Match day -1

This is your Team’s opportunity to visit the match venue. Called a Captain’s Run, a Stadium Run or an Orientation Session, the principle is to allow team members to find their way around the stadium including team drop off, changing rooms, medical room, HIA room, Anti-doping room, route to the field of play, coaches boxes and seating for replacements and non-playing players as well as any additional operational rooms and a potential position for team filming.   The Terms of Participation will outline the timing and requirements for the session. 

Your players may or may not be allowed to access the field of play. The priority will be given to kickers but even this may be time limited due the number of teams attending that day, field condition and/or adverse weather conditions. It is worth noting that this is not a training session as certain activities will be restricted even in favourable weather such as line outs and scrums.  

The session can be anything from 60 to 90 minutes long and will include a briefing with match management staff. This will be your opportunity to ask any questions so come prepared. The Match Manager and/or Match Commissioner are there to help you navigate the stadium, understand the day’s timings, answer any questions you might have and help provide as conducive an environment, within the Laws, Regulations and Rules of the tournament, as possible. You will also be provided with a summary of the key information on a Checklist for Match Organisation.  

The session may also include a section that is open to visual media, usually 15 minutes in duration and an eve of match press conference. 

A few key pieces of information to confirm:

• Departure time from the hotel on match day to arrive in venue at the prescribed time, generally somewhere between 100 and 80 minutes before kick-off and with a minimum 10-minute gap between team arrivals
• Correct arrival gate / road
• Is an escort provided?
• Test your team communication’s devices on match day -1 to establish any blackout areas of the stadium and that devices are fully charged.  
• Catering provision/requirements and timing of delivery
• Water/isotonic/ice provision
• Ice bath timing
• Water bottle/carrier branding
• Changing room set up requests. 

The run sheet that will have been provided to you, at a minimum match day -2 should provide the rest of the days timings including start and finish of warm up and the time your team will be called from the dressing room to the field of play for anthems and kick off.