he Pitch Side Care Standards (PSCS) cover all age-grade rugby and adult community rugby. They exclude the Prem, Champ, PWR and BUCS Super Rugby teams, all of whom have competition-specific provision standards for immediate care and minimum medical provision standards. 

 The PSCS are specific to the requirements for on-field / pitch side rugby activity (training sessions and matches) only. Off-field first aid provision should be determined as part of a general risk assessment and will be specific to each club’s requirements.  

The standards are the minimum first aid and/or immediate care pitch side provision required as part of Regulation 9 (Player Safety). They set out first aid and immediate care provision for the recognition, assessment and immediate management of potential life and limb threatening injuries during organised training and matches only.  

All other medical support, or provisions such as therapist led prehabilitation and rehabilitation, strapping, soft tissue massage and the treatment of potential non-life and limb threatening and musculoskeletal injuries, is outside the scope of this document. Any organisation and/or practitioner providing additional provision should be appropriately qualified and insured. 

The annual first aid risk assessment must be completed for all rugby activities. 

The PSCS set out the minimum recommended FA/IC provision. CBs, clubs and all other activity organisers should consider how best to deliver the other elements of medical care and player welfare for participants. 

The PSCS are HIGHLY recommended for all other providers of rugby activity (schools, colleges, universities, armed forces, commercial providers) who may have their own regulations, which they must comply with if the level of provision is higher than that specified in this guide.