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WEATHER, VENUE AND CANCELLED SESSION POLICY

Blackheath Rhinos Football Club

Blackheath Rhinos Football Club aims to deliver all scheduled training sessions, matches, camps and club activities wherever it is safe and practical to do so. However, football is an outdoor sport and sessions may occasionally need to be cancelled, postponed, moved or amended due to weather, pitch safety, venue conditions, coach availability, facility issues or circumstances outside the club’s control. This policy explains how the club manages weather-related issues, venue problems, cancelled sessions and changes to planned activities.

1. Safety Comes First

The safety of players, coaches, volunteers, parents, spectators and match officials is the club’s first priority.

A session, match or activity may be cancelled, delayed, moved or amended where the club considers there to be a reasonable safety risk.

This may include, but is not limited to:

  • Waterlogged pitches

  • Frozen or icy surfaces

  • Thunder and lightning

  • Extreme heat

  • High winds

  • Poor visibility

  • Unsafe playing surfaces

  • Damaged equipment

  • Unsafe goals

  • Venue closures

  • Floodlight failure

  • Lack of safe access to the venue

  • Coach illness or unavoidable staff absence

  • Instructions from the venue provider, league, referee, local authority or governing body

The club will not run a session simply because parents have paid or because children want to play if the conditions are not considered safe.

2. Who Makes the Decision?

For training sessions and club activities, the decision will usually be made by the club, venue provider or lead coach.

For matches, the decision may be made by:

  • The referee

  • The league

  • The venue provider

  • The home team

  • The club

  • The local authority or pitch provider

Where a referee decides a match cannot go ahead, that decision is final.

3. When Will Parents Be Told?

The club will try to give as much notice as possible when a session, match or activity is cancelled or changed.

However, weather and pitch conditions can change quickly. In some cases, cancellation may happen at short notice or even after arrival at the venue.

Updates may be sent by:

  • WhatsApp

  • Email

  • Website update

  • Direct message from the coach or team manager

  • Other club communication channels

Parents and carers are responsible for checking club messages before travelling.

4. Training Session Cancellations

Blackheath Rhinos charges annual or programme-based fees, even where payment is split into monthly instalments. Instalments are a payment method, not a separate monthly membership.

Because football is affected by weather, venue availability and pitch safety, a reasonable number of cancelled sessions may occur during a season.

For regular training sessions, the club allows for up to three cancelled sessions per training day during a season without refund.

For example:

  • Up to three cancelled Tuesday sessions

  • Up to three cancelled Thursday sessions

  • Up to three cancelled Saturday sessions

This applies where cancellation is due to weather, pitch safety, venue closure or circumstances outside the club’s reasonable control.

If cancellations go beyond this level, the club may, where practical, consider one or more of the following:

  • Rearranged session

  • Extended season

  • Alternative venue

  • Additional session

  • Credit at the club’s discretion

The club is not required to provide a refund automatically.

5. Matches

League fixtures are controlled by the league, venue availability, pitch conditions and match officials. The club cannot guarantee that every scheduled match will go ahead. Matches may be cancelled, postponed or rearranged by the league, opposition, referee, venue provider or weather conditions. No refund is due where a match is cancelled, postponed or rearranged. Where possible, the club or team manager will communicate rearranged match details once confirmed.

6. Venue Changes

The club may move sessions or matches to an alternative venue where needed.

This may happen because of:

  • Pitch closures

  • Weather conditions

  • Facility problems

  • League requirements

  • Better availability

  • Safety concerns

  • Seasonal venue changes

  • Operational reasons

Parents are responsible for checking the confirmed venue before attending. Where a venue change is reasonable and the session still goes ahead, no refund or credit is due if a player does not attend.

7. Late Starts, Early Finishes and Amended Sessions

A session may be shortened, delayed or amended due to weather, safety or operational reasons.

This may include:

  • Reduced playing time

  • Smaller playing area

  • Indoor briefing

  • Skills-based session instead of match play

  • Early finish due to worsening weather

  • Session paused due to lightning or unsafe conditions

Where the club has made reasonable efforts to deliver the session, no refund will normally be provided.

8. Extreme Weather

In extreme heat, cold, storms or other serious weather conditions, the club may amend or cancel activity.

This may include:

  • More drink breaks

  • Reduced intensity

  • Shortened sessions

  • Indoor or shaded breaks where available

  • No heading or high-intensity activities

  • Cancellation where conditions are unsafe

Parents must ensure children arrive with suitable clothing, drinks and equipment for the conditions.

9. Parent Responsibility

Parents and carers must:

  • Check messages before travelling

  • Ensure children are dressed appropriately

  • Provide water and suitable footwear

  • Inform the coach of any relevant medical issues

  • Collect children promptly if a session ends early

  • Avoid leaving children unattended unless the club has confirmed the arrangement is suitable

  • Respect club decisions made on safety grounds

Parents should not pressure coaches to continue sessions in unsafe conditions.

10. No Refunds for Non-Attendance

Refunds are not provided where a player misses a session or match due to:

  • Illness

  • Holidays

  • Other commitments

  • Transport issues

  • Personal choice

  • Clashes with other activities

  • Failure to check updates

  • Not wanting to attend in poor weather where the session is still running

11. Club Discretion

The club may use discretion in exceptional circumstances.

Any decision to provide a credit, rearranged session, extension or refund is at the club’s discretion and does not create an automatic entitlement in future cases.

12. Policy Review

This policy may be reviewed and updated by Blackheath Rhinos Football Club as required.

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