Country NSW Referees experience IGA National Premier Leagues football
Four referees between 15 and 17 years of age travelled from Country NSW to Sydney last weekend to learn and develop their skills in our state’s premier competition.
The Referee Development Program, supported by insurer Sportscover, provided opportunities for Rhys Bennett (Albury), Roly Jones-Whittem (Merimbula), Dean Burge (Griffith) and Ryan Kurtz (Mudgee) to referee the round 20 fixtures between APIA Leichhardt Tigers and South Coast Wolves at Lambert Park. The four referees rotated between roles on the U14s, U15s, U16s and U18s matches.
The participants were hand-picked by Football NSW Referee Manager Kris Griffith-Jones and recommended by their local branch as excellent young referees who are determined to advance their skills towards becoming an elite referee.
“This is a fantastic initiative by Sportscover which will help us provide further opportunities for referees in regional areas of New South Wales,” Griffith-Jones said.
“Often these areas don’t have sufficient referees to cover matches or the resources to provide quality assessment and development opportunities.”
Dean Burge, 17, from Griffith was thrilled to have the opportunity to referee an IGA National Premier Leagues match.
“I’ve never seen anything like it – it was extremely quick and was an amazing experience,” Burge said.
“The quality was a lot higher than I was used to and they kept me on my toes but I kept up with it.”
Sportscover CEO David Lamb was delighted to be able to support them program.
“This is a great way for Sportscover to be actively involved in the development of football in New South Wales,” Lamb said.
“To be able to help those who support the game, especially in regional areas, aligns strongly with what we do as a business which is to provide support within the sports industry.”
Football NSW Chief Executive Eddie Moore emphasised the importance of helping the development of referees across the state.
“Football NSW is committed to the development of our referees and are investing significantly in this area of football,” Moore said
“Having the likes of Kris Griffiths-Jones, a current A-League referee, as part of our team not only provides valuable experience to us but helps young referees understand the pathway to becoming an elite referee.
