Recently I (Kim Brock) got into a bit of an e-mail tussle with several TU reps when she stated that the National Office would not accept eligibility packets any later than 12 days prior to a USA RUGBY Championship event.  While this is the published rule of USA RUGBY (published November 13, 2005), it is apparent that it results in significant challenges to several TUs.  At the same time receiving paperwork later than that places the National Championships Manager in a very difficult situation. Doug Arnot, Kristin Richeimer and Kim Brock at the National Office have gotten together and reviewed our practices and come up with a "Best Practices for Eligibility Paperwork." 

 

This challenge is not new.  And, despite many attempts to find solutions that fit all, we all struggle each year.   

In a memo dated December 9, 2004, we as a National Office stated what we could do to help the process of Eligibility Paperwork go smoother, please see below.

 

We spend an inordinate amount of time tracking down missing paperwork. As an example for the first weekend of Collegiate Playoffs, we have 48 teams who qualify.  We typically will have issues for clarification with 25-30 of the 48.  Clearing up the issues typically takes about 20 hours.  And, we still have the process the paperwork for all others.

We respectfully request the Territories help by

 

1] Passing on eligibility regulations and deadlines early in the qualification process.

2] Demand that all paperwork be done by the time they begin competing in a territorial qualifying match.

3] If the teams have the paperwork with them at their qualifying tournament, it can be handed over to a TU Official at check in and the TU Official can then send all of the qualifying paperwork in to the National Office the following business day.  This should result in minimal issues for follow up and therefore cut back on the response and processing time I mentioned above.

 

If this is an unreasonable or unrealistic request then we suggest that it may be time to go to a system of challenges and random checks.  The random checks will help some.  The challenge system allows any team an opportunity (with a cost if they are wrong) to challenge any other team.