---
title: "Rugby Game Day Planning Guide for NZ Clubs"
url: https://tidyhq.com/blog/rugby-union-game-day-planning-guide-nz
date: 2025-01-22
updated: 2026-04-21
author: "Isaak Dury"
categories: ["Sport-Specific", "AI"]
excerpt: "The week-of checklist for running Saturday rugby at your community club - volunteer rosters, ground setup, weather calls, and the pack-down timeline that saves your coordinator's sanity."
---

# Rugby Game Day Planning Guide for NZ Clubs

> The week-of checklist for running Saturday rugby at your community club - volunteer rosters, ground setup, weather calls, and the pack-down timeline that saves your coordinator's sanity.

## Key takeaways

- Wednesday is your planning checkpoint - every volunteer role, equipment item, and weather contingency should be confirmed three days before kickoff
- A printed run sheet covering every game from small blacks through to premiers keeps the whole day on track and gives every volunteer a reference point
- Short, named volunteer shifts with specific start and finish times fill faster than open-ended requests to 'come help out on Saturday'
- Post-match pack-down with three people takes 30 minutes - with one person it takes 90 and they won't volunteer again

It's Friday evening and your phone is buzzing\. Two canteen volunteers have pulled out for tomorrow\. Nobody's confirmed who's doing the line marking\. The pie order didn't go through\. And the weather forecast is showing rain from midday, which means the council might close the ground \- but nobody's sure who makes that call\.

None of this is hard to fix\. All of it is preventable\. The difference between a calm Saturday and a chaotic one is what happens between Wednesday and Friday morning\.

This is the operational planning guide for rugby game day at your community club\. Not the atmosphere piece \- if you want that, read our [rugby game day experience guide](/blog/rugby-union-game-day-experience-guide-nz)\. This is the logistics: checklists, timelines, rosters, and the contingency plans that keep your Saturday running even when things go sideways\.

## The week\-before timeline

### Wednesday \- confirm everything

Wednesday is your checkpoint\. If something isn't confirmed by end of day Wednesday, Thursday is your buffer\. Friday is too late\.

- Confirm the draw with your provincial union or club rugby competition\. Check for any bye rounds, rescheduled fixtures, or ground changes\.
- Confirm which grades are playing at home and in what order\. A typical Saturday might run: small blacks and rippa at 9am, junior grades through midday, colts at 1:30pm, premiers at 2:45pm\. Lock the run sheet\.
- Contact opposition clubs for each fixture\. Confirm start times, jersey colours \(to avoid clashes\), and any special requirements\.
- Confirm referee appointments through your provincial union's referee panel\. If you're relying on club referees for junior grades, confirm those names now\.
- Confirm all volunteer roles are filled\. Every position needs a named person with a confirmed start time\. Send a message with their name, role, and shift window \- not a group text saying "who can help Saturday?"
- Check the ground booking with your council or school if you're on shared fields\.

### Thursday \- equipment and supplies

- Walk the equipment shed\. Check match balls \(you need at least three per game\), corner flags, line\-marking paint or lime, goal\-post padding straps, and the first aid kit\.
- Confirm the defibrillator is charged and the pads are in date\. Know where it's stored and make sure at least two people on site know how to use it\.
- Check the canteen stock: pies, sausage rolls, hot chips supplies, bread and sausages for the BBQ, coffee, milk, drinks, confectionery\. Place orders for anything short\.
- Count the float \- $200 in mixed coins and notes\. Confirm the EFTPOS terminal is charged\.
- Print team sheets if your competition requires hardcopy\. Print the run sheet and pin it to the noticeboard in the club rooms\.
- Charge any electronic scoreboards, the PA system, or tablets used for scoring\.

### Friday \- weather check and final confirmation

- Check the weather forecast for Saturday morning and afternoon\. If rain is expected, establish who makes the ground\-closure call and by what time\. Most council grounds have a hotline or online status page \- know the number\.
- If conditions are marginal, prepare for both outcomes: game on in wet weather, or cancellation with early communication\.
- Send a final reminder to all rostered volunteers with their arrival time and role\.
- Confirm the canteen order has been delivered or collected\.
- If you're doing line marking on Saturday morning \(many clubs do\), confirm the line marker has paint and the person doing it knows what time to arrive\. Budget 45 minutes for a full remark\.

## Game day \- early morning setup

For a full Saturday starting with junior grades at 9am, your first volunteers should arrive by 7am\. For afternoon\-only fixtures, arrive two hours before kickoff\.

