Module Rules

Competition Information

DATES: 12 October – 21 December 2026

NO GAMES: Monday 26 October – Labour Day

DURATION: 10 playing weeks

PLAYING NIGHT: Monday

VENUE: Steele Park, Hamilton East

GAMES PER NIGHT: 2 games per team

Game Times

• Round 1: 5:30pm

• Round 2: 6:00pm

• Round 3: 6:30pm

• Round 4: 7:00pm

Games consist of 2 × 13-minute halves, with a 2-minute half-time and 2 minutes between games.

During the 7-week round robin, one grade will be allocated to Rounds 1 & 3 (5:30pm and 6:30pm) and the other grade to Rounds 2 & 4 (6:00pm and 7:00pm).

These allocated playing times will remain the same for the duration of the round robin.

Competition Format

The competition consists of:

• 2 weeks grading

• 7 weeks graded round robin

• 1 week semi-finals & finals

All teams will participate in the first two weeks of grading. Following grading, teams will be placed into Men’s Elite or Men’s Development based on results and overall playing level.

TRC Sport reserves the right to determine final grade placement.

Team Registration Fee

TEAM FEE: $600

A team's place is not confirmed until the team registration form has been completed and the registration fee has been paid in full.

Payment details:

Bank account name: TRC Sport

Bank account: 03-1559-0098162-00

Particulars: TEAM NAME

Reference: YOUR NAME

No part payments will be accepted.

Registrations are limited to 12 teams and will close once all available places have been filled.

Playing Rules

TRC Sport has adopted the International Playing Rules – 5th Edition which can be viewed HERE. 

Player Registrations

• Teams may register and play a maximum of 16 players.

• A player registration form must be completed for every team by the advised registration deadline.

• Team contacts will be given a period following initial registration to make any permitted changes to their team list. The 2026 deadline for changes will be advised to registered teams.

• Players must be 12 years or older to participate in the Men's competition.

• Players may play for one team only during the competition.

• Teams found playing an unregistered player, or a player registered to another team, may have competition points deducted.

• Team managers are responsible for ensuring their player registration information is accurate and up to date.

Nominated Referee

Each team must nominate one referee as part of its team registration.

The nominated referee must have completed, or be registered to complete, the Touch NZ Foundation Referee Course and may be called upon to referee during the module.

Training can be arranged for nominated referees. Please contact kiaora@trcsport.co.nz.

TRC Sport will endeavour to provide qualified referees for module games each week; however, nominated team referees may be required when necessary.

Module Referees

Interested in refereeing at TRC Sport?

Register through the Referees page on the TRC Sport website HERE 

Grading

All teams will participate in two weeks of grading.

Following grading, teams will be divided into:

• Men’s Elite

• Men’s Development

Grade placement will be determined by TRC Sport based on grading results and overall playing level.

Competition Points

• Win: 3 points

• Draw: 2 points

• Loss: 1 point

• Default with notice: 0 points to the defaulting team / 3 points to the opposition

• Default without notice: 0 points to the defaulting team / 5 points to the opposition

Uniform

All players taking the field must:

• Wear a numbered playing top in their team's nominated uniform colour.

• Wear shorts on or above the knees.

• Wear suitable soft-soled, road or touch shoes. No sprigs, spikes or bare feet are permitted.

• Not wear track pants, jeans, hoodies, T-shirts or other garments underneath the playing uniform unless an exemption has been approved.

Competition points may be deducted for teams that do not comply with uniform requirements.

Requests for a uniform exemption must be submitted in writing to kiaora@trcsport.co.nz before the player takes the field.

Defaults

If your team is unable to play a scheduled game, please notify TRC Sport as early as possible by emailing kiaora@trcsport.co.nz and providing the reason for the default.

Default with notice

Notice received by 12:00pm on game day:

• Defaulting team receives 0 competition points.

• Opposition receives 3 competition points.

• Game is recorded as a 3–0 win to the opposition.

Default without notice

Notice received after 12:00pm, or a team fails to appear:

• Defaulting team receives 0 competition points.

