UNITED STATES QUAD RUGBY ASSOCIATION

USQRA Secretary
Judy Pfiester

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United States Quad Rugby Association
On-Line News Letter

SEPTEMBER 13, 1996
VOL 9697.01

CONTENTS OF THIS NEWSLETTER

1. Secretary Message
2. Communications
3. Rule changes voted on at the AGM
4. Bylaw changes voted on at the AGM
5. Roster application and instructions for membership (sent via mail)
6. Order form for official volleyballs (sent via mail)
7. Voting form for Classification changes to be adopted internationally.
8. Insurance Notice from Wheelchair Sports, USA
9. Tournament Schedule including dates for Nationals

SECRETARY MESSAGE

I hope you have had a wonderful summer and have enjoyed the "off season" .

Just to bring you up to date, a USA National team traveled to New Zealand this summer and enjoyed the competition and the warm hospitality of the "Kiwis". The Paralympic Team had an excellent experience in Atlanta. The team played superb rugby and won the GOLD. They were the only US team sport to win gold at the Paralympics this year !! The support of the rugby community and the entire Paralympic family was wonderful. The final game was sold out, what a great accolade for our sport and everyone who has contributed towards its success.

Sports and Spokes will be carrying an article about the Paralympic experience but, as team leader, I would like to recognize the athletes and staff that made it such a success: Terry Vinyard, head coach, Reggie Richner, assistant coach, Kathy Nelligan team Nurse, David Balsley team trainer and the players, Eddie Crouch, Dave Ceruti, Bill Renje, Dave Gould, Cliff Chunn, Mike Wyatt, Brad Updegrove and Joe Soares. This eight man squad worked together in preparation and performance to win the Gold medal and has made us all very proud.

COMMUNICATIONS at http://www.icanect.net/~qrugby

John Bishop is our web site guru. Please let us know about all local competitions, results, articles and news clippings, photos and any other information about rugby that we can post them on this site. For more details click >>>>HERE<<<<.......... THANKS.

RULE CHANGES:

Art. 13 WHEELCHAIR (d)

1. No protrusions including front ends or wings are allowed on the outside of the caster housings two o’clock to five o’clock (right side) 7:00 o’clock to 10:00 o’clock (left side) or below 11 cm of any part of the chair. Chairs with wings or defensive front ends that exist as of Nationals 1996 will be phased out and become completely illegal at the conclusion of Nationals 1998.
2. Front caster housing shall be more than 20 cm wide and less than 52 cm wide and may not be more than 1 cm from the frame tubing
3. Wings must come within 1.0 cm of the rear tire and may not project outside the rear tire
4. The outside edge of the wing must project from the wheel at a 45 degree angle or less
5. The overall width of the bumper shall not exceed the width of the caster housings by more than 2 cm
6. f) Safety:. functional anti tip devices attached to the rear frame are mandatory. Players rostered prior to 1995 may be exempt upon written request.
   
   

CONSTITUTION & BY LAW

Article I MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Application for membership
d. (change) Any new team made up of four or more players from a previous member team shall assume the financial responsibility of that team for any outstanding dues, fines or assessments.
e. (change) All member teams must compete in two or more registered games with any other member team prior to any post season tournaments to be eligible
Section 2 Requirements of rostered players
a (change) Notice of teams intention to add, substitute or transfer must be sent to the Commissioners office by January 1 of the current season. Players may be added after January 1 as members in order to receive benefits but will not be eligible to compete in sanctioned tournaments.
c. (change) All rostered players must compete in at least two registered games prior to post season play.
Section 2. Dues
d (change) Any team withdrawing their membership after January 1 or failing to attend scheduled post season tournaments will be assessed a $100.00 fine
Article 3
Section 5 (added)
In order for all teams and all players to be made eligible for post season play, host teams must submit score sheets to the office of commissioner within 14 days of play in order to register the games.

