Membership Criteria

Qualifications. (Bylaws, Section 3.03, a)

• A high school with a varsity rugby team or program that has opportunities and resources equitable to the other varsity sports under the supervision of the athletic department of their school or school district.

  1. Initially, a school or school district may solely support a high school boys’ or girls’ varsity program or team.  However, if a school or school district starts with supporting a boys’ varsity program, it must submit a plan to develop girls’ varsity program to the Association with its application and make reasonable progression to achieving its goals.

     • • The Board of Directors of the Association or its designated committee shall annually review each school’s case to determine sufficient progression.

  2. A high school with single-gender enrollment may partner with a like school (i.e., public, charter, or private) of the opposite gender to satisfy the above provision.

Requirements. (Bylaws, Section 3.03, b)

1. A high school varsity team must have an initial roster of nine (9) athletes with annual progression towards fulfilling a roster of at least 20 players.

   1. • The Board of Directors of the Association or its designated committee shall annually review each school’s case to determine sufficient progression.

      • High schools with enrollment below the UIL AAA (3A) athletic classification shall be considered to have fulfilled the varsity team roster requirements at 15 players.

2. All varsity programs are encouraged to offer sub-varsity team opportunities to develop interested student-athletes and improve a program’s competitiveness.

3. Annually register all coaches that are part of the varsity rugby program.  This includes, but is not limited to, all head coaches, assistant coaches and volunteer coaches for varsity, sub-varsity, and middle school teams.

4. Annually register all players that will participate on a competitive team.

5. Pay the annual varsity program fees for the respective gender and individual participants by the deadline as set by the Board of Directors of the Association.

6. Annually designate the school administrator or coach who will represent the program within the Association for the operational year (July 1 through June 30).

7. Submit a letter of verification that the team(s) are supported as a varsity program under the athletic department of the charter school, private school, or public school district.

Qualifications. (Bylaws, Section 3.04, a)

• A student-led organization (“Student Rugby Club”) that is approved by the administration of a school or school district and has a faculty or staff sponsor to oversee and guide its activities.

  1. A student rugby club may initially support either a high school girls’ team or a high school boys’ team.

     • Prior acceptance for membership, a plan must be submitted to The Association for prior approval on how the student rugby club will secure a rugby team for the opposite gender within a reasonable period of time (i.e., within one or two years).

  2. A student rugby club from a high school with single-gender enrollment may partner with a like school (i.e., public, charter, or private) of the opposite gender to satisfy the above provision.

  3. A team shall be considered a Student Rugby Club whether it is supported by an educational institution’s internal finance fund for student club activities, directly by the student-participants of the team, or funded by the school’s administration but not considered a varsity sport by athletic department.

Requirements. (Bylaws, Section 3.04, b)

1. A student club team must have an initial roster of five (5) athletes. After the initial year, a team must demonstrate annual progression towards supporting a roster of at least 15 players.

   • The Board of Directors of the Association or its designated committee shall annually review each school’s case to determine sufficient progression.

   • A student club team with a sufficient number of players is encouraged to divide into a first-side (or “varsity”) and a second-side (or “junior-varsity”) team.

   • To help ensure continuation of the team or progression towards attaining varsity status within the school / school district, no team shall be composed solely of upper-class students (grades 11 and/or 12) without also having a full roster for second-side team composed of students in grades 9 through 11.

2. Annually register all coaches that are part of the rugby team(s).  This includes, but is not limited to, all head coaches, assistant coaches whether paid or volunteer for first-side (“varsity”), second-side (“sub-varsity”), and/or middle school teams.

3. Annually register all players that will participate on a competitive team

4. Pay the annual student rugby club fee and individual participant fees by the deadline as set by the Board of Directors of the Association.

5. Annually submit a letter of verification that the student club is approved by the school’s campus administration as a student organization.

• Available at the discretion of the Board.

• A provision for a student group that is getting formally organized and approved as a club within their school; or, a temporary exception for an entity that is not necessarily a school-based group, but whose participants are composed primarily from students within a school's or school district's enrollment boundaries.

• The entity has no voting rights.

• The Executive Director of TIRA sends a communication to the Board requesting formal approval with a justification and the period of time.

• All participants from the "invited entity" must complete the registration requirements set by TIRA.

1. Prospective members must complete the approved membership application.

   • Certification of Status – each prospective member is required to submit a letter from their school / school district to verify their status as a varsity program or student club.

2. Designate the school administrator, faculty/staff sponsor, or stipend/volunteer coach who will represent the program within the Association for the school year (July 1 through June 30).

3. The President of the Association shall determine whether the prospective member satisfies the membership requirements.

4. If satisfied, the application shall be referred to the Executive Committee of the Association for consideration. A favorable two-thirds vote of the Executive Committee shall be required to accept an applicant into the Association.

1. Membership implies agreement to abide by the Bylaws as well as the published rules and regulations of the Association.

2. Members shall conduct themselves within the core principles and ethical framework of the Association.

3. Members shall attend meetings and review communications from the Association to stay abreast of Association business.

4. Members shall pay the appropriate fees in a timely manner to ensure the Association has the funds necessarily to operate and serve its membership and the community.