Joining A Referee Association
In order to gain Level 1 Referee Accreditation, you need to be an active member of a referee association. Referee Associations vary in size, organisation and purpose. The following is some information that might help if you are considering joining a referee association. Associations are broken up into three categories:
There are five referee associations in Sydney, one which deals with adult rugby, and four which deal with junior rugby.
New South Wales Rugby Referees' Association (NSWRRA)
NSW Rugby Union appoints to all Suburban (Subbies), Premiership Grade and Premiership Colts, Womens, and 1st and 2nd XV schoolboys matches, using referees who belong to NSWRRA. Many of the referees in this association are 'aspirational' referees and at the higher end it is somewhat competitive. While circumstances of travel and availability are taken into account, restrictions on your capacity to referee at places and times across Sydney may affect the level of game you are appointed to.
NSWRRA members are appointed to games by NSWRU itself. Additionally, the NSW Rugby Referees' Association exists to look after the interests of its referees, and act as a social club. You can view the website of NSWRRA here:
http://www.nswrra.rugbynet.com.au
District Associations
There are 3 district associations in Sydney. These associations appoint to games played in their respective junior zones. They may also appoint to some schoolboys fixtures where those schools are not in a position to cover the games themselves. While there is some competition for appointments to various junior representative fixtures, the vast majority of referees in these 3 associations referee non-competitively.
This means that appointments are very flexible, taking into account locations near to where you live, where and when you may have kids of your own playing each weekend and so on. Each association is desperate for referees and will gladly try to accommodate you if possible.
The district associations are:
- Sydney West Rugby Referees' Association (SWRRA) - appoints to games in SJRU's Western Zone, and other school games. You can view its website here: http://www.swrra.rugbynet.com.au/
- Sydney North Referees, Inc. (SNRRA) - appoints to games in SJRU's Northern Zone, and other school games. You can view its website here: http://www.mnzrefs.rugbynet.com.au/
- Sydney South Rugby Referees Association (SSRRA) - appoints to games in SJRU's Southern Zone, and other school games. You can view its website here: http://www.sydneysouthrra.rugbynet.com.au/
There are nine referee associations serving the nine country zones. These associations appoint to all games in their zones, both senior, junior and schools rugby. The nine zones are:
- Central Coast
- Central North
- Central West
- Far North Coast
- Illawarra
- Mid North Coast
- New England
- Newcastle
- Western Plains
For more information on joining one of these associations, please contact Jamie McGregor at NSWRU (jmcgregor@nswrugby.com.au) who will provide you with specific contact people for each association.
These schools play rugby in large enough numbers that many of the schools in these three competitions provide their own referees from amongst the students, staff, ex-students, parents and friends of the schools themselves. For all intents and purposes, these schools act as an association. People refereeing for such schools do not need to join a separate association in order to become accredited.
However, NSWRU strongly recommends to any student from any of these schools taking up refereeing that you consider also joining a District or Counry Association if at all possible. You will get a longer season, more experience, and a greater sense of enjoyment from being part of a real association of referees.
A couple of schools have their referees also become members of their local district association as a matter of course.