Why I Became a Rugby Referee

Thirty players on one pitch, all managed by one whistle…sounds daunting, right? Not as much as you’d think, being a rugby referee means you have the best seat in the house! The TRRA is hosting the countries first ever women’s only Level 1 Referee Course (sponsored by Try on Rugby) this weekend in Houston. Along with USA Rugby’s support, the TRRA looks to increase the number of certified active female referees in Texas. Two women will earn a spot at a USA training camp during the iRB Women’s 7s series in Atlanta 7s.

Before the unprecedented event this weekend, TRRA asked some female veteran referees and newly certified referees what led them to pick up the whistle:

Jacque ‘Jac’ Harrell – C3 (College Station, TX)

Jacque Harrell - TRRA Rugby RefereeBeing a referee was never part of the plan, I just wanted to be a better player. Someone told me the best way to learn a sport is to be a referee of it. I figured it was a quick way to learn the rules, so I took a course at the summit in August from Traci Young. She was an amazing instructor with an incredible amount of patience and passion for the game.  She walked us through a game and we even had the chance to practice with a real scrimmage.

A few weeks later I was the center ref at a collegiate tournament. I’m a 27 year old that discovered I was scared of blowing a whistle. Luckily, Wendy and Traci Young were on the side to help me through it. They kept it upbeat and talked me through the game from the side with no ridicule. If they hadn’t of been there I might not of been a ref again after that game. I’m still reffing because I feel I still have so much more to learn about the game and there really is no better seat than right there on the pitch.

Meredith Frasier - TRRA Rugby RefereeMeredith Frasier – C3 (Houston, TX)

At first I became a referee so I could become more knowledgeable about the laws, and maybe free up a higher level referee or two for women’s matches by taking a few lower level or friendly matches. Help spread one of the lesser seen burdens of a sport that’s gaining popularity quickly across more shoulders. After all, without a referee its hard to play a match. Also, at 29 I also realize that the number of years my body will be able to and family life allow me to continue playing with my team competitively are unfortunately decreasing. Refereeing gives me the option to continue on in another capacity with the sport I love.

My favorite part is the scrums. From start to finish refereeing the scrum is my favorite especially at the Senior men’s match. There is something about being right there with a few thousand pounds of men intently listening to getting ready to engage that makes me feel like I could do anything. That doesn’t mean scrums are not tricky to referee and that I take them lightly! I am a lock so I get to taste the energy without my head being squished.

A piece of advice: Don’t let your first few matches define the experience for you. After the weekend of my first two, I wanted to quit. Since I was committed to another tournament the next weekend I put off the decision, and worked hard on the referee skills that were the weakest to prepare. Now, I am so glad I stood by my commitment and didn’t give up, because I would have cheated myself out of something that I not only enjoy but out of an awesome community as well.

Traci Young – C1 (Austin, TX)

Traci Schmidtke Young - TRRA Rugby RefereeI became a certified referee in 2008. I was still playing at the time, so I couldn’t ref full-time, but I wanted to help out the college women teams as they usually got the bottom of the barrel or no referee. I refereed my first game at Corpus Christi 7s By the Sea and I was surprised at how fun it actually was and that I really wasn’t that bad.

A few years later, I was coming to the end of my playing career; however, I still had that competitive drive. I soon realized that being a referee was the next chapter in my rugby career. The TRRA was my new team and my teammates were now spread across the state. Being a referee requires me to stay physically fit and challenges me mentally. Refereeing brought new challenges as well as adventures. I have had the opportunity to referee the High School Girls National Championships, in-goal for the iRB Women’s 7s series and center the TRU Division II Championships.

Wendy Young – C1 (Austin, TX)

Wendy Young - TRRA Rugby RefereeI took my Level 1 course in 2007 in a room full of men. I was expecting that my teammate and I would be the only females at the course, but was surprised that we were the only ones under 35. After the course I received my first Acme Thunderer whistle, yellow and red cards and a small iRB ready booklet. A few weeks later I accepted an assignment and stepped out on the pitch to referee a collegiate women’s game and was hooked.

