Club Liability

Marsh's NZ Community Rugby Club Liability Insurance programme is fully funded by New Zealand Rugby to provide all rugby clubs with a broad level of legal liability protection.

The Club Liability Insurance programme is fully funded by New Zealand Rugby to provide all rugby clubs with a broad level of legal liability protection.

Policy Period

Current for the Period: 31 December 2024 (4pm) to 31 December 2025 (4pm NZLT).

Who is covered?

All New Zealand Rugby affiliated rugby clubs.

What is covered?

Public/General Liability

This is the most common form of liability insurance and covers clubs’ legal liability to third parties for personal injury or property damage, happening in connection with their business activities. This includes the ownership or leasing of clubrooms and other facilities.

Employers Liability

This covers claims made by employees for injuries that fall outside the Accident Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1992. Changes to ACC legislation means that employers have increased exposure to claims made by employees for damages as a result of injuries sustained in the workplace.

Statutory Liability

This covers the defence costs and penalties (fines) arising out of an unintended breach (or alleged breach) of specified Acts of Parliament which happen in connection with the activities of the club. Cover is only provided where statute allows, and deliberate or reckless non-compliance is not covered.

Directors and Officers Liability

This covers directors, officers, employees and committee members of the club (and the club itself) for legal liability which arises from any wrongful act committed (or alleged) in the discharge of their duties on behalf of the club. Wrongful acts can include breach of trust, breach of duty, neglect or error.

Employment Disputes

This covers costs, including defence costs, for any claims against an employer (the club) for wrongful acts against an employee. Insurers must be notified as soon as a personal grievance is raised.

How much is the cover for?

The limits of liability for each cover are:

Cover	Policy Limits
General/Public Liability	$5,000,000 any one occurrence but limited to $5,000,000 any one policy period for Products Liability Excess: $500 each and every claim (inclusive of costs)
Employers Liability	$500,000 any one claim and in any one policy period Excess: $500 each and every claim (inclusive of costs)
Statutory Liability	$2,000,000 any one claim and in any one policy period Excess: $500 each and every claim (inclusive of costs) Excess: $5,000 each and every claim under Health & Safety at Work Act 2015
Association Directors Liability	$5,000,000 any one claim and in any one policy period for all rugby clubs Excess: $500 each and every claim (inclusive of costs)
Employment Disputes	$500,000 any one claim and in any one policy period Excess: $5,000 each and every claim (inclusive of costs)

What if our club needs more liability insurance cover?

The Club Liability Insurance programme is designed to meet the needs of the vast majority of rugby clubs in New Zealand so that most individual clubs do not need to purchase their own liability insurance.

However, if the limits of cover are not enough for your club (especially for larger clubs with substantial assets or other business activities) then separate or higher cover may be needed. Please contact Marsh for advice on this matter.

What about property insurance for our club?

Insurance cover for club’s property such as buildings, contents, stock, equipment or money is not currently available via this facility.

Marsh can assist clubs and Provincial Unions with their insurance needs on an individual basis. Please contact Marsh for a confidential discussion.

Claims made

The policy will not provide cover for any of the following:

Prior events before 1 April 2006
Claims made after the expiry of the policy period, even if the event causing the loss/claim may have occurred during the policy period
Any known circumstance/claim at commencement of the policy period
Any facts or circumstances known to have potential to give rise to a claim at commencement of the policy period

Policy Document

Download a Certificate of Insurance, which can be used as evidence of cover. Please note that this links to the policy wording which details the cover provided including the applicable policy conditions & exclusions.

How to Apply

This insurance is funded by New Zealand Rugby and is automatically provided to everyone listed under "Who is covered?" above.

If you have any queries please contact Marsh.