Oh! To be a referee and watch them pass the ball
View(s):Have you ever considered where rugby referees come from or even how or why they got involved? The tongue in cheek answer will be we all have the same beginning. So they are human. A serious answer is “they come from within the game”. Many are ex-players, and some real culprits of the game turned gamekeeper. Some referees start young, following an injury, or because they fancied the game. The fact is the game can’t survive without them. There is widespread concern in world rugby refereeing circles about a decline in the number of officials. 
Blaming officials is not limited to Sri Lanka. There was an outburst last week by Richard Cockerill former England Hooker and Leicester coach in the Aviva Premier League. “I’m disappointed. We get two blokes in the bin for breakdown offences and they get penalised 10 times in the scrum, get destroyed for most of the game and get one bloke in the bin. Where is the consistency?” We have got a massively dominant set piece because we spend money there and coach it and today we did not get the reward we should have.
That is something that the game will have to do with unless someday somebody decides that we don’t need a referee. In 2004 the RFU elite referee manager Collin High and his staff believed in the highest standards but were concerned of the lack of people. They put in place a process to educate and promote good talent. One man who made the move into the professional ranks was Wayne Barnes a 25-year-old barrister. “High wanted to get him through to the Premiership within two years.” “It took three.” In five years he was among the best referees in the world. He started playing rugby at age eight, and took up refereeing aged 15 with London Society of Rugby Football Union Referees. Barnes is the youngest referee ever appointed to the Panel of National Referees in 2001, aged 21. He became a professional in April 2005, giving up a career in law. So can you!
I have to ask the question: Will you take up the whistle? In Sri Lanka there are lot of knowledgeable who talk and sit on judgment. You can take up the whistle and be better than a talker. The game needs you more than before because apart from playing; it is one of the most satisfying contributions you can make.
Refereeing a game of rugby is one of the most exciting things you can do. Making the correct decision in an instant is an experience for most referees. You could join that band of decision makers. People take to refereeing, to remain active in the game, to give something back to the sport, to continue after an injury and or realising that they may reach higher honours as a match official than as a player and to enjoy being involved in one of the greatest team sports.
In the world the earlier you start refereeing, the better, and a lower age limit of 16 years is not uncommon. The upper limit depends on the person’s fitness and desire to continue. It is common for players at school to take the whistle as they realise they don’t have the attributes to make it to the top as a player.
The success as a referee requires commitment. In addition to fitness, there are the Laws that need to be studied. Games are often on weekends and week days for junior games, so there is a real time commitment. People with previous playing experience have an advantage over someone who has never played, but this is not a limiting factor. If you’re prepared make an effort, watch school and club games, and matches on TV, and follow the training programme, you can make a start to be a competent referee.
There are a number of core courses that need to be completed before you can take the whistle. International Rugby Board Level One – Introducing Officiating followed by IRB Level Two – Developing Officiating Skills. You can be a trained touch judge whose function has been upgraded to that of an Assistant Referee. This upgrade entitles you to a more meaningful role and provides an additional set of eyes and ears for the referee. All referees must undergo regular fitness tests to keep up with play and be in a suitable state to make clear and rational decision. The standard measurement tool is a multi-stage fitness test commonly known as the Bleep Test or the 2.4 KM which are tools to measure the VO2 max state.
Refereeing in Sri Lanka is not without a cost and there is a reimbursement in the form of travel allowances or subsidised clothing to offset the costs of refereeing. At the start you should not be refereeing for the money!
If you make it onto one of the referee panels you will receive a better reimbursement for each match refereed.
You can start as a cadet and progress through B to A grade and be in line to be in the panel in Asia. The reality is that there are far fewer Test referees than international players, so to make it to the very top is a long and uncompromising road to travel. It all starts with small steps and once you have been accepted as a member your success is largely in your own. You will start at the bottom and work your way through the ranks. With hard work it is possible to end up as a international referee.
Player and spectator abuse is part and parcel of modern-day sport. However, rugby is one where there are codes of conduct in place to reduce the frequency and severity of this phenomenon.
Rugby is a tough and physical game but the Laws of the Game make specific provision to outlaw referee abuse. According to Law 6.A.4 the referee is the sole judge of fact and Law during a match. This is an extremely onerous and responsible position, it’s vitally important that the referee conduct himself beyond reproach at all times. Get started now.
- Vimal Perera is a former Rugby Referee, coach and Accredited Referees Evaluator IRB
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