Men’s playing
rules

Age is measured by the age a player reaches during the 2027 calendar year, not their age on the first day of the festival. Men’s and Ladies players must turn 18 or older in 2027; Men’s Masters players must turn 35 or older in 2027.

A player who meets the calendar-year cutoff but is still under 18 on match day must satisfy all applicable Rugby Australia senior-rugby dispensation requirements before playing. Calendar-year eligibility does not itself grant dispensation. Any additional front-row approval must also be documented.

All players must be appropriately registered for the competition and listed on their team’s submitted squad. Team managers must be able to provide proof of age and any required eligibility or dispensation approval.

Any cross-team or cross-division participation must be approved by the Competition Manager in advance, with age eligibility, registration and recovery requirements checked. Teams must not borrow an unapproved player.

All three competitions are full-contact 10-a-side rugby on a full-size field. No team may have more than 10 players on the field during play.

The maximum registered and match-day squad is 20 players. All 20 named players may take part in each match: 10 on the field and up to 10 replacements. This is the organiser’s replacement limit under the World Rugby 10s organiser discretion.

Rolling substitutions are allowed. A player may leave and re-enter the match any number of times, subject to the applicable injury, suspension and safety rules.

An incoming player must enter at halfway only after the replaced player has left the field. An incorrect interchange is subject to a penalty under the 10s laws.

Rolling substitutions do not permit a suspended or sent-off player to return, or an injured player to return contrary to medical advice or concussion requirements. Any replacement of a carded player is governed by the applicable laws and approved competition regulations, not ordinary rolling-substitution permission.

Teams must nominate appropriately trained front-row players and replacements. If safe contested scrums cannot be maintained, the referee must apply the applicable uncontested-scrum and player-number requirements.

Pool matches and the regulation period of grand finals are 16 minutes continuous, with no halftime. The standard field changeover is 4 minutes, giving a scheduled 20-minute field slot.

The continuous 16-minute format is a local carnival variation. Senior match clocks are controlled by the appointed referee or designated timekeeper, independently of the junior central siren; kickoffs align with the published draw.

Teams must be at the field and ready before kickoff. Routine substitutions, conversions and other delays do not extend the scheduled regulation period unless directed under the approved timing rules.

The referee may stop play whenever necessary for player safety. Serious injury, ambulance access, unsafe weather or field conditions take priority over the schedule.

The final whistle is governed by the applicable end-of-match laws: play, a penalty or a conversion that is legally required to continue is not cut off merely because the scheduled clock reaches 16 minutes.

Drawn grand finals proceed to golden-point extra time. Their published finish and field-release times describe the regulation slot only; later kickoffs may need to move. Match control must allow for extra time and communicate any revised times.

A try is worth 5 points, a conversion 2, a penalty goal 3 and a dropped goal 3. A penalty try is worth 7 points and has no conversion attempt.

Conversions must be drop kicks and taken within 30 seconds of the try being awarded, measured in playing time. An attempt outside that limit is disallowed.

Local conversion-location variation: the kick is taken within in-goal, behind the try line, on the line through the point where the try was awarded and parallel to the touchlines. The kicker may choose any distance behind the try line within in-goal. This replaces the standard field-of-play location and requires applicable approval.

There is no sideways adjustment for a wide senior try. The Mixed U12-only 15-metre exception does not apply to Men’s, Ladies or Masters.

For a conversion, opposing players must immediately assemble close to their own 10-metre line. They must not charge or attempt to block the kick.

Penalty goal attempts must be drop kicks and taken within 30 seconds of the team indicating its intention to kick, in accordance with the 10s scoring laws. Dropped goals are permitted.

After a score, the scoring team restarts with a drop kick on or behind the centre of halfway. Teammates must be behind the ball and the opposition on or behind the 10-metre line.

Restart kicks must reach the 10-metre line and must not go directly into touch. Restart infringements, in-goal restarts and other kicking situations are handled under the applicable World Rugby 10s laws.

