BYE-LAW 8. GENERAL ASSEMBLY

8.1 Role of General Assembly

A General Assembly of World Rugby shall be held every two years on a date as determined by Council for the transaction of the following business:

(a) to consider and approve the minutes of the previous General Assembly;

(b) to receive and consider a report from the Council;

(c) to note the composition of committees of the Council;

(d) to consider any other business referred to the General Assembly by the Council; and

(e) to make recommendations to the Council as appropriate regarding the foregoing.

The Executive Board may determine whether the General Assembly shall be held (wholly or partly) at a physical place or by means of an electronic platform(s).

8.2 Notice of General Assembly

The Officers or their nominee shall give at least eight weeks’ notice of the date of the General Assembly to Member Unions and Member Associations and a copy of the agenda and supporting papers shall accompany the notice of the General Assembly.

8.3 Chair

The Chair, or in their absence the Vice-Chair, shall act as chair of any General Assembly.

8.4 Permitted Attendees

(a) Attendees of the General Assembly shall be those delegates who are:

(i) in the case of each of the Member Unions or Member Associations represented on the Council, its Representative or Representatives;

(ii) in the case of each of the Member Unions or Member Associations not represented on the Council one delegate who must be or have been a member of or hold an official position within the governing body of that Member Union or Member Association. The Member Union or Member Association may nominate a representative who does not meet these criteria with the prior written approval of the CEO.

(b) Notice of the names and addresses of delegates, signed by an officer of the Member Union or Member Association concerned, must be received by the Chief Executive Officer of World Rugby at least three weeks before the date of the General Assembly at which the delegate is to act.    

(c) A delegate shall represent only one Member Union or Member Association.

(d) No Member Union or Member Association shall be entitled to send a delegate to a General Assembly unless such a Member Union or Member Association shall have made to World Rugby all payments due under Bye-Law 7(e)(ii).

(e) No Member Union or Member Association shall be entitled to send a delegate to a General Assembly if such a Member Union or Member Association is in breach (or alleged to be in breach) of Bye-Law 4(a) or is subject to sanction under Bye-Law 9.6(q).

8.5 Proxies

A Member Union or Member Association may appoint a proxy to attend the General Assembly in place of a duly appointed delegate who is unable to attend providing such proxy is:

(a) a member of or person holding an official position within the Member Union or Member Association duly appointed as proxy by that Member Union or Member Association to attend the meeting; and

(b) supplied with a nomination paper signed by the Secretary of the Member Union or Member Association concerned, authorising them to attend the General Assembly on the Member Union’s or Member Association’s behalf, and to record its vote on specified agenda items or on topics requiring a vote.

8.6 Quorum 

The quorum for a General Assembly shall be attendance by delegates representing more than fifty per cent of the Member Unions and Member Associations.

8.7 Voting

(a) Each Member Union or Member Association is entitled to one vote.

(b) Decisions and recommendations shall be decided by a simple majority of the Member Unions and Member Associations present and entitled to vote at the General Assembly.

(c) Voting shall be by ballot unless decided otherwise by a majority of the Member Unions and Member Associations present.