Dear Club Administrator/Registrar,

Re: Foreign Players

As you know, in the club league and cup competition regulations for 2003/2004 the number of Foreign Players who can be selected for a club squad in a match is limited to two.  Foreign Players are players who are not entitled to European workers rights or have not represented England at senior, A, U21 or 7s levels.

Following a legal decision in relation to the German handball leagues (the Kolpak case), players from certain non-EU countries may now be re-classified as non-Foreign on the basis that they are now entitled to European workers rights.  The list of such non-EU countries is attached. The list includes South Africa, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa amongst others. 

Any such players still however need to meet all applicable UK immigration law requirements. Proof of satisfying such law will be in the form of a valid (in date) visa or work permit, allowing the holder to remain in the UK under the conditions of their issued visa.

A club wishing to re-classify any of its Foreign Players as non-Foreign should therefore apply in writing (not by fax) to its Registrar including 1. A copy of the player’s valid Passport photo page, confirming the player’s nationality 2. A copy of the player’s current visa stamp, entitling the player to be in the UK and 3. A stamped addressed envelope for the return of the updated Player Registration list. The Registrar will then check the status of the player for registration purposes and, if appropriate, re-classify the player on the computerized listing held by the Registrar. 

All relevant documents shall be with the registrar no later than first post on the Wednesday if a club is seeking to re-classification in time for the following Saturday. You cannot expedite this procedure.

For the sake of clarity and consistent with the various current competition regulations, the computerized listing held by the club’s Registrar remains the only and conclusive evidence of a player’s effective registration, so clubs should continue to check the computerized listing as to a player’s classification prior to selection. Confirmation of a player’s re-classification will be the clubs receipt of the amended player register and registration certificate. 

May I also add, that it is the sole responsibility of the club to ensure that the player only plays while his Immigration documents are current and valid. Playing a player after these

documents have expired is deemed to be playing an illegible player and Regulation 9.2 will apply.

Yours sincerely,

Terry Burwell

Community and Rugby Operations Director

Note: This note does not vary or supercede the actual competition regulations as found in the RFU Regulations and Competitions Handbook 2003/2004 and which are reproduced on the RFU website.  If in any doubt as to the basis upon which competitions are played, please refer to the applicable competition regulations.

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