Looking back now, I became a referee because I wanted to learn the laws, stay fit and give back to the game. At the time I was still playing competitive rugby and eventually retired in 2011 to become a full-time referee. If you’re searching for competition after hanging up your boots, refereeing has that as well. There is competition for appointments, fitness testing, law knowledge and advancement.

Looking back, I would never have imagined how much I would love it or the opportunities I’ve had and hopefully will continue to experience. My highlights would be AR/IG at the iRB (now World Rugby) Women’s 7s Series, multiple USA Appointments in 7s & 15s and refereeing the RRRC Men’s DI Club decider between the Austin Blacks and Dallas Reds last year (both final four contenders in the USA Rugby Men’s Club National Championships).

Tweet Full Time Scores!

This weekend the TRRA is launching the new Twitter campaign. Finally the Texas rugby community will be able to get live match results in one location @trrareferee. In order for this to be successful we need all referees to do their part. We need 100% buy in.

What we need you to do…..

  1. Grab your cell phone
  2. Sign up on Twitter if you have not already. https://support.twitter.com/articles/100990
  3. Follow Texas Rugby Referee.  https://twitter.com/trrareferee . You can enter @trrareferee in the search bar.
  4. At the end of your match grab your phone
  5. Tweet the score and a picture of yourself, your AR’s (if you have them) and the winning team captain.
  6. Add #trrareferee to your post. This is an important step.
  7. Again add #trrareferee to your post……………Click here to see how hash tags work. https://support.twitter.com/articles/49309?lang=en
  8. Sit back, relax and know that you are awesome.

We certainly appreciate your support. If you have any issues with this please reach out before Saturday so I can help you through the process

Cheers,
Scott Green


Spring Beep Test

The fall beep test was to give you an idea of where you are in fitness. The Spring test weighs heavily on assignments and promotions.

Spring tests must be completed by 31 Jan. The following referees are the only authorized testers in Texas:

North – Randy Campbell
Central – Wendy Young, Sam Reagle, Scott Green
South – Jim Wolfinger

Here are current TRRA standards:
C1 – Level 9*** C2 – Level 8 C3 – Level 7
***New this year, to ref a D1 men’s match, you must be at a level 11 on beep.

Current National Standards:
Elite and NP referees need to run a 12.0 or higher, but 13.0 or higher is preferred.
B Panels and C1’s need to run a 11.0 or higher, but 12.0 or higher is preferred.
C2’s and C3’s need to run a 10.0 or higher, but 11.0 is preferred.

Have fun and good luck!!

Download the beep test audio.

World Rugby Clarification 8 of 2015 – Law Reference 3 – Sevens Variations

Clarification in Law by the Designated Members of Rugby Committee
Clarification 8 – 2015
Union Paddy O’Brien – HP Sevens Referee Manager
Law Reference 3 – Sevens Variations
Date December 8, 2015
Request: Paddy O’Brien has requested clarification on the minimum number of players needed to start a sevens match.
Clarification of the Designated Members of the Rugby Committee
The designated members have agreed that in exceptional circumstances a Union may authorise matches to be played with fewer than seven players in each team. When that happens, all the Laws of the Game apply except that each team must have a minimum of five players on the pitch (at least three players in the scrum at all times and a minimum of two backs).

Fifteen Kit Partnership

Fifteen Kit with TRRA

Texas Rugby Referees Association and Fifteen have today announced there exciting new partnership.

Fifteen and the Texas Rugby Referees Association are excited to announce their new partnership for 2016 and beyond.

In 2015, Fifteen worked closely with the TRRA in a re-branding project for 2016 that represents the Texas pride as well as the style and performance that a referee needs on a day to day basis. With the release of their new official logo, slogan and hash tag, Fifteen is excited to create a look for the referees in Texas that they can be proud of. Beginning 2016, there will be a complete line of Fifteen game day and training apparel available for purchase directly from www.fifteenbrand.com. This has also been extended other items like assistant referee tees for those that certify and wish to begin refereeing immediately.

