Coaches, Managers & Training

2024 COACHES & MANAGERS MANUAL

Dear coaches and managers, 

Thank you for volunteering your time and energy to help promote Rugby at Wellington College.  Your contribution is highly valued and appreciated.  

The following is a run through of key information for the season on:

  1. VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION

  2. COACHES CONTACT LIST

  3. PLAYING SQUADS

  4. TRAINING

  5. MATCH DAY

  6. CONTACTS

VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION

For Coaches / Managers / Volunteers

  1. REGISTER as a Volunteer: ...

Or 

REGISTER as a COACH: ...

POLICE VETTING AND VOLUNTEER FORMS

Police vetting forms and volunteer forms can be found on the WC Sporty website.

http://www.sporty.co.nz/wcsports/WC-Forms-Documents/WC-Forms-Documents 

These must be completed by all volunteers who are not teaching staff.  Return them to the Rugby Convenor.



PLAYING SQUADS

SQUAD SELECTION & EXPECTATIONS

There still can be movement until the end of grading games.  All teams should adopt a squad rotation policy to keep players interested.  Please plan ahead to ensure active participation on match days. The NZRU have made half a game of rugby for each player mandatory for all teams, except 1st XV & Premier grades.

PLAYER REGISTRATIONS

All players must be registered via our schools Rugby SPORTY registration forms, otherwise they can’t be loaded into your match day team sheets on the APP, and thus can’t play

https://www.collegesport.org.nz/sports-1/rugby-registrations 

TEAM CONTACT LISTS & COMMUNICATIONS

Full contact details will be sent to all coaches & managers.  The School Notices, Rugby Noticeboard, WC Rugby Club Facebook page and Website can be used for comms – email any notices to me.  A team Heja app https://heja.io/ or WhatsApp group is essential as a means of contacting players and parents.  This should be set up by the manager of each team.

UNPAID REGISTRATION FEES

If you become aware of whanau who are struggling to pay subs for their player, please get in touch with the Convenor / Director of Rugby so that the year level Deans can arrange a payment plan or apply for necessitous cases. 

MOVEMENT BETWEEN TEAMS 

Requests for player movement between teams must be directed to the coach of the player concerned.  This must be organised by the Thursday before matchday.  Include the Convenor and Director in any discussion.  Playing an unregistered player can result in a Loss by Default.


TRAINING

TRAINING NIGHTS

Unfortunately we have limited training facilities for all of our teams. The attached Rugby Training Nights grid should be adhered to in fairness to all teams.  If you arrange an after school practice match please notify me & other coaches well in advance as it can be quite disruptive to other teams training.  Please do not cancel practices – if you can’t make it, contact The Director of Rugby and we will try to arrange a back-up.  

TURF & GROUND CLOSURE AT WELLINGTON COLLEGE

Please move your grids around to help save the grounds and do not use the lines for repetitive drills.  The Turf is available but allocated teams get priority. Alexandra Park is also available to all teams if grounds are closed. Ground status can be found here.

SHARED TRAINING EQUIPMENT

Most of this is in the container at the far end of the Lower Field.  Equipment includes hit shields & tackle bags, tackle suits & scrum machines (please use these on the pitches). 

Please return all equipment used during training into the container stacked in an orderly fashion. Supervision is recommended and needs to be locked.  The padlock is by key code.  The Convenor / Director of Rugby will let you know the code.

TEAM EQUIPMENT

The following will be provided for each team for the season:

  • Match Balls (from CSW)

  • Practice Balls (5-6 per team)

  • Cones (approx 12 per team)

  • First Aid Kit

  • Ball Carry Bag

  • Kicking Tee

  • Drink Bottles (at least 12 per team) – encourage players not to place nozzle in their mouths.

  • Drink Bottle Holder

  • Spare Mouth-guards – more available if needed

  • Large Team Gear Bag

  • Cold Pack Carrier Bag

  • Tape

  • 2 x white rugby shorts

  • 2 x school rugby socks

Contact the Director of Rugby if you need any replacement equipment.  All left-over gear will need to be returned at the end of the season.

COACHING COURSES & DEVELOPMENT

The Director of Rugby with Wellington Rugby will support coach development at WC.  When we get information, we will let you know.  The Wellington College Sports department will also provide training opportunities.  

We follow guidelines set by Wellington College, NZ Rugby, Wellington Rugby and College Sport Wellington.  Sport NZ’s work on Balance is Better underpins our philosophy: CLICK HERE for more information.


MATCH DAY

UNIFORM & PLAYING JERSEYS

All teams must arrive at games in their school uniform.  All teams have jerseys provided by the Rugby Club.  The boys do need to buy their own white shorts and black & gold socks from the Uniform Shop. 2 pairs of spare socks and 2 pairs of spare shorts will be given to each team to be used on the day and kept with the jerseys.  Collect jerseys at the end of each game. Get the boys to lay them out in order of numbers BEFORE you do any team talk/warm-down etc.

The Club also pays for laundering of these jerseys. This is done at The Agitator Laundrette (Elizabeth Street, off Kent Terrace).  Please arrange for your manager or a parent to drop them off after each game and collect them for the next fixture.

All coaches and managers will be given a Wellington College jacket and polo shirt to wear on match days.  Contact the Convenor if you do not have 

SEASON DRAW 

See  College Sport Wellington - Rugby for Draw & Results.  College Sport will put out the Draw for the first grading rounds (April / May).  I will email the CSW draw to coaches & managers at the start of each week and a WC Rugby version involving our teams to all players, whanau & supporters at the end of the week.

