RUGBY - Blowing whistle on refs' crisis

Everyone knew the shrinking roll of club rugby referees had reached a critical point, now it seems as if the perennial problem might be getting terminal. Northern Advocate sports editor TIM EVES reports.
THERE are not enough rugby referees in the province to control all the games scheduled this weekend, a situation so dire that it is about to impact on the flagship premier club competition for the first time and leave teams in the Joe Morgan Memorial competition without a man in the middle.
So the Northland Rugby Referees have put an SOS call out in an attempt to get more referees on their books and are warning clubs that they may be forced to cancel matches if clubs don't respond.
Erin McEvoy, the NRU referee administrator, said even without a sudden injection of referees several games at junior levels were already without referees this weekend, a situation that will only worsen as the season progresses.
"For this weekend there are 12 games, ranging from under-14 through to senior division two who will not have a referee provided. On the following weekend, April 19, the situation is potentially more serious and there is the very real possibility of a number of premier games within Northland not having a referee appointed," McEvoy said.
"The area of Whangarei and the Southern Districts (competition area) is most affected as currently there are no referees in Northern Wairoa and only three premier referees who live in the Whangarei region," she said.
"The call now goes out: If you are involved in the Northland Rugby community and want to ensure your local teams have a referee phone me at the Northland Rugby."
For several years now the Northland Rugby Referees Association (NRRA) has been trying to recruit members with ongoing campaigns to attract new referees. But the scheme has not been successful as membership has slowly dwindled.
Until now premier grade games have largely been unaffected and shortages in lower grades and junior divisions covered with coaches sharing duties.
In the past referees from the North Harbour union had also been co-opted to control Northland premier games as well, but they were experiencing similar problems as well this season.
"With the average age of the current members of the NRRA being at the high end for the competitive competition, it is resulting in retirements, injuries and referees moving down the panels to keep pace with the game," McEvoy said.
"With no younger referees ( 22 to 35-year-olds) taking up the whistle in the past few years it has now resulted in a major hole of referees capable of refereeing senior teams within Northland."
NRU operations manager Greg Shipton said it was time clubs took the problem seriously before the shortage threatened to unravel club rugby completely.
"I know that the Kamo premier game against Marist next week does not have a referee at the moment. You don't really want that happening, but as it stands it is a fact of life," Shipton said.
"The answer could be scheduling Friday night games, or at least asking teams to work together to do that, but if they don't work together to do that then we might just have to tell teams they are playing night games.
"You can't just carry on not getting referees, increase the number of games and expect referee coverage. The clubs have got to start looking at pushing forward referees or the situation will just get worse."
People who want to become a rugby referee will initially be given junior games to control and be assessed and graded. They will then be appointed games every weekend.
But McEvoy said a programme for "associated referees" caters for volunteers who are willing to control junior games when available.
* BECOME A RUGBY REF:
• Phone Erin McEvoy (09) 438 4743 ext 704 or Ray Garrett 0275 715 583.
• Anybody willing can be nominated at local area referee meeting (Whangarei, BOI, Rodney, Mangonui and Northern Wairoa).
• You then become an active member after refereeing thee games (junior level) and attending three area meetings.
• Referee coaches watch each of the three games to ensure the nominated member is then graded into the correct panel.
• Associate Referees: Designed for parents and players who want to help with morning rugby and when a team has no referee available. Volunteers attend a two-hour seminar on scrum safety, laws of the game, role of the referee, NZRU "Rugby Smart" injury prevention. You are then able to control "contested" scrums (for games at 11 years of age and higher).