Woo Hoo..... Internationals here I come!!!!

[FlipFlop]

Just been appointed to my first international. :wow:

21 April 2012 between those heavy weights of international rugby, Luxembourg and Finland :biggrin:

League 2D of the FIRA-AER European Nations Cup, and it looks like being a relegation battle as well. Those asking the levels go: 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 3 (and 3 isn't really a proper league) - so this is as close to the bottom of international rugby as you can get!

Just need to get fit, and stay fit and healthy, hope to impress, and move up the rankings.

 

[Iron_Lung]

Congratulations! Don't forget to get a picture in front of the scoreboad with the teams names if you can, it will make a great memento

 

[Chunky Charvis]

Congratulations, great news!

 

[OB..]

Excellent. Well done.

 

[Lee Lifeson-Peart]

Well done!

 

[Adam]

Well done! When does your iRB kit come through?

 

[FlipFlop]

Well done! When does your iRB kit come through?

Well, FIRA kit. (Not an IRB appointment, only FIRA-AER)

And the standard will be around a UK level 11 (although possibly a 10 or 9)

 

[talbazar]

Congrats FliFlop...
Enjoy it. It's gonna be awesome.

 

[DrSTU]

Who cares what level it is, you're an international ref now!

Welcome to the club, my claim to fame is reffing the Mexican 7s team in a local 7s tournament here in SoCal.

Well, FIRA kit. (Not an IRB appointment, only FIRA-AER)

And the standard will be around a UK level 11 (although possibly a 10 or 9)

 

[Bryan]

And another referee earns Test Match status before yours truly!

I assume it's in Luxumbourg and not Helsinki???

 

[Toby Warren]

Great news, well done!

 

[chbg]

It will be between England Levels 9 and 10, with a wide spread of individual ability and Laws knowledge within each team (based on having been a Norwegian AR for one match against Luxembourg). The Luxembourg club side is/was actually stronger than the national side - they often have a large number of foreign bankers, who will have yet to take Residency status. You'll ref in English, I suggest, as it won't worry the Luxembourgs and the Finns are unlikely to know French! Actually our Belgium referee for the Lux-Norway match preferred English anyway. No stands, but a crowd 3 or 4 deep along one side! Don't get too distracted by the Ladies rugby match on beforehand! Your ARs will be 'appointed' by each side - they should be qualified refs, but, particularly the Finn, will be whoever the team brings along as a management assistant, as well as a ref. They could be a very variable standard and probably not trained as an AR (if I was any example).

But it will be great fun and you will be well looked after both before and after the match. LUX to win by 5-8 points.

And enjoy

 

[The umpire]

Fantastic news. Well done, "International Referee" will look good on the old CV.

 

[menace]

Congratulations! Don't forget to get a picture in front of the scoreboad with the teams names if you can, it will make a great memento

Is that why I always see you posing in front of the scoreboard at each of your games?

well done flipflop.

 

[FlipFlop]

It will be between England Levels 9 and 10, with a wide spread of individual ability and Laws knowledge within each team (based on having been a Norwegian AR for one match against Luxembourg). The Luxembourg club side is/was actually stronger than the national side - they often have a large number of foreign bankers, who will have yet to take Residency status. You'll ref in English, I suggest, as it won't worry the Luxembourgs and the Finns are unlikely to know French! Actually our Belgium referee for the Lux-Norway match preferred English anyway. No stands, but a crowd 3 or 4 deep along one side! Don't get too distracted by the Ladies rugby match on beforehand! Your ARs will be 'appointed' by each side - they should be qualified refs, but, particularly the Finn, will be whoever the team brings along as a management assistant, as well as a ref. They could be a very variable standard and probably not trained as an AR (if I was any example).

Thanks - I know the format of the FIRA-games, and that club v country is a bizarre thing over here (Swiss being a Level 2B side). I won't have AR's - they will be touch judges provided by the teams - and sometimes those provided have a very "variable" grasp of the touch laws.......

But I'm surprised you say between a 9 and 10, given I've seen the level of League 2B (would say the swiss side is a level 7 on a good day, certainly not as good as any level 6 team I've reffed), and this is a bottom of 2D.

and yes - I'll ref in English, as my french is no good.

But it will be great fun and you will be well looked after both before and after the match. LUX to win by 5-8 points.

And enjoy

Hopefully I will have fun. How much are you betting on that result? :biggrin:

 

[Taff]

..... I won't have AR's ...

Do you want some? :biggrin:

 

[woody]

That's great you made it to the international level.

I proud to say I regularly get a game with an international player. He played for the Philippines but nobody asks about that. :biggrin:

 

[Robert Burns]

And another referee earns Test Match status before yours truly!

I assume it's in Luxumbourg and not Helsinki???

Thought you did some games in the pacific nations with Marius Jonker? And some friendlies with the Eagles?

 

[Robert Burns]

Maybe it's time I added a hall of fame with members that have refereed an international match?

 

[Robert Burns]

Just been appointed to my first international. :wow:

21 April 2012 between those heavy weights of international rugby, Luxembourg and Finland :biggrin:

League 2D of the FIRA-AER European Nations Cup, and it looks like being a relegation battle as well. Those asking the levels go: 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 2C, 2D, 3 (and 3 isn't really a proper league) - so this is as close to the bottom of international rugby as you can get!

Just need to get fit, and stay fit and healthy, hope to impress, and move up the rankings.

Just to clarify Finland & Luxemburg are 92 and 93rd on the IRB rankings, that is to say, last and second last.

92(92)	LUXEMBOURG	32.49
93(93)	FINLAND	27.70

<tbody>
</tbody>

It's still an international game though!