1. The Club shall be called “Staines Rugby Football Club” which is a Company limited by Guarantee and its Articles of Association together with the general rules of the Club shall be read as one. Where there is any conflict between the Articles of Association and the Club Rules, the Articles of Association will take precedence.

2. The Club colours will be Blue and Red Shirts, Blue shorts, with Blue and Red socks, and all members shall wear such colours in Club Matches.

3. For administrative and disciplinary purposes the Club is divided into two sections, namely the Senior Section and the Junior Section. Both sections come under the jurisdiction of these Rules.

4. The Club shall be managed by an Executive Management Board (EMB) elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), which shall consist of the President, Chairman, Deputy Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Property Manager, Grounds Manager, Director of Rugby, Junior Rugby Lead, Commercial Director & General Manager (non-voting: Safeguarding Officer, Diversity & Inclusion Lead, Senior Men & Senior women representatives). The EMB shall transact all the business of the Club, except the making of Rules. Four shall form a quorum.

5. The EMB shall within one month of the AGM appoint all other Club Officials save those elected directly by the Junior section, the Women’s teams, or the Senior Players.

6. The Club Manager shall control all purchases and sales of intoxicating liquor under the direction of the EMB.

7. The EMB shall nominate its members, which shall be placed on the Notice Board at least 28 days prior to the AGM and shall be circulated to the Club membership with the Notice of the AGM at least 21 days before the AGM, which shall be held in June. Club members may also nominate members of the EMB for election, such nominations to be sent by a proposer and endorsed by a seconder to the Secretary at least 14 clear days before the AGM, which shall be circulated to members at the same time as the EMB’s nominations. In the event that more than one person is nominated for a particular position a ballot shall take place at the AGM. Otherwise the EMB’s nominations shall stand. Any members nominated for election to the EMB must have been paid up members for at least 2 continuous years prior to nomination, save for the Club President, who will have been a fully paid up member for at least 5 continuous years prior to nomination.

8. An EMB meeting shall be held not later than one month after the AGM, at which the members of any Subordinate Committees shall be appointed.

9. Vice-Presidents may be elected by the EMB but must fulfil one or more of the following conditions: they must have performed some outstanding service for the Club or for Rugby Football; or they must have been a non-playing member of the Club for at least five seasons; or they must have been an official or playing member of the Club. Additionally the EMB may appoint some of the above as Senior Vice-Presidents.

10. The Secretary shall convene a Special General Meeting within one calendar month of receiving a requisition to that effect, signed by 20 members, with equal representation from the Senior and Junior sections.

11. The Secretary shall convene a Special General Meeting if so directed by the EMB.

12. If any vacancy occurs on any Committee, the EMB shall have power to fill such vacancy.

13. A Selection Committee, appointed annually by the Head Coach, shall select the teams for all senior matches.

14. Members selected to play in Club matches and unable to do so must give their Team Coach at least two days’ notice, so that he may be able to find a substitute. Players who fail to meet this requirement without adequate reason will be disciplined accordingly.

15. Club Membership
(a) Candidates for membership must complete a Form of Application for Membership. The EMB has the right to refuse an application. The Membership Secretary shall keep a Register of Members of the Club, which shall be a Register of paid-up Members.
(b) Candidates for membership of the Junior section (Under 6 to Under 17) must complete an application form for individual or family membership as appropriate. If such application is accepted the candidate shall become a member on payment of the appropriate subscription and completion of an indemnity form.
(c) Subject to any restriction which may from time to time be imposed by the EMB, the EMB may consider applications for membership of the Club in accordance with Rule 15 (a) by persons interested in sports other than Rugby Football and/or in other specified social activities, or other sporting bodies and companies may be accepted for affiliation themselves to the Club. Such affiliated groups may appoint one of their members or employees to be a full time member of the Club with full voting rights at General Meetings and will supply a full list of members or employees who may be elected as associated members of the Club subject to the Rules and discipline of the Club. The affiliated groups shall accept any instructions issued by the EMB on behalf of the Club.

The subscription to be paid by persons admitted to one membership under this Rule shall be determined by the EMB.

(d) The EMB may consider applications for membership of the Club in accordance with Rule 15 (a) by persons interested in joining the Club as social members. Persons joining the club under this Rule shall not be entitled to vote at a General Meeting of the Club.

16. Termination of Club Membership
(a) The EMB may terminate the membership of the Club of any person without stating the reason for so doing, such termination to take effect when the member is notified in writing by the Secretary of the EMB’s decision. Any person whose membership is terminated in this way will have a right of appeal to be delivered in writing to the Secretary within 14 days of being informed of the EMB’s decision. In this event a special Committee will be convened to consider the appeal, which shall consist of five members of the Club including two from the EMB. The person lodging the appeal shall have the right to call witnesses and others in support of his appeal. The verdict of the Appeal Committee shall be final and shall be delivered within 30 days of the appeal.

