WARRINGTON Rugby League Referees’ Society continues to lead the way with recruitment of rugby league match officials with the appointment of youngster Luke Keeling to his first rugby league match as a referee.
Luke, 14, was appointed to referee Culcheth Eagles Under 11s v Halton Farnworth Hornets Under 11s, and became the first new Warrington society recruit to referee their first game during the 2017 season.
Watching from the sideline was Warrington Rugby League Referees’ Society Development Officer, Graeme Chicken, who said: “Luke performed admirably throughout his first match, refereeing with confidence and applied his knowledge of the laws of the game extremely well. It is commendable to the society’s training and development programme, and to Luke himself, that both coaches after the game praised him for his performance on the day.”
The Rugby Football League will host their next Match Officials course at Crosfields ARLFC, Hood Lane Recreation Ground, Hood Lane North, Great Sankey, Warrington, WA5 1EY, over two nights on Monday, April 24 and Tuesday, April 25, from 6.30pm until 9pm. The course is the perfect opportunity for wannabe match officials to take their first steps onto becoming the next rising star of rugby league refereeing. It is also an excellent opportunity for those who still want to enjoy being active within the sport, to get fit, and be part of rugby league at a community level.
Graeme added: ““Becoming an RFL match official is more than just applying the rule of the game and getting fit. It builds social skills, both with peers and players, and develops self-confidence and a range of other social skills. We’ve seen young referees develop from quiet and shy individuals, we’ve given them the encouragement to take the lead and control games, which has seen them grow into mature and confident men and women away from the rugby field as well as on it.”
Further details on how to register for the course can be found at www.warringtonrlrs.webs.com,or alternatively contact the RFL Match Officials Department on 0113 823 9178 or email [email protected] for further information.
Luke Keeling (left) accepts his referees’ shirt from Warrington Rugby League Referees’ Development Officer Graeme Chicken (right) prior to Luke’s first game as a referee.
