Appeals & complaints

1. Introduction and Purpose

UAE Rugby Federation (“UAERF” or “the Federation”) is committed to fairness, transparency and good governance in all its dealings with clubs, players, parents and guardians, coaches, officials, sponsors, and other stakeholders. This Appeals and Complaints Procedure (“the Procedure”) sets out how any person or organisation with a legitimate interest in the Federation’s activities can raise a concern, complaint or grievance, and how the Federation will respond.

The Procedure has been developed with reference to recognised international good practice in professional sport, including grievance, complaints-handling and dispute resolution frameworks used by leading national governing bodies in professional football and rugby, and by independent sports dispute resolution mechanisms operating internationally and within the UAE. These have been adapted to reflect the Federation’s own legal status, jurisdiction and regulatory environment as a quasi-governmental sports federation established in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the fact that its member clubs are based across the Gulf region — predominantly in the UAE, with others in Bahrain and Qatar.

The overarching aim of the Procedure is to resolve concerns as early, informally and locally as possible, while guaranteeing a clear, time-bound and independent route of escalation for matters that cannot be resolved at first instance.

1.1 Status of this document

This Procedure is a formal governance document of the Federation. It does not form part of any contract of employment or membership agreement but operates as a condition of Federation and club membership, player registration, and any sponsorship, licensing or commercial agreement that incorporates it by reference. This Procedure is governed by the laws of the United Arab Emirates, as the jurisdiction in which the Federation is established and registered with the UAE Ministry of Sports. Where a member club, player or other complainant is based in another Gulf jurisdiction (for example, Bahrain or Qatar), the Federation will apply this Procedure consistently to them while having regard to any mandatory local law requirements applicable to that complainant; any material difference will be addressed on a case-by-case basis and, where necessary, with local legal advice.

2. Scope and Application

This Procedure applies to complaints and grievances raised by:

• Member clubs affiliated to the Federation;
• Players registered with the Federation or a member club, including academy and youth players;
• Parents or legal guardians raising a grievance on behalf of a player who is under the age of 18;
• Coaches, match officials, volunteers and Federation-accredited personnel, in relation to matters not otherwise covered by a specific disciplinary, HR or safeguarding process;
• Sponsors and commercial partners of a member club, and other third parties, in relation to a decision, action or omission of the Federation (or its Management Company) that directly affects them — for example, a Federation ruling, registration decision or administrative matter that has a bearing on a sponsorship arrangement;
• Any other individual or organisation with a legitimate interest in a decision, action or omission of the Federation or its appointed Management Company.

This Procedure covers, for example, concerns about: the conduct of Federation or Management Company staff; the administration of competitions, fixtures, registrations or eligibility decisions; the handling of funding, grants or commercial arrangements between a club and the Federation; perceived unfairness, bias or maladministration in a decision-making process; and service-level failures by the Management Company.

2.1 Sponsors and commercial third parties

The Federation recognises that club sponsors, and other commercial partners of a member club, do not typically hold a direct contractual relationship with the Federation itself — their agreement is with the club. Accordingly, this Procedure allows a club sponsor or other third party to raise a grievance with the Federation only in relation to the Federation’s own conduct, decisions or administration where this directly and materially affects them (for example, where a Federation decision has a direct impact on a sponsorship arrangement, or where a Federation official’s conduct towards a sponsor is at issue). A dispute between a sponsor and a club arising from their own commercial agreement is a private contractual matter between those parties and falls outside the scope of this Procedure; such disputes should be resolved under the terms of the sponsorship agreement itself, including any dispute resolution clause it contains. The Federation’s member clubs are responsible for ensuring their own sponsorship agreements make appropriate provision for resolving such disputes.

2.2 What this Procedure does not cover

This Procedure is not a substitute for, and does not replace, the following processes, which are governed by their own dedicated policies and regulations:

• Formal disciplinary charges against a club, player, coach or official for breach of the Federation’s Rules, Regulations or Code of Conduct — see the Disciplinary Regulations;
• Safeguarding concerns relating to the welfare of a child or adult at risk — see the Safeguarding Policy, which must be actioned immediately via the Federation’s Designated Safeguarding Officer, in parallel with (and taking precedence over) any step in this Procedure;
• Anti-doping matters — see the Anti-Doping Rules;
• Selection decisions for representative teams, which are addressed through the Selection Appeals Policy, save where the complaint concerns the fairness of the process rather than team selection itself;
• Employment grievances raised by an employee of the Federation or the Management Company against their own employer, which are addressed through the relevant employer’s internal HR grievance procedure;
• Disputes between a club and its own sponsor, or other private commercial disputes between third parties, which are addressed under the relevant commercial agreement (see section 2.1);
• Concerns that a criminal offence may have occurred, which should be reported to the relevant local law enforcement authority as well as, where relevant, the Federation.