Men’s, Ladies and Masters use contested five-player scrums: two props and one hooker in the front row, with two locks in the second row. All five remain bound until the scrum ends.

The referee controls engagement using the applicable scrum sequence. Front-row players must be suitably trained, experienced and eligible for their position. Safety and any dispensation conditions take priority over the contested-scrum format.

The ball is played out by the scrum-half in accordance with the 10s laws. Players must not unbind early to play the ball; there is no number-eight pickup.

Lineouts are contested under the applicable adult laws. Use the lawful throwing-team numbers, matching obligations, offside lines and lifting/support requirements. The junior two-to-four-player lineout limit is not automatically applied to seniors.

Tackles, rucks and mauls follow the applicable adult laws and Rugby Australia / QRU requirements in force for the event. Dangerous contact, high tackles, neck contact, lifting or dropping an opponent dangerously and collapsing scrums or mauls are prohibited.

Masters is full-contact rugby, not touch or a non-contact exhibition. No additional Masters-only contact exemption has been adopted; the same safety requirements apply.

Each senior division has its own pool table. Award 3 competition points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss. There are no try-scoring or losing-margin bonus points. Pool draws stand without extra time.

Rank teams first by total competition points. The first- and second-ranked teams qualify for that division’s grand final.

Resolve tied competition points in this order: head-to-head result when exactly two teams are tied; overall pool points difference (points scored minus points conceded); overall pool tries scored; then a witnessed draw conducted by the Competition Manager with the affected teams invited.

For three or more tied teams, skip head-to-head and use overall points difference, then tries scored, then a witnessed draw. Apply the remaining criteria to any teams still inseparable after each step.

Use pool results only for ranking; grand-final results do not alter the qualifying pool table. Match control must verify the table before confirming finalists.

Withdrawals, forfeits and abandoned matches must be resolved under the approved competition regulations. The Competition Manager must record and communicate the result and its ranking treatment before the table is finalised; an unplayed fixture must not silently be treated as a 0–0 draw.

If scores remain level at the lawful end of a grand final’s 16-minute regulation period, play golden-point extra time. There are no joint winners and pool ranking alone does not decide the winner.

After a one-minute break, restart under the applicable 10s extra-time procedures. Extra time is played in periods of no more than five minutes. If neither team scores, change ends without an interval and continue with another period.

The first team to score any points wins immediately: a try, penalty try, penalty goal or dropped goal. Golden point does not mean golden try only. When a winning try is scored, no conversion is taken because the match is already over.

Rolling substitutions remain available from the same named match-day squad. Unexpired suspensions continue into extra time under the applicable disciplinary laws.

There is no fixed overall golden-point time limit in this adopted format. Referee and medical safety decisions remain paramount; match control must adjust subsequent field use rather than force a winner to fit a 20-minute slot.

Player welfare takes priority over every playing or scheduling rule. A player with suspected concussion must be removed immediately and must not return that day. Further participation requires compliance with the applicable Rugby Australia concussion and return-to-play process; this page does not provide a medical clearance.

The referee applies the relevant tackle-height rules, foul-play sanctions and Rugby Australia / QRU directions current for the event. No local rule overrides required safety measures.

Under the World Rugby 10s variation, a yellow-card suspension is two minutes of playing time. A second yellow card results in a sending-off. Red cards and further participation are subject to the applicable disciplinary process; an organiser’s approval cannot override an active suspension.

The tournament supplies senior referees. Each team supplies one competent touchjudge for each of its matches, as required by the published senior-officials commitment. Follow the referee’s directions; do not confuse touchjudge duty with supplying the match referee.

Captains and managers must cooperate with match officials and medical staff. Abuse, threats, discriminatory conduct and unsafe play are not tolerated.

All clubs must fulfil the registration commitment to bring at least one suitably qualified first aider. A club first aider does not replace tournament medical arrangements or professional assessment.

The Competition Manager may suspend, postpone, relocate or abandon a match for safety or operational reasons, consistently with governing-body requirements. Decisions, protests and disciplinary matters must follow the approved competition process.