Team Manager's Guide to SA Rugby Club Rugby Senior 2026

Law 3.10: before the match, each team must tell the appropriate match official:

• who its front-row players and possible front-row replacements are
• which front-row position(s) each can play

Only those players may play in the front row when scrums are contested, and only in their nominated positions.

Law 6.4: before the match the match officials inspect players' clothing and studs for compliance with Law 4, and check the availability and status of front-row players.

Plan for this: in a squad of 16 to 22 players you need at least four or five front-rowers, and your bench must be able to replace a prop and/or hooker at the first time of asking (Law 3.8).

• Club and other non-international matches: the match organiser (your provincial union or competition) decides how many replacements may be nominated, up to a maximum of eight (Law 3.5).
• International matches: a union may nominate up to eight (Law 3.4).
• No more than 15 players may be on the playing area during play (Law 3.1), though a match organiser may authorise matches with fewer per side (Law 3.2).
• If a team has too many players, the opposition may object; the referee orders the captain to reduce the number and awards a penalty. The score at that moment stands (Law 3.3).
• Where the match organiser allows rolling replacements, interchanges are capped at 12 (Law 3.34).

Make sure your bench meets the front-row minimum for your squad size (Law 3.8).

Law 3.8 sets the minimum by squad size:

• If your competition uses 23-player squads but you can name only two front-row replacements, you may name only 22 players (Law 3.9).
• A replacement front-row player may start the match in another position (Law 3.11).
• A match organiser may, taking player welfare into account, amend these minimums at defined levels of the game (Law 3.8), so your union's competition rules may differ.

A player may be permanently replaced if injured, and may not return once replaced (Law 3.21). Under Law 3.22 a player is treated as injured if:

• at national representative level, a doctor says it would be inadvisable to continue
• in other matches, where the match organiser has given explicit permission, a medically trained person says so; if none is present, the player may be replaced if the referee agrees
• the referee decides, with or without medical advice, that it would be inadvisable to continue, and orders the player off

The referee may also order an injured player off to be medically examined (Law 3.23).

Replacements of any kind come on only when the ball is dead and with the referee's permission (Law 3.6). A player who joins without permission to gain an advantage is guilty of misconduct, and a penalty is awarded (Law 3.7).

Recognise and Remove (Law 3.24): if at any point a player is concussed or has suspected concussion, they must be immediately and permanently removed from the playing area. They may not return to that match. A tactically replaced player may come back on to replace a player with a head injury (Law 3.33).

Head Injury Assessment (HIA, Law 3.27) applies only in matches approved in advance by World Rugby for the HIA process. In those matches a player needing an HIA:

• leaves the field and is temporarily replaced, even if all replacements have been used; play cannot restart until the replacement is on
• becomes permanently replaced if not available to return 12 minutes (actual time) after leaving
• if also bleeding, may have up to 5 minutes to stem the bleeding before the 12-minute HIA starts

In any match not approved for the HIA process, a player with suspected concussion is off for the rest of the game.

Law 3.25:

• A player with a blood injury leaves the field and may be temporarily replaced.
• The player returns as soon as the bleeding is controlled and/or covered.
• If the player cannot return within 15 minutes (actual time) of leaving the playing area, the replacement becomes permanent.

Other points:

• A temporary replacement can itself be temporarily replaced, even if all replacements have been used (Law 3.28).
• If the 15 minutes run out during half-time, the replacement becomes permanent unless the player returns immediately at the start of the second half (Law 3.32).
• If the temporary replacement is yellow-carded, the original player may not return until the suspension ends (Law 3.31). If the temporary replacement is sent off, the original player, if medically cleared, is treated as tactically replaced (Law 3.30).
• A tactically replaced player may come back on to replace a player with a blood injury (Law 3.33).

An injured player who has been replaced may not return (Law 3.21). A player concussed or suspected concussed must be permanently removed (Law 3.24).

A tactically replaced player may return only to replace (Law 3.33):

• an injured front-row player
• a player with a blood injury
• a player with a head injury
• a player just injured by foul play, as verified by the match officials
• the player nominated to leave so a front-row replacement can come on (Laws 3.18 to 3.20)
• in elite rugby only, a teammate who received a qualifying (20-minute) red card, once 20 minutes of playing time have passed

Rolling replacements: a match organiser may allow rolling tactical replacements at defined levels, with no more than 12 interchanges; the organiser sets the rules (Law 3.34).