Where a complaint raises matters that fall under more than one process (for example, a grievance that also discloses a safeguarding concern), the Federation will run the appropriate specialist process in parallel and will pause this Procedure to the extent necessary to avoid prejudicing it.

3. Guiding Principles

All grievances and complaints will be handled in accordance with the following principles, consistent with internationally recognised good governance standards for sport and the approach taken by well-regarded governing bodies in professional football and rugby:

• Accessibility — the Procedure is free to use, available in plain language, and published on the Federation’s website.
• Proportionality — the level of investigation and formality will be proportionate to the seriousness and complexity of the matter raised.
• Independence — where a complaint concerns the Management Company itself, or cannot be resolved by it, escalation is to a decision-maker independent of the individuals or function complained about, culminating in independent external review.
• Impartiality and natural justice — anyone whose conduct is the subject of a complaint will be told what is alleged and given a fair opportunity to respond before any finding is made; no one will investigate or decide a matter in which they have a personal or material interest.
• Timeliness — each stage of the Procedure has a target timescale (see section 9), recognising that delay is itself a source of injustice.
• Confidentiality — information will be shared only with those who need to know it in order to investigate or resolve the matter, subject to any overriding legal, regulatory or safeguarding duty.
• No victimisation — no complainant, witness or representative will be subject to any detriment, sanction or unfavourable treatment for raising a grievance in good faith, even if the complaint is not upheld.
• Right to be accompanied — a complainant, and any individual whose conduct is under review, may be accompanied or represented at any meeting held under this Procedure (see section 10).
• Learning culture — outcomes will, where appropriate, feed into the Federation’s governance, risk and policy review processes so that recurring issues are addressed systemically, not just case-by-case.

4. Definitions

Federation: UAE Rugby Federation (UAERF), the quasi-governmental national governing body for rugby union in the UAE, established in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and registered with the UAE Ministry of Sports, whose member clubs are based across the Gulf region — predominantly in the UAE, with others in Bahrain and Qatar.

Management Company: Rugby Club Management (“RCM”), the organisation appointed by the Federation under a management services agreement to carry out day-to-day administration of the Federation’s affairs, including first-instance handling of grievances under this Procedure.

Complainant: the individual or organisation raising a grievance or complaint, including a parent or guardian raising a grievance on behalf of a player under 18.

Respondent: the individual, club, department or organisation whose act, omission or decision is the subject of the complaint.

Grievance / Complaint: an expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about an act, decision, omission or standard of service by the Federation, the Management Company, or a person acting on their behalf.

Working day: a day other than a Saturday, Sunday, or a public holiday declared by the UAE Government, excluding any period the Federation office is formally closed (e.g. over a seasonal break), as published in the Federation’s annual holiday calendar on its website. The Federation notes that member clubs based in Bahrain or Qatar observe a Friday–Saturday weekend rather than the UAE’s Saturday–Sunday weekend, and will take this into account when scheduling steps, meetings and deadlines under this Procedure involving those clubs.

Independent Panel: a panel convened under Stage 2 of this Procedure comprising individuals independent of the day-to-day matter in dispute, at least one of whom is independent of the Federation’s staff and Board (see section 7).

5. Who Can Raise a Grievance

A grievance may be raised by any person or organisation described in section 2. Specific provisions apply as follows:

5.1 Players under 18

Where a player is under the age of 18, a grievance should ordinarily be raised by, or with the involvement of, a parent or legal guardian. A young player may raise a concern directly (including via their club welfare officer, who will pass it to RCM, or – for a welfare concern – the Designated Safeguarding Officer), but the Federation will normally seek to involve a parent or guardian unless doing so would itself create a welfare risk, in which case the safeguarding provisions in section 5.3 apply. Communications and meetings involving a player under 18 will be conducted in an age-appropriate way and, wherever practicable, in the presence of a parent, guardian or other appropriate adult.

5.2 Clubs and club sponsors

A club should raise a grievance through an authorised club official (for example, the club secretary, chair or welfare officer). A club sponsor or other third party raising a grievance about the Federation’s own conduct or decisions (see section 2.1) must also do so through RCM under Stage 1, ordinarily with the knowledge of the relevant member club. All grievances, whoever raises them, start with RCM.

