Working Holiday Referee from Aus

[Mickman]

Hi all (particularly those in London),

I am only new to refereeing (this season 2010) in Australia in my local junior competition u/10s up to u/17s age groups thus far, because this is played on Friday nights and I coach u/19s on Saturdays.

I am planning an extended visit (to work and live) in London as of October 2010, and am looking into the possibility to continue my refereeing while I am in the UK.

I am just wondering if there is anyone in the know about what I need to do to continue my refereeing while in the UK if the opportunity arises? Do I need to start from scratch and attend beginning referees course, take law exams again? Where to from here?

To date I have gained the basic competency for Level 1 Referee (Australia) and have had some coaching and a fairly positive match report completed.

Cheers

 

[Toby Warren]

Welcome - your best bet is to join London soceity (for free) It's split into 4 quarters so when you know were you will live you can decide which is best/

Have a look at www.londonrugby.com for more info.

 

[Simon Thomas]

To speed things up when you arrive in London, bring a letter (or email) of intro with your grade and experience from your Aussie Society.

Where exactly in London are you going to be living ? There may also be a club with an internal Society closeby.

 

[Dixie]

Hi mhughe15. In broad terms, we'd be delighted to have you, and you'll be pleased to know you won't need to requalify (except insofar as we have contested scrum over here, which seem to be unheard of in Aus :wink: ). However, life will be far easier if you referee adults than kids; you'll need to jump through so many hoops to referee the age grades you've been used to, your visit will probably be over by the time the child protection busibodies have decided you are OK to be left alone with a group of kids in the full glare of 30 parents.

Over here, we start new refs off with the toughest possible assignment - vets rugby comprising 30 players with a collective total of millions of years of experience at conning better refs than you. If you survive your first few games, the Society feels fairly secure about giving you a jersey to wear.

Do get written confirmation of your experience to date, and if that involves police checks to work with kids, that MAY help (though over here, the police checks to confirm teachers may teach are not considered acceptable for rugby purposes, so don't hold your breath). Most Societies have a website with contact names, so you should be able to line yourself up with a few games before you even arrive. Stay in touch and we'll help you to find the most appropriate contact for your local area.

 

[Donal1988]

I find it interesting that new recruits referee Veterans games. In Ireland the new recruits start off at U13 League or maybe a U13 preseason friendly depending on when they join.

 

[Rit Hinners]

I'm assuming that what you call "veterans" over there is called "Senior Old Boys" (45+) over here.

That's a good place to put new reffs as the players tend to reff themselves and, as a matter of self survival, would rarely participate in or condone any foul play.

 

[dave_clark]

you'll need to jump through so many hoops to referee the age grades you've been used to, your visit will probably be over by the time the child protection busibodies have decided you are OK to be left alone with a group of kids in the full glare of 30 parents.

really? i thought that, once the CRB forms were with the RFU, you were deemed as being cleared? at least that's the premise that i worked on when i was my club's youth chairman...

apart from that, i agree with everything Dixie said London is a big place, so let us know if you need contact details.

 

[Deeps]

I'm assuming that what you call "veterans" over there is called "Senior Old Boys" (45+) over here.

That's a good place to put new reffs as the players tend to reff themselves and, as a matter of self survival, would rarely participate in or condone any foul play.

Rit, Vets here are 35 and over; I just qualify!

 

[Donal1988]

I only refereed one Veterans game before it was last season and it was as intense as any youth friendly. Garryowen v Bennetton Treviso (veterans). Few of the Italians spoke English (or at least few admitted it). A healthy dose of niggle, more than I had expected.

 

[dave_clark]

Donal, that's a serious claim to fame. the vets of a club who have had a move named after them vs the vets of a club who have played in the HC. better than most of us have done i would guess.

unless you were merely name dropping, in which case you're very naughty .

 

[Rit Hinners]

Rit, Vets here are 35 and over; I just qualify!

Ah, so Vets are "Old Boys"... So, do you have "Senior" Vets?

 

[Dixie]

Ah, so Vets are "Old Boys"... So, do you have "Senior" Vets?

Only in the "ordinary" vets game. The oldest Vet I played against was a 72 year-old prop; a recent past captain of my club's vets was 66, and both his son and grandson play for the club's adult sides (captain of the 4ths and member of the 2nds respectively).

 

[OB..]

Here we simply start new refs off with the lowest ranked games.

 

[Dickie E]

Here we simply start new refs off with the lowest ranked games.

Italy v. England?

 

[tim White]

Dickie, that sort of comment could get your legs slapped! :nono: -and just after I backed you up on another thread

 

[tim White]

mhughe15 -don't suffer by just restricting yourself to London:Looser: , if you intend travelling at all whilst here you can do the same planning ahead for different areas of the country:clap: . The sheer novelty value of the various regional accents will be worth the visit -not all of us speak 'Cockerney' :nono:

 

[SimonSmith]

Send 'im to Cornwall :biggrin:

 

[OB..]

Italy v. England?

:biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:
(But I will duck the obvious correction ...)

 

[ballsie]

Hi mhughe15. In broad terms, we'd be delighted to have you, and you'll be pleased to know you won't need to requalify (except insofar as we have contested scrum over here, which seem to be unheard of in Aus :wink: ). However, life will be far easier if you referee adults than kids; you'll need to jump through so many hoops to referee the age grades you've been used to, your visit will probably be over by the time the child protection busibodies have decided you are OK to be left alone with a group of kids in the full glare of 30 parents.

Over here, we start new refs off with the toughest possible assignment - vets rugby comprising 30 players with a collective total of millions of years of experience at conning better refs than you. If you survive your first few games, the Society feels fairly secure about giving you a jersey to wear.

Do get written confirmation of your experience to date, and if that involves police checks to work with kids, that MAY help (though over here, the police checks to confirm teachers may teach are not considered acceptable for rugby purposes, so don't hold your breath). Most Societies have a website with contact names, so you should be able to line yourself up with a few games before you even arrive. Stay in touch and we'll help you to find the most appropriate contact for your local area.

Excellent I am a child protection busy body
if you wish to discuss any aspect of SAFE GUARDING please feel free to contact me personally
or maybe Nic Scott and his team or even your own cb safeguarding manager and he/she would explain the whys and wherefores of busy bodying as you so aptly put it and the processes involved to get a CRB check done in the mean time get with the program and at least publicy support the people who do the hard graft to make sure the youngters stay safe in our game
Regards
Martin Balls
Hampshire RFU
Safe Guarding Manager
and
Hampshire Refs
when I am not being a busy body.....

 

[Dixie]

Even your own cb safeguarding manager and he/she would explain the whys and wherefores of busy bodying as you so aptly put it.

Ah Ballsie - I forgot you held that post. I'm sorry I got up your nose - but I know the whys and wherefores of it all.

Dog bites child - idiot politicians panic and put in place unworkable Dangerous Dogs Act.
Man spills coffee on his nuts - idiot politicians panic and put in place grossly intrusive Health & Safety Act
A few radical loonies drive a plane into some buildings, idiot politicians panic and invade half the world.
Children get molested by family members, idiot politicians panic and put in place the Childrens Act, with its overbearing burdens on non-family members.

In the same way I support our boys as they do a tough job in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan etc, so I support the caring volunteers such as yourself who are tasked with navigating the bizarre landscape thrown up by our fearful idiot politicians. I know you and your colleagues do a great job.