General
The Army Rugby Union (ARU) is a Category 1 Risk to Life (RtL) sport operating under the governance, direction and assurance of Army Sport. As an authorised Service sport, all ARU activity must be delivered safely, responsibly and in compliance with both Ministry of Defence (MOD) policy and the regulations of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and World Rugby (WR).
As the Constituent Body (CB) of the RFU, the ARU is required to adhere to the RFU’s policies, playing regulations, safety standards and governance expectations, which are themselves regulated by World Rugby. Compliance with these frameworks, alongside MOD safety and assurance policy, ensures that rugby activity across the Army is delivered to an appropriate and consistent standard of care, welfare and risk management.
The ARU operates a comprehensive assurance process to support safe delivery of the sport at Representative, Corps and Unit level. The following documents set out the policies, procedures and responsibilities that all ARU personnel, organisers and participants are required to follow.
The Army Rugby Union Safety Plan – this document is currently under annual review, please contact Kimberley Fowke, ARU COO – EMAIL
RFU Player Welfare and RugbySafe Resources
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) provides comprehensive guidance on player welfare, safety and medical best practice through its RugbySafe programme. The RFU’s Player Welfare hub includes information on injury prevention, concussion management, first aid, equipment standards and best practice for player wellbeing – Player Welfare | Rugby Football Union
The RFU’s RugbySafe Essential Guides offer clear, practical information for coaches, referees, team managers, parents and players on a wide range of welfare and safety topics, including:
These resources support safe participation across the game and complement the Army Rugby Union’s own safety management arrangements.
Important Note: Advice provided by the RFU regarding specific injuries, illnesses or medical conditions is general in nature. It is not a substitute for professional medical assessment. Individuals must seek personalised advice from their own General Practitioner, military medical team or hospital consultant regarding diagnosis, treatment, fitness to train or fitness to play rugby.
First Aid, Medical Provision and Injury Reporting
RFU First Aid & Immediate Care
The RFU provides comprehensive guidance through its RugbySafe programme covering:
- Pitch‑side first aid and immediate care
- Emergency First Aider and Immediate Care Practitioner roles
- First aid training and CPD modules
- Creating a Medical Emergency Action Plan (MEAP)
- AED access and emergency response
- Risk assessment tools
- Injury reporting guidance and forms
RFU Player Welfare & Injury Reporting Hub: Pitch Side First Aid and Immediate Care
These resources support ARU MEAP requirements and safe delivery of rugby activity.
RFU Reportable Injury Events
A Reportable Injury Event is defined by the RFU as:
- An injury resulting in admission to hospital (not simply attendance at A&E),
- A death occurring during the game or within six hours of it finishing,
RFU reporting actions
If a serious injury occurs:
- Provide immediate first aid and arrange ambulance transfer if required.
- The Activity Lead must ensure a club/ARU representative contacts the RFU Injury Reporting Helpline:
0800 298 0102 or SportsInjuriesAdmin@rfu.com - Submit the relevant RFU Reportable Injury Event Form.
- The RFU Injured Players Foundation (IPF) will contact the player/family for welfare support in catastrophic cases.
- Referees must complete the RFU Referee Reportable Injury Event Form.
- Retain factual witness statements where an insurance or injury claim may arise.
The RFU recommends that all clubs and organisations maintain an incident record book for first aiders to record any pitch‑side medical interventions.
MOD / ARU Injury Reporting Requirements
All accidents, incidents, near misses and dangerous occurrences arising from ARU activity must be reported:
- In accordance with AGAI Vol 1 Chapter 5, and
- Through the MySafety reporting process (Defence Unified Reporting & Lessons System).
The Activity Lead is responsible for ensuring:
- Immediate actions are taken to manage the situation
- The relevant single‑Service point of contact, parent unit and Chain of Command are informed promptly
- MySafety reporting is completed using the current process and flowchart (provided below on this page)
MOD reporting does not replace RFU reporting.
