Rugby League Ireland last week introduced eighteen referees into the game when two RLEF Match Officials courses were held in Portarlington and Belfast. Participants were put through their paces by RLI Match Officials Co-ordinator Jason Craughwell and RLEF Match Officials Manager Steve Davis in the build up to the 2012 season.

"I am very impressed with both the number and quality of match official candidates who participated in the courses over the weekend. It is great to see players give back to the sport. It was equally impressive to see newcomers to rugby league eager to contribute to the game in Ireland. I am sure we will see a number of the candidates officiating across Europe in the coming years."

The courses were part of the RLEF’s ongoing Technical Strateg and the Leonardo da Vinci Technical Foundation Project, aimed at building the capacity of member governing bodies and producing independently active tutors. Craughwell had completed Phase 1 of the programme in May and now became the first RLI tutor to train and qualify local match officials. The Level 1 course included a detailed look at the laws of rugby league as well as a positional workshop geared at assisting the candidates in their management of the game. All new match officials will get their first chance of testing their refereeing skills on May 5th at the Belfast 9s before the season starts on the 12 May.

Davis was very impressed with the direction RLI match officials are progressing: “I couldn’t praise the weekend any more. Jason proved himself a very competent tutor and both he and the rest of the management of RLI had obviously promoted the course very well with 18 candidates in attendance. The level of understanding for the Laws of the Game was equally impressive and I expect the qualified officials will have a hugely positive impact on the enjoyment of all rugby league participants in Ireland”.

Speaking following the courses RLI General Manager outlined how vital a role the new match officials will play. “Referees are a huge part of the game of rugby league and without them the game cannot continue to develop here. There are great opportunities here for referees to advance up the match official’s ladder here in Ireland also with our interprovincial series as well as the Amateur 4 Nations."