BYE-LAW 1. DEFINITIONS

1.1  In these Bye-Laws:

Associate Member Union means a national or territorial rugby union designated by Council as an associate member of World Rugby in accordance with these Bye-Laws.

Audit and Risk Committee means the audit and risk committee established under Bye-Law 11.1.

Bye-Laws means the Bye-Laws for the time being adopted by World Rugby and in force.

Chair means the chair of Council from time to time, appointed in accordance with Bye-Law 9.8.1.

Chief Executive Officer means the chief executive officer or secretary general of World Rugby and World Rugby Limited from time to time, appointed in accordance with Bye-Law 9.8.4.

Chief Medical Officer means the chief medical officer of World Rugby appointed by the Chief Executive Officer from time to time.

Council means World Rugby’s Council established in accordance with these Bye-Laws.

Common Association Constitution means the constitution approved by Council pursuant to which Member Associations are required to administer and govern their affairs, management and governance.

Eligible means “Eligible” as defined in the World Rugby Vetting Rules in force from time to time.

Executive Board means the Executive Board of World Rugby established in accordance with these Bye-Laws.

Foundation Union means any of the Rugby Football Union, the Scottish Rugby Union, the Irish Rugby Football Union, the Welsh Rugby Union, the Australian Rugby Football Union, the New Zealand Rugby Football Union, the South African Rugby Football Union and the Fédération Française de Rugby.

Full Member Union means a rugby union designated by Council as a full member of World Rugby in accordance with these Bye-Laws.

Game means rugby football played in accordance with the Laws of the Game.

High Performance Union means a Member Union which plays in either the Six Nations Championship or SANZAAR Rugby Championship or has been categorised as a High Performance Union in accordance with the criteria approved by Council and has the right to appoint Representatives to Council in accordance with Bye-Law 9.

Independent Vote Chair means an independent chair of the voting process appointed pursuant to Bye-Laws 9.8.1(d), 9.8.1(e) or 9.9(d).

International Match means a Match played between National Representative Teams.

Independence Criteria means that the person has not held any position or been employed in any Member Union, Club and/or Rugby Body for at least three years prior to the time of appointment and desists from any such involvement throughout the duration of their tenure on the Executive Board and/or Standing Committee.

Independent Member means a member of the Executive Board and/or a Standing Committee who meets the Independence Criteria.

Laws of the Game means the Laws of the Game – Fifteen-a-Side, the Laws of the Game – Seven-a-Side Variations and any other variations of the ‘Laws of the Game’ which, in each case, are passed by Council from time to time in accordance with these Bye-Laws.

Laws of the Game – Fifteen-a-Side means the ‘Laws of the Game’ applicable to the fifteen-a-side form of the Game.

Laws of the Game – Seven-a-Side Variations means the ‘Seven-a-Side Variations’ of the ‘Laws of the Game’.

Major Events means the Rugby World Cup Finals, the Rugby World Cup Sevens Finals, the Women’s Rugby World Cup Finals, the U20/Junior World Championship, the U20/Junior World Trophy, the Sevens World Series or any other major event approved by Council as being applicable to this definition.

Match means a contest in which two teams compete against the other in playing the Game.

Member Association means an association of rugby unions designated by Council as a member of World Rugby in accordance with these Bye-Laws.

Member Union means a Full Member Union, an Associate Member Union or a Recognised Regional Development Union.

Men’s High Performance Rugby Committee means the high performance rugby committee relating to the men’s game established under Bye-Law 11.1.

Non High Performance Union means a Member Union which is not a High Performance Union and has the right to appoint Representatives to Council in accordance with Bye-Law 9. 

Non-member Association means an association of rugby unions which is not a Member Association.

Non-member Union means a rugby union that is not a Member Union.

National Representative Team means a team selected by a Union to represent that Union.          

Nominations Committee means the nominations committee established under Bye-Law 11.1.

Officer means any of the Chair, the Vice-Chair and the Chief Executive Officer from time to time and Officers shall mean such persons collectively.

Other Committee means a committee set out in or established under Bye-Law 13.

Recognised Regional Development Union means a category of regional membership with observer status which is available to Unions who are unable to follow the Associate Membership Pathway (because they are in a country or territory which is neither a Member State of the United Nations or in a country with a National Olympic Committee recognised by the International Olympic Committee).

Regional Committee means the regional committee established under Bye-Law 11.1.

Regulations means the Regulations Relating to the Game in force from time to time.

Regulations Committee means the regulations committee established under Bye-Law 11.1.

Representative means a person appointed as a member of the Council.

Rugby Committee – Community Game means the rugby committee – community game established under Bye-Law 11.1.

Rugby World Cup Finals means the men’s rugby world cup finals tournament held every four (4) years.

Sevens High Performance Rugby Committee means the high performance rugby committee relating to the sevens game established under Bye-Law 11.1.

Standing Committee means a committee established under Bye-Law 11.

Tours Agreement means the agreement approved by the Council which provides for the terms under which a Union visits another Union or Unions.

Vetting Rules means the World Rugby Vetting Rules in force from time to time.

Vice-Chair means the vice-chair of Council from time to time, appointed in accordance with Bye-Law 9.8.2.

Women’s High Performance Rugby Committee means the high performance rugby committee relating to the women’s game established under Bye-Law 11.1.

World Rugby means the association of Member Unions and/or Member Associations, in membership of World Rugby in accordance with the Bye‑Laws, formerly known as International Rugby Board.

World Rugby Group means the group undertakings of World Rugby Limited (group undertakings having the meaning ascribed to it in the section 1161 of the United Kingdom Companies Act 2006).

World Rugby Limited means World Rugby Limited, a private company limited by shares incorporated in Ireland with registered number 245000.