Privacy Policy: Data Protection & Security Standards

Introduction to Our Privacy Practices

Melrose7S exists to share the story, fixtures, results, visitor guidance, and living history of the Melrose Sevens. In running that kind of site, we handle a modest amount of personal information. We treat it with care because rugby communities are built on trust, not just attendance figures and scorelines.

This policy covers information collected through the Melrose7S website, including pages such as event guidance, history features, team information, results coverage, and contact forms.

Our working approach

In practice, privacy work is mostly about discipline. We keep forms short. We avoid collecting sensitive details unless there is a clear reason. We review the tools connected to the site before adding them, rather than bolting on services and sorting out privacy later.

Third-Party Services and Data Sharing

Like most modern websites, Melrose7S may rely on third-party services to keep the site running, measure basic performance, protect against spam, deliver messages, or host content. These services may process limited technical data, such as IP address, browser type, device information, referring page, and time of visit.

We do not sell personal information. We also do not share personal information with outside parties for their own direct marketing.

When sharing may happen

Our own rule is simple: if a service does not have a practical role, it does not belong in the stack.

What Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you use the site. A reader browsing tournament history will leave a lighter trace than someone who sends a message through Contact Us.

Information you provide directly

• Name, email address, and message content when you contact us.
• Information you choose to include in an enquiry, correction, historical note, or event-related question.
• Any consent preferences you submit through a cookie or privacy control, where such controls are available.

Information collected automatically

• Technical details such as browser type, device type, operating system, IP address, and general location derived from technical signals.
• Usage details such as pages visited, time spent on the site, links clicked, and referring websites.
• Security logs used to detect spam, misuse, broken requests, and suspicious traffic patterns.

We do not ask visitors to create an account to read the site. That keeps the data footprint smaller and makes the public information easier to access.

How We Use Your Personal Data

Personal data should earn its keep. If we collect it, there should be a practical reason tied to the site, the event, or a visitor request.

Common uses

• To respond to questions, corrections, media notes, or general enquiries.
• To maintain website security and reduce spam or malicious traffic.
• To understand which pages need clearer structure, better navigation, or updated information.
• To keep event-related content, historical records, and visitor guidance accurate and usable.
• To meet legal, administrative, or record-keeping obligations where they apply.

We may use aggregated or non-identifying information to understand how the site is being used. For example, if readers keep landing on an event guide page and leaving quickly, that tells us the page may need clearer directions, not that we need to profile individual visitors.

What we avoid

We avoid using personal messages as marketing material without permission. We do not turn historical contributions into public attribution unless the contributor has agreed to that use. In a heritage-rich event like the Melrose Sevens, a family detail or club memory can matter; we handle those notes with that context in mind.

Your Data Protection Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights over the personal information we hold about you. These rights can include access, correction, deletion, restriction, objection, portability, and withdrawal of consent.

How to make a request

Contact us through Contact Us and describe what you need. Be specific enough that we can find the relevant information, especially if your request concerns an old message, historical submission, or event-related enquiry.

We may need to confirm your identity before acting on a request. That is not red tape for its own sake; it prevents someone else from gaining access to your information or changing it without authority.

Limits to these rights

Some information may need to be kept for legal, security, or administrative reasons. For instance, a security log may be retained for a limited period to investigate misuse, even if it is not used for everyday publishing work. Where we cannot complete a request exactly as asked, we will explain the reason in practical terms.

Policy Updates and Contact Information

We may update this Privacy Policy when the website changes, when service providers change, or when legal requirements shift. The newest version will be published on this page.

If a change is material, we will aim to make it noticeable in the place visitors are likely to see it. A quiet rewrite of an important privacy term helps nobody.

Related site terms

This policy should be read alongside our Terms of Use, which cover acceptable use of the site, content ownership, and general website conditions.

Contact us

If you have a privacy question, want to exercise a data protection right, or need to correct information you previously sent to us, please use Contact Us.

Last reviewed: this page should be checked periodically to confirm that it still reflects how Melrose7S operates.