Both systems must be followed when an injury meets RFU criteria.
Concussion
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) provides comprehensive guidance on player welfare, safety and medical best practice through its RugbySafe programme. The RFU’s Player Welfare hub includes information on injury prevention, concussion management, first aid, equipment standards and best practice for player wellbeing – Player Welfare | Rugby Football Union
The RFU’s RugbySafe Essential Guides offer clear, practical information for coaches, referees, team managers, parents and players on a wide range of welfare and safety topics, including:
These resources support safe participation across the game and complement the Army Rugby Union’s own safety management arrangements.
Important Note: Advice provided by the RFU regarding specific injuries, illnesses or medical conditions is general in nature. It is not a substitute for professional medical assessment. Individuals must seek personalised advice from their own General Practitioner, military medical team or hospital consultant regarding diagnosis, treatment, fitness to train or fitness to play rugby.
Affiliation and Game Level
All teams wishing to play rugby union in the Army must affiliate to the Army Rugby Union (ARU). The process is straightforward and all forms and guidance are available on the ARU Affiliation page.
Requirements for Affiliated Teams
As part of the affiliation process, teams must confirm they have appropriately qualified personnel to safely train and deliver rugby activity:
a) A qualified coach.
Teams must have a coach who holds the England Rugby Coaching Award (ERCA) or the previously issued RFU Level 2 Coaching Rugby Union qualification. Further information can be found on the RFU Coaching Web Pages.
b)
Pitch‑side First Aid Provision. Teams should have an individual who has a Level 3 or equivalent First Aid qualification, e.g. Emergency First Aid at Work. Medical provision must be appropriate for the level of the game (see below).
c) Medical Cover Requirements. The level of medical cover for a match is determined by the RFU Game Level.
As a guide:
- Level 1 – Premiership
- Level 2 – Championship
- Level 3 – National 1
- Level 4 – National 2
- Lower levels increase numerically
Further guidance can be found on the RFU Website – Pitchside First Aid and Immediate Care
d) Game Levels for ARU Competitions. The ARU applies RFU Game Levels to determine safe officiating and medical cover.
Typical levels are:
Inter Service Rugby:
- Senior Men: Level 2/3/4
- Senior Women: Level 5/6
- U23: Level 5/6
- Masters: Level 6/7
- Sevens: Level 2–5 (competition dependent)
Other representative fixtures:
Levels vary depending on the opposition; fixtures against National teams or other National Service teams may require higher‑level medical cover.
Corps Matches:
- Merit 1 League: Level 5/6.
- Merit 2 League: Level 7/8.
- Women’s League: Level 8/9.
Inter Unit Matches:
- Premiership: Level 6/7/8.
- Championship: Level 9/10 and below.
- Friendly fixture: Level 9 and below.
If your team is unsure of the minimum medical cover required, please contact the ARU Operations Officer, Kimberley Fowke – EMAIL.
Risk Assessments (RA)
All ARU‑affiliated teams must complete a Risk Assessment prior to any training session or match.
A generic Risk Assessment template can be viewed here – ARU Generic Risk Assessment Template
This template must be used as a baseline, but must be adapted for local conditions (weather, facilities, location, personnel, etc.)
The person authorising the RA must be trained in Safety Risk Management (SRM).
A Dynamic Risk Assessment (DRA) must also be completed on the day of the activity to reflect real‑time environmental or situational changes.
Both documents (Generic RA and DRA) must be completed and submitted to the appropriate Unit or organisational risk approver before the training or match takes place.
Pre-Match Ground Safety Check
Before a match begins, the Unit Rugby Officer (or deputy) must complete the Pre‑Match Ground Safety Assessment, confirming:
- The playing area and surrounds are safe
- Facilities are suitable
- A qualified referee has been appointed by either: The Army Rugby Union Referee Society (ARURS), or the United Kingdom Armed Forces Rugby Union Referee Society (UKAFRURS)
This check forms part of the team’s duty of care to players, officials and spectators.
