses. All checks over $1,000 in value must be authorized in writing by the Chair or President. Final responsibility for all expenditures shall rest with the Executive Committee. Update: This will be confirmed at the RMR Board meeting on Tuesday, June 2.
Update (2): The date/time was confirmed at the RMR Board meeting on Tuesday, June 2. The title of this article has been changed. It was previously titled "2020 Annual General Meeting likely to be Sunday, June 28" The 2020 Rocky Mountain Rugby Annual General Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, June 28. This year's AGM will be held in an online format, and registered attendees will receive an email with instructions no later than Wednesday, June 24. Those who register between June 24 and June 27 will receive instructions in the evening of June 27. Agenda as of June 2020: The meeting will be held online from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm, with breakout sessions for individual competitions from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm. The meeting is only open to 2 designated representatives per club. Only 1 registered/designated club representative may participate in voting, however ("Each full member has one vote at any Union meeting and shall be represented at any meeting by no more than two persons that must be registered to USAR for the club they represent."). Please see the AGM Rules & Code of Conduct for more information. The meeting will be operated by RMR President Erik Geib, with RMR Board Chair Rich Cortez presiding. Agenda items for the meeting include*: 1. Roll Call | 9:00 - 9:10 -Call of Clubs -Determination of Proxies 2. Good Standing Notice and Quorum Status | 9:10 - 9:15 -Termination of Rights to Clubs in Bad Standing -Membership Vote for Probationary Clubs & Housecleaning of Club Statuses 3. Opening Remarks | 9:15-9:35 -Union President's address: Erik Geib | 9:15 - 9:25 -Chair of the Board of Directors: Rich Cortez | 9:25 - 9:35 3. USA Rugby Reorganization (Congress -> Councils; Bankruptcy): Erik Geib & Rich Cortez | 9:35 - 10:00 4. Return to Play: RMR Board | 10:00 - 10:20 5. Officer/director/representative reports, including: | 10:20 - 12:10 -Finance: Bob Lesnansky & Steve Swartz | 10:20 - 10:40 -Referees: Mark Huff (or delegate) | 10:40 - 10:50 -Disciplinary: Martin Brown (or delegate) | 10:50 - 11:00 -Men's Senior Clubs: Erik Geib | 11:00 - 11:10 -Women's Senior Clubs: Jeanna Beard (or delegate) | 11:10 - 11:20 -Men's 7s: Howard Kent (or delegate) | 11:20 - 11:30 -Women's 7s: Allison Hale (or delegate) | 11:30 - 11:40 -Update on Men's & Women's College Divisions: Rich Cortez & Ken Stone; others | 11:40 - 12:00 -Men's Mountain Teams: TBD | 12:00 - 12:10 6. Proposed union policies & operations amendments: Erik Geib | 12:10 - 12:25 7. Bylaws review & proposals: Erik Geib | 12:25 - 12:35 8. Union officer & Congress elections | 12:35 - 12:50 9. New club application(s) | 12:50-1:00 10. General Meeting Adjournment | 1:00 11. Breakout sessions for 2019-2020 planning | 1:00 - 2:00 -Men's Clubs: Erik Geib -Women's Clubs: Jeanna Beard -College Programs: Rich Cortez, Ken Stone, & Tracy Curtis New business not related to reports and planned discussion items will be at the end of the meeting (before the breakout sessions) as time permits. **Due to COVID-19, timelines for this year's meeting have been relaxed to encourage more participation.** *If you would like to propose an agenda item, please contact Erik Geib or Rich Cortez. Items for the Annual General Meeting agenda items submitted by members must be submitted by members in writing to the Executive Committee before the Annual General Meeting. The agenda for the meeting will be final as of June 23, 2020. Full members may nominate candidates for any Office by written notice (Nominations Form) to the Executive Committee no later than Tuesday, June 23. If there is no candidate for an Office, as reflected in the agenda for the Annual General Meeting, nominations for such Office may be made at the meeting. Time slots are approximate and subject to change.
