- Referee panel announced for 2022 Women’s Premier League season
- High Performance Referee Group formed
- National Development Group provides Strength & Conditioning and personalized coaching to the top 40 referees.
- Four new Regional Development Groups provide education to the nation’s top 100 referees
- Ambition to raise more USA Referees to elite and global World Rugby levels
USA Rugby have announced a major restructure referee development across the country, creating a new High Performance referee group, National development group and four new Regional Development groups.
The development pathways create a new focus on developing referees all around the USA, with clear ambition to increase the representation of domestic USA referees in the domestic US Major League Rugby (MLR) and then beyond to World Rugby levels. At the moment, US MLR uses elite guest referees from around the world, supported by USA match officials. USA Rugby are bidding to host 2029 and 2031 Rugby World Cup – the first time the global focus would turn west.
The new High Performance Referee Group, will be managed by long-serving MLR referee, Scott Green (pic right). Originally from Wellington, New Zealand, he moved to the US 25 years ago and has refereed in every season of the MLR so far. He’ll be responsible for increasing the representation of domestic USA referees across the global elite game. These referees will be involved in “XV Series” matches, the group partnering with the new league to provide targeted access to better matches.
As well as this group, there is a new focus on the women’s game, with Amanda Cox (pic left) heading a new group supporting the Women’s Premier League. As WPL Referee Manager, Cox will manage a team of nine referees and six reviewers, who will have weekly review sessions which will be open to the WPL coaches as well, in order to promote game understanding across all parties.
These developments come from the work of two working groups appointed by the USA Rugby Referees & Laws Committee (LRC) in 2021. The Development Working Group and Pathways Working Group work closely with local referee organisations to ensure any initiatives meet the needs of referees across the United States.
The Development Working Group is chaired by New York-based referee coach Rosalind Anderson, and is tasked with providing continuing education to match officials from the time they finish a Level 1 course onwards. They provide content for local-level referees, and promote a regional structure with four Regional Development Groups. This support’s the nation’s top 100 referees.
The Pathways Working Group, chaired by RLC Chair Olivia Rogers, is tasked with providing transparency, communication, and consistency in the management of referees across National Performance Leagues and in the pathway from Regional Development Groups to higher levels. This involves the selection of the National Development Group, a core group of approximately 40 referees of national interest who will receive strength and conditioning support, along with personalised coaching. A team of 20 referee coaches has also been selected to work one-on-one with these referees to provide long-term coaching support.
The membership of the various groups will be reviewed before each Autumn and Spring season.
“The creation of all these programs has been the result of ongoing engagement with Local Referee Organizations across the country, and the work of many volunteers on the working groups who have helped design and create a pathway that works for the unique structures in the United States. I’d like to thank Olivia and Rosalind in particular for their leadership, and congratulate the referees involved in these various development groups.” said USA Rugby’s Referee Manager and Director of Training and Education, Jamie McGregor. “Over time, I am confident USA Rugby will reap the benefit of investing heavily in our match officials – better officials, better game.”
2022 WPL REFEREE PANEL
Referees: Haley Aguiar, Shanda Assmus (Canada), Dan Frankenfeld, Bryan Hall, Emily Hsieh, Jenny Lui, Chris O’Malley, Marty Steffens, Andrew Stockton.
Reviewers: Rosalind Anderson, Lee Bryant, Bob Hausler, Olivia Rogers, Peter Watson, Wendy Young
Manager: Amanda Cox
USA RUGBY HIGH PERFORMANCE REFEREE GROUP
Referees: Marquise Goodwin, Cisco Lopez, Amelia Luciano, Gavin McCandless, Will Nelson, Kat Roche, De Wet Roos, Lex Weiner
Manager: Scott Green
Full list of USA Rugby National Development Group (NDG), NDG Coaches and Members of Regional Development Group (RDG) can be found here:
