T1 Rugby Development Festival Yr 5/6

As this is a new event – schools are permitted to enter this event as well as the T1 Rugby Championships for 2025-26

Booking

• This is a Development Festival event.
• Schools may choose BOTH Borough Championships AND Development for T1 Rugby on the initial booking date of:
• Monday 15th September 2025 at 5pm
• If an event is full, schools will be placed on a waiting list and be notified of this.
• MSSP will contact schools should places become available in the build-up to events.

Event Eligibility

• This is a Development Festival event.
• School squads should be well prepared and have time to practise with the competition rules before attending this event.
• There is also a Tag Rugby Borough Championships event being delivered this year.
• Please consider the most appropriate event for your pupils to attend before registering as you may only be able to take part in one event if entrees exceed capacity.
• Schools cannot select the same pupils for the Development event and the Borough Championships.
• In the instance that a Championship team player is also played in a Development event team, the team will not be able to progress to a medal winning position.
• If this event exceeds the capacity for school entrees, priority will be given to schools who are not registered for the Borough Championships.
• It is our aim to ensure all schools can access at least one of the events.

Team Eligibility 

• Age: Year 5/6.  
• Mixed gender event.   
• Games will be 7 a-side. There must be at least 3 girls on the pitch at any time. 
• Squad size: maximum of 10, minimum of 7. 

Requirements – Teamsheets

Kit & Equipment 

• All schools MUST provide their own First Aid kit along with a first aid qualified member of staff.
• Please provide own warm up balls. Match balls are provided. 
• Trainers/Astro, moulded and studded boots are allowed. No metal blades will be permitted. 
• Schools should supply all players with a ‘tag belt’ that has two ribbons (tags) attached to Velcro. The belt must be worn around the waist with all loose clothing tucked in. The tags are positioned either side of the hips. 
• Players of the same team should wear the same colour tops/bibs. No jewellery, baseball caps etc. It is advised that if eyewear is essential, it should be made from plastic rather than glass. 
• Staff will be asked to keep score during the games.

Staffing and Spectators 

• Spectators will be permitted but must remain behind touchline barrier tape at all times.
• All staff attending the event must have enhanced DBS clearance and have been fully vetted by their primary school. DBS numbers. 

RULES – NEW FOR 2025-26

• Ball carriers can run or dodge potential taggers but cannot fend off, guard or shield their tags. 
• Players are permitted to spin away from a defender, but are NOT permitted to continuously spin. Diving to avoid being tagged is not permitted. 
• The game will commence with a Kick, centre field. This kick must travel a distance of at least 10 metres. It must be uncontested to avoid collision.
• A kick will also restart the game after every try is scored from centre field. The scoring team will kick the ball to the conceding team’s half at least 10 metres.
• Any other restart; change of possession, knock-on, forward pass or ball going out of play will restart with a defensive tackle triangle and a ‘Rip-and-Pass’ from the attacking team. The referee will indicate the point of restart.   
• If a try has not been scored after 6 tags, possession turns over to the defending team at the point of the last tag. 
• Any acts of unsporting behaviour will result in a handover to the non-offending team at the place where the incident occurred and play restarted with a Rip-and-Pass with the defensive team forming a Tackle Triangle.
• 2 tags must be attached at all times for the attacker carrying the ball. If this is not the case, the referee will bring the play back to the previous point of restart with the previous tag count.

Rip-and-Pass: (Attacking Team)

• The ball carrier must return to the spot where the tag occurred. 
• Turning to face their own team, the ball carrier presents the ball.
• The nearest support player to ball carrier will come in and rip (take) the ball from this position. This player is called the Dummy Half and must pass the ball sideways or backwards from the Rip and should not run forwards.
• The Dummy Half is able to take a step laterally to assist with passing. You cannot score as a Dummy Half.
• Any player can be the Dummy Half and the player at Dummy Half could change at every Rip-and-pass.

