What are the girls' age bands, and how long can we play?
Rule- England
- RFU
- Women's and girls' rugby
- Girls Under 11-Under 18 and adult women
- Regulation 15
- Gender Participation Policy
- 2026/27
- Players
From Under 12, girls' contact rugby in England is played in two-year age bands (RFU Regulation 15, 2026/27), based on school year:
| Band | School years | Max per half | Max rugby per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 12/11 (new for 2026/27) | Year 7 and Year 6 | 20 min | 70 min |
| Under 14/13 | Year 9 and Year 8 | 25 min | 80 min |
| Under 16/15 | Year 11 and Year 10 | 35 min | 90 min |
| Under 18/17 | Year 13 and Year 12 | 35 min | 90 min |
- An extra 15 minutes a day is allowed for the RFU's Activate warm-up.
- No player may play more than 35 matches a season.
- The Half Game Rule applies: every player in the match-day squad must play at least half the available playing time, including at festivals.
- From the Under 14/13 band upwards, a match must be stopped if one team leads by more than 50 points (Under 12/11: more than 6 tries).
- 2026/27 season: 5 September 2026 to 3 May 2027.
Your age grade is set at the start of the season and stays the same all season; you move up from 1 July.
Added 21 Oct 2026