NSW Rugby Referee Co-Ordinator Alex Richards says the appointment of the men and women speaks volumes for the development pathways.
The match officials are:
Kath Little – Central North Referees
Andrew Cox, – New South Wales Rugby Referees Association (NSWRRA)
Charlie Hartson – NSWRRA
Greg Johnstone – NSWRRA
Richard Manchee – NSWRRA
James Quinn – NSWRRA
Ian Smith – NSWRRA
Dru Tonks – Newcastle Referees
Lauren Kelly – Newcastle Referees
Said Richards: “These appointments are a validation of the hard work that these individuals have put in over the last few years at multiple Sevens tournaments. It also validates the development pathways that NSWRU provides referees.”
“Referees from every corner of NSW have access to our pathways. From their local association, to NSW Country Referees or NSWRRA for representation appointments, and then onto State level programmes like the School Student Scholarship and selection to the NSW Age Sevens Championships.”
For those unfamiliar, the School Student Scholarship is a national representative referee programme for students in year 12 which aims to identify, train and coach talented referees making their way through the ranks.
This programme, since its inception in 1995, has seen the likes of Angus Gardner, Amy Perrett and Will Houston graduate to higher refereeing honours.
As for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, Kath Little and Lauren Kelly are gearing up to be part of the global event.
Based in Walcha, Kath Little has contributed a lot to country rugby and when she’s not taking charge on the paddock she’s working as the North West Development officer for NSW Rugby. Little believes there is just as much opportunity in the country as there is in Metro areas, people just have to be prepared to work for it.
“There is no denying rural NSW is short of referees but there are plenty of opportunities to start refereeing junior and senior rugby. All you have to do is get yourself to a referee course, which you can do by contacting your NSW Rugby Development Officer and local referee association,” Little said.
“It’s really important to receive good referee coaching when you start out, and if you want to develop your skills then you need to put yourself forward to attend country championships, Sevens tournaments and metro competitions. Country referees just need to be prepared to travel.”
“Australia has a very bright future for female rugby match officials. With the growth of women’s Sevens and the Super W, pathways for female match officials are expanding and developing. It’s really exciting to see young female referees enter the national and international officiating arena,” Little added.
“Refereeing is not just a way of giving back to the game, it’s also a fantastic physical and mental challenge each time you step onto the field. The best reward a referee can get is to walk off the paddock and have everyone talk about how great the game was and not talk about the referee.”
