Naas RFC – A Referee Culture

Glaswegian Alistair Finlayson worked in Germany, the Netherlands and the Far East before his wife Marie guided him back to Ireland. Through the years, rugby has been a constant companion, providing the path for many friendships at home and abroad. When Alistair’s son Ewan turned seven in 2012, his lifelong interest in rugby was renewed through coaching at Naas. “I had been away from rugby for seven years and I got involved in coaching Ewan’s minis at the club,” he says. In 2017, when Ewan moved on to secondary school, Alistair decided to stay involved in the game by taking up the whistle. “I wanted to continue my involvement in rugby,” he explains. “When you get to a certain age, there is the will to stay fit by doing something active outdoors. “It is giving something back to the game I have played since I was six. “I like the personal challenge to be the best referee I can be on the pitch, contributing to the game that way. “A lot of the referees we have like to referee youths because they can see the benefit of working keenly with coaches of boys and girls who are in the 13-16 age range. “It is to give the players the benefit of their experience, teaching them the right playing and behavioural requirements. “The behavioural aspect comes down to the respect given by the referees to the players and the players back to the referees.” Alistair is one of 17 referees who work as mentors, active referees or are trainees at Naas Rugby Club.

These referees represent a wide range of refereeing experience and ability. This blend helps with a strong feeling of working and supporting all ages and grades in the club.It covers a wide range of referees — from trainees to Youth referees to Leinster and National Panel refs, with ages ranging from early 20s to over 60. Two female referees have recently picked up the whistle in Naas, as well. “I think it is probably the most in Leinster,” he says. “There is one mentor and currently two trainees in that group. Then there are 14 active referees who go out and take charge of games on a week-by-week basis. “Hopefully, the two trainees will be full members by the end of the season, around March or April time.” Alistair believes the success of attracting referees at Naas can be replicated elsewhere. “It comes down to a touch of luck, right people, right place, right time. We have a group of like-minded people involved in rugby, beyond the coaching or the playing spheres. “We enjoy each other’s company and feel positive about being involved,” he says.

There is also the interest to go beyond the club and to improve the structure and quality of refereeing across the North Midlands and the rest of Leinster. “We have Barry Redmond as Honorary Secretary of the Leinster Rugby Referees and Keith Spendlove as the Honorary Treasurer,” he says. “Tom O’Malley is the incoming Mentoring and Coaching Manager and I am the North Midlands Area representative. “Paul Stapleton was a former President of the club. Mick Cahill was a CCRO (Club Community Rugby Officer) “We have a lot of people who had and have different roles within the rugby organisations and have felt the joy of making the club better in many different ways. “The club benefits from and recognises that. Mick Forrestal, a National Panel referee, helps coach the Seniors and the J1s, as well as supporting the development of the referees in the club. “We are also reaching out to the Seniors and the Age Grade coaching teams in the club, for others to consider refereeing.”

A simple story from last summer sums up the collective ‘can do’ attitude of this tight group. The referees of Naas set about upgrading their dressing room, a 20-foot container with a shower and toilet at the back. “We spent the summer pulling it apart and repainting it,” Alistair explains. “We got a couple of guys together — one a woodwork teacher — who cut up wood for new benches. We ripped out the old seats, replaced them and painted the benches and the outside. “We got some nice signs which reflect the ethos of how we feel the referees should be welcomed to the club. “Outside, we put up memes which talk about respect for the game, respect for the referees, respect for the opponents, playing well and losing graciously.” It didn’t cost the world. The purchase of the paint and the wood for less than €1,000 enabled the graft of the volunteers to do the rest of the work. “Naas is a senior club with quite a large membership, drawing on those numbers to get more people into refereeing,” Alistair says. In the wider context, Naas is one of a cluster of clubs trying to attract ex-players or those with an interest to join the club of referees. “One of the things we try to do in the North Midlands is to encourage more referees to come through every year,” Alistair adds. “There are other clubs that are bringing in new referees in the North Midlands, like Athy and Newbridge. The overall area is very active. “The North Midlands has 52 referees (out of a total of 350 active members in Leinster Rugby Referees) and has brought on seven new referees this year. We want the same number next year. “We are looking for people to consider refereeing as a means of staying involved in rugby.” The referees in the club have identified many key drivers in growing the refereeing community.

Support from Naas RFC

• Naas Annual Award for Referee of the Year.
• Free Club membership.
• Recognising referees as a key element across the club’s wider activities from AIL level through Senior Men’s and Women’s teams, Youth, Mini and Diversity teams in the club.
• Working with the Senior team and socialising with the Youth coaches (many of the referees come through this route)

Support from the North Midlands Area

• Active community to encourage clubs to promote refereeing in the Provincial Area.
• Support and training for trainee referees.
• Encouragement to improve and develop as a referee to higher panels.

Active and Supportive team of referees in Naas

• Support, mentoring and training to trainee referees.
• Fostering a strong community feeling through activities such as the redevelopment of the Naas Referees Room.
• An active WhatsApp group.
• Refereeing opportunities at the annual U-11 Joe Moran Tournament for new referees.
• Achievement of a critical mass to support, encourage, review and critique colleagues. Touch judge for refs, travel to games etc.
• Involvement in the Leinster Rugby Referee (LRR) association at different levels with different roles, giving a good exposure of Naas in the LRR.
• Naas referees bring a wide range of different experiences from their day jobs to the lives of Naas referees.