Social Media Policy

SOCIAL MEDIA & PHOTOGRAPHIC POLICY

INTRODUCTION

It is expected that all Members, Coaches, Parents and Players will uphold the ethos of the Club in all social-media interactions and use of photographic materials, including any recordings.

Members will not act in such a way that the image of UL Bohemian RFC (“the Club”) is brought into disrepute nor in a way that harms it’s immediate and wider rugby community. Social media can be, when appropriate, an effective tool and is commonly used by the UL Bohemian RFC committees, members and coaches to communicate with parents, players and members.

UL Bohemian RFC understands that publicity and pictures of people of any age enjoying rugby are essential to promote the Club and the sport. To facilitate this, the Club has adopted the principles and rules of the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU)

Photographic Policy

UL Bohemian RFC expects members to use social media and photographic materials in a respectful and responsible manner. Social media and photographic materials should not be used to insult, present offensive or inappropriate content or to misrepresent the Club or any member of UL Bohemian RFC or the wider community.

The purpose of this policy is to set standards of behaviour for the use of social media and photographic materials that are consistent with the broader values and expectations of the Club.

Definition of Social Media

Social media – this refers to all social networking sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Formspring, YouTube, MySpace, MSN, Stumbleupon, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Tik Tok, etc. and includes e-mail and mobile devices.

It covers photographic images, whether taken by mobile telephone, camera, or other devices.

Photographs – Policy on photographic images are as follows:

We must ensure that parents/guardians, young persons and adults and all members of the club have granted their consent for the taking and publication of photographic images and have ticked their permission box included in the annual registration form. Coaches and photographers must be made aware if any parent, guardian or child have refused their permission and ensure that the parent/guardian’s and/or child’s wishes are implemented and respected.

It is the Club policy that any person wishing or nominated to take photographs or recordings of players must submit to Garda Vetting and must sign the Declaration of Intent provided by the club.

Prior to any event where the players will be photographed or recorded, the opposing team coaches must

be notified and permission received. If this cannot be done before an event for any reason, the head coach (not the photographer) on the day must seek permission from the other team’s coaches.

A “closed group” is a group set up on social media (e.g. WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, etc.) which can only be accessed with permission from the group administrator. Apart from sharing photograph’s within a “closed group” (for example the WhatsApp U14’s parents group) photograph’s must not be shared with anyone other than parents/guardians of the players without the written consent of the parent of the child – this includes other teams. If in doubt, before posting an image – for example on Facebook, the child’s parent/guardian must be contacted and written permission received.

In addition the content posted on such groups is expected to adhere to the rules and behavior contained in this document – especially under the heading further below on “Social Media”.

All photographs must be respectful and never show any inappropriate poses or body positions. Any inadvertent photographs showing such must be immediately deleted.

It is Club policy that:

  • All young people must be appropriately dressed for the activity taking place.
  • Photography or recording should focus on the activity rather than a particular young person and personal details which might make any person, particularly a young person, vulnerable, such as their names and address, must never be revealed.
  • Where an individual has achieved success in the game (e.g. when selected for representative side or honoured in some way by a prize) permission must be gained from adult/parent/guardian and the young person to use photographs/recordings and relevant details.
  • Where possible photographs/recordings should represent the diverse range of people participating in rugby.
  • Anyone taking photographs or recording at any rugby event must have a valid reason for doing so and seek the permission of the Club Child welfare officer, Club secretary or the director of rugby.
  • Anyone taking photographs or recording should make themselves known to the event organisers/persons in charge and be able to identify themselves (driver’s license) if requested during the course of the event.All concerns regarding inappropriate or intrusive photography should be reported in confidence to the Club child welfare officer.In relation to photographic materials, UL BOHEMIAN RFC recognises the need to ensure the welfare and safety of all young people in Rugby Union. As part of our commitment to ensure the safety of young people we will not permit photographs, video or other images including those taken via mobile phones of young people to be taken or used without the consent of the parents/guardians and the young person. All club members are expected to follow and implement this policy.

    UL BOHEMIAN RFC will take all steps to ensure that any images are used solely for the purposes they are intended which is the promotion and celebration of the activities of the Club.

    If you become aware that these images are being used inappropriately you should inform the Club Child Welfare Officer.

    The images may be published on the club official website or on the Club’s official social networking sites such as Facebook. The Club cannot take responsibility for pictures or other material published on other websites or publications outside the Club’s control.

    Members are reminded that if they submit for publication or post on a website any pictures or other material containing other players that they are not directly responsible for, they must have permission of the player’s parent/guardian concerned.

     

    Naming of Young Players in Photographs (Tagging).

    The names of young players should not be used to tag images on Websites that have no access control and can be accessed by the general public unless written permission has been obtained from the player’s parent or guardian.

    If at any time either the parent/guardian or the young person wishes the data or photograph to be removed from the website, the administrator and/or the Club Safeguarding Officer should be informed immediately:

    SCOPE

    The policy applies to all members of UL Bohemian RFC

    RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

    Members are expected to show respect to others, including members of UL Bohemian RFC and the wider rugby community. Members are also expected to give due respect to the reputation and good name of UL Bohemian RFC 

    COMMUNICATIONS

    All contact to under 18s must be through parent/guardians.

    Care should be taken with group communications, use of bcc is strongly advised.

    Social Media

    When using social media, members are expected to ensure they:

  • Respect the rights and confidentiality of others;
  • Do not impersonate or falsely represent another person;
  • Do not bully, intimidate, abuse, harass or threaten others;
  • Do not make defamatory comments;
  • Do not make any negative comment or refer to individual player’s ability or performances.
  • Do not use offensive or threatening language or resort to personal abuse towards each other or members of the UL BOHEMIAN RFC community;
  • Do not post content that is hateful, threatening, pornographic or incites violence against others;
  • Do not post content that harms the reputation and good standing of UL BOHEMIAN RFC or those within its community.
  • Coaches and members cannot be prohibited from setting up their own unofficial closed groups but these must not be affiliated or identified as being related to the Club in any way: For example: “ULBohs RFC lads club” is not allowed. In either case, the same policies and codes of conduct apply to all such groups and any member found to bring the clubs good name will face the sanctions outlined below.
  • Official groups, for example the First Aid Group can be a fantastic way of exchanging information between coaches and members but such forums should only discuss the aims of the group and should avoid becoming a forum for posting jokes or banter. Again, coaches and members are free to set up their own groups once it is not identified as relating to the club but the same standards of behaviour are always expected.BREACH OF THIS POLICYA breach of this policy may also involve a breach of other UL BOHEMIAN RFC policies and should

    be read in conjunction with the:

  • Players’ Code of Conduct
  • Parents’ Code of Conduct
  • Spectator’s Code of Conduct
  • Coaches and Managers’ Code of ConductA breach of this policy will be considered by the Committee or their delegates and will be dealt with on a case by case basis.All reports of cyberbullying and other technology misuses will be investigated fully and may result in notification to the police where UL BOHEMIAN RFC is obliged to do so. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to, suspension, or banning from membership of UL Bohemian RFC. Members must be aware that in certain circumstances where a crime has been committed, they may be subject to a criminal investigation by the police over which UL BOHEMIAN RFC will have no control.