Welcome to the Advantage Over podcast, the only podcast for the global rugby referee community, brought to you by RugbyReferee.net. We’ll be covering the issues you, the rugby referee community, want to listen to.
We know that most of our readers will be referees, prospective referees or actively involved in some other match official capacity. So we want to know from you what you’d like to listen to while you’re training, driving to or from a game, or just while you’re getting on with your day-to-day life.
But we also know that some of you are just rugby fans who want an insight into our world, or to question things. You’re just as welcome and we’d like to hear from you too!
What’s a podcast? Podcasts are free on-demand audio programmes which can be streamed via the pages below, or from any podcast player/distributor you may have on your phone or in your car. Dowload and listen whenever suits you. Did we mention they were free? You can subscribe to them, but that’s just so every new episode can automatically drop into your phone when they come out.
Let us know in the comments below and we’ll see what we come up with!
Stay tuned!
Episode 0 – What Advantage Over is all about
Episode 1 – 27 July 2017 – Appointments news & World Rugby law update
Episode 2 – 11 August 2017 –Rose LaBreche, Canada’s Referee of the Year joins us from the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland
Episode 3 – 25 August 2017 – Fitness expert Ross Hanbury joins us to discuss training, diet and sleep!
Episode 4 – 8 September 2017 – We’re talking concussion and the New Zealand Blue Card trial with Scott Maclean
Episode 5 – 31 May 2018 – What the RFU are doing to attract more female rugby referees with Clare Daniels
Episode 6 – 15 June 2018 – Craig Joubert joins us to talk about refereeing 7s
Episode 7 – 29 June 2018 – The nine attributes you need to become a rugby referee
Episode 8 – 13 July 2018 – SA Referees Academy boss Hendrik Greyvenstein joins us to talk about their unique initiative
Episode 9 – 27 July 2018 – Referee development with Jamie McGregor, Match Official Manager for Community Rugby at Rugby Australia
Episode 10 – 30 September 2018 – Joya Clark from Seattle, talks about being a student at the SA Referees Academy (see Episode 8)
Episode 11 – 12 October 2018 – Phil Everitt talks about his unique spot in education rugby fans attending Leicester Tigers matches on refereeing matters
Episode 12 – 30 November 2018 – Craig Evans of the WRU joins us to talk about 7s and 15s refereeing
Episode 13 – 14 January 2019 – Update on various appointments, Law changes and an interview with the founder of Rugby SOS Kit Aid, John Broadfoot
Episode 14 – 28 February 2019 – Andrew Brace joins us to talk about life as a professional referee in Ireland, the Pro14 and World Rugby
Episode 15 – 8 March 2019 – Mui Thomas joins us on International Women’s Day to talk about her refereeing journey while living with Harlequin Ichthyosis
Episode 16 – 4 April 2019 – Richard Every, referee manager for US Major League Rugby joins us talk about the elite level of north American refereeing
Episode 17 – 9 May 2019 – A Rugby World Cup referee, AR and TMO special edition outlining the Team 21 squad and some pearls from Alain Rolland in for good measure too!
Episode 18 – 25 May 2019 – Alhambra Nievas, World Rugby’s Referee Development Officer talks to us about the recent High Performance Women’s Camp at Stellenbosch, South Africa which brought together high ranking players, coaches, match officials and strength & conditioning to further the women’s game.
Episode 19 – 23 June 2019 – Cody Neilson from Auckland Rugby, joins us to explain about their Associate Referee programme
Episode 20 – 13 September 2019 – Wayne Barnes talks about his career and how he manages life alongside being an RFU referee, World Rugby & Rugby World Cup referee
Episode 21 – 9 November 2019 – We look at our eight refereeing takeaways from Rugby World Cup 2019
Episode 22 – 13 December 2019 – Refereeing the scrum with Scrumstrong.com‘s Sam Needs
Episode 23 – 11 February 2020 – The new referee – Alistair Falconer Hall talks about getting into refereeing and his first few games
Episode 24 – 9 April 2020 – Refereeing in-goal – first in a series of shorter podcasts on specific areas of the game
Episode 25 – 27 April 2020 – Refereeing advantage – What does the law say, and what should we be thinking about when it comes to advantage and how we referee it?
Episode 26 – 12 May 2020- Bonus episode briefly covering the latest law change from World Rugby – scoring against the post is no more
Episode 27 – 21 May 2020 – Mental Health, Resilience and refereeing – Nick Marshall from Marshalling Men’s Minds is our guest this week
Episode 28 – Post-Covid law variations outlined by World Rugby
Episode 29 – Three blokes, a ball and Bod: A referee special – Cam Russell (Bay of Plenty), David Rose (Premiership referee, now TMO) join Keith and Joe Sheppard from Three blokes, a ball and Bod for a referee special
Episode 30 – Staying referee fit during the extended lockdown around the world. Ross Hanbury joins us again with some fitness, training, testing and nutrition advice
Episode 31 – Referee development strategy in Scotland – Andrew Macpherson joins us to talk about their new three year strategy for refereeing.
Episode 32 – Refereeing ugly. Keith talks about how we, as referees, can deal with the increasing element of ugly angst around our game.
Episode 33 – Mental skills for referees – sports psychologist Tim Wyatt joins us to talk about the way we can get ourselves prepared and ready to referee
Episode 34 – BONUS – Law changes in July 2022 – a walk-through of the changes made in July 2022 – the last set of changes before the RWC in 2023
Episode 35 – A new 2023 Law Application Guideline from World Rugby – what does it mean for referees of all levels around the world?
Episode 36 – NZ’s Head of Game Development Mike Hester explains their 2023 tackle height variations for the new season
Episode 37 – Referee news update – Keith walks through new law clarifications, some law issues in the media, the big RWC and JWC appointments, smart balls and the tackle height changes around the world.
Episode 38 – Refereeing with MND and a wheelchair – Keith chats to Graeme Bloom about his refereeing ambitions
Episode 39 – Top refereeing tips if youre a “Coach with a Whistle”
Episode 40 – What is going on with laws at World Rugby? Changes ahead?
Episode 41 – Launching our new Rugby Referee Journal – out now to buy
Episode 42 – What are the new Global Law Trials for 2025?
I would love this. I’ve never played, so my passion for the sport is sometimes lacking in practical understanding. Clear, straightforward discussion, analysis and opinions on the work you guys do. Make it fun, shouldn’t take itself too seriously. Include fun anecdotes, on and off pitch. Invite players, coaches for discussion etc.
Really love the pod! As a relatively new ref it would be great to hear some more discussion about the basics perhaps, positioning and useful phrases to use etc. There isn’t an exhaustive amount of information out there about this. I’d love to know if people have a way of reviewing their own games – a systematic approach so you can try and learn from each game?
Why did World Rugby not comment on ANGUS GARDNER blunder in the last moment of the England vs Springbok game last week?
In the same way they didn’t comment on the other 6,999 referee decisions that weekend. A cursory moment of objectivity would show you views on either side. So maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t a “blunder” but a different opinion to yours.
A question of rules –
The player in possession at the bottom of a ruck is lying on the ground, hands reaching backwards on the ball, thinks his 9 is going to take the ball and removes his hands then realises that is not going to happen and picks the ball up and pops it back to one of his own team ?? Surely he is then playing the ball off the ground !! Happened in the 20/21 minute of Wales v Australia immediately preceeding the Aussie try !!
Just listened to Episode 23, and as a newbie myself, wanted to say thank you so much for this interview. It was so good to hear about someone else’s first steps into refereeing.
Well that’s most kind. Glad it’s of some use to you! Let me know what else you’d find useful as a new referee! ^Keith