Looking to have a summer reffing holiday

[Chickref]

Or something like it.

Basically I finish university in November 2011, and would like to do some refereeing in the Northern Hemisphere to kill time between that and starting postgrad in February.

Essentially I am looking to get in contact with a society or association that is willing to help me out on the finding accommodation/a day job front, and can give me lots of games. In return they get a willing referee/AR, who has passed Level 2 law exams, is in her provincial academy (and hopefully will be going to the NZ women's academy later this season) and has refereed kids at provincial level, adults at club level, and recently had the experience of refereeing the National Deaf Rugby Champs.

All this does depend on the gaining of a scholarship or two, but it's the kind of thing you want to at least plan for a long way out.

 

[Simon Thomas]

I suggest if England is a possible choice, Clare Daniels (IRB list women's referee and RFU South of England Referee Development Manager) is a good contact for you. I know her well and can put you in contact if you send me your email address.

Beter still is to get any trip done at official NZRFU level (you mention an academy). Cretainly with RFU and then a Society the NZRFU involvement would make things much easier.

As for accommodation and job that is not something a Society would normally get involved with. Accommodation (especially in London with so many Kiwis, Aussies and South Africans here) is not too difficult - but as for a job that will be more difficult. We are still on the edge of recesssion in UK, unemployment is going up, austerity cuts are in place, living standards & disposable income are dropping - casual bar / restaurant work is not good as they want you at weekends, when you want to be reffing !

We had a NZ guy on a similar trip to you a few years ago for 3 months, we got him a job in a pub, and then he could only ref now and again and then went off travelling round Ireland. All pretty disruptive for us, and we put a lot of work in for little return on the pitch.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

We are still on the edge of recesssion in UK, unemployment is going up, austerity cuts are in place, living standards and disposable income is dropping...............

:wow: He said what? :wow:

 

[Dixie]

:wow: He said what? :wow:

Do you disagree?

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Do you disagree?

No I don't.

Obvously the first of us to spot the recession are those of us with £4,500 Breitling watches and Chalets in the Swiss Alps :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin::wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:

 

[Simon Thomas]

LLP

Perhap more relevant than my chronometrical choice or holiday home (French Alps, right on Swiss border :wink: !), and acquired over time with astute financial management plus sheer hard work, is that my employers plan and trade one third of the UK's advertising media spend (including COI) - which is reflected globally and makes us one of the UK's most successful plcs globally.

Hence we are a good barometer of the UK economy, and my ultimate boss Sir Martin Sorrell is regularly on radio and TV and in Government advisory committees giving the business perspective.

As a company, we "called" the 2008 / 2009 recessions early and invested in BRIC not USA/Europe. Our share price and profitability (and son to be UK taxes as we move back from Dublin) reflect our fporesight.

All the reports, forecasts and indicators I am seeing on a daily basis currently point to a very difficult two years ahead in UK. Add in the cock-ups and incompetenance of our government (whether it be blue, yellow or red), poor economic management, reduced economic competitiveness of western Europe, the EU's financial drain, and a shift in global power to Asia, and the future is pretty depressing for the Uk.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Cheers Simon! :bday:

 

[FlipFlop]

No I don't.

Obvously the first of us to spot the recession are those of us with £4,500 Breitling watches and Chalets in the Swiss Alps :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin::wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:

There's a recession going on? Glad you tell me, as Switzerland is nicely insulated from all that recession type stuff.....

Makes buying stuff like more Rolex's and Breitlings really cheap in CHF when you buy them abroad!

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

There's a recession going on? Glad you tell me, as Switzerland is nicely insulated from all that recession type stuff.....

Switzerland is recession proof.

As my dad used to always say "You can't have enough pen knives, cuckoo clocks, chocolate and Nazi gold".:wink:

 

[FlipFlop]

You forgot all that dictator's funds that we freeze, and then after they aren't claimed, use to lower the tax rates.....

I'm hoping for a net refund for my tax bill next year.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

You forgot all that dictator's funds that we freeze, and then after they aren't claimed, use to lower the tax rates.....

I'm hoping for a net refund for my tax bill next year.

You're not making any friends you know. :wink:

 

[Chickref]

I suggest if England is a possible choice, Clare Daniels (IRB list women's referee and RFU South of England Referee Development Manager) is a good contact for you. I know her well and can put you in contact if you send me your email address.

Beter still is to get any trip done at official NZRFU level (you mention an academy). Cretainly with RFU and then a Society the NZRFU involvement would make things much easier.

As for accommodation and job that is not something a Society would normally get involved with. Accommodation (especially in London with so many Kiwis, Aussies and South Africans here) is not too difficult - but as for a job that will be more difficult. We are still on the edge of recesssion in UK, unemployment is going up, austerity cuts are in place, living standards & disposable income are dropping - casual bar / restaurant work is not good as they want you at weekends, when you want to be reffing !

We had a NZ guy on a similar trip to you a few years ago for 3 months, we got him a job in a pub, and then he could only ref now and again and then went off travelling round Ireland. All pretty disruptive for us, and we put a lot of work in for little return on the pitch.

Okay, since we all got distracted talking about the recession (which is hitting hard here and means I can't get a bleeding job.)
The Association structure here means the provinces generally look after themselves, though I'll be looking for backing from the NZRFU, but they only tend to do stuff for their top guys (emphasis on guys.)

For me, the first step will be getting in contact with a friendly society in the UK or Ireland that is willing to put me on the field and assist with development and the like. Doesn't have to be London, given how spendy it is to live there. Then I'd start doing the accommodation/job/begging for money from people dance. I've asked the Otago powers if they have any contacts as well.

I'll PM you my email address, as getting in touch with Clare Daniels would be completely awesome, Cheers!

 

[Adam]

Feel free to come to Yorkshire, we're always very short of referees!

 

[dave_clark]

you don't have to live in London to referee for the society - there are a number of us who live in Essex.

not that i'd necessarily recommend living in Essex of course...

 

[Simon Thomas]

I'll PM you my email address, as getting in touch with Clare Daniels would be completely awesome, Cheers!

I have emailed Clare and she will be in touch with you.

Good luck - we would be happy to have you in Hampshire and I will make a few enquiries with our members re accommodation / jobs (very speculative).

 

[Blackberry]

Switzerland is recession proof.

As my dad used to always say "You can't have enough pen knives, cuckoo clocks, chocolate and Nazi gold".:wink:

That is pure stereotyping. You cannot find a cockoo clock in Switxerland nowadays.
http://www.rugbyrefs.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

[Davet]

I spend most of my working life talking to small to medium businesses, and many are starting to think about moving manufacturing back into the UK from China - mainly because costs in China have risen, transport costs are high, and quality is questionable, as are delivery timescales...

There is also sense that many of them have now had plans on hold for 2 years, and frankly many want to get on with their lives - banks have now built up far stronger capital reserves, and lending is starting to move again, allowing companies (admittedly generally those with a decent balance sheet) to gain access to funds.

I think the private sector will begin to grow, and that growth will accellerate as we move through this year.