### Ground setup

- Walk the pitch before anything else\. Check for glass, debris, rabbit holes, sprinkler covers that aren't flush, or any hazard in the in\-goal areas\.
- Mark the field if council hasn't done it mid\-week\. The 22\-metre lines, halfway, try lines, dead\-ball lines, and five\-metre lines all need to be visible\. A hand\-pushed line marker with white paint takes one person 45 minutes\.
- Check goal\-post padding\. Tighten straps, replace any padding that's torn or missing\. NZ Rugby's community rugby guidelines require post padding for all grades\.
- Set out corner flags\. If the sleeves are frozen or jammed from last week, bring a mallet\.
- Place team benches and the interchange area on the correct sides\. For junior grades, define the technical area with cones if needed\.
- Set up the scoreboard \- manual or electronic \- in a visible position\.
- Put out any sponsor signage along the fence line or at the entrance\.

### Club rooms and canteen

- Unlock the club rooms, change rooms, and toilets\. Check that toilets are stocked with paper and soap\.
- Open the canteen at least 30 minutes before the first game\. Parents arrive early with kids \- if there's no coffee, you've lost them before the whistle\.
- Fire up the pie warmer and put the first round in\. Start the BBQ if you're running sausages\.
- Set up the bar area if your club is licensed\. Confirm the duty manager is on site and RSA signage is displayed\.
- Set up a welcome table at the entrance with the day's run sheet visible \- so visiting teams and parents know what's on and when\.

### Safety

- Set up the first aid station in a visible location near the main field\. Mark it with signage\. Stock it with ice packs, strapping tape, bandages, antiseptic, gloves, and a mouthguard case\.
- Confirm the defibrillator location is signed and known to the game day coordinator\.
- Write down the address of the nearest hospital and the ground's street address\. Visiting teams and ambulance services will need it\.
- If it's a wet day, set up a boot\-wash station \(a hose and mat\) outside the change room door\.

## Running the day \- between games

Most community rugby clubs run four to six games across a Saturday\. The gaps between games are where things fall apart or hold together\.

- Allow 15 to 20 minutes between each game for teams to clear the field, the next teams to warm up, and any quick ground maintenance\.
- The game day coordinator should be visible and available during changeovers \- this is the highest\-pressure window, not the games themselves\.
- Canteen traffic peaks between games\. Have stock ready and the queue moving\. Two people minimum on the counter during changeover rushes\.
- Check in with the first aid officer between games\. Restock ice packs if they've been used\. Note any incidents for the incident register\.
- If you're running a second field for junior grades, have a roving volunteer who checks on both fields during the morning\.

## Weather contingencies

### Rain and wet grounds

Rain doesn't automatically mean cancellation\. Your decision tree should be:

1. **Is the ground safe?** Walk it\. If there's standing water, if the surface is dangerously soft, or if the council has closed the ground, the answer is no\. Contact your provincial union or competition coordinator\.
1. **If play goes ahead, what changes?** Extra towels in the change rooms, a boot\-wash hose outside the door, waterproof covers for electronic gear, and extra hot drinks stock for the canteen\.
1. **Communication:** If games are cancelled or delayed, communicate by 7am for morning games and by 10am for afternoon games\. One clear message through your club's usual channel \- app, social media, group text\. Update once, clearly\.

### Wind

New Zealand rugby contends with wind more often than most countries\. If sustained winds exceed 60 km/h, junior games may need to be shortened or modified\. Check your provincial union's guidelines\. For all grades, secure any loose equipment, signage, or marquees before conditions deteriorate\.

### Lightning

If lightning is visible or thunder is audible, play stops immediately and everyone moves to shelter\. The 30/30 rule: if the time between lightning and thunder is 30 seconds or less, seek shelter\. Wait 30 minutes after the last flash before resuming\. This is a safety protocol, not a judgement call\.

## Equipment checklist

Print this and tape it inside the storeroom door\.