17. Disciplinary Procedures
(a) Any member of the EMB on receiving a complaint in writing regarding the behaviour of a member of either the Senior or the Junior section on or off the field, in any place where the Club’s name may have been brought into dispute, shall inform the Secretary. This will immediately be passed on to the Disciplinary Officer who will chair a Disciplinary Committee of at least three members to include at least one member of the EMB. Such Disciplinary Committee shall operate under the RFU Guidelines and shall have the power to take what action it may consider appropriate. Such action shall be reported to the EMB at its next meeting. Any member who is the subject of a complaint may be suspended from the Club until the Disciplinary Committee has met, which shall be not more than ten days after the incident wherever possible. The member will be required to attend the Disciplinary Committee meeting and may be accompanied by a representative of his choice, who will usually be another Club member.
(b) Any member sent off the field of play will pay any costs incurred by the Club.
(c) Members of the Junior section shall be disciplined in accordance with a Code approved by the EMB, copies of which are available from the Secretary.

18. Subscriptions
(a) Membership subscriptions, including VAT, for each category of membership are payable annually on 1st September or on joining the Club. All subscriptions may be liable to 25% surcharge if not paid by 30th September or within one month of joining the Club.

Subscriptions for the season 2024-25 are as follows:

Full Playing Members U18 - Senior £160.00

Full Non-Playing Members £145.00
U14 to U17 age group £105.00
(Family Membership***) + £10 per additional playing Child

U6 to U13 age group £100.00
(Family Membership***) + £10 per additional playing Child

Full time Students / Apprentices £85.00

Presidents, Past Presidents and Vice Presidents (Min) £145.00*

Debenture Holders Members – non voting £60.00

Social Members – non voting £70.00

Senior Family Membership £170.00

Life Members, one off payment £1,000.00

***2 adults & 2 children
*50% discount for non-Social members over 65 years

(d) For any person joining the Club after 1st November the subscription will become immediately payable. The EMB shall be empowered to erase from the Club’s records the name of any person whose subscription is not paid by 1st November or on joining the Club.

(e) Any member joining the Club after the commencement of the season but before 31st December is required to pay the full subscription listed in Rule 18 (a). A member joining after 31st December shall pay half the subscription listed in Rule 18 (a).

19. The Club Premises shall be open as the EMB may direct.

20. The hours during which intoxicating liquor may be supplied to members shall be the permitted hours currently in force as allowed by the London Borough of Hounslow.

21. Intoxicating liquor shall not be supplied on the Club premises other than to members and to visitors as defined in Rule 22 hereof or to their private bona fide guests.

22. Admission to Club Premises
(a) Subject to any restrictions which may from time to time be imposed by the EMB, the following persons shall be called visitors, be entitled to admission to the Club premises and to purchase intoxicating liquor for consumption on the premises, viz.:

• Members of visiting teams on match days.
• The Supporters and Officials of visiting teams on match days.
• Referees on match days.
• Members of visiting teams using the Club premises to play other visiting teams, and their respective Supporters and Officials on match days.
• The organisers of social functions held on the Club premises, and their guests.

(b) It is the intention of the Club to allow the premises to be used for social functions and to allow bona fide persons attending such functions to purchase intoxicating liquor on the premises subject to the following rules:

• The organisers of such functions shall be asked to provide prior to the date of such function a list of all the people attending the function;
• The organisers shall also be asked to nominate themselves or another person present at the function to be responsible for their guests in the event of a fire at the Club’s premises.

(c) All visitors shall be bound by the Rules and Regulations of the Club relating to the sale of intoxicating liquor and the behaviour of persons attending the Club.

23. No Rule shall be altered, rescinded, or added to without the consent of at least two-thirds of those paid-up members present at an Annual General Meeting.

24. Notice of amendment or alteration of any of these Rules shall be sent to the Secretary in writing at least 28 days before any General Meeting and the Secretary shall circulate such proposals at least 21 days prior to such General Meeting.

25. An accountant, who shall be appointed at the AGM, shall review the financial accounts of the Club covering the year to 31st May. The Director of Finance will furnish any member of the Club with a copy of these accounts on request.

26. Every member shall be furnished with a copy of these Rules and shall be bound thereby.

27. Without exception no member of the Club shall enter into any verbal or written contract or agreement on behalf of the Club without express prior permission of the EMB.

28. The EMB is empowered to borrow money on behalf of the Club solely for the benefit of the Club and in the ordinary course of the business of the Club but for no other purpose subject to the approval of the Reeves Sports Club Ltd‎. In any event any borrowings in excess of £50,000 must be approved by the members of the Club in a General Meeting.