ARTICLE
2 The RLEF holds its headquarters
in Paris, 30 rue de l'Echiquier 75010, (but
is currently being relocated to the UK). These headquarters
may be changed,
at the Board's instigation, by a decision of the General
Meeting made by majority determined under article
18.
ARTICLE 3 The RLEF coordinates
and groups together the initiatives of its members;
its purpose is to develop the Rugby League practice
in Europe and the Northern Hemisphere by all appropriate
means.
ARTICLE 4
The RLEF is constituted without
any limit of duration.
ARTICLE 5 The RLEF is made up of Countries
who can be Full Members or Associate Members.
Full Members
will be those members who have also qualified to
be Members of the International Federation (RLIF).
The Full Members will be entitled to a greater proportion
of voting rights (see Article 18).
To become an Associate
Members of the RLEF each country must fulfil the following
minimum criteria:
Implementation of a Constitution and
Rules that commit the Governing Body to acting in the
best interest of Rugby League throughout the whole
of their country
Production of an annual financial
report
Running a League with at least 4 teams
Implementation
of a junior development programme
Full and
Associate Membership will have to be able to maintain
the above minimum criteria and a control will be made
every two years to ensure.
ARTICLE 6
The RLEF organs are:
The General Meeting which is the legislative authority
of the Federation
The Board who is the executive
organ of the Federation and who is empowered annually
by the General Meeting to run the day to day affairs
of the Federation.
The Committees, permanent or temporary are created
in order to examine any special matter which would
be submitted to them by the General Meeting or the
Board. The Committees that will be implemented will
have to be able to assure the missions usually in
practice internationally, in particular a Committee
in charge of establishing a calendar and a Financial
Committee.
ARTICLE 7
The execution of the decisions
made by the General Meeting and the Board and also
the current business are assured, under the authority
and the responsibility of the Chairman, by the Secretary,
and by the Treasurer when they are under its responsibility.
ARTICLE 8
The official languages of the
RLEF for the General Meetings are English and French.
ARTICLE 9
Internal rules can be adopted
to assure the functioning of the RLEF and its committees
that cannot be contrary to the constitution.
ARTICLE 10
Honorary awards like medals,
diplomas, can be created and granted by the RLEF.
ARTICLE 11
The RLEF shall maintain with
all the other international organisations relationships
relevant for the achievement of its objectives. It
will be able, on Board decision, to join these organisations
or to be represented on them permanently or temporarily.
ARTICLE 12
The constitution may be modified
on decision of the General Meeting to which at least
half of the Full and Associate Members of the RLEF
will be present or represented. The decision shall be made by a
majority of two thirds of the votes belonging to the
Full and Associate Members present or represented.
A quorum for this purpose will be Great Britain and
France.
ARTICLE 13
The dissolution of the RLEF
can only be pronounced by an extraordinary General
Meeting specially convened for this purpose. The required majority is a
minimum of two thirds of the votes belonging to the
Full and Associate Members present or represented. A
quorum for this purpose will be Great Britain and France.
ARTICLE 14
Only one Full or Associate
Member will be permitted for each country. To
be part of the RLEF, any organisation of National Governing
Body level has to send to the General Secretary of
the RLEF an application signed by its Chairman and
General Secretary.
This application includes:
two copies of their Statutes, Articles, Constitution
or By Laws;
the list of the Board and Administration Board
members;
the address of the Headquarters;
a financial report;
any other details that may be required by the RLEF.
ARTICLE 15
Only the General Meeting can
agree new members and they must receive at least two
thirds of the votes belonging to the Full and Associate
Members present or represented.
ARTICLE 16
The Full and Associate Members
commit by their membership:
to implement in their country the RLEF rules and
to make their members respect them;
when they organise a European rugby event in their
country, to address exclusively through the Full
or Associate Members of the other countries, the
invitations for persons or for clubs of these countries;
to place on the European sports calendar of the
RLEF all the events organised in their country;
the acceptance of Full or Associate Membership
to the RLEF gives to its possessor the right to participate
in the works of the RLEF, and in particular to organise
European Championships.
ARTICLE 17 The Full or Associate
Members are entitled to vote at the General Meetings
and the Committees. They
can delegate to another Member a proxy vote by prior
approval of the RLEF. This proxy vote can be
withdrawn at any moment, subject to prior notice to
the RLEF.
ARTICLE 18
At the Board's instigation,
the General Meeting can appoint individual people as
Honorary Members by a majority two thirds vote. Honorary
Members can be chosen from among personalities distinguished
or competent in the subject of rugby league.
Each Full Member will have the equivalent of four
votes at a General Meeting. The votes will be cast
by the Chairman of the delegation
Each Associate Member will have one vote at a General
Meeting. The vote will be cast by the Chairman of the
delegation.
ARTICLE 19
Resignations must be given
before 1 st January of each year by a letter sent
by recorded delivery signed by the Chairman and the
General Secretary of the resigning member. The
resignations are announced at the General Meeting.
Any suspensions or expulsions must receive a majority
two thirds vote of Full and Associate Members present
or represented.
ARTICLE 20
The General Meeting includes
the delegates appointed by the Full or Associate Members
and the Chairmen of the permanent Committees of the
RLEF. A member
organising a General Meeting must commit to ensure
the admission to their country of all the members wanting
to take part in this General Meeting. Observers from
non-member countries will be permitted at the discretion
of the Board.
