Membership Options

From May 1st, 2023, there will be two levels of membership, depending on your involvement within the sport.

NATIONAL

To participate in any National Touch Series event as a player, coach or referee, The Nationals competitions, and any other England Touch national event; to represent England Touch in any international elite competition.

REGIONAL

Regional membership gives access to the relevant ETA events, trials, training and other participation opportunities offered by England Touch’s regional franchises

Fees

All memberships are valid for one year from the date of purchase/renewal request. Renewal periods are successive 12-month terms following your initial membership year, so if you wish to restart your membership for a full 12 months after a period of inactivity, you will need to register a new account; delayed renewal payments do not extend your membership beyond the registration anniversary. 

Benefits

Participation and development opportunities

• Involvement in any National Touch Series and University Touch Championships event, in which only those registered have the opportunity to part of (National members only)
• Involvement in the Touch Nationals tournaments and England representation in which only those registered have the opportunity to part of (National members only)
• Priority access and reduced cost to courses organised by England Touch and outside companies, including relevant CPD training (all members)
• Access to development days, education pathways, coursework, and specialist coaching days provided by England Touch and our relationship with EFT, FIT, TFA and TNZ
• Development officers at national and local levels to engage with schools, rugby development officers and others to help aid understanding of Touch and how it can help achieve aims for inclusion and physical activity. Better awareness leads to increased participation
• Opportunity for coaching from Referee Board at NTS/Touch Nationals (Referee)
• Opportunity to attend England Touch Camps and shadow others (Referee, Coach, Medical)
• FIT and EFT affiliation, including indirect benefits such as referee panels to improve our top referees and referee coaches, courses for coaches and coaching presenters

Insurance and welfare cover

• Public liability, professional indemnity, and personal accident insurance. For full details see the England Touch Insurance Portal.
• Reduced-cost DBS checks for coaches & organisers associated with players under 18 and vulnerable adults

Access to discounts and subsides

• Access to discounts offered by ETA’s partners. CLICK HERE for more information
• Free gym membership: Elite representatives are eligible for the FANS (Free Access to National Sports-people) scheme (dependent on location and available facilities)
• Subsidy towards elite representation costs, including travel and accommodation (Referee, Coach, Medical)

Have your say

• Direct involvement in shaping the future of Touch in England
• Input into the sport’s development in Europe and around the world

Governance support

• Access to a shared a national disciplinary network and standards ensuring that all players are dealt with consistently and fairly and that affiliates and participants are protected from disruptive players nationwide
• Access and compliance support on constitutions and running operations within boundaries of relevant regulations and laws, protection policies, disciplinary procedures, and a national code of conduct
• Advice and support regarding safeguarding, equality, inclusion and judiciary matters

Quality assurance

• Access to ETA trained referees, coaches and medical staff
• Protection under the national constitution, by-laws and policies

There are a number of options for clubs to become affiliated to England Touch.

FULL CLUB To participate in any National Touch Series event or other competition run by England Touch

UNIVERSITY CLUB For university-based clubs wishing to participate in the University National Touch Series, or in any National Touch Series event, or other competition run by England Touch

SCHOOL CLUB For schools who wish to take advantage of coaching support, continuing development and to be in the England Touch network

Fees

All memberships are valid for one year from the date of purchase/renewal request. Renewal periods are successive 12-month terms following your initial membership year, so if you wish to restart your membership for a full 12 months after a period of inactivity, you will need to register a new account; delayed renewal payments do not extend your membership beyond the registration anniversary. 

