Age Grade Consents 2025 / 2026
Our North Midlands RFU contact for all matters relating to 17 year olds playing up to Adult rugby is Louise Baggeley. She can be contacted at
cbplayerapproval@gmail.com or 07956 679057
Please find below the link to the relevant Smartsheet that needs to be completed and submitted to the RFU prior to the Child playing up.
Attached is the club guide for Regulation 15.5 relating to a U17 player playing up.
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Club Guide U17 playing up (Reg 15.5)
- PLAYING OUT OF AGE GRADE
In all 3 cases, for clubs, APPLICATIONS FOR PERMISSION MUST BE ENDORSED BY THE NMRFU
The requirements are set out in RFU Regulation 15 [Age Grade Rugby] Regulation 15 and there is a detailed table in RFU Regulation 15.5 explaining which age groups can be combined and details of those that can play up or down.
However, the RFU’s website page explains all the application processes and the conditions that have to be fulfilled.
- COMBINING AGE GRADES
Clubs and schools may need to do this if they do not have sufficient children at a particular age grade to make up a team. So, it is about grades of children, not about allowing individual children to play out of their normal age group to aid their individual development. Which adjacent age grades can be combined are set out in the table in RFU Regulation 15.5
To make an application to combine 2 age grades, complete this on-line process:
Combining Age Groups Smartsheet
For clubs, it is important that the number of players it has registered on GMS in the relevant age grades coincides with the numbers on the application.
The form requires to be verified by the proposer. You will receive an email asking you to authenticate this form [check your junk mail just in case]. If you do not verify the form the application will not progress. It is important that the email address of the proposer is checked and accurate, otherwise you will not receive the verification email and the application will not progress.
It will normally take about 5 working days, once the completed form, with a verified signature, has been submitted by the club, for North Midlands RFU to review the application and decide to approve or not; however, this timescale cannot be guaranteed.
- PLAYING DOWN AN AGE GRADE
This is about an individual child who, for the benefit of their rugby development, need to play and train with a younger age grade. Such an application is usually made for one of 3 reasons:
- The child is in a lower year at school than their birthday age grade [so such an application will mean that they can play rugby at school or a club with their school mates – the most important motivator for children to play rugby]
- The child is particularly small in stature for their age and, therefore, their safety might be compromised. Details of the child’s size and how it differs from others of his or her age grade must be included on the application
- Due to the child having a developmental or behavioural issue that merits playing with a younger age grade; again, it will be necessary to give some details on the application form
To make an application for a player to play down an age grade, complete this on-line process:
Smart Sheet Playing up or down
The form requires to be verified by, firstly, the proposer / coach and then, the parent / guardian or in respect of school or college rugby, the approval of an individual who has parental responsibility for the player [who may be the principal in loco parentis] is obtained. Please ensure that these individuals are aware that they will receive an email asking them to authenticate this form [remind them to check their junk mail as well]. If they do not verify the form the application will not progress. It is, therefore, important, that the email addresses of these individuals are checked and accurate, otherwise they will not receive the verification email and the application will not progress.
It will normally take about 5 working days, once the completed form, with verified signatures, has been submitted by the club, for North Midlands RFU to review the application and decide to approve or not; however, this timescale cannot be guaranteed.
In rare cases where a club or school wants a child to play down 2 age grades, after endorsement by North Midlands RFU, it will also require North Midlands RFU to seek the permission of the RFU Legal department as well.
- PLAYING UP AN AGE GRADE
Playing up an age grade is not permitted until the child is at least an U12.
This is about an individual child who for the benefit of their rugby development need to play and train with an older age grade. Such an application should not be made lightly:
- Children enjoy playing with their mates who are invariably in their school year grade
- It must not be made, because a club or school has insufficient numbers in a particular age grade [that is what combining age grades is for – see above]
The application requires a Level 2 coach to carry out an assessment to demonstrate why that child will benefit from playing and training with an older age grade. It is strongly recommended that coaches read RFU’s Age Grade Codes of Practice before making such an assessment. The assessment, details of which must be included in the application, must cover:
- Why and how the skill level and ability of the child is different from children of his or her normal age grade.
- How the physical development for the child’s age is different from children of his or her normal age grade.
- How the social and emotional development for the child’s age is different from children of his or her normal age grade.
- If an U16 seeking permission to play with U17s / U18s, details of the representative rugby the individual has played.
To make an application for a player to play up an age grade, complete this on-line process:
The form requires to be verified by, firstly, the Level 2 coach who made the assessment and then, the parent / guardian or in respect of school or college rugby, the approval of an individual who has parental responsibility for the player [who may be the principal in loco parentis] is obtained. Please ensure that these individuals are aware that they will receive an email asking them to authenticate this form [remind them to check their junk mail as well]. If they do not verify the form the application will not progress. It is, therefore, important, that the email addresses of these individuals are checked and accurate, otherwise they will not receive the verification email and the application will not progress.
It will normally take about 5 working days, once the completed form, with verified signatures, has been submitted by the club, for North Midlands RFU to review the application and decide to approve or not; however, this timescale cannot be guaranteed.
Once your club can fulfil those conditions, submit your application to be an “approved club” using the following on-line form [also consult with the RFU’s Club Guide when completing this on-line form]:
Club Approval Form
The form requires to be verified by, firstly, the club safeguarding officer and then, the club Chair or Secretary. Please ensure that both of these are aware that they will receive an email asking them to authenticate this form [remind them to check their junk mail as well]. If they do not verify the form the application will not progress. It is, therefore, important, that the email addresses of these individuals are checked and accurate, otherwise they will not receive the verification email and the application will not progress.
It will normally take about 5 working days, once the completed form, with verified signatures, has been submitted by the club, for North Midlands RFU to review the application and decide to approve or not; however, this timescale cannot be guaranteed.
Once clubs have that CB approval they can apply for individual 17-year-olds to play adult rugby [NB Those 17-year-olds that were granted permission to play adult rugby last season will automatically have that permission extended to their 18th birthday AS LONG AS the club has approved status]. For all other applications, the club needs to make application for approval from North Midlands RFU using the following on-line form [again, also consult with the RFU’s Club Guide when completing this on-line form]:
DO NOT COMPLETE ONE OF THESE PLAYER APPROVALS FORM, UNTIL YOUR CLUB HAS “APPROVED STATUS”. WITHOUT APPROVED STATUS YOUR APPLICATION WILL BE REJECTED AND THE FORM NOT SAVED, SO YOU WILL HAVE TO START AGAIN
The form requires to be verified by, firstly, the Coach who carried out the assessment, the proposer and then, the parent or guardian. Please ensure that all of these are aware that they will receive an email asking them to authenticate this form [remind them to check their junk mail as well]. If they do not verify the form the application will not progress. It is, therefore, important, that the email addresses of these individuals are checked and accurate, otherwise they will not receive the verification email and the application will not progress.
Again, it will normally take about 5 working days, once the completed form, with verified signatures, has been submitted by the club for North Midlands RFU to review the application and decide to approve or not; however, this timescale cannot be guaranteed.
Do you have any FURTHER QUESTIONS? Please email NorthMidsConsents@gmail.com
FOR SCHOOL RUGBY, as per Regulation 15, approval is obtained from an individual who has parental responsibility for the player (who may be the principal/headteacher in loco parentis).