Statement from club President on refereeing

Dear Queanbeyan Whites Community

It is great to be back playing, supporting and watching the game that we love. The frosty mornings and cold winds that we have started to experience sure does make it feel like rugby season.

Many of you would know that our game is suffering from a significant lack of match officials with a number of referees leaving for different reasons this year and no significant influx of people prepared to take up the whistle.

This being the case, it is imperative that we look after the ones that we do have and treat them with the respect they deserve, because as we all know, without them, we simply do not have a game.

It is unfortunate that I need to report of incidents involving individuals involved in both our senior and junior clubs not showing that respect to referees. One incident has seen a match official walk away from the game which is not only something that we cannot afford but also embarrassing for us as a club to contribute to.

I myself have been guilty of this type of behaviour in the past, something I am not proud of and something that I have learnt from. I get that at times when participating or watching a game that you care about, emotions can run high and that can result in saying something that is inappropriate in the heat of the moment, but it is not something that we should accept of ourselves or others and something which we should all be determined to improve.

As a club, we will not be accepting of this behaviour moving forward and will be taking action against individuals who are guilty of behaviour that is considered dissent or abuse of match officials.  

We would like to encourage players, parents, former players and general supporters of our club to give refereeing a go. I myself have started to referee games in recent years and have found it a rewarding way to contribute to the game.

For current players or parents of junior players, anyone that is prepared to register with the referees association, complete the minimum requirements to referee matches and be appointed to and officiate 3 matches at either junior or senior level, the club will reimburse you the cost of you or your child’s registration fee in full.

If you do not fall into this category but are interested in giving it a go, we would be happy to talk to you about how we can support you in doing so.

There are also match payments from junior clubs or through the association for senior matches.

To find out how to become a referee, visit the ACT Rugby Referees Association’s website at http://www.actrra.org.au/become-a-referee.html

These club supported spots are limited and more information from the club can be gained through emailing me at president.whitesrugby@gmail.com

We look forward to everyone complying with the standards of behaviour that are acceptable and encourage you to either approach another person who is not compliant or let a club official know so that we can talk with that individual.

We want everyone to enjoy our great game and do it in a way that values our match officials and shows them the respect they deserve.

Thanks

Grant Jones

President

Queanbeyan Rugby Union Football Club