REGULATION 4 SECTION 2 Associate Player in a Licensed Training Centre, compensation for the training and development of that player. C. Prohibitions 8. Equally important to encouraging the development of young players throughout the world, raising standards and broadening the Game’s playing base in all Unions, is the agreement of all Unions, their members and their constituents to accept and apply this Protocol. 9. An essential component of the Protocol is the prohibition on the unauthorized approach to and/or “poaching” of young players either within a Union and/or between Unions. 10. Unions (and/or their members) who make unauthorised approaches to young players and/or poach or attempt to poach young players shall be subject to sanction. 11. This Protocol requires Unions to impose appropriate sanctions on their members who make any unauthorised approaches to young players and/or poach or attempt to poach young players either within a Union or between Unions. Unions who fail to impose sanctions on members or constituents who fail to adhere to the Protocol and the spirit of the Protocol render themselves liable to sanctions. 12. In order to take advantage of the Associate Player scheme it is necessary for Unions, Rugby Bodies or Clubs, as the case may be, to invest in effective training and development programmes. World Rugby believes that Licensed Training Centres and the Associate Player compensatory scheme provides the appropriate mechanism to protect the interests of Unions, Rugby Bodies, Clubs and players. It will allow the monitoring of a player’s progress and the protection of his broader educational interests whilst providing an appropriate degree of control over youth development to be exercised at Union level. D. The Training and Development Bargain 13. Unions must ensure that Licensed Training Centres are properly structured and offer players a meaningful opportunity to develop their skills. Unions must impose and enforce licensing conditions on Licensed Training Centres that require the highest ethical and playing standards to be applied and the Fundamental Requirements set out in Section 1 maintained. 14. If the benefits to a player (for example, in terms of regular/frequent good quality coaching and training activities) cannot be demonstrated, then there is a risk that provisions designed to protect the investment made by Unions, Rugby Bodies or Clubs in that young player’s training and development will be by-passed or deemed unenforceable. It is necessary, therefore, to demonstrate that there is, in effect, a discernible “bargain” between the Associate Player and the Union, Rugby Body or Club operating the Licensed Training Centre in question. Last update: 14 January, 2015 85
World Rugby Handbook
To see the actual publication please follow the link above