Benefits

Insurance and welfare cover

• Public liability, employers liability, products liability, professional indemnity, and directors and officers (management liability) insurance. For full details see the England Touch Insurance Portal.
• DBS and governance advice and support included in club membership

Have your say

• Representation within England Touch as a member with voting rights at the AGM
• Direct involvement in shaping the future of Touch in England
• Input into the sport’s development in Europe and around the world

Promotion opportunities

• Recognition of your Touch operation on England Touch’s Where to Play database
• Ability to promote as an affiliated operation and attract players and referees with an open and clear development pathway
• Promotion and marketing of club activities and events on the England Touch website, social media channels, newsletter, etc

Participation and development opportunities

• Involvement in the National Touch Series, University Touch Series, in which only those registered have the opportunity to part of (subject to conditions)
• Access to development days, education pathways, coursework, and specialist coaching days provided by England Touch and our relationship with EFT, FIT, TFA and TNZ
• Development officers at national and local levels to engage with schools, rugby development officers and others to help aid understanding of touch and how it can help achieve aims for inclusion and physical activity. Better awareness leads to increased participation
• Opportunity to hold one-off club days/inter-club/other tournaments, with the support of England Touch
• FIT and EFT affiliation, including indirect benefits such as referee panels to improve our top referees and referee coaches, courses for coaches and coaching presenters

Governance support

• Access to a shared a national disciplinary network and standards ensuring that all players are dealt with consistently and fairly and that affiliates and participants are protected from disruptive players nationwide
• Access and compliance support on constitutions and running operations within boundaries of relevant regulations and laws, protection policies, disciplinary procedures, and a national code of conduct
• Advice and support regarding safeguarding, equality, inclusion and judiciary matters

Access to discounts and subsides

• Access to discounts offered by England Touch partners
• ‘Economies of scale’ reductions – the larger the affiliation structure, the more attractive it becomes to investors.

Quality assurance

• England Touch structures and procedures provide quality assurance for affiliated operators. Players and referees can see at a glance that an event will warrant their participation
• The right to run Touch activities (using the FIT rules) is restricted to affiliates only. England Touch will protect affiliates from having their competition undermined by ‘unaffiliated organisers’ who badge their activity as ‘Touch’ where it is fundamentally different to FIT rules
• Access to England Touch trained referees, coaches and medical staff
• Protection under the national constitution, by-laws and policies

England Touch can offer support and advice for your league or competition.

LEAGUES Regularly scheduled inter-team competitions run over multiple weeks. This membership is required to enable England Touch Individual or Club members to be able to participate in your league.

COMPETITIONS One-off inter-team competitions, tend to be one or two days in duration. This is required for England Touch Individual or Club members to be able to participate in your one-off event. You must have your own public liability insurance.

Payment for a minimum of four teams must be made in advance, and the balance paid one week prior to event. Refunds are only available if the event is cancelled, and not later than 60 days after initial deposit.

If you are an affiliated Club or League wishing to run an event, this is covered under your existing Club or League membership.

Fees

All memberships are valid for one year from the date of purchase/renewal request. Renewal periods are successive 12-month terms following your initial membership year, so if you wish to restart your membership for a full 12 months after a period of inactivity, you will need to register a new account; delayed renewal payments do not extend your membership beyond the registration anniversary. 

Benefits

Insurance and welfare cover

• Public liability and professional indemnity insurance

Have your say

• Representation within England Touch as a member with voting rights at the AGM (League only)
• Direct involvement in shaping the future of Touch in England (League only)
• Input into the sport’s development in Europe and around the world (League only)

Promotion opportunities

• Recognition of your touch operation on England Touch’s Where to Play database
• Ability to promote as an affiliated operation and attract players and referees with an open and clear development pathway
• Promotion and marketing of club activities and events on the England Touch website, social media channels, newsletter, etc

Participation and development opportunities

• Access to development days, education pathways, coursework, and specialist coaching days provided by England Touch and our relationship with EFT, FIT, TFA and TNZ (League only)
• Development officers at national and local levels to engage with schools, rugby development officers and others to help aid understanding of touch and how it can help achieve aims for inclusion and physical activity. Better awareness leads to increased participation.
• FIT and EFT affiliation, including indirect benefits such as referee panels to improve our top referees and referee coaches, courses for coaches and coaching presenters

Governance support

• Access to a shared national disciplinary network and standards ensuring that all players are dealt with consistently and fairly and that affiliates and participants are protected from disruptive players nationwide
• Access and compliance support on constitutions and running operations within boundaries of relevant regulations and laws, protection policies, disciplinary procedures, and a national code of conduct
• Advice and support regarding safeguarding, equality, inclusion and judiciary matters

