Player Welfare
Player Welfare Guidance for the Community Game
The Welsh Rugby Union is committed to putting player welfare at the heart of the game.
The safety of all participants must be the primary consideration in all participation decisions, overriding all other considerations.
Most people involved in community rugby play for health and social reasons and those who express a desire to start playing rugby wish to do so to make friends and improve their health.
Rugby engages and teaches numerous skills that are transferable into everyday life such as respect, discipline, resilience, leadership and communication.
The WRU can provide player welfare support throughout our game to develop and enhance support and guidance for community game clubs. This includes guidance regarding mental health and wellbeing, maintaining injury surveillance and prevention projects, concussion protocols, gender participation eligibility and any other rugby welfare related matters both on and off the field.
World Rugby
World Rugby’s Player Welfare strategy is to put the player first and to rely on an evidence-based approach for all decisions.
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World Rugby take the following steps with developing player welfare guidelines:
- Identify welfare risks to players.
- Investigate ways to reduce these risks.
- Develop and approve best practice.
- Share best practice guidelines.
WRU Welfare in the Community
Guidance and Policies
If you require any further information in relation to the below guidance documents or policy, please contact integrity@wru.wales
Depensation to play in a younger age grade.
In exceptional cases a player may be given dispensation to participate in rugby at a level below their true age grade.
WRU Dispensation to play in a younger age grade
WRU Dispensation to play in a younger age grade – Flow Chart
Can individuals with a Hearing Aid still play rugby?
Can I wear Sports Goggles and still play rugby?
Participation of Transgender and Non-Binary Players in accordance with the WRU Competition Regulations.
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is the national governing body for rugby union in Wales, and has a responsibility to regulate participation in rugby union in a safe environment. The WRU are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion throughout rugby in Wales, and providing a jersey for all across the game.
WRU Gender Participation Policy
Contact details
The WRU have in place an Integrity Line, which has been developed to encourage participants of the game to speak up with the comfort that they will be listened to and their concerns will be handled sensitively. If you have any concerns, please contact the WRU Policy and Integrity Team on the WRU Integrity Line (Tel. No. 029 20 822 200) or WRU Integrity Mailbox (integrity@wru.wales)