5.3 Safeguarding precedence

If, at any stage, a grievance discloses or suggests a safeguarding concern, the person handling it must pause the grievance process for that element and refer the matter immediately to the Federation’s Designated Safeguarding Officer in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy. The remainder of the grievance, if any, may continue to be handled under this Procedure.

6. Stage 1 (mandatory) — Informal Resolution and Review by RCM

Stage 1 is mandatory. Every grievance or complaint must first be raised with Rugby Club Management (RCM), and no appeal may be made to the Federation under Stage 2 until Stage 1 has been completed. Stage 1 has two parts, both handled by RCM: an informal step, and a formal review.

6.1 Step 1a — Informal resolution with RCM

The complainant must first raise their concern with RCM using the online Complaint Form – this is the only way to raise a complaint under this Procedure. Many concerns can be resolved quickly at this stage without the need for a formal complaint. RCM will aim to acknowledge a concern within 3 working days and to respond substantively within 10 working days.

Where the matter is serious or sensitive, or the complainant does not consider informal resolution appropriate (for example, where the concern is about the conduct of the person they would otherwise raise it with), the complainant may ask RCM to deal with it as a formal complaint under Step 1b from the outset. Complaints must not be sent at Stage 1 to the Federation, its Board or individual Federation officials; any that are will be referred back to RCM.

6.2 Step 1b — Formal complaint to RCM

Where informal resolution is inappropriate, unsuccessful, or not achieved within a reasonable time, the complainant may submit a formal written complaint to RCM. RCM is appointed by the Federation to receive, review, investigate (or commission investigation of) and seek to resolve all grievances at Stage 1, including complaints about RCM itself (see section 6.4).

How to submit a formal complaint

A formal complaint should be submitted using the online Complaint Form (the complainant automatically receives an email copy of their submission), and should include:

• The complainant’s name, role (e.g. club, player/parent, club sponsor) and contact details;
• A clear description of the concern, including relevant dates, individuals and events;
• Copies of any relevant correspondence or documents;
• The outcome the complainant is seeking;
• Confirmation of any informal steps already taken.

Acknowledgement and allocation

The Management Company will acknowledge receipt within 3 working days, confirm the name and contact details of the case handler, and provide an indicative timescale for response. The case handler will be a person not directly involved in the matter complained of and with no material conflict of interest. Where the complaint concerns the case handler’s own department, an alternative handler from within the Management Company will be allocated.

Investigation

The case handler will gather relevant information, which may include speaking to the complainant, the respondent and any witnesses, and reviewing relevant documentation and correspondence. The respondent will be informed of the substance of the complaint and given a fair opportunity to respond before any conclusion is reached. Meetings may be held in person or remotely, and the complainant (and, for a Stage 1 meeting, an accompanying person as set out in section 10) may be invited to a meeting where this would help clarify or resolve the matter.

Outcome

The Management Company will provide a written outcome to the complainant within 20 working days of acknowledging the complaint, setting out: a summary of the concern investigated; the findings; whether the complaint is upheld, partly upheld or not upheld; any action to be taken; and the complainant’s right to appeal to the Federation under Stage 2, with the applicable time limit. Where the investigation cannot reasonably be completed within 20 working days (for example, because of its complexity or the availability of witnesses), the case handler will write to the complainant explaining the reason for the delay and providing a revised target date, which should not normally exceed a further 20 working days without further explanation.

6.3 Remedies available at Stage 1

Depending on the nature of the complaint, an appropriate resolution at Stage 1 may include: an apology; an explanation; correction of an administrative or process error; a change to a decision within the Management Company’s authority; a change to future practice or guidance; or, where relevant, referral of individual conduct matters into the Disciplinary Regulations or HR process of the relevant employer. The Management Company does not have authority under this Procedure to award financial compensation beyond correcting a demonstrable administrative error (for example, a refund of an incorrectly charged fee); any claim for damages or compensation beyond this falls outside the scope of this Procedure.

6.4 Grievances against RCM

Where the substance of the grievance is about RCM itself, rather than an individual matter it administers (for example, a complaint about the overall standard of service, or about a senior member of RCM staff), the complaint must still be submitted to RCM under Stage 1 and will be allocated to a senior manager not implicated in the complaint. If no such person is available, or the complainant reasonably considers this would not provide an independent review, RCM will record the complaint, refer it to the Federation for handling at Stage 2 and notify the complainant that it has done so.