Fifteen’s design team worked closely with the TRRA to produce a quality line that is made to performance, but also affordable for all to purchase. TRRA President Butch Neuenschwander had this to say on this strategic partnership.

The TRRA is extremely happy to have partnered with Darren Scott  and Fifteen Brand, a local Texas business . This new partnership ensures that the TRRA can provide its referees with quality game day and training apparel. Modernizing the game day kit, updating the official TRRA logo and introducing the new “Become a Referee” program brings new life and purpose to the association and is an important piece of the puzzle to attract a younger demographic to the wonderful world of officiating. 

Fifteen’s Commercial Partnership Manager Darren Scott is confident that referees throughout Texas will not only enjoy the look and feel of the new apparel, but also enjoy the easy access with Fifteen being based in Frisco, TX.

Being a brand that is newly located here in Texas, we have tried to increase our footprint in the rugby market. Forming a partnership with the referees in the TRRA not only allows us to help the TRRA with their visions for success but also ours. I personally look forward to watching games on a Saturday and seeing the match officials proudly showcasing the new TRRA branding and using us as a vehicle to do so.

The entire Texas Rugby Referee line will be available for purchase after January 18th, 2016.

Partnership with Ruck Science

Between travel, rowdy players and a lack of compensation, referees really do have the hardest job in rugby. That’s why the team at Ruck Science is thrilled to announce our first official sponsorship; the Texas Rugby Referees Association (TRRA). Read the full sponsorship press release on the Ruck Science website.

sponsorship of trra

What is Ruck Science?

Ruck Science is a performance nutrition company that provides state-of-the-art nutrition for rugby players (and now, referees!). The company was founded in 2015 by several members of the local Austin, TX rugby community. We’re pleased to be able to call them our first official sponsor and hope they’ll be with us for many years to come.

Sponsorship deal agreed and signed

TRRA Ruck Science JerseyThe agreement, signed at the end of 2015, will give the TRRA a major sponsor for the next 3 rugby seasons. That’s from now, right through until the end of 2018.

You’ll also be seeing the company on the association’s new website and all social media accounts. Finally, the deal makes the TRRA a beneficiary of the company’s universal sponsorship program. When a member of the TRRA makes a purchase on ruckscience.com, the company will donate 10% of the value of the order to the Texas Rugby Referees Association.

“This last clause has the potential to double our total contribution to the association over the next three years and in 2016 especially. With it, the TRRA will be able to get its best young referees access to high-performance coaching and assessment.” said Tim Howard.

Sponsorship for all rugby clubs

Ruck Science is aiming to provide sponsorship $$$ to every rugby club on the planet.  They do this by donating 10% of every order to the rugby club of the customer’s choice. The result is that the more promotion of the deal a club does, the better off they will do financially. It’s a win-win for all parties concerned and gives amateur rugby clubs a real incentive to promote good nutrition for their players. You can register your club to receive sponsorship here.

Refereeing in Texas

The TRU and the TRRA have been incredibly successful at driving rugby participation in Texas. Over the past 5 years, the number of registered players in the state has risen by some 30%. This kind of increased participation means many more rugby games at all levels: High-School, College, Women’s and Men’s.

Having a qualified referee on hand is one of the few essentials for every rugby game. Most active players probably don’t realize it, but there is an critical lack of rugby referees in the USA. Because rugby clubs in Texas are so geographically disbursed, the few referees we do have travel extensive distances to games. Referees will often drive 4 hours in each direction to referee a game. Some will do this multiple times during a weekend.

With more games in 2016 than ever before, the rugby community needs to actively promote refereeing as a option for younger, injured and soon-to-be-retiring players. Younger players can dramatically increase their rugby IQ by studying the law book and taking up a whistle. Retiring players who choose to referee can bring a wealth of on-field experience to high-school and college matches.