• Opposition receives 5 competition points.

• Game is recorded as a 5–0 win to the opposition.

Score Protests

If a team wishes to dispute a final score, the team manager must not sign the scorecard. Once a scorecard has been signed, the recorded score will be considered final.

Any dispute must be raised at HQ immediately following the game and before leaving the venue.

Please provide:

• Game time

• Opposition team

• Field number

• Referee name, if known

• The score you believe is correct

• Reason for the dispute

• Any supporting information available

• Score disputes will be reviewed as soon as practicable.

Formal Complaints

Formal complaints relating to another team, referee or the module must be submitted by the team manager to kiaora@trcsport.co.nz within 12 hours of the match.

Please include:

• Date

• Game time

• Opposition team

• Field number

• Referee name, if known

• Details of the incident or complaint

• Any supporting evidence

TRC Sport will review the complaint in accordance with the appropriate process and endeavour to respond before the next playing night.

Cancellations

If weather or ground conditions may affect the module, TRC Sport will liaise with Hamilton City Council regarding field availability.

Any cancellation announcement will be made by 4:00pm on game day via the TRC Sport Facebook page.

Please do not contact TRC Sport regarding cancellations before 4:00pm, as a decision may not yet have been made.

Player of the Day

Player of the Day vouchers can be collected from the referee following the game and are valid for one week from the date of issue.

Contact

For all module enquiries:

Email: kiaora@trcsport.co.nz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trcsports 

Please contact the TRC Sport page rather than individual committee members' personal accounts.

Competition Information

Series 1

• DATES: 16 October – 18 December 2026

• DURATION: 10 weeks

• CAPACITY: Maximum 40 teams

• TEAM REGISTRATION FEE: $400

Series 2

• DATES: 15 January – 19 February 2027

• DURATION: 6 weeks

• CAPACITY: Maximum 24 teams

• TEAM REGISTRATION FEE: $250

BOTH SERIES: $600 (save $50)

PLAYING NIGHT: Friday

VENUE: Steele Park, Hamilton East

GAMES PER NIGHT: 1 game per team

Game Times

Round 1 – 5:45pm

Round 2 – 6:20pm

Round 3 – 6:55pm

Round 4 – 7:30pm

Series 1 will operate across up to 5 fields. Series 2 will operate as a smaller competition, with the number of fields and grade structure determined by registrations received.

Team Registration Fees

A team's place is not confirmed until the team registration form has been completed and the applicable registration fee has been paid in full.

• Series 1: $400

• Series 2: $250

• Both Series: $600

Payment details:

• Bank account name: TRC Sport

• Bank account: 03-1559-0098162-00

• Particulars: TEAM NAME

• Reference: YOUR NAME

No part payments will be accepted.

Playing Rules

TRC Sport has adopted the International Playing Rules – 5th Edition, which can be viewed HERE.

Player Registrations

• Teams may register and play a maximum of 16 players.

• Players must be registered before taking the field.

• Players must be 12 years or older to participate in the Social Mixed competition.

• Players may play for ONE TEAM ONLY within each series.

• Teams found playing unregistered players, or players registered to another team within the same series, may have competition points deducted.

• Team contacts are responsible for ensuring their player registration information is accurate and up to date.

Nominated Referee

Each team must nominate one referee who may be called upon to referee during the module.

Nominated referees must have completed, or be registered to complete, the Touch NZ Foundation Referee Course.

Training can be arranged for nominated referees by contacting kiaora@trcsport.co.nz.

TRC Sport will endeavour to provide qualified referees each week; however, nominated team referees may be required when necessary.

Module Referees

If you are interested in becoming a TRC Sport Module Referee, please register through the Referees page on our website HERE

Series 1

Each team will play 3 grading games before being placed into A, B, C or D Grade.

During all grading games, touchdowns scored by both male and female players are worth 1 point.

TRC Sport will determine final grade placement based on grading results, team composition and overall playing level. While we will consider each team's preferred grade, the priority is creating the fairest and most balanced competition possible.