LAFAYETTE, CO – Following detailed consultation with legal advisors, the USA Rugby Board of Directors and Congress voted to officially file Chapter 11 bankruptcy as a result of compounded and insurmountable financial constraints. The current suspension of sanctioned rugby activities caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the existing financial challenges facing the Union, and a reorganization process will now be progressed with input from World Rugby. The USA Rugby Board and Congress agree that filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy supported by a robust action plan, is the optimal strategy in these exceptional circumstances. It is the best platform to swiftly and efficiently address challenges and deliver a foundation for future stability. The opportunity for Chapter 11 bankruptcy was presented to USA Rugby Congress over the weekend, where an overwhelming vote in favor officially ratified the filing. The filing is reinforced by a financial support package approved by the World Rugby Executive Committee (EXCO), where measures will enable USA Rugby to revitalize from a governance and financial perspective; including key milestones, metrics and controls. Additionally, this measure will protect and support the men’s and women’s sevens and fifteens programs as they continue to compete on the world stage. Significant cost reductions and a financial support package from World Rugby will allow the Board, Congress and Governance Restructuring Group to continue under Union operation and control. Throughout this process, USA Rugby will retain procedure of the reorganization over a 30 to 60 day period where World Rugby and other creditors will need to review and endorse final court-approved restructuring plans; allowing USA Rugby to emerge from Chapter 11. “This is the most challenging period this organization has faced and all resolves were never taken lightly in coming to this determination,” noted USA Rugby Chair, Barbara O’Brien, “While the current climate is of course much larger than rugby, we remain focused with stakeholders and supporters in the continued effort toward a balanced rugby community where the game can truly grow.” In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, USA Rugby suspended sanctioned competition and rugby activities for a 30-day period on March 13 and indefinitely on March 20, 2020. Given the irrefutable need for precaution as instructed by federal health officials, the hiatus of activities and promotion of social distancing was in the best interest of USA Rugby members and those around them. While inherently important, the suspension of competition understandably resulted in significant loss of revenue from spring and summer membership dues, sponsorship drawbacks and additional revenue sources. USA Rugby was aware of the negative financial implications, however held with the essential suspension and instantly worked on potential solutions to mitigate the impact of lost revenue. Given the ongoing financial challenges following a 2019 budgetary overspend, the unplanned loss of income advanced an insurmountable cashflow deficit and immediate action needed to be taken in order to sustain operations within USA Rugby and the rugby community. The USA Rugby Board immediately engaged Congress to elect a small collection of members across each level of play to join leadership in an emergency evaluation and develop best case resolve for the wellbeing of the game. Chapter 11 bankruptcy resulted as the most ideal scenario where the full body of Congress then voted to ratify the filing on Sunday evening. Through the Chapter 11 filing, significant staff and budget reductions were required at the National Office. The USA Rugby Headquarters will continue to operate on a condensed staffing model through the remainder of the restructure. Further information on the accelerated reorganization, along with pertinent updates pertaining to the effects of COVID-19 will be regularly communicated on the USA Rugby website and social media channels. |
Tocabe - An American Indian Eatery
USA Women's 7s TournamentRocky Mtn. ChallengeDenver 7s TournamentNews by League
Men's Club Division 2 Men's Club Division 3 Men's Club Division 4 Men's College Division 1A Men's College Division 2 Men's Small College Men's/Women's Club 7s Men's/Women's College 7s Pacific Rugby Premiership PRO Rugby North America Women's Club Division 1 Women's Club Division 2 Women's College Division 1 Women's College Division 2 Women's Premier League Other News & Notes
Men's Club All-Stars Men's College All-Stars Men's U20 Program Denver Elite City 7s All-Stars Regional Events RMR Admin News & Notes RMR Hall of Fame USA Rugby Education Clinics USA Rugby National Teams Women's Club All-Stars Women's College All-Stars Social Media News
|