• Uncontested scrums: scrums become uncontested if either team cannot field a suitably trained front row, or if the referee orders it (Law 3.13). The match organiser may set conditions for starting a match with uncontested scrums (Law 3.14).
• Your responsibility: the team must make sure all front-row players and replacements are suitably trained and experienced (Law 3.12). Only players you nominated before the match may play front row in a contested scrum, and only in their nominated positions (Law 3.10).
• Last resort: another player may play in the front row only when no front-row replacement is available (Law 3.18).
• Numbers: uncontested scrums caused by a sending-off, yellow card or injury are still eight per side (Law 3.15).
• Elite rugby: in elite rugby, or if the match organiser decides so, a player whose departure caused uncontested scrums cannot be replaced, and a further player may have to leave as a sanction (Law 3.17).

In SA adult rugby (U20 and above), if the packs are mismatched, inadequate or unsuitable, the World Rugby laws are used to manage it (SA Rugby scrum law modifications, January 2026).

At the next scrum the referee asks whether you can continue with contested scrums (Law 3.16).

If you have a front-row replacement on the bench:

• Yellow card (Law 3.19): nominate another player to leave the field so the front-row replacement can come on. The nominated player may not return until the 10-minute suspension ends, and may not come back on as a replacement in the meantime.
• Red card (Law 3.20): nominate another player to leave so the front-row replacement can come on. The nominated player may later act as a replacement.

If you cannot continue with contested scrums, the referee orders uncontested scrums. Uncontested scrums caused by a sending-off, yellow card or injury must still be eight players per side (Law 3.15; also in SA Rugby's 2026 scrum law modifications for adult rugby). Contested scrums may resume when the player returns or another front-row player comes on.

SA Rugby BokSmart regulations

• The referee may not allow anyone on the playing area, apart from players and qualified medical staff, who is not BokSmart certified. That person must show their certification to the referee or assistant referees (regulation 10).

World Rugby Law 6

• Medics: up to two, one on each side, may follow play and enter to treat a player when safe. They may carry water only for a player they are treating, and must not field or touch the ball in play (Law 6.28).
• Water carriers: two nominated water carriers may enter during a stoppage for injury or after a try. A water carrier must not be the head coach or director of rugby. One of them may bring on a kicking tee and one water bottle for the kicker (Law 6.29).
• Coaches may attend to the team at half-time (Law 6.29c).
• Everyone else stays in the technical area, must not touch the ball while it is in play, and must not approach or comment to the match officials (Laws 6.29d and 6.30). Breaches are penalised where play would restart.

SA Rugby medical protocol: medical staff need the referee's permission to enter, given before kick-off or by the referee stopping play, and must not interfere with play. The referee stops play if it comes within about 10 m of a player being treated.

Not in ordinary club rugby. SA Rugby's under-aged rugby regulations (adult rugby):

• Under 18: may not play U20 or senior rugby in any position, at any level, unless they are an identified elite player cleared through the waiver process (regulation 1).
• 18 but under 19: may not play in the front row in elite U20 or senior rugby without the waiver process; without a waiver they may play front row only at club U20 level (regulations 2 and 3.10).
• Age is the player's age on 1 January of that year (regulation 9).
• In South Africa, "senior rugby" means any rugby above U20 age-grade, i.e. U21 and above.

Waivers are only for elite players identified by the province or national structures. They require, before any training: the player's assumption of risk and indemnity, parental consent, the headmaster's permission if still at school, sports physician, high-performance testing centre and provincial doctor clearances, and a Level 2 coach's confirmation.

The coach and club must keep documentary proof of players' ages. A breach of regulations 1 or 2 carries a minimum 24-month suspension for the coach and responsible people (regulation 14.1).

Under SA Rugby's BokSmart regulations, for every competition, tournament or league match on the approved fixture list:

• Host club (match manager or secretary): within 72 hours of the match, draft a signed and dated report showing the BokSmart certification status of the coaches and assistant coaches of both teams, and of everyone (other than players and qualified medical staff) who entered the playing area. Record full names, contact numbers and BokSmart certification codes, and keep it on file for audit by SA Rugby or the province (regulation 16).
• Referee: within 72 hours, submit an official referee's report to the province or SA Rugby showing the BokSmart status and codes (e.g. BS-0000001) of the referee and any assistant referees (regulations 14 and 15).

Clubs must also keep a proper record of the BokSmart certification of all their coaches, assistant coaches and referees for audits and Serious Injury Task Team investigations (regulation 11).