Access to discounts and subsides

• ‘Economies of scale’ reductions – the larger the affiliation structure, the more attractive it becomes to investors. Affiliates can make themselves more attractive to sponsors through running England Touch-affiliated events

Quality assurance

• England Touch structures and procedures provide quality assurance for affiliated operators. Players and referees can see at a glance that an event will warrant their participation
• The right to run touch activities (using the FIT rules) is restricted to affiliates only. England Touch will protect affiliates from having their competition undermined by ‘unaffiliated organisers’ who badge their activity as ‘Touch’ where it is fundamentally different to FIT rules.
• Access to England Touch trained referees, coaches and medical staff
• Protection under the national constitution, by-laws and policies (League only)

No entry to unaffiliated leagues and events

• England Touch supports English clubs, players, and officials taking part in Touch tournaments throughout the UK and worldwide, but you should take care to ensure that the competitions in which you participate are affiliated to the relevant National Touch Association (England Touch in England)
• Taking part in an unaffiliated event is against Federation of International Touch (FIT) policy and could result in clubs, players, or officials being banned from future England Touch and/or FIT-affiliated events
• Please be aware of the consequences of participating in unaffiliated competitions; if you are unsure, always ask first
• Further information on unaffiliated competitions can be found below

While we support any English teams, players and officials taking part in affiliated Touch tournaments across the country and abroad, you should take care that any you are involved in are indeed properly affiliated to the relevant National Touch Association (NTA).

Taking part in an unaffiliated event is against England Touch and Federation of International Touch (FIT) policy and could result in a player, team or official being banned from future England Touch and/or FIT affiliated events.

The following is a reminder regarding Touch events that are not affiliated with England Touch, and therefore not affiliated with FIT.

Please see Section 8 of the FIT Procedures and Protocols policy: “Unaffiliated Rule”. This is especially relevant if you have any intention/desire to participate in any FIT affiliated or sanctioned event that may be delivered by or on behalf of FIT, or by any FIT member NTA.

Relevant Policy Text

8.2 Teams, players, referees and officials cannot participate in a FIT event unless that team is affiliated directly or indirectly with a Federation Member. The reverse situation also applies, that is, if team players, referees and officials, participate in an unaffiliated event (despite also participating in affiliated events), they cannot participate in any FIT sanctioned event.

8.7 If a team, player, referee, official etc. participates in an unaffiliated competition, regardless of whether they also play in an affiliated competition, they will be automatically ineligible to participate in a FIT hosted or co-hosted tournament for a period of four (4) years. In addition they are automatically ineligible to participate in any event sanctioned by the FIT Members they are affiliated with for a period of one (1) year.

How you participate (i.e. play, referee, coach, etc.) in an unaffiliated event is not relevant. How you would participate in the FIT event is also not relevant. The determining factor is that you participated in an unaffiliated event at all. In other words:
If you participate in an unaffiliated event in any capacity then you risk being excluded from participating in FIT events in any capacity – including but not limited to the World Cup, European Championships, Home Nations and Mainland Cup. According to the policy wording, such an exclusion could also potentially extend to any event that is affiliated to or sanctioned by any FIT member NTA.

Sanctions would be determined and applied by FIT. Claiming that you “didn’t know” or “weren’t aware of” the policy and regulations on this issue is unlikely to be considered a reasonable defence/excuse.

If you are unsure whether or not an event is affiliated, please make contact with the ETA’s Events team (events@englandtouch.org.uk) to ask for clarification/confirmation before you decide to participate. If the event is unaffiliated please advise England Touch, who will then liaise with FIT and EFT.

This website has a central events calendar which lists many affiliated events taking place, including some European events – this is updated regularly and you are encouraged to refer to it. If you know of affiliated events taking place that are not listed on this calendar, then you are also encouraged to recommend to those organisers that they submit their information. Affiliating an event to England Touch is a simple process and information on how to do so can be found on the Membership section of this website.

Please use the following calendars to stay abreast of all tournaments in England and in Europe:

ETA Events

European Events

Please do be aware of the consequences of participating in unaffiliated events. If you are unsure always ask first.