Tackle Triangle: (Defending Team)

• Before the attacking team can rip-and-pass, a tackle triangle by the defending team must be formed.
• The tagger will return the tag to the attackers belt. At the same time, the 2 closest defenders must from a tackle triangle buy placing their outside hand on the tagger’s shoulder – see image attached.
• Once the triangle has been established, the attacking team can rip-and-pass.
• All other defenders must maintain a distance of 5 metres from the position of the base of the triangle point, not the rip-and-pass point. As soon as the attacking Dummy Half passes or kicks the ball, defenders can then move forward. They must retreat 5 metres after every tag.

Offside:

Defence…

• If a defender does not retreat 5 metres after a tag, they will be deemed to be offside.
• If a tag is made from an offside position, the attacker can pass directly to a team mate to continue the phase, but must reattach their tag before joining back in.
• The tag will not add to the tag count.
• Repeated or deliberate offside offences will be penalised as unsporting behaviour & the tag count reset to zero.

Attack…

• Attacking players cannot receive a pass in front of the ball carrier. This will be deemed to be offside as a forward pass has occurred. This will result in a change over in possession.
• A player will be offside after a kick IF they collect it without the kicker being in front of them.

Kicking:

• Kicking will be permitted in this version of the game. A kick from open play must be below head height – this will avoid collisions with defenders looking up to catch a high ball.
• A kick will be used to start the game. This can be from hand with a direct kick or a drop kick, centre field. The ball must travel at least 10 metres into the opponents half. The kick must be UNCONESTED until gathered.
• The ball may be contested and collected by the attacking team as long as past the 10 metre distance and interfering players are onside.
• If the ball leaves the field via the kick-off, the defending team will receive the ball at point of exit and play will restart with a Rip-and-Pass and tackle triangle.
• During play, if a kick if attempted, the ball can be collected by the kicker or another attacker coming from an onside position from any distance (10m does not apply) – behind the kicker when the ball is kicked.
• A second kick is NOT permitted if it has just been kicked, chased. This will prevent attackers potentially kicking defenders who are attempting to receive the ball as it is not in control. Instead, the ball must be collected by hand but once the player has it in control, the kicking phase may begin again.

Tagging: 

• Only the player in possession of the ball can be tagged. 
• A tag is simply the removal by a defender of one of two of the ribbons from the ball carrier. 
• When a defender has removed the tag, he/she stands still at the point at which the tag was removed. 
• The attacker returns to where the defender is holding the tag and restarts the game by a Rip-and-Pass in the correct manner – after a tackle triangle has also been formed by the defenders. 
• Immediately before a Rip-and-Pass, the tagger must re-attach the taken tag back onto the hip of the attacker belt. This prevents any disadvantage in the play.
• Players cannot take part in the game without both tags properly in place on their belt – one tag positioned on each hip – not in front or behind.

Scoring a Try: 

• A try is scored by placing or touching the ball down on or over your opponents’ try line. 
• If tagged in the act of scoring the try will stand. The attacker is permitted 1 step / 1 metre after being tagged to place the ball down.
• After a try has been scored the scoring team will restart with a kick, centre field on the half way line, into the non-scoring teams’ half.
• All other starts and restarts will be with a Rip-and-Pass whatever the situation. 

For more information on the rules of Tag Rugby, please click on the following link: https://www.englandrugby.com/participation/education/schools 

Event Format 

• Skill stations will take place in the morning with mini matches following in the afternoon. 
• Scores will be recorded and places awarded for the afternoon session.
• Points awarded are: 3 for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss.  
• Group placing determined by: points accrued, try difference, tries scored, head to head result (if 2 teams), golden try. 

  Draw Format  

• School teams will rotate around a number of tag rugby based skill stations lead by sports leaders.
• Teams will be placed in like-ability groups for the afternoon set of matches.
• First stage is round robin groups. A second stage may be introduced depending on time. Final group standings will be determined from results. Winners of the groups will take top seed of their group, 2nd take 2nd seed of their group, etc. 
• All teams will progress to a second stage of competition according to their placement in the first round, with the format to be determined by the number of schools entered.  

