In 1985, I was nineteen when I refereed my first match. It was a men’s division five game in Durban, South Africa. There were ZERO spectators and the penalty count was ZERO. I have yet to replicate that dubious “success”. Today, I am still learning about the intricacies of this amazing game called rugby.

In PART ONE, we shared that a combined TACTICAL and STRATEGICALrefereeing approach can reach the goal to provide teams a level playing field.

This second section can be a bit more challenging. We naturally want to be in control, and to be right. Being in control is NOT the same as controlling the game. Your performance is built on relationships with the game and players. I am sure you believe rugby is the greatest game, so it is worth noting that you get to be part of something you love. It’s an honor to be out there and that attitude can help you focus on the challenge and not the pressure or the concern of making mistakes. It maximizes your ability to succeed, reduces the need to be in control and allows you to integrate STRATEGICAL elements.
Continue reading The Future of Rugby Refereeing: PART TWO →