Age Grade Dispensation FAQs

Age Grade Dispensation is an underpinning procedure to the Rugby Australia Safety Policy and Rugby Australia Participation Policy and provides a process for players to potentially move between Age Grades following assessment and approval.

A player may play in the age grade they are turning in the relevant calendar year (known as their ‘actual age grade’) and in the age grade one year above (known as their ‘eligible age grade’) without requiring dispensation.

Example: A player turning 15 in the relevant calendar year (1 January – 31 December) is eligible to play in the Under 15 age grade and Under 16 age grade.

Upon assessment of their physical development, ability, and experience, a player may receive dispensation to participate in an age grade that is one year below, or one year above, their eligible age grade.

Example: A player turning 15 in the relevant calendar year is already eligible to play in the Under 15 and Under 16 age grades. With approved dispensation, the player may be able to participate in the Under 14 age grade (one year below), or Under 17 age grade (one year above).

For some players, an Age Grade Dispensation assessment may be a mandatory requirement, while other players may voluntarily request an assessment.

Rugby Australia’s Size for Age Guidelines requires that players in the Under 10 to Under 15 age grades that fall either above or below both height and weight parameters relative to population norms for their age, must commence the Age Grade Dispensation process.

Players that fall either above or below height and weight parameters, but not both, may be required to undertake an Age Grade Dispensation assessment under the direction of the Competition Manager.

In circumstances where an assessment is mandatory, you will receive an automatic email from Rugby Xplorer informing the players and their Parents/Guardians that an assessment is required.

A player may also be required to undertake an assessment as directed by the Competition Manager.

Size for Age ‘Up’ applies when both the height and weight of a player are above the population norms as outlined in the Size for Age Guidelines.

A player in this category requires a mandatory dispensation assessment if they wish to participate in their actual age grade.

Alternatively, the player will be permitted to participate in a single Age Grade Up without assessment, or two Age Grades Up with Parental Consent (following Competition Manager approval).

Example: A player turning 14 in this calendar year, measuring above both height and weight parameters may immediately participate in a single age grade up (U15s), or two age grades up (U16s) with parental consent, or undertake an assessment to assess their suitability to remain in their actual age grade (U14s).

Size for Age ‘Down’ applies when both the height and weight of a player are below the population norms as outlined in the Size for Age Guidelines.

A player in this category will require an assessment if wishing to participate in the age grade below their Actual Age Grade.

Alternatively, the player will be permitted to remain in their Actual Age Grade with parental consent (following Competition Manager approval).

Example: A player turning 14 in this calendar year, measuring below both height and weight parameters may remain in their actual age grade (U14s) with parental consent, or undertake an assessment to assess their suitability to play in a single age grade down (U13s).

A voluntary assessment may be requested when a player wishes to play in another age grade.

However, Age Grade Dispensation will not be considered for the following reasons:

• A player who wants to play with friends in a different age grade;
• The Club does not have a team in the player’s Actual Age Grade;
• The State Union or Affiliate does not offer a competition for the eligible age grade(s) of that player.

Please note that a request for dispensation and/or the completion of an assessment does not guarantee approval to move between age grades.

The assessment to determine a player’s appropriate age grade is to be conducted by an Independent Qualified Assessing Coach, to be appointed by the Competition Manager (or their delegate).

The assessing coach must have the requisite accreditations and either not be registered to the same Club or School as the player being assessed, or, if registered with the same Club or School, not coach the actual age grade of the player, nor the age grade that the player participated in the previous season or the specific age grade that the player wishes to participate in, if applicable. 

Each State or Territory Union must designate an appropriate person(s) to administer the application of the Age Grade Dispensation procedure within their competitions.

Whilst the competition manager will typically be the person responsible for making the final decision, it is the shared responsibility of all Coaches, Club Officials, Unions, Affiliates, and Parents /Guardians to ensure that Rugby is as safe, fair, and inclusive as possible.

The primary consideration in all decisions must always be the safety of all participants as a requirement that overrides all others.

Yes. In line with the procedure, players and their Parents/Guardians will have the right to a subsequent review by another Independent Qualified Assessing Coach if required. Rugby Australia also has the discretion to review any decision made in accordance with the Age Grade Dispensation Procedure and to conduct any investigation into any matter as it deems appropriate.

The Independent Qualified Assessing Coach, Competition Manager and Club or School will work with each individual player on a case-by-case basis to ensure that there is an appropriate age grade team for the player to play in, given the specific circumstances of that player. Should a situation arise where a player is considered to present a significant risk to themselves or others if they played in the age grades available to them (even after following Dispensation Assessment) then player safety must be the determining factor. This may mean in a small number of cases, due to the limited age-grade teams available at the Club or School, that the player may not be able to participate until it is safe for them to do so.

Age Grade Dispensation is undertaken with reference to the individual player and the competition in which they intend to participate in. If representative Rugby is of a substantially different nature in terms of the physical development, skill and experience of players to the regular competition, a subsequent assessment may be required.