7. Stage 2 — Appeal to the Federation (Independent Panel)

Stage 2 is only available once Stage 1 has been completed with RCM, or where RCM has referred the matter to the Federation under section 6.4 or 7.4. A complainant who is dissatisfied with the Stage 1 outcome — whether because they disagree with the finding, believe the process was flawed, or consider the resolution offered inadequate — may appeal to the Federation. This mirrors the structure used across professional football and rugby internationally, where an initial review by the administering body is followed by an appeal to a panel independent of that first decision.

7.1 How to appeal

An appeal must be submitted in writing to the Federation’s Company Secretary / Governance Team at (appeals email to be confirmed) within 15 working days of the date of the Stage 1 outcome letter, setting out the grounds of appeal. Grounds of appeal are ordinarily one or more of the following: new evidence that was not reasonably available at Stage 1; a material flaw in how the Stage 1 process was conducted; or that the outcome was unreasonable on the evidence available. An appeal that simply repeats the original complaint without addressing these grounds may be returned to the complainant with guidance on how to proceed.

7.2 The Independent Panel

The Federation will convene an Independent Panel of two or three individuals to determine the appeal. The Panel will be chaired by an individual who is independent of the Federation’s staff and of the Management Company (for example, an independent non-executive director, an independent member of the Federation’s Governance or Judicial Committee, or an external panellist drawn from a pool maintained for this purpose), and will not include anyone who was involved in the Stage 1 decision or has a conflict of interest in the matter.

Where the original complaint concerned a player under 18, the Panel will include or take advice from a person with relevant safeguarding or child welfare expertise.

7.3 Process

The Panel will normally determine the appeal on the papers (the original complaint, the Stage 1 outcome, the grounds of appeal, and any supporting documents), but may, at its discretion or at the reasonable request of a party, hold a hearing, which may be conducted remotely. Where a hearing is held, both the complainant and the respondent (or their representative) will have the opportunity to attend, present their case and respond to points raised by the other party or the Panel.

The Panel may: uphold the appeal in whole or in part; dismiss the appeal; substitute its own decision for that of the Management Company; direct that the matter be reinvestigated; or make recommendations regarding process or policy. The Panel will issue a written decision, with reasons, within 20 working days of the appeal hearing or, where there is no hearing, within 20 working days of receiving all relevant papers.

7.4 Referral to Stage 2 by RCM

A complaint about the conduct of a Federation Board member, or a matter that could not appropriately be considered by RCM under Stage 1 (see section 6.4), must still be submitted to RCM in the first instance. RCM will acknowledge it and refer it to the Federation for handling at Stage 2.

8. Stage 3 — Final Independent Review

The Federation recognises, consistent with internationally recognised good governance standards for sport, that a complainant should ultimately have access to a route of resolution that is independent of the Federation itself. A complainant who remains dissatisfied after Stage 2 may request final independent review in one of the following ways, as applicable to the nature of the complaint:

• Referral to the UAE Sports Arbitration Centre, established under UAE Federal Law No. 16 of 2016, which provides an independent forum within the UAE for the resolution of sports-related disputes, where the matter is capable of independent adjudication or mediation and both parties agree to its jurisdiction (or where such referral is mandated by the Federation’s Regulations);
• Where the dispute is international in nature (for example, it involves another national federation, an international governing body, or a matter falling within the jurisdiction of the Federation’s International Federation) and the Federation’s own Statutes or International Federation Statutes so provide, referral to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland;
• Where the grievance concerns maladministration in the Federation’s own governance, referral to the UAE Ministry of Sports, the federal authority responsible for the regulation and oversight of sports federations in the UAE under Federal Law No. 4 of 2023 Concerning Sports;
• Where the grievance concerns a matter properly within the jurisdiction of the courts (for example, a contractual or commercial dispute involving a club sponsor), the parties’ rights to pursue that matter through the competent UAE courts, or through any arbitration centre and rules agreed in the relevant commercial agreement (for example, the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) or the Abu Dhabi International Arbitration Centre), are unaffected by this Procedure.

The Federation will confirm which of these routes is applicable in its Stage 2 decision letter. A request for referral to an independent dispute resolution body should normally be made within 15 working days of the Stage 2 decision. Any such body operates its own rules, timescales and (where applicable) fee structure, which will be provided to the parties on referral.

9. Summary of Timescales

The table below summarises the target timescales at each stage. All timescales are targets rather than strict limits; where a target cannot be met, the complainant will be told why and given a revised date, consistent with the approach used in comparable professional sport complaints frameworks.

