BC Rugby are excited to announce the first series of Virtual Referee Development sessions, intended to provide referees across BC with virtual training content delivered over Zoom while in-person education is still unavailable due to COVID-19 restrictions. The series follows the theme of Mental & Interpersonal Skills relevant to Match Officials, and is the first in of five different themes that will be covered by Virtual Referee Development sessions. Three different sessions are being offered within this theme, with the opening session scheduled for Sunday, April 11th. 

The inaugural session will provide referees with some practical communication tools to employ in personal, professional and rugby situations, and is aimed at building relationships on and off the field – an essential skill in refereeing. Sean McDonaugh, MLR Coach of Match Officials and Director of Rugby at Royal Military College, will lead an interactive session on improving how to improve communication skills for all levels of Match Officials. 

 The series continues on April 18th, where Rugby Canada’s Andrew McMaster will share his experience from the world of refereeing, referee management and international relations. 

“Referees are not only ambassadors of the game, but also representatives of themselves”, said Chris Assmus, Rugby Education Manager at BC Rugby. “It can be a lonely role, but with the right approach, Match Officials can self-advocate and give themselves the best chance to succeed as they experience new environments.”  

The final session in the series will be offered on Wednesday, April 21st, featuring Super Rugby referee Amy Perrett.  

Registration is free and open to all. The first session in the series kicks off at noon (Pacific Time) on Sunday April 11th. Meeting links and reminders will be provided to all those who register here.