ARTICLE 21
The delegation of a Full or
Associate Member is composed of a maximum of three
delegates with one delegate nominated as Chairman.
ARTICLE 22
The General Meeting can meet:
whether on an ordinary session, twice a year
whether on an extraordinary session, on a special
notice
ARTICLE 23
Only the Full or Associate
Members, who have fully paid their annual contributions,
are entitled to vote on the occasion of the General
Meetings. Each Full or associate Member casts their
allotted votes according to the provided procedure
by the internal specific rules.
ARTICLE 24
The Board includes:
the RLEF Chairman
The Vice Chairman duly appointed
Two further delegates elected annually
ARTICLE 25
The Board must meet at least
twice a year, between two General Meetings. It is convened on the
initiative of the RLEF Chairman or on decision of the
General Meeting. It is convened at least 14
days before the date fixed for the meeting.
ARTICLE 26
The Board has the decision
making power at all levels other than the Federation
for the general policy of the RLEF. It is up
to the Board to:
determine and examine
the matters concerning the general policy of
the RLEF, before their presentation to the General
Meeting;
assure the execution
of the decisions of the General Meeting and to
make all the urgent decisions about the business
under the Board responsibility;
The decision of the Board will be immediately applicable.
ARTICLE 27
Each Board Member has a vote.
A quorum is present if at least three people are present.
In case of tied votes, the Chairman will have the casting
vote.
Vote by secret ballot is a right
each time it is required by one of its Members.
ARTICLE 28
The Chairman and Vice-Chairman
of the RLEF are elected for two years by the General
Meeting.
This election must take place by secret ballot and
by an absolute majority of votes. Chairmanship of the
RLEF will normally be by rotation unless otherwise
agreed.
ARTICLE 29 The Chairman represents
the RLEF and has the following powers:
to convene a General
Meeting and/or a Board Meeting;
he leads the discussions
of the General Meeting and Board and implement
the statutes and rules;
he can attend all
the Committee's meetings;
he can sign conjointly,
whether with the Secretary or with the Treasurer,
the cheques issued by the RLEF.
ARTICLE
30
The General Meeting may appoint the Chairman or Vice
Chairmen of the RLEF from nominations submitted by
Full or Associate Members. The Full and Associate Members
who make nominations must have fulfilled the following
conditions:
to have settled all
their annual contributions since their admission;
to have participated
at the National and at the European levels in
the Rugby League development.
To have organised
sports events in accordance with the rules of
the RLEF.
ARTICLE
31
The Full Members must let the RLEF Secretary have
at least one month prior to the General Meeting the
service record of the candidate they wish to propose
for the Chairmanship or Vice Chairmanship.
The list of all names will be submitted for application
to the General Meeting.
ARTICLE 32
The Secretary responsible
for the administration of the RLEF is selected by the
Board. He must stay
in the country where the headquarters of the RLEF are
located. His functions and his powers are determined
by the Board. He attends, without having the
right to vote , the General Meetings and the Board
and the Committees meetings.
ARTICLE 33
The General Meeting yearly
elects the General Treasurer of the RLEF. He
will preferably stay in the country in which the headquarters
of the RLEF are located.
ARTICLE 34 The functions and powers
of the Treasurer are:
to keep up to date the accounts of the RLEF and
the budget projected for the next year;
to cash the receipts and to pay for the expenses;
to sign the cheques issued by the RLEF, whether
with the Chairman, whether with the General Director.
to
ensure accounts are audited annually
He attends, moreover, without having the right to
vote , the General Meetings and the Board meetings.
ARTICLE 35
The financial year of the
RLEF begins on the 1 st January and ends on the 31
st December of each year. The
contribution payable by each member is determined by
the General Meeting. It is paid during the first
month of the year, except if otherwise decided by the
Board.
ARTICLE 36
If a member has not fully
paid his subscription before the 1 st March of each
year, a 1% increase per month, or proportion of months
overdue, will be levied on the outstanding amount. Any Member who, on 30
th April has not paid his contribution for the year
will automatically have his Membership suspended and
will be excluded from any participation in the RLEF
activities until such time as the subscription has
been paid. The expulsion of the Member can be
pronounced only after his vain injunction.
ARTICLE 37
The control of the RLEF accounts
is exercised each year by an auditor agreed by the
Board. The
RLEF Members are responsible for the commitments taken
on the behalf of the RLEF by the representatives up
to the budget approved by the General Meeting and in
proportion of their contributions.
ARTICLE 38
The RLEF may grant authority
to Committees to examine technical matters which require
the intervention of specialists or experts. These
Committees are created according to their purpose
by the Board.
ARTICLE 39
Any Full Member can appoint
each year a delegate for each of the permanent Committees
of the RLEF. The
list of the names of all the delegates will be communicated
to the General Meeting. Each person appearing
on this list will be considered as the official representative
within the Committee and this person only or another
person appointed by the member will be entitled to
vote in the Committee meetings. The Committees
will be entitled to engage specialists in a consultative
way.
ARTICLE 40
Each Committee yearly elects
a Secretary who will be responsible for the operation
of that Committee and for reporting back to the Board.
