ITRA's New Policy on Forfeits: A Step Towards Better Leagues in 2025
As we approach the end of the year, the Irish Tag Rugby Association (ITRA) is excited to share some of the initiatives we’re working on to enhance your tag rugby experience.
One key area we’re tackling for 2025 is match forfeits. While sometimes unavoidable, forfeits create challenges for everyone: referees and pitches go unused, and teams miss out on valuable game time.
To address this, we’re exploring several solutions, including updated rules for “ringers,” better support for new teams starting their tag journey, and more flexible league formats.
The first initiative we’re introducing is a new penalty system for forfeits, launching on a pilot basis for all New Year leagues. Teams that forfeit a match will:
Lose the game 10-0
Receive a -4 penalty to their league table points
We believe this approach will encourage teams to make a greater effort to field players, even when numbers are tight.
At the end of the New Year season, we’ll review the impact of this policy and announce whether it will be implemented permanently.
Thank you for your commitment to tag rugby and for helping us create an even better playing experience for everyone.
New Year leagues are open for registration at tagrugby.spawtz.com.
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