Texas Refs Redcarded TRU!
Yellow Rose of Texas Rugby clipped!
Ref's ejected. TRjUnta will hear no appeal!
At the recent TRU Annual General Meeting, the TRU unanimously decided to sever its relationship with the Society of Texas Rugby Referees! Some choices quotes from pronouncement from on high (full text at the bottom):
The Men's clubs, at least the DIII, were informed of this on Thursday, and stunned into silence. Or, more likely I'm guessing, so thoroughly numbed by tortured recent history of men's divisional reorganizations and half-assed experimentations with the TRU that it doesn't really register. Another season, another clusterhump.
This has been brewing for several years. The STRR has maintained its independence. The TRU has sought every financial detail from the STRR. The arrangement has been that the TRU pays the STRR a lump sum that covers all games for all clubs. There has certainly been a convenience to that for the clubs. But for several years, TRU president Dave Jenkins has desired greater information about where the TRU's money goes. The ref's have resisted.
Two AGMs ago, as I recall, Jenkins said he would be happy to pay the referee's expenses and fees for travel and the like, but that the TRU would like to see receipts first. You can see where there was going.
One concern of the referee's that has been explained to me in the past is the fear that if the TRU had complete financial oversight of the STRR, the refs would not be able to do things they feel they need to do to improve their organization, such as brining top-tier international referees to learn from and similar events.
I understand the fear of buying a pig in a poke, caveat emptor and all that. But the people and organizations here have been dealing with each other for decades at this point. The refs show up, call the games, and try to serve the game of rugby. They've done so even during previous conflicts with the TRU when funds were held up.
I sort of understand the TRU's concern, but as I've seen it explained by Jenkins at AGMs, I never saw too much weight to it. It almost seems to boil down to this:
The STRR has started publishing their own AGM minutes, Chairman's report and budget on their website in PDF form.
From what I gather, the back breaking straw is that the STRR reports they currently have $38,000 in the bank. I'm no accountant, but you can examine their budget for the last 4 years. But looking at the wild variations in their net profit/loss line for the last four years, it certainly makes sense to me that they need some money in the bank - especially in the case of late or withheld, which I've heard alleged but don't know with certainty.
Where's the last 4 TRU budgets?
Meanwhile, DIII is probably going to hurt for refs this fall. And the spring? With DI, DII, DIII and the youth teams all competing for a now diminished pool of refs....yeah...that's going to be fun.
I wish both organizations had enough of an endowment that they didn't need to charge dues at all. And I wish the USA would run over England and South Africa next month (You can do it, Zee!). But I'm not holding my breath.
Here's an idea: Lets forget about the TRU and hire the STRR to referee a season of "social league" rugby. Sure, that would mean no Westerns and no Nationals, but Texas teams don't do well at the level anyway.
Welcome to the knitting circle of texas rugby - a crazyquilt of ever-changing division structure and embittered souls who love rugby but hate each other. Wheeeee.
Maybe later this week I'll post about all the wacky laws changes that sound like utter lunacy from what I've heard (like allowing you to collapse a maul - brilliant!).
So, know any Level 1 Certified Refs in Texas that are free every Saturday for the next 8 months and are NOT in the Society of Texas Rugby Referees?
And now, for some Actual God-Damned Rugby!
These blokes play the Eagles today.
Someone tell the Sherpa to watch the last try very closely.
The letter to Men's teams (but missing the letter to the STRR referenced)
Ref's ejected. TRjUnta will hear no appeal!
At the recent TRU Annual General Meeting, the TRU unanimously decided to sever its relationship with the Society of Texas Rugby Referees! Some choices quotes from pronouncement from on high (full text at the bottom):
- "All past agreements null and void."
- "...[T]he TRU will no longer negotiate the STRR."
(All of the opinions that follow are mine alone, I am not speaking for my club).
The Men's clubs, at least the DIII, were informed of this on Thursday, and stunned into silence. Or, more likely I'm guessing, so thoroughly numbed by tortured recent history of men's divisional reorganizations and half-assed experimentations with the TRU that it doesn't really register. Another season, another clusterhump.
This has been brewing for several years. The STRR has maintained its independence. The TRU has sought every financial detail from the STRR. The arrangement has been that the TRU pays the STRR a lump sum that covers all games for all clubs. There has certainly been a convenience to that for the clubs. But for several years, TRU president Dave Jenkins has desired greater information about where the TRU's money goes. The ref's have resisted.
Two AGMs ago, as I recall, Jenkins said he would be happy to pay the referee's expenses and fees for travel and the like, but that the TRU would like to see receipts first. You can see where there was going.
