Become a match official!
Becoming a referee is easy. Your first step should be to contact the CARFU-RS board using the form below. The Admin Officer will talk you through getting your qualification. Then you will go through the registration process. Before you know it, you will be on the field!
People usually become involved in 1 of 2 ways:
Referee
If you would like to referee, you need to be at least 15 years old. You can get a head start by taking an Introduction to Match Officiating online. Our team will reach out to you with information on getting your Level 1 Refereeing qualification, offered in person annually. But we will get you on the pitch ASAP to shadow and learn in an assistant referee capacity. You can find more material online via the Rugby Learning Centre.
Assistant Referee
The center referee is assisted by two individuals, one on each sideline with a flag. If the individuals are not certified, they are touch judges (TJ). Each team provides one touch judge who are responsible for signaling touch, touch in-goal, and the success of kicks at goal. If the individuals are certified, they are assistant referees (AR). Assistant referees provide additional assistance as the referee directs, including the reporting of foul play. The referee society manages and assigns ARs and they are paid positions.
Becoming an Assistant Referee is a great way to start getting involved in refereeing rugby. You can learn more about being an AR by taking the Introduction to Assistant Refereeing course online. To get certified as an Assistant Referee, you must complete the Assistant Referee Level 1 course – register via the Rugby Learning Centre.