Club Rugby playoff structures

The Tony's Tyre Service Senior Club Rugby Competition is starting to heat up and the playoffs are just around the corner.

Below is an explanation of the playoff structure for each grade:

Senior 1:
End of Round Robin 2 - the Centennial Shield will be awarded to the highest ranked team after 18 games.
Semifinals & finals - Top 4 (Hankins Shield), Middle 4 (Val Holland Memorial Trophy), last placed team their season is finished (no cup awarded).

Senior 2:
Semifinals & finals -Top 4 (Houlihan Cup), Middle 4 (Senior 2 Cup), Bottom 2 (Senior 2 Trophy, straight final played for on 28 July).

Senior Reserve:
Semifinals & finals - Top 5 (Life Members Cup), Bottom 5 (Old Gibbons Cup). The team ranked 5th in each division will conclude their season at the end of round robin play. This grade concludes on 18 August.

Colts:
Semifinals & final - Top 4 (Gordon Brown Cup), Second 4 (Broome Shield), Third 4 (Evans Cup), Bottom 3 (Colts Cup) - Whichever team that tops the bottom 3, they go straight through to the final and play the winner of the semifinal between the bottom 2.

Women:
The women's competition will conclude at the end of the round robin (28 July) with the team with the highest number of competition points being name winner of the second round and receive the Prue Christie Cup.

Please note: In grades where there will be semifinals played the match will take place at the higher ranked team's home venue. Finals are played at a neutral venue.

Promotion & Relegation:
Any promotion or relegation will be as follows:
- Senior 1 & Senior 2: Automatic promotion of the winner of the Senior 2 grade and relegation of the lowest ranked team in the Senior 1 grade in accordance with Club Competition Bylaw 37.
- Senior 2 and Senior Reserve Automatic promotion of the winner of the Senior Reserve grade and relegation of the lowest ranked team in the Senior 2 grade in accordance with Club Competition Bylaw 37.

The Club Competition Bylaw 37 states:

PROMOTION AND RELEGATION

37. A: Senior 1 and Senior 2. Automatic promotion of the winner of the Senior 2 grade and relegation of the lowest ranked team in the Senior 1 grade where:
• The winner of the Senior 2 grade is the play-off winner of that grade.
• The winner of the Senior 2 grade does not already have a club team participating in the Senior 1 grade.
• The winner of the Senior 2 grade can meet the criteria for Senior 1 status outlined in Paragraph 21 for the following season.
• The lowest ranked team in the Senior 1 grade is the team ranked lowest at the conclusion of the competition round(s).

B: Senior 2 and Senior Reserve. Automatic promotion of the winner of the Senior Reserve grade and relegation of the lowest ranked team in the Senior 2 grade where:
• The winner of the Senior Reserve grade is the play-off winner of that grade, or if play-offs are not a part of the competition format, the winner of that grade by being ranked highest following the competition round(s).
• The winner of the Senior Reserve grade does not already have a club team participating in the Senior 2 grade.
• The lowest ranked team in the Senior 2 grade is the team ranked lowest at the conclusion of the competition round(s).