HOME GAMES

If you have a home game then your team will be responsible for either:

     1. Setting out the field with post pads and flag = FIRST GAME

OR

     2. Putting away the post pads and flags = LAST GAME

(Note that the Wellington College Draw will indicate which teams are responsible)

Nr 1 Field: Black Gazley Pads & Yellow Flags

Nr 2 Field: Smaller Blue Pads & Pink / Yellow Dominion Post Flags

Put 14 flags out per field (Deadball, Tryline, 22m, halfway but a half metre into touch)

Turf: Rugby posts may need to be set up. 6 people needed to help and a wrench to loosen/tighten bolts.  Post Pads must be used.  No flags.

Please DO NOT FORGET TO PUT FLAGS/PADS AWAY neatly & get players to pick up any rubbish.

CHANGING ROOMS

We have two changing rooms in the Pavilion.  WC Teams can share the downstairs changing room or leave gear bags in one of the storage containers.

Priority for the downstairs changing room will go to the most senior WC team.  Priority for the upstairs Pavilion changing room is given to the most senior opposition team.  The Convenor will communicate each weekend’s rota.

MYRUGBY MANAGER

All rugby teams are required to use NZ Rugby’s MyRugby Manager app to enter game day team sheets and record the score. 

  1. DOWNLOAD the MyRugbyManager app: https://www.myrugby.co.nz/ 

Information about the My Rugby Manager app https://www.myrugby.co.nz/myrugby-manager-app-for-scorers/benefits-and-features-1 

Give Access to Coaches / Managers

The Rugby Convenor will provide someone in each team (normally a player or coach) access to create match day team sheets and score the games on the MyRugby Manager App.

https://www.myrugby.co.nz/MyRugby-Manager-App-for-Scorers/For-ClubSchool-Sporty-Administrators-1/How-To-Add-a-Team-Manager 


Team sheets on Match Day

Each team coach or manager must electronically complete and allocated match day players to a position for their team on the MyRugby Manager App before play starts. 

https://www.myrugby.co.nz/MyRugby-Manager-App-for-Scorers/For-CoachesManagerScorers-1/How-To-Teamsheets 

WSSRU hard copy Match Cards are NO LONGER required to be completed and handed to the referee


Live Scoring & Results

Teams are required to use MyRugby Manager App to enter the score either live or after the game is completed.

https://www.myrugby.co.nz/MyRugby-Manager-App-for-Scorers/For-CoachesManagerScorers-1/How-To-Scoring 

There is also a requirement for all 1st XV teams, irrespective of the grade they play in, to record their point scorers each week on the MyRugby Manager app.  Point scorers entered will appear on the College Sport website https://www.collegesport.org.nz/sports-1/rugby-1st-xv-top-point-scorers 

WEIGHT RESTRICTED GRADES PROTOCOL

If a coach or manager suspects a player from another team to be overweight, then they must weigh them before the game.    

Weight Restricted Grades Protocol from CSW Rugby Handbook

a) If a player is suspected of being overweight, they must be weighed prior to the game starting. A weigh-in can be requeste.d by the opposing coach, or a WSSRU Executive         member / WSSRU appointee. 

b) In weight restricted grades, players (including those dispensated), are permitted to gain a maximum of 4kg from their recorded weight. Any player weighing more than 58.9kg      (Under 55 grade), 68.9kg (Under 65 grade), 88.9kg (Under 85 grade) TBC or any dispensated player who is 4 kg or more above their registered weight is ineligible to play in that team and will need to be regraded by the school.

WSSRU JUDICIAL PROCESS

Referee’s red and yellow card reports are sent to the Convenor by the Tuesday following a weekend game.  The WRFU Duty Judicial Officer (DJO) reviews the referee’s report and make a decision for sanctions.  The Convenor passes on to the player and informs his team management.

Click here for the Wellington Secondary School Rugby Union’s (WSSRU) judicial process.

INJURIES & PHYSIOTHERAPY

SERIOUS INJURIES

If any player suffers an injury which requires medical care, hospital admission or can’t play for 6 weeks or more, a Serious Injury Report Form must be filed to me within 24 hours.  Any injury on any artificial surface also needs to filed with the Rugby Convenor.  The WRFU must be notified within 48 hours.  A copy can be found here.

Concussion protocols will be adhered to.  If in doubt, seek help.  Click here for CONCUSSION PROTOCOLS.

WELLINGTON SPORTS MED PHYSIO

All WC Rugby players & coaches can book appointments with Wellington Sports Med in the Frank Crist Centre here at WC.  Phone 04-909 7609​​​​​​​ to make a booking for your players or yourself! 


CONTACTS

CONTACTING WELLINGTON COLLEGE RUGBY

E-mail is best, but you can call or text us

Again many thanks for your offer to assist with coaching/managing our teams. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us

We wish you all the very best for the season.


Hayden Viles & Mat Burgess

Rugby club convenors

Wellington College

Tel: 04 802 2520

Email & Mob:

[email protected]  -  021 052 9520

[email protected] - 021 908 740



Neemia Tialata

Director of Rugby

Wellington College

Mob: +64 22 381 1097

Email: [email protected] 

WebSite: http://www.wellington-college.school.nz 

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