Association tackles rugby referee shortage

A PLAN to stretch the rugby refereeing resources in Wairarapa-Bush has had immediate success but organisers are not resting on their laurels.
Eight people participated in a refereeing recruitment workshop held by the Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Referees Association at Eketahuna on Tuesday night, a number which delighted association secretary Peter Debney.
"You have to give full marks to the Eketahuna club," he said. "They got off their backsides to make it work and hopefully other clubs will take a leaf out of their book."
Debney said similar workshops to that at Eketahuna were proposed for South Wairarapa and Masterton but clubs there had not yet given any indication of the numbers which would be attending.
"We'd like to think every club in the union will provide at least two people, surely that's not too much to expect," he said. "Eketahuna was a good start but we need more."
Debney said the aim of the workshops, which are run by Wellington referees education officer David Walsh was to substantially increase the number of people in Wairarapa-Bush able and willing to control matches at the likes of JAB and senior thirds level.
"Right now we just don't have the numbers of official referees to control all games there and that means coaches are often having to do that job as well," he said. "By bringing in what we are calling associate referees we should be able to address that situation."
Debney said the workshops centred around explaining the "essentials" of refereeing, such as the rules pertaining to scrums, lineouts, tackling and restarts.
"The emphasis is on giving the participants the basic fundamentals of refereeing ? it's not like an examination where you need to digest a whole heap of information" he said.
And Debney stressed too that the associate referees would continue to be supported and encouraged by the WBRRA.
"We certainly don't intend to have them put through the workshops and then leave them to their own devices," he said. "We will give them all the assistance we can and build their knowledge of the rules along the way.
"It's very much an on-going thing for us."
Denbey said the refereeing shortages in Wairarapa-Bush had not yet reached the stage of those in Wellington but warned they were heading that way.
The situation in the capital came to a head last Saturday when an entire grade of senior club games were cancelled because there were not enough officials available.
In all 124 games were scheduled in Wellington on that day and 97 people were listed to referee.