Awards

• Awards will be dependent on the format and number of teams entered.
• There may be group winners and in that case certificates will be awarded for 1st , 2nd and 3rd Place.
• Medals and trophies will not be awarded at Development Competitions.  
• REFSPECT winners – Certificate 
• Participation certificates will be presented to all participants. 

Results 

• Results and event report will be available on the news webpage within 24 hours of the event ending. 

Winner’s Pathway 

• There is no planned pathway from this event and there may not be an overall winner. 

MSSP Duty of Care 

MSSP have a duty to take all measures that are reasonable in the circumstances to ensure the health, safety, wellbeing and welfare of all participants and any other attendees involved in the relevant event. MSSP have tried to ensure that all reasonable steps have been taken in its duty of care being discharged, and to the requisite standard of care, MSSP have ensured the following guidance and actions have been adhered to and carried out: 

• That the advice of the UK Government and public health authorities has been followed 
• That the bespoke guidance and protocols issued by the relevant NGB, federation and/or umbrella organisation (if applicable) have been followed. 

Safeguarding and DBS 

MSSP acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and is committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and the requirements of the Partnership’s host organisation, the Harris Federation. 

We recognise that the welfare and interests of children are paramount in all circumstances. We aim to ensure that regardless of age, ability or disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, socio-economic background, all children and young leaders: 

• have a positive and enjoyable experience of sport or physical activity at MSSP events in a safe and child centred environment
• are protected from abuse whilst participating or officiating at MSSP events 

All MSSP staff at the event are fully vetted and enhanced DBS checked. It is the schools’ responsibility to ensure any staff and volunteers who attend the event comply with the host venue safeguarding and welfare policy and can provide documentation to support this on request.  

Spectators will not be permitted entry to school/private sports facilities and should be informed of this when letters are sent to parents. In order to safeguard children at our events, we will only allow entry to parents if they have been DBS checked and vetted through safer recruitment procedures and authorised to attend by your school. The school will maintain responsible for them at all times. At public sites such as parks we will section off an area for the public where parents that are not with the school party may spectate from. 

For more information regarding MSSP’s safeguarding, please click here 

If you have any concerns about a child at our event please make sure you say something. The MSSP safeguarding team contact details will be on display at all events or for more information on who to speak to please click here 

Please see attached Risk Assessment in the ‘Resources’ sections for event specific planning and considerations.

REFSPECT 

MSSP values the contributions by all those involved in making our events a FUN, safe and enjoyable environment for children to take part in sport. To ensure our events continue to be successful we promote our REFSPECT campaign. We expect everyone attending our events to maintain respect for the rules, officials, opponents, teammates and themselves. Only designated staff and volunteers will be allowed on the side-lines. All spectators are to remain behind the barriers, providing positive support and encouraging a fun and fair event.  

For more information about REFSPECT and codes of conduct for attendance at our events, please click here

If any staff, adults or children are deemed to be in breach of our REFSPECT codes of conduct they will be asked to leave the event and the Head Teacher of the relevant school will be informed immediately.

Photo Consent 

Photographs will be taken at this event by staff members from MSSP and may be used for promotional material. If you have any children that do not have permission to be photographed, please inform a member of staff before the start of the event. 

Please ensure your school only take photographs of their own students and do not share any photos of other children on social media without consent from that school.  

Social Media 

For information and updates from our events, please follow and use the platforms below.  

Email: info@mertonssp.org.uk

X: x.com/MertonSSP

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mertonssp

First Aid 

MSSP will have a basic first aid kit and qualified person at all events but will not be available to tend to less urgent first aid, as they will be delivering the event. As part of the school’s risk assessment a qualified first aider should be with the school team at all times (including travel) to tend to their children during the event.  

Comments, Compliments and Complaints 

MSSP aims to deliver a first-class service to all of its stakeholders. We see all feedback, whether good or bad, as a valuable way for us to learn and improve. Therefore, we welcome all comments, compliments and complaints. For further details, please click here