10. Support and Representation

At any meeting held under this Procedure, a complainant, and any individual whose conduct is under review, may be accompanied by one other person of their choosing — for example, a club official, colleague, parent/guardian (in the case of a player under 18), or a companion who is not acting in a legal capacity. Formal legal representation is not normally permitted at Stage 1 or Stage 2, save at the discretion of the case handler or Panel Chair where the matter is unusually serious or complex, or where the respondent’s own regulations otherwise require it.

Where a complainant or respondent has a disability, or does not have fluency in the Federation’s working language, the Federation will make reasonable adjustments to enable full participation, such as providing documents in accessible formats or arranging interpretation.

11. Provisions for Players Under 18 and Their Parents/Guardians

In addition to the general principles in section 3, the following specific provisions apply where a grievance is raised by, or on behalf of, a player under the age of 18:

• Grievances involving young players will be handled by, or under the supervision of, staff with appropriate safeguarding training;
• Communications will be in plain, age-appropriate language, and a young player’s own views will be sought and given due weight alongside those of their parent or guardian;
• Meetings will, wherever possible, be scheduled outside school hours and in a location or format comfortable for the young person;
• Where a grievance raised on behalf of a young player overlaps with a safeguarding concern, the Safeguarding Policy takes precedence, and the Federation’s Designated Safeguarding Officer will be involved from the outset (see section 5.3);
• The Federation will not disclose a young player’s personal information beyond those who need it to handle the grievance, in line with applicable data protection obligations and the Federation’s Safeguarding Policy.

12. Confidentiality and Data Protection

Information provided as part of a grievance will be handled in confidence and shared only with those who need to know it in order to investigate, resolve or review the matter, including the respondent, relevant witnesses, and (where the matter is escalated) the Independent Panel or an independent dispute resolution body. Personal data will be processed in accordance with the Federation’s Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law, including UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data (PDPL). Where a complainant, club or witness is based in Bahrain or Qatar, the Federation will also have regard to any mandatory local data protection requirements applicable to them. Records relating to a grievance will be retained in accordance with the Federation’s data retention schedule and will be securely destroyed thereafter, save where longer retention is required for legal, regulatory or safeguarding reasons.

13. Vexatious, Malicious or Repeated Complaints

The Federation takes all complaints seriously and will not treat a complaint as vexatious simply because it is not upheld, or because it is persistent. However, where a complainant repeatedly raises the same matter after it has been fully addressed, submits complaints in an abusive, threatening or discriminatory manner, or a complaint is found to have been knowingly false or malicious, the Federation may, following a decision by a senior manager independent of the original matter: decline to correspond further on the specific issue that has already been addressed; require future contact to be in a specified format (for example, in writing only, or through a nominated representative); or take other proportionate action under the Federation’s Rules or Code of Conduct. Any such decision will be communicated in writing, with reasons, and will not prevent the complainant from raising a genuinely new concern in future.

14. Record Keeping, Monitoring and Reporting

The Management Company will maintain a confidential log of all formal grievances handled under this Procedure, recording (as a minimum) the nature of the complaint, the parties involved, key dates, the outcome, and any action taken. The Management Company will provide the Federation’s Board or Governance Committee with an anonymised summary report at least annually, covering the volume and nature of complaints received, timescales achieved against target, outcomes, and any recurring themes or systemic issues identified, so that lessons can be fed into policy, training or process improvements.

15. Related Policies and Regulations

• Safeguarding Policy (Children and Adults at Risk)
• Code of Conduct
• Disciplinary Regulations
• Anti-Discrimination and Equality Policy
• Whistleblowing (Speak Up) Policy
• Selection Appeals Policy
• Privacy Policy / Data Retention Schedule
• Management Services Agreement between the Federation and the Management Company

16. Governance and Review

This Procedure is owned by the Federation’s Board and will be reviewed at least every two years, or sooner following any significant change in the Federation’s governance structure, the identity of the Management Company, or relevant regulatory guidance issued by the UAE Ministry of Sports or other applicable UAE law. Any material amendment will be approved by the Board and republished on the Federation’s website with a revised version number and effective date.

This Procedure was approved by the Board of UAERF on (date to be confirmed) and takes effect from (date to be confirmed).

Complaint form

Complaints under Stage 1 are made using the online complaint form at the bottom of this page. Your complaint goes directly to Rugby Club Management and a copy is emailed to you.

Key Contacts