Young, talented and in control
You might think that refereeing begins in adulthood and often when players retire from the game but in England currently there are more than a thousand 14 to 18-year-olds who are qualified Young Match Officials, many of them showing huge potential.
Michael Patz, the RFU’s Match Official Development Manager says: “We run bespoke courses and have gained some very impressive young referees. They have mentors and chaperones who provide pitch-side support and normally they referee matches involving players two years younger. Then at 17 they can move on to start refereeing adults to develop their officiating.
“Whether they have ambition and potential to referee at the elite level or enjoy taking charge of a game and learning more about interpreting the laws and gaining confidence, communication skills and leadership, becoming a YMO brings life skills and opportunities.”
A real sense of enjoyment
Nathan Power is 16 and a member of the Manchester & District Referee Society. He plays second row for Sedgley Park U16s and two years ago decided to go on a refereeing course with Pietro Carinci, his PE teacher from Philips High School. It was actually Nathan who signed up first.
“When I was playing there were things I didn’t get, but my club coach Dan Nethercott is also a referee and I found that he was able to explain things really well, so I signed up for the course.
“I was officiating some games but, with covid, my refereeing on a week- in-week-out basis really took off this season. I love it, the feeling of taking control of a game from start to finish gives a big sense of enjoyment.
“When I was playing and not refereeing, I really didn’t understand why you got penalised but as a referee there’s a lot of interpretation of the laws and it makes you more of a thinker.
“The school players I ref have a really good attitude because of the way my mentor Jon Rooke has helped me to take control. The players respect me as a referee and often thank me for a good game which makes me feel both respected and appreciated.
“I would really like to take my refereeing all the way and officiate Premiership matches. Referees I’ve looked up to are Wayne Barnes and Luke Pearce and I was at the recent Sale Sharks game against Leicester Tigers. It was an amazing game, the best second half I’ve ever seen.
“What I was very impressed by was Craig Maxwell-Keys’ explanations as I listened on my ref radio. His explanations were phenomenal and meant even if he gave a decision against your team you knew why because you understood his reasoning when talking to the players.”
Barnard Castle students in the middle
At Barnard Castle School they have been running YMO courses for the past two or three years and their students, once qualified, referee junior tournaments hosted at the school, like the Tait 10s, when they take charge of 24 teams.
Says head teacher Tony Jackson: “Empathy is something we really focus on and it’s good for students to see what it’s like being on the other side in decision making. Refereeing develops character and teaches students not to blame the referee but to look at themselves. A lot of life skills are gained through the programme.
“We are lucky to have Lee Dickson, one of our old boys, join us as head of rugby and he is certainly keen on students getting qualified as match officials. When we run a course, we get 12 or 15 qualifying and both genders, which is great to see. One of the current England U20 elite playing squad, Guy Pepper, who is now at Durham University and playing for Newcastle Falcons was on the YMO course here just before covid hit and I’m sure he would say it was very useful to his understanding of the laws.
“I am the HMC link with the RFU and know how important it is that we maintain respect for match officials. I think seeing Wayne Barnes sending a player off for swearing makes young players aware of referees as role models.”
YMO runs Gloucestershire programme
And among our younger role models are members of the RFU’s National Youth Council, several of them young match officials, including the chair, Tom Read, who actually runs the YMO programme for Gloucestershire & District Referee Society.
“My club age grade team folded, so being unable to play adult rugby I started refereeing aged 14,” he says. “I referee three times a week now that I’m 22 and am in the match official scholarship programme at the University of Gloucester. Run by former elite referee Chris White, it gives us individual strength and conditioning programmes, talks from professional referees and creates a community of referees.
“I would recommend young people become YMOs because it helps stop you feeling frustrated when something happens on the pitch because you have a greater understanding and consequently a better game. It also means you give something back and become part of driving standards up across the board.”
