Recent content by Brian Ravenhill

Alan Lewis the AR during England’s recent game against France is currently in India acting as a summarizer for Test Match Special. On Wednesday 2nd March he will give his 'View From the Boundary' with Jonathon Agnew during the lunch interval of the England Ireland cricket match. May be worth a...

5m attacking scrum, 25m inform touch, you are on the openside of the scrum, referee on blind side. Ball goes in and is won by attacking team, ball held at No.8’s feet. Defending openside flanker slips bind and just about has finger tips on his props shoulder. Attacking openside flanker grabs...

Amongst all the literature sent out from Twickenham at the start of the season I remember seeing a page of a document that described who was allowed where with regard to the technical area and within any perimeter fencing etc. I have trawled through my stuff and now cannot find it. Is there...

Amongst all the literature sent out from Twickenham at the start of the season I remember seeing a page of a document that described who was allowed where with regard to the technical area and within any perimeter fencing etc. I have trawled through my stuff and now cannot find it. Is there...

Forgive me if I get some facts wrong, but I believe that Royal Bank of Scotland are now owned/ controlled by HM Government having bailed them out due to the financial crisis. The Scottish RFU have announced a major sponsorship deal with RBS believed to be a seven figure sum. HM government are...

Game yesterday (10th Feb.) two university sides. Do all the pre-match checks and talks etc finishing with the away side. The away team (red) coach then approaches me a says ‘we have a defensive move at the line outs were we all stand off, they form a maul and we appeal for truck and trailer’...

Wasps are escaping punishment for failing to take to the pitch because it’s the referee’s fault. It now appears that referee David Rose failed to apply the correct protocol when deciding whether or not the pitch was fit to play. The fact that there was no way that Wasps were going to take to...

After all the shenanigans by the RFU and the front row I think they may still have it wrong. On page 2 of 5 of the document titled ‘Front Row Regulations Notice (REVISED)(Final)’ 7.3(b)(i) … at level 5 and below in league matches four players in their nominated match day squad… …who are...

A few weeks ago whilst in the showers, I noticed that a player had a criminal justice tagging device around his ankle. Now I vaigley remember this player fiddling with his socks when I did the stud check. Should the player be allowed to play whilst wearing the tagging device as it is made of...

It’s easy as on official doing a panel appointed league game. The referee has not one but two people to cover his blind side. A fourth official to keep track of sin bins and replacements. But he is still the sole judge of fact. On Saturday I was TJ for a Nat League 2 South game, and in the...

At level 5 and above referees are ‘marked’ by the number of penalties they ‘give away’. Often the first question of the referee to the asses is how many penalties did I give, below 20 big smile on referees face over 20 big frown on assessors face. If a penalty can be awarded and no advantage can...

During England’s game against the Irish the wonderful ‘pundit’ Moore says that the laws of the game need to be changed to prevent someone standing at the back of a pile of bodies of the floor with the ball at their feet and their hand on the man in front. The laws DO NOT need changing they need...

Is the wearing of 'Skins' compression garments allowed during a game? On Saturday the opposition went ballistic that the replacement winger went on wearing Skins leggings.

So the moneymaking exercise starts this weekend, better know as the autumn internationals. England take on the Pacific Islands followed by the big three Aus, S.A. & NZ Ireland start with Canada then NZ ending with Argentina. Scotland ease into the series with NZ then S.A. finishing with Canada...

Just wondering what people are thinking regarding the proposals to restructure the leagues and how it will effect the progression ladder for referees, and the relative quality of games at the various levels for referees. For those that haven’t seen the proposals here is a link to the RFU page...