Teams must compete genuinely during grading. Deliberately losing or manipulating results in an attempt to secure placement in a lower grade may result in TRC Sport determining the team's grade placement regardless of grading results.

Series 2

Series 2 will operate as a smaller competition limited to 24 teams. The number and composition of grades will be determined by registrations received.

TRC Sport may combine or adjust grades where necessary to provide the most appropriate and balanced competition. For teams returning from Series 1, previous grade placement and results may be taken into consideration when determining Series 2 grades.

Representative Player Rules

A Representative Player is any person who has participated at Youth Nationals, Open Nationals, or an international equivalent from 2024 onwards.

Representative player limits are:

• A Grade – No limit on representative players

• B Grade – Maximum of 4 representative players

• C Grade – No representative players

• D Grade – No representative players

Teams that exceed the representative-player limit for their grade may have competition points deducted and/or be moved to a more appropriate grade.

Mixed Team Rules

A maximum of 3 male players may be on the field at any one time.

A minimum of 1 male player must be on the field.

While teams may register up to 16 players, a minimum of 4 players is required for a match to start.

Touchdown Scoring

Grading games – all teams

• Male touchdown = 1 point

• Female touchdown = 1 point

Round robin

A Grade

• Male touchdown = 1 point

• Female touchdown = 1 point

B, C & D Grades

• Male touchdown = 1 point

• Female touchdown = 2 points

Competition Points

• Win: 3 points

• Draw: 2 points

• Loss: 1 point

• Default with notice: 0 points to the defaulting team / 3 points to the opposition

• Default without notice: 0 points to the defaulting team / 5 points to the opposition

Uniform

All players taking the field must:

• Wear a numbered playing top in their team's nominated uniform colour.

• Wear shorts on or above the knees.

• Wear suitable soft-soled, road or touch shoes. No sprigs, spikes or bare feet are permitted.

• Not wear track pants, jeans, hoodies, T-shirts or other garments underneath the playing uniform unless an exemption has been approved.

Competition points may be deducted for teams that do not comply with uniform requirements.

Requests for a uniform exemption must be submitted in writing to kiaora@trcsport.co.nz before the player takes the field.

Defaults

If your team is unable to play a scheduled game, please notify TRC Sport as early as possible by emailing kiaora@trcsport.co.nz so the opposition can be notified.

Default with notice – notification received by 12:00pm on game day

• Defaulting team receives 0 competition points

• Opposition receives 3 competition points

• Game is recorded as a 3–0 win to the opposition

Default without notice – notification received after 12:00pm or the team fails to appear

• Defaulting team receives 0 competition points

• Opposition receives 5 competition points

• Game is recorded as a 5–0 win to the opposition

Score Protests

If a team wishes to dispute the final score, the team manager must NOT sign the scorecard. Once the scorecard has been signed, the recorded score will be considered final and no protest can be made.

Any score dispute must be raised at HQ immediately following the game and before leaving the venue.

Please provide:

• Game time

• Opposition team

• Field number

• Referee name, if known

• The score you believe is correct

• Reason for the dispute

• Any supporting information or evidence available

Score disputes will be reviewed as soon as practicable.

Formal Complaints

Formal complaints relating to another team, referee or the module must be submitted by the team manager to kiaora@trcsport.co.nz within 12 hours of the match.

Please include:

• Date

• Game time

• Opposition team

• Field number

• Referee name, if known

• Details of the incident or complaint

• Any supporting evidence

TRC Sport will review the complaint in accordance with the appropriate process and endeavour to respond before the next playing night.

Cancellations

If weather or ground conditions may affect the module, TRC Sport will liaise with Hamilton City Council regarding field availability.

Any cancellation announcement will be made by 4:00pm on game day via the TRC Sport Facebook page 

Please do not contact TRC Sport regarding cancellations before 4:00pm, as a decision may not yet have been made.

Player of the Day

Player of the Day vouchers can be collected from the referee following the game and are valid for one week from the date of issue.

Contact

For all module enquiries:

Email: kiaora@trcsport.co.nz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trcsports

Please contact the TRC Sport page rather than individual committee members' personal accounts.