Applications for Playing out of Age Grade – Season 2025 – 26
The default is always to play with friends and peers in the appropriate age group – individuals playing up / down or 17s playing adult rugby should be the EXCEPTION.
North Midlands have agreed that applications for playing out of age grade for 2025-26 season will proceed as follows
From 1st July. For 17 year olds to play adult rugby only.
The following has to be completed.
Club applications. This has to be renewed each season. It has to be approved before individual applications will be considered. Please be sure all the persons mentioned on the form are included in the process. The Club Safeguarding Officer will be contacted to discuss club provision for 17s playing with adults. https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/08311987b26f4e7dbdd3c5a55ac8bb91
If any of your 17 year olds were given consent last season – this remains valid until their 18th birthday – so no need to reapply.
If you have a team playing Colts(U17/18) rugby we advise against applications for those 17 year olds to play adult rugby until much later in the season.
For playing up / down at U16 and below, also for combining ages, we expect applications just before or after the beginning of the playing season in September – your information on team members and numbers will be more accurate following player registration.
Please also remember if you are creating a cluster team with same age group teams at other clubs – this is now part of Regulation15 and these need to be registered.
All forms need to be correctly filled in, with adequate player assessments – we do check! Forms found to have incorrect information or inadequate player assessments will be declined.
For advice on playing out of Age Group and Combining Age Groups, please see sections 4 and 5 of the Codes of Practice.
https://rfu.widen.net/s/pdrvtjgbdf/231005-age-grade-rugby-codes-of-practice
Finally – please remember we are volunteers too. The process will be completed as quickly as possible – we aim for a week turnaround. It is sometimes quicker – but there may also be delays, creating a longer time frame. Please also give us enough time – for example, don’t expect that a form submitted on a Friday, will be processed in time for the upcoming weekend’s games!!
Louise Baggeley
Age Grade consents administrator
Judith Phelps
Chair of Governance
