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                                "Junior Bees"                             

Referees

As we all know, no game of rugby can take place unless we have a mug (sorry, I meant to say nice person) willing to take on the responsibility of allowing two teams of players the chance to get all their pent-up aggression out of their systems by managing the staged conflict that is a game of rugby.

Yes – we’re looking for referees, both for 15-a-side and for Mini / Midi matches. In the 15-a-side arena we’ve used a panel of Society Refs for a number of years now, and we need to strengthen their numbers. Some of our current  refs are finding it more and more difficult to continue to give their time on Sundays, one or two others (no names, no pack drill !!) need new legs, and  we need some new, fresh, enthusiastic younger folk to take on the mantle, and help the old lads out.

Ideally, I’d like at least one person from each age-group to take either the Entry Level Referee Award (better known as ELRA), or the National Mini-Midi Referee Certificate. The ELRA is intended for those wishing to referee 15-a-side games; the Mini-Midi Certificate for those matches covered by the Continuum. There’s an ELRA Course being run at Old Rishworthians RFC in Halifax on Monday 19^th and Friday 23^rd February (half-term week), and I’ve put a  notice about it, and some application forms on the Junior Notice Board. If these dates are not convenient, but you’re interested, please say so on the sheet which is also on the Notice Board.

I’ve no dates at the moment for the Mini-Midi Certificate, but I’m looking for expressions of interest with a view to us perhaps staging a course in the near future, so please add your name to the above-mentioned sheet, if you’re interested. More information on both these courses can be found on the Referees pages within the RFU Community Rugby site on www.community-rugby.com/communityrugby

We all know from some horrendous experiences elsewhere how important it is to have someone competent and capable in the middle during a match. This club was the first in this District, and maybe the County, to have independent referees for Sunday 15-a-side games, and we’ll continue to try to do this, but we need backup from the teams to cover emergencies. For Mini / Midi matches it’s almost always an involved parent who does the needful, but it’s useful if said parent has at least a nodding acquaintance with the Laws of the Game and the special requirements of the Continuum.

Any queries on any of the above, either ring me, email me, or, preferably, talk to me on a Sunday morning – I’ll do my best to help.

Course application forms available from me.

John Gray