CODE OF CONDUCT FOR MEMBERS, VISITORS, GUESTS, HIRERS AND EMPLOYEES
- Manchester Village Spartans RUFC is an inclusive club and welcomes members, visitors, guests, hirers and employees, irrespective of gender, race, religion, beliefs, abilities and disabilities, gender identity and sexual orientation. In addition, the club has a zero-tolerance approach all forms of discrimination and abuse.
- We expect that people who come to the club be sociable and thoughtful of others and create a lively and pleasant atmosphere. However, we feel it important to stress a number of matters in order that everyone is clear about the club’s standards and our mutual expectations about behaviours.
- We ask everyone to be particularly thoughtful about the use of language which may be offensive to individuals or groups by being foul, racist, homophobic, biphobic, transphobic, sexist or failing to take into account the inclusive nature of the club or the sensitivities, for example, of religious and ethnic groups. The club expects members to be respectful of peoples declared pronouns and names.
- We ask everyone to be respectful towards each other and to moderate behaviours and language in such a way as to make everyone else feel comfortable, bearing in mind that there are often children on the premises and there may be people of differing sensibilities. We expect members to be respectful towards each other on the club premises, whilst on tour with the club, whilst at club training or fixtures, travelling to and from training and fixtures, whilst at club functions and online.
- We also ask everyone to respect the property and furnishings and fittings of our club. Malicious damage to club property will not be accepted and the cost of repair or replacement will be charged to the person who caused the damage.
- The club will regard any form of violence, abuse, intimidation or harassment whether physical or verbal – as a breach of the code of conduct and it will act appropriately using the relevant disciplinary and/or safeguarding procedure. The club will not hesitate to report serious incidents to the police and/or suspend or revoke membership of members who are involved.
- The handling or consumption of illegal substances on the club premises and grounds is forbidden. This particularly refers to the handling, dealing or consumption of drugs as specified by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (class A, B and C.) The club will also not accept the handling or use of Nitrous Oxide and reserves the right at any time to ban the use of any other substances not covered by the legislation but causing concern by misuse.
- The club expects all members to uphold the values of the club at all times whilst representing the club. Members must also not act in a way which is likely to bring the club into disrepute whilst acting in an official capacity.
- The club may use its power to set up a disciplinary committee to investigate any complaint relating to any alleged misconduct or breach of this code and to take action should the complaint be upheld.
- The club will follow the principles and processes set down in its discipline and grievance policies which can be seen on the club website. Please see the club’s complaints policy on the club website.
Reviewed February 2021
Club Photography Policy
Please note, the club can (and does regularly) photograph and video training, social, match and other events for use in promotional communications across social media and other medias – both internally to members of the club and externally to stakeholders, Sponsors, Customers and in print within club advertising or promotional materials.
Please note that by becoming a member or trial player with the Manchester Village Spartans or by playing in an organised match as a ‘Visitor’ to the Manchester Village Spartans, you agree to the Club’s use of your image, voice, likeness or otherwise for the use of including but not limited to the purposes detailed above, without renumeration, in perpetuity.
If you notify us that you would prefer not to feature within these materials we will do everything we can to ensure we respect that request – However, we cannot guarantee that your image or likeness will not appear within imagery or footage taken at public events such as training sessions, social functions, matches or otherwise.
If you do not wish to be featured please ensure you do not allow yourself to be photographed in such pre-arranged activities such as Team Photos for example and do inform the club photographer of your wishes if necessary. Contact pr@villagespartans.co.uk
Reviewed May 2021
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY FOR MEMBERS AND TRIAL PLAYERS
Purpose and Scope
The opportunities for Manchester Village Spartans RUFC team members to communicate directly and indirectly ‘as Spartans’ with non-members, each other and the world continue to evolve and get more and more varied day-by-day.
Social media creates opportunities to champion the Spartans and for personal expression, but it also creates risks and responsibilities. You should assume that anything you do on social media – whether in a Spartans-managed chat group, on one of our Facebook Groups, other channels or your personal account – could be viewed by another club, sponsor, ally, stakeholder, colleague, supplier, competitor, member or potential member.
Your activity on social media reflects on Manchester Village Spartans RUFC and can impact the club environment, and, subject to applicable law, may not be exempt from this policy just because it occurred on a personal account or as a Manchester Village Spartans RUFC team member.
Related Policies and Consequence of Violations
As a Manchester Village Spartans RUFC team member, you are expected to adhere to this policy on social media, including but not limited to Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp, Messenger, WeChat, YouTube, Flickr, Twitch, blogs, wikis or any other tool or service that facilitates interactions over the internet.
This policy supplements other Manchester Village Spartans RUFC policies and standards, such as the Manchester Village Spartans RUFC Code of Conduct, our Privacy Policy and Photography Policy. If your post would violate a Manchester Village Spartans RUFC policy in another forum, it will also violate it on social media.
Team members who violate this or other Manchester Village Spartans RUFC policies may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of membership in accordance with local laws and RFU guidance.
