Mic’d up and ready to ref - Cumbria match officials get younger
As he approached his 16th birthday, Nathaniel Mitton could look back on a season refereeing youth rugby matches every weekend, as well as three or four games in occasional rugby festivals.
Born with scoliosis, a lateral curvature of the spine, he said: “I started playing rugby at Carlisle when I was six, but in January 2020 I had an operation putting metal rods in my back and was told no more contact sport. I didn’t want to lose my rugby and the only way to stay involved was refereeing or coaching.”
Nathaniel, a pupil at Austin Friars, was taken on as an assistant by Steve Meakin, coach of Carlisle RFC’s U12s until he could start qualifying as a referee at 14.
“Steve has been my mentor and taught me about coaching and refereeing. I began learning the steps towards becoming a referee, all the hand signals. I did some of the skills at school, covered the Headcase training and then did the England Rugby refereeing course.
“Last season refereeing every weekend, I loved it: the respect from everyone, the fact that you don’t get stick from players or parents, they appreciate you are in charge. The good times it’s given me makes it all worth it and I’ve stayed involved. I’m still good friends with all my teammates, sharing their days out.”
Having been assistant referee for an U17s county game, Nathaniel can’t wait to officiate in adult rugby.
“That would be my next step and then I’d love to move upwards. I love watching referees like Ben Blain in the Premiership and I’m so impressed by Wayne Barnes. The way he controls everything, it seems second nature to him. To become a professional referee would be the ultimate dream.”
Welcome to the Society
Nathaniel is now a Cumbria Referee Society match official. The Society, recognising a need for young recruits, turned up at a course at the Penrith club to talk a good game about joining them.
Said Alasdair Boyle, the Society’s young match official development officer: “We were aware that lots of people do the training but don’t become part of the Society. They may simply go on to officiate at the younger age level in their clubs or schools but, with no universities on our patch, we have no student refs joining us and needed to recruit and help develop young match officials.”
Aged from 15 to 18, some of the youngsters on courses were still playing, while others, like Nathaniel, had stopped but still wanted to be involved in the game.
“Their enthusiasm is great,” said Alasdair. “Now we have a system in place at Penrith, as well as some young officials trained at Kendal and Carlisle. We’ve also been supported by the coaches at Cockermouth who have arranged extra midweek games with Penrith specifically to support young match officials’ development. The hope is to take it across the county. We are sending assessors to watch the young match officials mic’d up, which is helping their development and they are putting in some fantastic performances.”
Refereeing Falcons Academy
Apart from Penrith juniors practise games, where the young officials covered 20-minute sessions, the Newcastle Falcons Academy asked for “age appropriate” officials for some of their development events. Originally it was anticipated they would run touch but, with the Academy players being aged 15, it was decided to put youngsters in the middle for the 15-minute games.
This group of young referees are enjoying the experience and, says Alasdair, even if they move away to university, they can be directed to the Referee Society there.
“We’ve already contacted the Referee Society in Leeds where one young official John Sedgewick is studying, and we’ll be delighted to find him fixtures when he’s back home. And it was hugely encouraging to see a group presented with their county shirts recently.”
The Cumbria Rugby Union Referees Society shirt, sponsored by Firpress, were presented to Finn Smith and Joshua Davies at Penrith by professional referee Ben Blain, who is also Cumbria Society training officer, and Michael Patz the RFU match official development manager. At Wigton they were presented to Nathaniel and Archie Harding by Alasdair and Struan Hutchison an RFU rugby coach developer.
Says Nathaniel: “I think any young player would enjoy refereeing.”
Finn Smith, who is 16, certainly agrees. No longer playing, he is appointed by his club Penrith to referee across 14-16 boys’ matches as well as for girls’ fixtures and is scheduled to referee eight matches in the first three months of the new season.
“I stopped playing after the U10s but kept an interest and my games teacher at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Penrith, Alastair Worth, suggested refereeing. The course was really enjoyable, a great introduction to refereeing and for the past couple of seasons I’ve been refereeing every week. It’s a great way to build confidence in general and good for leadership. I get a chance to have some authority and learn how to manage people.
“I definitely want to carry on and see where it takes me in future. Wayne Barnes was on a Teams call that we had and it was so amazing to have him talk to us. I’m going into my A Levels now and those matter but for two or three hours at the weekend I get some exercise, and talk to people, which is great.”
Understanding the laws helps Archie’s team
It seems Mr Worth is a great recruiter, as 16-year-old Archie Harding credits his GCSE PE teacher too.
“I love playing with Penrith U17 Colts and Mr Worth encouraged me to referee a primary school tag match which I really enjoyed. I started covering younger age groups and guys below me, then I did Headcase and the England Rugby refereeing course, covered a developing players’ match at Wigton and county younger age groups, refereeing or assisting."
“I enjoy the pressure and making quick decisions. Getting them right on the field is a good feeling and so is talking to players and new people. Dad is my taxi, and he enjoys watching me refereeing or playing and my uncle Johnny Shay, our main coach last year, has helped me too. I play fly half and refereeing has helped me understand the laws of the game better which hopefully helps my team. Growing up I loved Nigel Owen’s refereeing, the way he had of dealing with players and gaining their respect. Going on to university I’d like to play for my uni team but referee as well.”
More recruitment planned
The Cumbria Referee Society is planning to replicate their team talk at upcoming referee courses as they help bridge the gap between classroom and the middle of the pitch.
Says Michael Patz: “My recent visits to Cumbria made me realise how beautiful but how spread out across many miles their rugby clubs are. The support being given to young referees by the clubs, Referee Society and especially by parents, who drive many miles supporting their young referees, is fantastic.
“The Society, inevitably older referees, recognised the need to involve younger people and the enthusiasm of the young officials and the support they are getting is awesome. It’s what we’d like to see across the country. At a tackle height session, where 90 match officials turned up, it was great to see the young match officials step up to get their county shirts, taking it all in their stride.”
What’s clear is their confidence and maturity, and also their enjoyment of the sport and their place in rugby community.
