Young Match Officials (YMOs)
Our Young Match Officials (YMO) programme is designed to introduce and develop the next generation of rugby referees, supporting young people from the age of 14 as they begin their officiating journey.
The programme has built a strong reputation for identifying, nurturing and developing young refereeing talent, with many participants progressing through the refereeing pathway and becoming active members of the Society.
Meet the Team
Trish Healy heads up our YMO program as the coordinator ensuring both parents and young officials get the support they need.
In addition to Trish we have mentors who volunteer their time to help support, nurture and develop our YMO’s and guide parents.
What We Offer
Every YMO receives access to a structured development programme, including:
- Guidance on the most appropriate refereeing courses and qualifications
- A dedicated mentor to support ongoing development
- Advice and support for parents and guardians
- Opportunities to act as an Assistant Referee and learn from experienced officials
- Development and training sessions throughout the season
- Feedback and support from Society Developers and Coaches
- Appointments to age-grade fixtures and development games
- A clear pathway to progress through the refereeing ranks
- Free Society membership for those in full-time education
- A free referee shirt upon completion of an approved refereeing course
YMO Success Stories
“Big thanks to two of our YMO’s for acting as ARs at Sixways as I refereed a charity match between West Mercia Police and Warwickshire Police. They gave great assistance and both teams were full of praise for their efforts!”
James Ranford, North Midlands Referee
“To hear those golden words, ‘we have a ref’ is like winning the lottery for us, so thanks to the ‘young whistler’, who I thought had an excellent day.”
U14 Team Coach
“There is currently a small group of YMOs active in the North Midlands region. I am totally amazed at the amount of support they have: on Friday evenings / Saturday afternoons they turn up to assist in senior games as an Assistant Referee then on Sundays try to take what they have learned from their mentors by refereeing at junior level with a senior referee on the side giving valuable advice. The parents of the YMOs help and support each other too. Just shows the spirit of the game is fantastic. Onwards and upwards!”
Proud Dad of a North Midlands YMO
YMO Pre-season work
Some of our YMOs were in early pre-season action at Bridgnorth RFC and Stourbridge Rugby in September 2020, assisting with their Stage D internal and informal tournaments, whilst we all continue to work towards a Return to Rugby soon! Well done Harriet, Dylan and Theo.
Photo (C) Rachel Edwards
‘Refs do the Rounds’
YMO Theo and dad Julian (also a North Mids referee), spent the summer of 2020 cycling between all of the 61 grounds served by the North Midlands RFU and Referees’ Society, to raise money for two very important rugby charities, the RFU’s own Injured Players Foundation, and the Matt Hampson Foundation
At every ground Theo (a keen full back as well as a young whistler) kicked a goal, and they took a photo to prove they’d been there.
The ride started at Woodrush in May, and over 350 miles later finished at the Region’s Premiership team, Worcester Warriors on 23 August. The duo raised over £1100 for their charities, and improved their fitness in preparation for the 20-21 season into the bargain!
Landrover U12 Cup (November 2019)
The Landrover U12 Cup is a national competition, run by each Premiership Club to draw in Under 12 teams from their local area. Winners of each individual tournament have the opportunity to play in a National tournament at Twickenham (which was sadly cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 crisis). This event took place at Sixways, the home of Premiership team Worcester Warriors.
After the tournament, the YMOs had the opportunity to watch the Premiership match between Warriors and Sale, and then took part in a Q&A session with the match officials including World Cup referee Luke Pearce.
North Midlands Centenary (November 2019)
The North Midlands RFU organised their centenary celebrations at Ellesmere College and our very own YMOs Ash and Paddy had the great pleasure of Assistant Refereeing for Luke Pearce and meeting Sir Bill Beaumont. Both of the YMOs did a fabulous job of representing the Society at this prestigious event.
Here’s what YMO Paddy had to say about the experience:
“On the 27th November 2019, I had the privilege to assistant referee at Ellesmere college against Wrekin college for Luke Pearce. It was a surreal experience which will be hard to top in my refereeing career. It was great to watch a professional do what they do best, and strange to see someone you see on the TV standing right in front of you. It was an amazing celebration for the centenary of North Midlands RFU, in which I was also lucky enough to meet Sir Bill Beaumont, ex-England captain and ex-student at Ellesmere, which was also a surreal experience. I am honoured to have been a part of the celebration, and look forward to where refereeing will take me.”
Register Your Interest
If you would like to find out more about the YMO programme, please complete the form below and our YMO Coordinator will be in touch.
As participants are under 18, we ask that all enquiries and registration forms are completed by a parent or guardian.