One concern of the referee's that has been explained to me in the past is the fear that if the TRU had complete financial oversight of the STRR, the refs would not be able to do things they feel they need to do to improve their organization, such as brining top-tier international referees to learn from and similar events.
I understand the fear of buying a pig in a poke, caveat emptor and all that. But the people and organizations here have been dealing with each other for decades at this point. The refs show up, call the games, and try to serve the game of rugby. They've done so even during previous conflicts with the TRU when funds were held up.
I sort of understand the TRU's concern, but as I've seen it explained by Jenkins at AGMs, I never saw too much weight to it. It almost seems to boil down to this:
- the STRR sees itself as an independent contractor and presents a single flat fee that is all inclusive of what the TRU wants
- the TRU wants an itemized line-by-line detailing of every element of what they're paying for (and ideally, line-item veto).
The STRR has started publishing their own AGM minutes, Chairman's report and budget on their website in PDF form.
From what I gather, the back breaking straw is that the STRR reports they currently have $38,000 in the bank. I'm no accountant, but you can examine their budget for the last 4 years. But looking at the wild variations in their net profit/loss line for the last four years, it certainly makes sense to me that they need some money in the bank - especially in the case of late or withheld, which I've heard alleged but don't know with certainty.
Where's the last 4 TRU budgets?
Meanwhile, DIII is probably going to hurt for refs this fall. And the spring? With DI, DII, DIII and the youth teams all competing for a now diminished pool of refs....yeah...that's going to be fun.
I wish both organizations had enough of an endowment that they didn't need to charge dues at all. And I wish the USA would run over England and South Africa next month (You can do it, Zee!). But I'm not holding my breath.
Here's an idea: Lets forget about the TRU and hire the STRR to referee a season of "social league" rugby. Sure, that would mean no Westerns and no Nationals, but Texas teams don't do well at the level anyway.
Welcome to the knitting circle of texas rugby - a crazyquilt of ever-changing division structure and embittered souls who love rugby but hate each other. Wheeeee.
Maybe later this week I'll post about all the wacky laws changes that sound like utter lunacy from what I've heard (like allowing you to collapse a maul - brilliant!).
So, know any Level 1 Certified Refs in Texas that are free every Saturday for the next 8 months and are NOT in the Society of Texas Rugby Referees?
And now, for some Actual God-Damned Rugby!
These blokes play the Eagles today.
Someone tell the Sherpa to watch the last try very closely.
The letter to Men's teams (but missing the letter to the STRR referenced)
Dear Men's Club Div.1 and Div.2 club managers,Alan Sharply (TRU Director of Competitions and DI Secretary)
The email below will be sent tomorrow morning to the Society of Texas Rugby Referees (STRR) by Texas Rugby Union (TRU) President Dave Jenkins. The TRU has been trying to get the STRR to become a part of the TRU for several years with a board position on the Executive Committee but the STRR has insisted on maintaining independence - much as the USA Referees did until the recent reorganization made them a part of USA Rugby. The STRR has insisted that they are an independent contractor. However, the TRU and it's member clubs are STRR's only customers and the source of virtually 100% of their funding.
This drastic action approved unanimously this past weekend at the TRU Annual General Meeting resulted from STRR's disclosure that they have over $38,000 in their bank account with additional payments expected from the TRU for the Fall season. We, the TRU Executive, find this disclosure completely at odds with STRR's claims to the member clubs over the past several years that they were going broke and that the TRU would not pay them what they needed to run their society. We're convinced that STRR misrepresented themselves to the TRU, their sole source of funds, and therefore delcare all past agreements null and void.
On a positive note, the TRU has established a Referees and Laws Committee within the TRU with a seat on the Executive Committee. The TRU welcomes any and all STRR referees to join the TRU and participate in the R&L committee.
As USA Rugby discovered last year in their reorganization effort, the union responsible for organizing the competitions and the referees need to be in the same organization with common purposes and common goals.
While we anticipate some bumps in the road this Fall as we work through this situation, we don't expect any road blocks. Your clubs may have to use in-house resources for some of your "friendlies" and 2nd-side matches but rest assured that the TRU is working diligently to effect a smooth transition to an in-house referee society.
...[B]ut this is not a new dispute - it's been going on for three+ years.. The TRU executive committee has resolved (unanimously, I might add) that the TRU will no longer negotiate the STRR. They have been fired and will not be rehired.
I am currently in Chicago at the USA Rugby Board of Directors and Congress meeting and the fellow Congress members I have spoken to were shocked by our decision but applauded the TRU's stance.
We have contacted the D1 and D2 clubs and asked them to step up to fill the referee void for the Fall season and the response has been impressive.
I'm confident we'll get through this Fall and have a TRU in-house Referee's Society up and running for the Spring season.