Our 5 Social Media Principles
As a Manchester Village Spartans RUFC team member, you are required to follow these five principles in all social media activity.
- Be Nice, Have Fun and Connect!
Consistent with our Code of Conduct, every Manchester Village Spartans RUFC team member must be respectful to others when acting on behalf of Manchester Village Spartans RUFC or when they identify or could be identified as a Manchester Village Spartans player or member.
Remember, even when you are on a personal account, your social media activity could be seen by anyone so you should treat every interaction on social media as if you are dealing with a potential stakeholder. While we value member privacy and a diversity of perspectives across our club, the club has zero tolerance for racism, bigotry, misogyny, express or implied threats of harassment or physical harm, or hate speech. “Hate speech” includes any speech – or endorsement or promotion of speech – that is derogatory toward a group of people based on a protected classification. This can include race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexuality, caste, gender or disability. For example, speech that dehumanizes, ridicules, or condones or promotes violence against a protected class of people is hate speech.
How you say something can matter as much as what you say. You should not bully, harass or threaten violence against anyone on or outside of social media. If you find yourself in a disagreement on social media, use a respectful tone or disengage.
- Protect Information
As a rule, you should never post personal information about someone else on social media without their permission. Nor should you share the content of or comments made within a private chat group from one channel to another public forum or media (including directly to another person) without prior permission by the originator of the comment or creative – especially if this could cause damage to that person or other persons, to their reputations and relationships, or damage to Manchester Village Spartans RUFC. If you have seen a comment or post within a public forum or private Spartans-branded chat group, that has either caused you or you think is liable to cause offence or harm to another, please contact support@villagespartans.co.uk or a member of the Spartans’ Executive Committee or the club’s Data Officer.
- Be Transparent and Disclose
When you talk about Manchester Village Spartans RUFC on social media, ideally you should disclose that you are a member of the club. This can be done simply by including the hashtag #ILBAS (I love being a Spartan). However, note, only particular, authorized members may speak on behalf of Manchester Village Spartans RUFC and issue official club responses. Don’t post comments in heated discussion threads that imply that the comment you have made, or action you have taken, is representative of the club or it’s position. (Steer clear of ‘issue’ arguments or reacting to a ‘political’ position using the club accounts).
- Follow the Law, Follow the Code of Conduct
To avoid violating trademark, copyright or publicity rights, do not post images or other content without the consent of those who own or appear in the media. You are also personally responsible for complying with any terms of the social media platform you are using. These terms differ across platforms, and can include detailed community standards. You should familiarize yourself with the terms and standards for each platform you use.
- Be Responsible
Make sure you’re engaging in social media conversations the right way.
If you encounter questions or issues about Manchester Village Spartans RUFC or spot anything that brings the club into disrepute on social media, please email our Chair or Brand Communications Officer using chair@villagespartans.co.uk or pr@villagespartans.co.uk or via Facebook Messenger to a member of the Executive Committee for support.
Any response or action may be taken accordingly by the club and people acting officially on behalf of the club.
All team members are encouraged to speak about the club and share news and information, but only authorized players may speak on behalf of Manchester Village Spartans RUFC and issue official club responses. If you see something being shared related to Manchester Village Spartans RUFC on a social media platform that shouldn’t be happening, immediately let us know using the contacts above.
Always remember that anything posted in social media – whether publically or privately – can go viral or be ‘screenshotted’, reshared or reposted as there is very little privacy protection for anything shared on social media, no matter what your privacy settings may be.
Avoid posting when drunk. Our followers can wait most times to get a more interesting, edited, summation of a night out etc. Take great care not to mix up your personal social media accounts with Spartans. Double Check before you post. THINK.
If you mistakenly post something on a social media platform, it will be hard to delete completely. So be sure you’re only posting content you would feel comfortable showing up in your boss’ inbox, your co-worker’s Twitter or Instagram feed, or the front page of a major news site. You should avoid posting content that might contain legal conclusions, intellectual property that belongs to other organisations, or defamatory or inflammatory language.
Everything you post online can be traced back to you, so be sure what you post is appropriate before you post it whether in a private messaging chat group or more publically. Your post might be shared with others and archived even if you delete it later. Even if you put something in your bio about your content being just your own, that might not stop someone else online from complaining about your activity and noting that you play or are a member of the Spartans.
Social Media Account Ownership
If you participate in social media activities as part of a volunteer role at Manchester Village Spartans RUFC on an account created for that purpose, that account is considered Manchester Village Spartans’ (the club’s) property and remains so if you leave the club (e.g. Cancel your Direct Debit Mandate)— meaning you will not try to change the password or the account name or create a similar sounding account or assert any ownership of the account or the contacts and connections you have gained through use of any such account. Any materials created for, or posted on, the account will remain Manchester Village Spartans RUFC property. This doesn’t apply to personal accounts that you may access, but does apply to all Manchester Village Spartans RUFC branded accounts and messenger chat groups.
For any additional questions or support, reach out to support@villagespartans.co.uk
Thank you for your support!
Reviewed June 2022
