Zoom Call 8-18-22 Tri-State Men Fall Schedule

Tri-State Collegiate Rugby Conference

Memorandum           

To:       All Men’s Teams

Re:       Zoom call on 8-18-22 with Men’s Teams

Date:   8-19-22

A Zoom call was scheduled for 8-18-22 and all Men’s Teams were invited.

Discussion included the following:

Report Scores

Teams were asked to please report their game scores to tobrown@vassar.edu so that the website be updated in a timely manner. Teams were asked to give the score and to note the number of tries scored since bonus points are allocated for 4 tries or more. Both teams should report the score.

Referee Assignments

Teams were asked to contact their assigned referee as soon as possible after learning the assignment via “Whostheref.”email. This confirmation is usually done no later than the Tuesday prior to the game on the weekend. Please detail location, KO time, team colors and payment arrangements. Teams were reminded that any changes to the schedule must come through the Conference and that unilateral action was not permitted. Discussion also included some teams wanting to play on Saturdays rather than Sundays. It was felt that the collegiate teams needed to have one individual per team be qualified as a referee, as is the case with the Empire GU clubs, and that would go a good way to making Saturday games possible.

Disciplinary Committee

The Conference needs to establish a Disciplinary Committee so that the referee societies can be fully supported. In lieu of an elected committee the coaches of the two teams competing that day, two other coaches together with a referee representative shall form this committee.

Officers

Teams were asked to check the website and send any updates of their officers to tobrown@vassar.edu asap.

Fall 2022 Schedule

The main focus of the call was the Fall 2022 Schedule. In an effort to be supportive of Caldwell University Men and William Paterson University Men, both having low roster numbers, teams were asked to accommodate them and provide opposition or assistance that would allow them to play games.

The Men’s Division II playoff structure was discussed and the eligibility of Fairfield University Men’s Developmental XV was debated. In the spring when the Fairfield team joined the Conference it was agreed that they would not be eligible for post-season play. However, with the reduction in Division II teams a proposal was made that they be eligible for Tri-State Conference playoffs but not advance to the National pathway. The discussion reached a consensus that the Championship game must have 2 Nationally eligible teams compete. However, it was agreed that should the Tri-State national representative team not advance past the first round of the NCR playoffs that the following weekend they would play the winner of the 3rd/4th place game.

For example:

The top 2 nationally eligible Tri-State teams would play for the right to advance to the NCR Championship. If the Conference Division II Men’s regular season finished with Fairfield’s Development XV in first or second place then they would be scheduled against the number 4 team. If the Tri-State National representative does not advance past the first round of Nationals then the winner of the 3rd/4th place game would have the opportunity to play them.

It was agreed that Fairfield’s post-season eligibility would be re-evaluated after the 2022-23 season.

Please feel free to contact Tony Brown with any questions or concerns.

tobrown@vassar.edu