TOURNAMENT APPLICATIONS

Anyone interested in hosting Regionals or Sectionals should call Judy (215) 504- 0443 and she will mail you an application form and instruction guide for hosting. Regional and Sectional structure will remain the same, addition of new teams will be completed after registration. The requirements for hosting regional tournaments has been changed to help reduce the expense of running this tournament. Please feel free to call with any questions you might have concerning these tournaments. An initial contact to host regionals or sectionals is due by Nov. 1 and a completed bid application is due by Nov. 15. Notification of awarded bids will be sent by November 21 1996.

IWRF CLASSIFICATION COMMISSION
PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CURRENT CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM BASED ON THE RESULTS AND INPUT FROM THE SURVEY.
These changes take into account the need for increasing trunk point value. Currently we have given a tetra arm with muscle grades weaker than a para arm 4 points. The proposed change in the system would make this arm now a 3.5.

With the above changes a 3.5 player would have to have
1. some trunk function or
2. hands bilaterally or
3. one 4 point arm
These changes would affect current 3.5 athletes who have been given this class based on hand function only. (athletes with grades 4-5 in all muscle groups in the upper extremities will be given 3.75 for arm function and will still be ineligible to play when it is bilateral.)
Women rugby classes will not change.
PROPOSAL NUMBER 1
1. 3.5 ARM
Significant thumb function (grades less than 4 in three out of five movements)
fine finger movements (functional hand tests scoring 5-8)
2. 4.0 ARM
totally normal arm and hand (para arm)
(FUNCTIONAL HAND TESTS 9 OUT OF 9)
DO YOU AGREE WITH THE ABOVE PROPOSAL YES OR NO (Circle your vote )
PLEASE VOTE AND INCLUDE YOUR NAME
Fax to Diane : 817 491 3638 EMAIL DBT OTR@ AOL.COM CALL DIANE BULGER AT 817 491 3638
FAX TO JUDY 215 504 0445

Wheelchair Sports, USA Insurance Program
>>>click on line above to download this letter<<<

The U.S. Quad Rugby Association (USQRA), a member of Wheelchair Sports, USA, (WSUSA) has access to the liability insurance program of WSUSA. This means that all rostered teams of the USQRA for the 1996-1997 season also have access to WSUSA liability insurance program.

ALL events which are sanctioned by the USQRA, including team practices and tournaments are automatically covered whether the teams asks for a certificate of insurance or not. This coverage protects WSUSA, and USQRA, and the Host Organization for liability issues associated with the event.

A rostered team of the USQRA does not need to contact the National Office of WSUSA if it does not need a certificate of insurance. This may be the case if the following occur:

1. The facility carries it's own insurance.

2. The team does not need to insure a third party

3. The facility does not require the team to show proof of insurance.

If a certificate of insurance is required, the Official Team Representative MUST contact the WSUSA National Office three to four weeks prior to the date when the insurance is needed. The procedures for obtaining the certificate of insurance are:

1. Contact Margaret Martin at the WSUSA National Office three to four weeks prior to the date when the insurance is needed.

2. Indicate if the insurance is for practice or a tournament, as these are different forms.

3. Margaret will fax or send to the Team Representative a copy of the prior years request form along with a blanc form. The form should be reviewed to determine what if any changes have been made and return the changes to the National Office.

Please note that certificates for tournaments will more than likely require major changes and therefore, may require that the blank form be completed. In the event that this is the teams first request for insurance then a blank form must be completed.

4. If contract has been entered for use of the facilities, a copy of that contract must be submitted with the request form.

5. If a third party needs to be added as an additional insured, a copy of their commitment with the team outlining that they need to be an additional insured, must be submitted with the request form. Examples of third parties include sponsors, school boards, etc..

6. Once the request form are received in the National Office, the information will be forwarded to the insurance company for processing. The insurance company will forward a copy of the certificate of insurance directly to the team.

If a team is uncertain as to whether they will need to show proof of insurance, they should make the request so that they will have it if they need it.

This insurance is at no cost to any of the teams. Therefore, we would encourage you to take advantage of this program.

If you have any questions regarding this program, please contact either Patricia Shepherd, Executive Director or Margaret Martin, Administrative Assistant at: Wheelchair Sports USA, 3595 E. Fountain Blvd., Suite L-1, Colorado Springs, CO 80910, Phone (719) 574-1150, Fax (719) 574-9840.

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