**Ground setup:**

- \] Goal\-post padding \(checked and strapped\)
- \] Corner flags \(full set plus spares\)
- \] Line\-marking equipment \(marker, paint or lime\)
- \] Team benches or chairs \(2 per game\)
- \] Cones for technical area \(junior grades\)
- \] Scoreboard and numbers \(or electronic board, charged\)
- \] Sponsor signage

**Safety:**

- \] First aid kit \(stocked: bandages, tape, ice packs, antiseptic, gloves\)
- \] Defibrillator \(charged, pads in date\)
- \] Incident report forms
- \] Emergency contacts list \(hospital, ambulance, union officials\)

**Canteen and bar:**

- \] Float \($200 mixed coins and notes\)
- \] Stock: pies, sausage rolls, drinks, coffee, sausages, bread
- \] EFTPOS terminal \(charged\)
- \] RSA signage and duty manager confirmed \(if licensed\)

**Administration:**

- \] Team sheets \(printed or digital\)
- \] Run sheet posted at entrance and in club rooms
- \] Referee payment envelopes
- \] Volunteer sign\-in sheet

## Volunteer roster template

For a full Saturday running junior through senior grades, you need 12 to 15 volunteers across staggered shifts:

| Role | Shift 1 \(7am–12pm\) | Shift 2 \(12pm–5pm\) | Shift 3 \(5pm–7pm\) | |\-\-\-\-\-\-|\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-|\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-|\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-| | Game day coordinator | All day \(one person\) | | | | Canteen | 2 volunteers | 2 volunteers | 1 volunteer | | Bar | \- | 1 volunteer | 1 volunteer | | Gate / welcome | 1 volunteer | 1 volunteer | \- | | First aid | 1 volunteer | 1 volunteer | \- | | Scoreboard | 1 volunteer | 1 volunteer | \- | | Ground announcer | \- | 1 volunteer | \- | | Pack\-down | \- | \- | 3 volunteers |

Publish the roster before the season starts\. Confirm each week by Wednesday\. Use [TidyHQ's volunteer management](/products/contacts) to automate reminders and let people confirm or swap shifts without the coordinator chasing texts all week\.

## Pack\-down checklist

With three people, this should take 30 minutes after the final whistle and post\-match functions:

- Bring in corner flags and store them
- Remove goal\-post padding if required \(some grounds leave it up between weeks\)
- Clear team benches, cones, and any loose equipment from the sideline
- Pack the scoreboard and PA gear into storage
- Close and clean the canteen \- wipe surfaces, empty bins, secure cash and stock
- Close the bar \- stock check, secure cash, clean glasses
- Check change rooms \- all players and officials out, lights off, showers off
- Lock all buildings, gates, and storage
- Walk the ground one final time \- pick up any rubbish, check for left\-behind gear
- Report any damage or maintenance issues to council or your grounds coordinator

## How TidyHQ helps with game day planning

The weekly cycle of confirming volunteers, chasing gear, and communicating with opposition clubs is recurring admin that compounds when it's all done by text and memory\. [TidyHQ's event management](/products/events) lets you create recurring fixtures with volunteer roles built in\. Members see available shifts and claim them\. Reminders go out on your schedule\. The coordinator sees a dashboard showing confirmed roles and gaps \- by Thursday, not Saturday morning\.

For post\-match reporting, check\-in data flows into your [membership database](/products/memberships), giving you actual participation numbers for grant applications and provincial union reporting\.

## Frequently asked questions

**How early should setup start for a full rugby Saturday?**

For a day starting with junior grades at 9am, first volunteers should arrive by 7am\. Ground setup \- line marking, post padding, pitch inspection \- takes 60 to 90 minutes with two people\. Add canteen setup and you need the kitchen open by 8:30am\.

**What's the minimum number of volunteers for a single\-game fixture?**

Six to eight: coordinator, canteen \(2\), first aid \(1\), scoreboard \(1\), and pack\-down \(2\)\. For a full multi\-grade day, plan for 12 to 15 across staggered shifts\.

**Who makes the call on ground closures?**

Your council or ground owner makes the closure call for council\-owned fields\. Your provincial union or competition coordinator manages fixture changes\. Agree at the start of the season: who checks, who decides, and how it's communicated\. The worst outcome is families arriving to an empty ground\.

## References

- [NZ Rugby](https://www.nzrugby.co.nz/) \- The national governing body for rugby union in New Zealand, including community rugby resources and club development programmes
- [Rugby Game Day Experience Guide](/blog/rugby-union-game-day-experience-guide-nz) \- Our companion guide to creating a great match day atmosphere at your NZ community rugby club
- [Sport NZ](https://sportnz.org.nz/) \- The government agency responsible for supporting and investing in sport and recreation in New Zealand
- [TidyHQ Event Management](/products/events) \- Recurring event setup and volunteer rostering for community clubs
- [TidyHQ Membership Management](/products/memberships) \- Member database and participation tracking for grant reporting

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