New Referees

How to get involved in Refereeing

To join the society please follow the instructions at the bottom of this page under the heading ‘How to Join the Society’.

Why Referee?

There are a whole host of reasons why you might take up the whistle and become a referee; to remain active in the sport you love following retirement or injury, to make new and lasting friendships within the game, or to gain a sense of achievement by providing an invaluable service to all involved as the old cliche goes No ref, No game. It could be that you’ve been watching your child play or you’ve seen Rugby on the TV and you’d like to one day run out a Twickenham officiating an International – whatever your reason we’ve got the information and support to help you succeed.

A referee’s life is never boring, it is challenging, fun but above all else it is certainly rewarding as the 30 players on that pitch, followed by the coaches and supporters can’t do what they do without you.

How do I become a Referee?

The minimum age to become a rugby union referee is 14.

The first step is choosing the right course and to help please click on this link taking you to the England Rugby Match Officials – Keep you boots on page. Here you will find everything needed to support and help you grow as a referee.

If you are unsure on what course is right for you, England Rugby have provided a YouTube video explaining the differences for match officials & coaches across the full age range:

England Rugby Introduction to Refereeing

The NEW England Rugby Introduction to Refereeing course provides development and learning around refereeing Rugby Union safely and effectively. In this six-hour course, you will learn the basics of how to referee a number of elements of the game and how to communicate effectively with players, coaches and volunteers, to ensure that everyone involved is playing in a safe and enjoyable environment.

With three hours online learning and three hours face-to-face learning, this blended approach allows you to learn from the comfort of your own home whilst being able to put into practice your refereeing skills on the face-to-face session.

This course is a great way to start your refereeing journey, it is a FREE course giving you the skills and knowledge to begin officiating rugby in the youth and adult game; up to U14s youth, RFU Men’s Counties 3, RFU Women’s National Challenge 2, BUCS Men’s Tier 3, BUCS Women’s Tier 2.

Courses can be found by clicking through to the England GMS course finder page. Where the society holds courses we will put these on the GMS course finder along with our website.

England Rugby Refereeing Award – Level 2

The England Rugby Refereeing award is a competency-based qualification providing the knowledge, skills, and attributes to referee young players and adults safely and effectively. Covering all aspects of the game, the course considers how we can simplify refereeing by using “processes”, how we can communicate our decisions effectively and how we can ultimately be safe in everything we do.

The format of the course involves two face-to face days, with a number of webinars and networking sessions between. The England Rugby Refereeing award looks to develop candidates in a practical based environment, providing blended learning to suit you and your time.

Course booking opens in the summer for the 2023 / 24 season. To find courses in your local area use the GMS course booking link here.

Young Match Official (YMO) Program

How to Join the Society

To join the society please download and complete the attached form, once complete please email to – NMAdmin@northmidsrefs.co.uk

Society membership fees are charged annually, exemptions are available for those in full time education/unemployed. The cost of membership, as of 2024, is £25 per annum. This is waivered for the first year for all new members.

If you have any issues you can contact us through our Contact Page by clicking here