• Breaches of the club’s behavioural charter
• Abuse or disrespect toward referees, assistant referees, match officials, or volunteers
• Misconduct on or off the field
• Red cards, citings, and match official abuse cases (as defined in RFU Regulation 19)

The aim is to protect the club’s culture, uphold RFU values, and ensure fair, consistent handling of incidents.

2. Principles

• Fairness — All members are entitled to a transparent process.
• Respect for RFU jurisdiction — On field disciplinary matters follow RFU Regulation 19 and are referred to the appropriate Constituent Body (CB) panel where required.
• Proportionality — Sanctions reflect the seriousness of the behaviour.
• Protection of referees and volunteers — Abuse of match officials is treated as a serious offence, consistent with RFU guidance on match official abuse.

3. Reporting an Incident

Any member may report a concern to the Club Chair or Club Disciplinary Officer. Reports may relate to:

• Behaviour during matches or training
• Conduct toward referees, officials, or volunteers
• Behaviour in the clubhouse or at club events, or when representing the club
• Online or social media behaviour affecting the club

Reports should be made as soon as practically possible.

4. Initial Review

The Club Disciplinary Officer will:
• Acknowledge the report
• Gather initial information (statements, match reports, video if available)
• Determine whether the matter:
o Must be referred to the RFU/CB (e.g., red cards, citings, match official abuse)
o Can be handled internally (e.g., breaches of club behaviour not covered by RFU jurisdiction)

If the incident involves a red card, the club must report it promptly to avoid delays in the RFU process, as required by Regulation 19 .

5. Internal Disciplinary Panel

For matters handled within the club, a panel of three impartial members will be convened, chaired by the Club Disciplinary Officer. The panel will:
• Review evidence
• Invite the member to provide their account
• Consider the behavioural charter and RFU values
• Decide on appropriate sanctions

The member may be accompanied by another member who is not a part of the panel, but not a legal representative.

6. Sanctions

Sanctions are progressive and proportionate. The panel may apply one or more of the following:
Stage 1 — Education and Warning
• Verbal warning
• Written warning
• Mandatory attendance at respect/values workshop
• Apology to affected individuals

Stage 2 — Restrictions and Suspension
• Removal from leadership roles
• Temporary suspension from training, matches, or club facilities
• Match bans (for non RFU regulated incidents)

Stage 3 — Serious Misconduct
For serious breaches such as:
• Abuse of referees or match officials
• Threatening behaviour
• Repeated misconduct
• Behaviour bringing the club into disrepute

Possible sanctions:
• Long term suspension
• Removal from teams or squads
• Final written warning

Stage 4 — Expulsion

The ultimate sanction. A member may be expelled if:
• They commit gross misconduct
• They seriously abuse or threaten referees, officials, or volunteers
• They repeatedly breach the behavioural charter despite prior sanctions
• Their behaviour undermines the safety, reputation, or values of the club
Expulsion requires approval from the Club Executive Committee.

7. Appeals

Members may appeal within 7 days of the decision. Appeals must be based on:
• Procedural error
• New evidence
• Disproportionate sanction

An appeal panel (different from the original panel) will review the case.

8. Record Keeping

The Club Disciplinary Officer will maintain confidential records of:
• Reports
• Evidence
• Decisions
• Sanctions
• Communications

This ensures consistency and supports RFU reporting requirements.

9. Reinforcement of Values

The club will:
• Regularly communicate the behavioural charter
• Provide training for coaches, captains, and volunteers
• Celebrate positive behaviour
• Support referees and match officials as valued partners in the game