Referee Performance Reviewer Course – Feb 26-28 @ Allen, TX

Date/Time: Friday, Feb. 26, 2016 (6:00 PM) – Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016 (12:00 PM)
Organizer: Texas Rugby Referee Association
Clinic Description
Must arrive in time for 6 PM session Friday evening.
Course will conclude by noon on Sunday
Location & Contact Information
Facility: The Den

109 N Greeneville Ave Allen, TX 75002

Course Host: Peter Watson
Course Leader: Harry Laws
Email: peter.watson@mailgw.com
Phone: 781-891-9041
 Registration Information & Fees
Entry Deadline: 2/16/2016 6:00:00 PM
You must be a member of USA Rugby to participate in this event
Registration Options
Registration Option Price
Event Entry Fee $120.00

 Register Now!

Women’s Referee Development Opportunity – Atlanta 7s

Atlanta 7sIf you haven’t heard, there is an approved grant to develop women referees in the USA.  Since Texas is its own Geographic Union we can send at least 2 women to Atlanta 7s on April 8-9, 2016 for further development in the world of referees.  I have added the link below to the program.

We are going to hold a L1 referee course in Houston around Jan 16th.  Yes, just around the corner, so we need to move quickly.  The course will be for women only and I am bringing in a National Panel referee to help with the course.  There will actually be high school scrimmages to referee in during the course. That is the first time ever in Texas we have offered a chance to ref during an L1 course.  By the way, the course is FREE, FREE, FREE for any attendee.

I would like to see at least 10 women in this class.  We have 3 possible attendees already. The top two get a paid trip to Atlanta 7s.  How awesome is that?

So please send this out to every women’s club and player you know.  They can contact me or Scott Green sgreen@texasrugbyunion.com to get on the list for the course and ask any questions.

I really appreciate you helping us with this great opportunity.

Cheers, Butch

TRRA Chairman

https://usarugby.org/try-on-rugby#section=grant-programs

New Kit is HERE!

Happy Holidays!!!

Just in time for Christmas, we are very excited to unveil the new referee kit. Please go to this link which is our very own store:

https://shop.fifteenbrand.com/index.php/team-stores/organizations/trra.html

Very important to note that these bundles are only available for a few weeks then the items will be available individually. You definitely want to bundle because of the huge discount and you want to order now to have it in time for the spring season (Jan – May).

Our recent poll showed that 100% of you wanted a new kit and One of our goals this year was to get all active referees into the same kit. This is very important and here’s why. The quality of rugby has gone up exponentially in the last couple of years. USA Rugby has taken notice and we are going to see a lot of attention given to Texas. USA Men’s have two matches coming up and we have our local teams that will be competing for national championships. These are great opportunities where TRRA will be involved and a chance to show the country and even the world where the best referees are in the U.S.

We are asking all active referees to purchase at least the basic kit. Every tournament/match I have been to in Texas the last few years, we rarely had a team of 3 in the same kit. We need to have that ability, every time. Since the previous kits are no longer available, we have come up with this awesome kit with several options.

If you have any questions, please email Scott Green: sgreen@texasrugbyunion.com

You will need to take a close look at the sizing. For example, I normally wear a Large in the old kit or a Canterbury, but in this kit, it will be an XL. Shorts seem to be normal. I wear a Large (36 in waist) and they fit very nice.

Look forward to kicking off the spring season with everyone in the new kit.

Take care and thank you for all you do on and off the pitch.

World Rugby Playing Charter & Values

The TRU and TRRA adhere to the World Rugby Playing Charter and World Rugby Values.

World Rugby Playing Charter

The Charter covers the basic principles of Rugby as they relate to playing and coaching, and to the creation and application of the Laws. It is hoped that the Charter, which is an important complement to the Laws of the Game, will set the standards for all those who are involved in Rugby, at whatever level.

World Rugby Values

The core values enable participants immediately to understand the character of the Games and what makes it distinctive as a sport which is played by people of all shapes and sizes.

irb-values