Thank you for your interest in joining LSRFUR

So, you want to become a referee? There are a number of ways of getting involved!

One of the best ways to get a taster could be through our “Take Up the Whistle” course - it’s an introduction to all things refereeing and is run by our own training team. Latest course dates are here.

Alternatively, to get a feel for refereeing and the society, you could come along to a training event in one of the regions - contact details are on the respective regional pages.

For those who are already qualified referees, transferring from another Society in the UK or overseas, you can download and complete the New Referees Application Form.

Once completed, please email to society Recruitment Manager, Tim Lynch:  tim.lynch@londonrugby.com or 07375 524725.

If you aren’t qualified, and want to safely enjoy refereeing adult rugby, you will need to complete the England Rugby Refereeing Award - further details of courses and locations can be found on our Training Courses page.

Please see the below reimbursement of Referee Course Fees information

Download the new joiners form below, or get in touch with our Recruitment Manager, Tim Lynch:  tim.lynch@londonrugby.com

As a new referee,  you are entitled to one free set of kit (1 x shirt, 1 x shorts, 1 x socks). For more details and the order form, refer to the New Referees section in the shop and kit section HERE.

Reimbursement of Course Fees and Scholarships

Recognising that courses are not necessarily cheap any longer, the Society has invested in a scheme to reimburse those who join and officiate 10 games for the Society. In addition we have launched a scholarship scheme for Young Match Officials too. This scheme is an improvement on our previous scheme, and we believe is the most generous scheme in the country, as we seek to continue to recruit enough referees to help develop and grow the Community Game.

 The scheme now offers that:

 Reimbursement of Course Fees (using form below)

• Where a referee joins the Society following the Take Up The Whistle (TUTW) course and does 10 appointments by the end of the season following, we will reimburse their TUTW course fee (currently £25) in full. If they also do the RFU ERRA course, that fee (currently £75) will also be refunded)

• Where a referee joins the Society following the RFU ERRA course and does 10 appointments by the season following, then their course fee will be refunded and they will be presented with the cards and whistle that is given to those who undertake the TUTW as part of that course.

 Scholarships for 16-24 year old

Also, noting the financial impact of the RFU course fees on younger people, the Society has agreed to introduce a scholarship scheme, where by application appropriate individuals who are 16-24 years old will have their course fees paid upfront (to avoid the out of pocket expense) and receive an element of differential support which the Match Official Development Committee are considering. Should you wish to be considered under this scheme, please contact Tim Lynch, the Recruitment Manager.

Further details in relation to the scheme and its aims are available in the attached paper, alongside the fees claim form, below.

Information for New Referees

The Society is divided into four regions, each with its own Regional Manager and Appointments Secretary. As well as covering central London fixtures, each region has loose geographic boundaries:

• North Region: Essex and part of Middlesex

• South East Region: Kent and part of Surrey

• South West Region: Majority of Surrey

• West Region: Majority of Middlesex

Each region has a Regional Manager and recruitment teams to on-board new referees.  As a Regional referee you will normally be appointed to games within that geographical Region. Each Region has regular meetings, roughly every 6 weeks. The meetings are a great opportunity to meet other referees and to learn from the Guest Speakers. The programme of meetings contributes to your overall Continuous Referee Development, so whilst not compulsory, you are strongly encouraged to get along to as many as possible. The Society also hosts a number of Central Meetings each season, held in central London.

LSRFUR: Women into refereeing

LSRFUR: Young Referees

LSRFUR is working hard to recruit and develop the next generation of Match Officials. In this video, find out how Young Match Officials at one School have developed their on-field skills, and how refereeing has given them broader skills with which to grow and develop as individuals.