A CALL TO ARMS TO ALL SUBBIES CLUBS
NSWRU Referees are experiencing quite a lot of difficulty appointing to all games in the Suburban calendar.
In raw numbers, we have barely enough referees to cover all of the fixtures from week to week. As this season has progressed we have had referees double up to cover two matches in a day in differing locations.
The consequence of this is we have now as many as 25 referees injured in any given week and this is compounding the doubling up trend. The situation has reached a critical point where we need more referees to cover all games. From now on we will be curtailing doubling up in order to preserve the referee resource that currently remains uninjured.
This means that clubs are going to be affected by having to provide their own referees to games where NSWRU cannot appoint a referee. Clubs are reminded that the minimum requirement to referee in NSW is qualified in SmartRugby.
We suggest that you do not go pursuing a referee from your local district association as they are experiencing the same issue of a shortage of referees and having one of them do a game either takes a referee away from a junior fixture or ultimately injures another referee from overuse injuries.
We are running Referee Foundation courses at Knox Grammar on Sun 28 May and at Waratahs HQ on Sun 4 June.
Also, specifically for Subbies Clubs, we are running a discounted “express” Foundation Course at the Union Office at 6pm on Wed 14 June. (This course assumes attendees have already completed their SmartRugby online, hence we can offer a course half the normal length.)
Register at www.aru.com.au/nswcourses.
We encourage you to send potential referees to this course so your club has a referee to call on if required.
We would further encourage any of them who want to be on the referee roster to contact Luke Rogan ([email protected]) to join NSWRRA.
How Clubs Can Assist
Fairly obviously, we are looking for volunteers and we need you to help us market refereeing to your members (and friends, parents and spectators). The upside for you is that ultimately, we will again cover all of your games. We think those who will make good referees are your players who perhaps have retired or have an injury which precludes contact but would not stop them refereeing. You will need to cover the game if we can’t, and you’ll want to ensure that the person who does it is covered by insurance and can manage the game at a basic level (which knowledge the Foundation course will provide).
Regards,
Alex Richards | Member # 1393294
Referee Education Coordinator, NSW Rugby Union
Volvo Centre, Allianz Stadium, Driver Avenue, Moore Park NSW 2021
Locked Bag 1222, Paddington NSW 2021
T +61 2 9323 3412 | M +61 449 907 538
W http://www.nswrugby.com.au/Community/Officiating.aspx
Access the Rugby Learning Centre through https://rugby.force.com/rugbyportal/
