Governance

Under the USA Rugby bylaws, USA Rugby shall have the following standing committees: Nominating Committee, Audit & Risk Committee, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, Discipline & Grievance Committee, Referees & Laws Committee, Medical Committee. Notwithstanding the foregoing, all committees that impact the International Athlete community shall have Qualified International Athlete representation, as required by the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act and USOPC bylaws. Rules governing the appointment and election of committee members and the policies, procedures, and conduct of the committees shall be established by the Board, in consultation with the Councils, with the exception of specific Committees for which rules shall be described in these Bylaws.

The Nominating Committee shall be responsible for the recruitment and nomination of the Independent Directors, and consist of five (5) voting members; two Qualified International Athletes from the Athlete Council and one member from each of the Community Councils. A non-voting Chair of the Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Board for a term of two (2) years. If the non-voting chair is an Independent Board Member that person must not be up for re-election. Paid employees of the Corporation are prohibited from serving on the Nominating Committee. The committee may enlist the help of expert guidance in the process as needed. Pursuant to its nominating duties as set forth in Section 5.4 of the USA Rugby Bylaws, at least forty-five (45) days after a vacancy is created or forty-five days prior to expiration of the term of an Independent Director, the Nominating Committee shall recruit, review and nominate a candidate(s) for each vacant or expiring Independent Director position. The Nominating Committee shall provide sufficient information about each candidate to enable the Board to make informed decisions. To contact the Nominations Committee, email nominations@usa.rugby.

The Audit & Risk Committee ensures compliance with Article XIV restrictions of the USA Rugby bylaws by soliciting, overseeing, and making recommendations regarding the compensation of the Corporation’s auditors. The Audit & Risk Committee consists of five members: one each representing each of the Community Councils and two Qualified International Athletes representing the Athlete Council. The Committee may request and/or the Board may appoint subject matter experts to assist the Committee in its decision making process.

The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee considers and makes policy recommendations to the Board and CEO on issues of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. These recommendations and reviews may address issues of representation, and under-representation in race, ethnicity, sex, gender, age, disability status, and any other protected class, as well as reviews of existing practices that may be impacting equitable access and participation. The makeup of the committee, as well as its full remit and powers are detailed in the Committee Terms of Reference, which are prepared by the committee and presented by the CEO to the Board for approval. To contact the DEI Committee, email diversity@usa.rugby.

The Disciplinary and Grievance Committee considers and makes policy recommendations to the USA Rugby Board of Directors on Disciplinary issues, undertakes a formal annual review and revision of disciplinary regulations and procedures, and advises on specific matters. The committee submits their findings in an annual report to the USA Rugby Board of Directors. The make-up of the committee, as well as its full remit and powers are detailed in the Committee Terms of Reference, which are prepared by the committee and presented by the CEO to the Board for approval.

The USA Rugby Medical Committee acts as a resource to keep the leadership and membership of USA Rugby informed about national and international sports medicine issues, particularly as it they relate to player health and safety in rugby and other Olympic Sports. The Medical Committee works in conjunction with World Rugby to implement health, safety, and player welfare policies. Additionally World Anti-Doping Agency, and US Anti-Doping Agency to be in compliance with Anti-Doping policies; and to review both catastrophic and general injuries to determine best practices and make recommendations for changes related to player safety and welfare. The makeup of the committee, as well as its full remit and powers are detailed in the Committee Terms of Reference, which are prepared by the committee and presented by the CEO to the Board for approval. To contact the Medical Committee, email mkeating@usa.rugby.

Referee and Laws Committee considers and makes the policy recommendations with regard to The Laws of the Game, rulings on Law, match officials (recruitment and retention, development, training, coaching, and performance review), Recommend and review of budgets associated with match officials, and create high performance pathways. To contact the Referee & Laws Committee, email jmcgregor@usa.rugby.