Who's the Ref and Find a Game FAQs

Modified on Wed, 5 Nov at 1:52 PM

What is the England Rugby Referee Association “Find a Game” platform?

England Rugby, in partnership with Who’s The Ref, have launched “Find a Game,” a new platform to help qualified referees find and choose fixtures to officiate. It supports the Winman Review’s goal of making match appointments more flexible and inclusive. Aimed at trained referees not yet part of a Referee Society, the platform offers opportunities to officiate lower-level and Age Grade matches, helping them gain experience and confidence. Referee Societies can also use the platform to assign unfilled fixtures, improving overall coverage. Participants will receive periodic support materials and guidance as part of their membership of the England Rugby Referee Association.

How are matches added to the “Find a Game” portal on Who’s The Ref?

All matches are automatically added to the portal via a link with GMS. It is therefore imperative that should any clubs wish their fixtures to appear on the portal, then they are added to GMS and approved by the away team (this is an automatic process 14 days after the fixture is initially added if not accepted before).

How do match officials request to join the England Rugby Referee Association on Who’s The Ref?

To sign up to the England Rugby Referee Association on Who's The Ref visit the registration page.

Are match officials able to claim travel expenses for matches they assign via the “Find a Game” portal?

Yes – match officials are entitled to request payment of their travel expenses at the agreed HMRC rate of 45p per mile.

Match officials that travel via public transport should request reimbursement for their return travel costs.

What measures are in place to address the requirement for a DBS accreditation for match officials within the Age Grade game?

When registering to join the England Rugby Referee Association on Who’s The Ref, the applicant is able to submit their DBS accreditation number and expiry date.

Furthermore, when searching for fixtures, individuals must tick a box confirming that they hold a valid DBS accreditation before submitting an offer to referee an age-grade fixture.

Spot checks will be carried out to ensure that individuals who are allocated against age-grade fixtures possess the required DBS accreditation.

Work is being carried out to make this process automatic in the future.

Who will be responsible should there be a safeguarding concern associated with the match official?

The primary port of call should be the Club Safeguarding Officer (CSO) who will then be able to report any incidents to the RFU Safeguarding team should it be deemed necessary.

What would the feedback/complaints process be should the match official not perform safely/optimally?

It is important to acknowledge that there is a perceptive angle to this, it is important that any feedback is inclusive of good quality video footage.

Constructive dialogue post-match should be encouraged as a development tool.

For serious concerns, these can be reported to the Match Official Development team, once again accompanied by video footage.

How would quality or incompetence be monitored and managed?

Should a report point to a training issue with a match official, that individual will be provided with training materials to assist with development moving forward.

It is important to note that all members of the England Rugby Referee Association on Who’s The Ref will receive regular send-outs containing links to CPD materials.

What support mechanisms are there for discipline issues (i.e. MOA, red cards etc)?

All members of the England Rugby Referee Association will be provided with access to the Referee Handbook that includes guidance on discipline procedures and links to all the relevant forms.

Is there a process for translating these match officials to within referee society membership?

We would encourage Referee Organisations, where possible, to engage with match officials undertaking fixtures as part of the England Rugby Referee Association.

This would most likely involve a coach or performance reviewer identifying an opportunity to attend a fixture and then providing feedback to the official.

It is hoped that this link would encourage match officials to join their local Referee Organisation to further their development, even if ultimately they do not wish to regularly undertake appointments.

How can we all support their quality of experience to promote translation to society membership?

As mentioned above, Referee Organisations should be encouraged to support the casual match officials of the England Rugby Referee Association.

This may involve attendance of coaches or performance reviewers, or an extended invitation for officials to attend training/monthly meetings.

What referee development is available for these match officials?

All members of the England Rugby Referee Association on Who’s The Ref will receive regular send-outs containing links to CPD materials.

Should clubs be reminded that the first port of call should be the local Referees Societies?

This is correct – clubs are encouraged to seek appointments from their local Referee Organisation in the first instance.

Is there a point of contact should concerns arise with particular referees, clubs etc?

Any concerns should be raised to the Match Official Development team via MatchOfficials@rfu.com.

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