Club Referee Coordinator (CRefC)

1.Introduction

Referees have a central role to play in the development of Rugby Union. The old cliché “without the referee, there would be no game” holds true and it is acknowledged that the better the quality of the refereeing, the more likely players are to enjoy their match experience.

There are 38 Referee Societies in England, comprising in the region of 2700 referees. Society Referees are appointed to matches based on their ability and potential and are able to access a wide range of training and development opportunities through their Societies.

However, there are many thousands of referees who are not Society members, but who referee at their clubs, some week in week out, others less frequently. They might be parents whose children are playing mini or youth rugby, coaches of junior teams or club members who referee their clubs’ 3rd or 4th XVs on a Saturday afternoon. It is these so-called “club referees” that the Club Referee Coordinator (CRefC) will help support.

2.Key Components of the CRefC Role

Table 1 below outlines the key components of the CRefC role.

Key Responsibilities / Summary / Who
To act as a point of contact for the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and/or the local Referees’ Society / The CRefC will receive information from either the Referee Department at Twickenham or the local Referees’ Society and be responsible for its dissemination to the club’s referees e.g. Law changes /
  • Any club volunteer
or
  • Club Coaching Coordinator (CCC)
or
  • Club Volunteer Coordinator (CVC)

To publicise and promote RFU awards, courses and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) opportunities to club referees / Details of any RFU courses and events will be sent to the CRefC for dissemination to the club’s referees
To establish and maintain accurate club referee membership information on the RFU database, RugbyFirst / The CRefC will take responsibility for ensuring that accurate information on club referees is maintained on RugbyFirst
To coordinate the establishment of a Club Referee Section / Club Referee Sections comprise club referees who, primarily, referee junior and youth rugby. The CRefC will influence the establishment of a section at his/her club

CRefCs will be encouraged to do as much as their time and/or expertise allows. There is no compulsion to fulfil each of the responsibilities listed above; indeed, in the first instance, we would like to recruit CRefCs who can simply disseminate relevant information to their club referees in a timely manner.

3.Benefits of the CRefC Role

  • Club referees will receive the same information from the RFU Referee Department as Society Referees. Typically, this might include
  • Law changes
  • Clarification on Law from the International Rugby Board (iRB)
  • Updates on game management techniques
  • Information on discipline
  • Club referees will have updated information on all courses to be delivered within their locality. This will ensure opportunities to develop their refereeing skills and knowledge are not missed
  • Through the formation of Club Referee Sections, referees will have the opportunity to officiate matches outside of their typical remit, either within or external to their club. Referees will further be formally recognised by their club and/or the RFU through the provision of kit

4.Who would suit the CRefC Role?

Refereeing experience is not required to be able to effectively undertake this role. You may be an existing volunteer at your club, perhaps a Club Volunteer Coordinator (CVC) or Club Coaching Coordinator (CCC) who is prepared to take on a little more responsibility; equally, you may be a new volunteer seeking to assist your club by supporting the club’s referees

5.The Next Steps

The CRefC role will commence on 1st September 2009.

To register your interest, please complete the pro-forma found as Appendix A and return, by e-mail to Will r by hard copy to 9 School Row, Prudhoe, Northumberland, NE42 5FE. The pro forma should be received by Monday 17th August if possible.

You will then be provided, by the RFU Referee Department, with the necessary resources to enable you to undertake the CRefC role effectively, including:

  • RFU and Referee Society contact details
  • Details of match officiating pathways
  • Details of RFU courses, awards and products

Should you have any questions, please contact Richard Glynne-Jones, RFU Referee Manager, on 07736 722324 or at

Appendix A – CRefC ‘Expression of Interest’ Form

Name / Address
Contact Number / E-mail
Name of Club
Shirt Size
(S-XXXL)
Likely Commitment
e.g. ‘I will be able to pass on e-mail correspondence when received from Twickenham’ or ‘I will be able to pass on e-mail correspondence from Twickenham and maintain accurate details of our club referees on RugbyFirst’
Reason for Interest in the CRefC Role

Please complete and return by e-mail to Will or by hard copy to 9 School Row, Prudhoe, Northumberland, NE42 5FE.