Image credit: Charlotte Junior Rugby Assocation
Rugby is slowing waking up from an extended slumber throughout the Midwest, and the CARFU Referee Society is no exception. With the Midwest Rugby Union, CARFU, and Rugby Illinois having approved return-to-play protocols, the CARFU Referee Society is ready to get out on to the pitch.
If you’re a referee and have questions about returning to refereeing, please reach out to us. Dawn McKenzie remains our Referee Retention Officer and you can also email our president, Martin Dunne with any of your questions.
If you’re part of club looking to schedule referee, here’s what you need to know:
- First, scheduling a referee can now be done by filling out a form. Be sure to include the relevant information so we can staff the match appropriately
- We will primarily handling referee requests on a first-come, first-served basis this spring. There is no league play at any level this spring, so no single match is more “important” than any other match.
- Referee numbers are limited. We have fewer than 20 referees who are comfortable covering matches at this time. That number may increase, but even if it does, there is no guarantee that we will have someone available for your match.
- All clubs must observe all of the respective return-to-play guidelines at all times without exception. Failure to comply will result in the referee abandoning the match. In addition, referees will not be assigned to any match involving the offending team for the remainder of spring 2021. The requirements for play may seem onerous, but they are necessary to make playing a contact sport during a global pandemic as safe as possible, and they ensure that rugby is a good neighbor to all.
- As game time is capped at 60 minutes, we have prorated our match fees for the spring season. The match fee for clubs and colleges is $115 (instead of $150), while for U19 it is $100 (instead of $120). Middle school remains unchanged at $50 per 50-minute match.
We look forward to seeing you on the pitch this spring!