Lee Bryant will serve as lead referee at the NorCal Invitational. / Photo: Jackie Finlan
Paul Bretz is the president of the Northern California Rugby Referees Society (NCRRS) and endeavors to develop, train and recruit athletes to become better referees. He is also a coach for the Pleasanton Lady Cavaliers, where the development of athletes is also a prime responsibility.
“Sometimes I find opportunities to support player development, referee development, and create equity in sport,” Bretz looked toward the all-girls Rugby NorCal Invitational, which combines all of these efforts. “The NorCal Invitational provides high school athletes top-notch competition, middle school girls the opportunity to play 7s, and referee development and recruiting.”
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Last year, the NCRRS incorporated a Level 1 Referee Course into the tournament, and it focused solely on female athletes. It was so well received that the event ended up being officiated by an all-female staff.
“This year the NorCal Invitational is expanding the tournament to two days and we see it as another opportunity to focus our referee development and recruiting efforts on drawing more women into the game,” Bretz explained the return of the Level 1 Referee Course. “This provides us the opportunity to train referees on the field and get them ‘real world’ experience officiating games.”
That real-world experience is crucial in retaining new referees. During the previous 5-6 years, Bretz has been tracking how many people take the Level 1 Referee Course and then actually pick up the whistle to officiate games. A dismal 3%, across men and women, nationwide make it to the pitch, according to Bretz.
“The problem we see with referee recruiting is that someone takes a one-day course, and then it’s 2-3 weeks before they actually start refereeing. You can lose confidence [during that lag time], even though you’re adequately trained, and never transition to refereeing,” Bretz lamented.
Jessica Turner at the 2017 NorCal Invitational / Photo: Jackie Finlan
So in opportunities like the NorCal Invitational, candidates pair the classroom portion of the course with immediate on-field experience, allowing newcomers to shadow veteran referees and put their newly gained knowledge into practice. The retention rate of Level 1 referees who go on to officiate a match has risen from 3% to 16%.
“Senior referees will be available to support the development of trainees by allowing them to shadow the referees until they feel confident to run on their own,” Bretz explained the NorCal Invitational set-up. “NCRRS has done this on several other occasions this year, and the process helps ensure safety and get referee recruits valuable field time. The end result is a competently trained Level 1 referee who also has the confidence of doing games while training.”
The trainees will be working in the middle school 7s division, a perfect medium for new referees. The games are quick, there are multiple opportunities for coaching and instruction, and with only 14 players on the pitch, it’s a cleaner game to oversee.
Referee Leah Berard, seen here in Las Vegas, was a prevalent member of the 2017 NorCal Invitational lineup.
2017 returner Lee Bryant, a National Panel Referee and Referee Development Officer for Rugby NorCal, will be the referee in charge of the tournament, and she’ll be supported by Haley Aguilar of the Southern California Rugby Referee Society. They are charged with leading the NCRRS women’s referee pool and supporting the development of the female referee recruits.
“It was very rewarding to be a part of the course and observe new referees – especially when they also have a positive experience,” Bryant enthused. “The reason I started reffing and continued the course was because of these type of events and support from senior referees, so I feel as though I am giving back to the sport I love helping the next generation meet their goals.
“It also makes me happy because it helps the whole rugby community,” Bryant continued. “There simply aren’t enough refs, and if we are going to grow this game then we need to increase the number of officials available. Most kids or athletes don’t think about becoming an official but I want them to see there is a whole other world – and opportunities – as a rugby official. It is fun, keeps you involved in the sport, develops stellar people management skills, makes you a better player and can take you all around the county and world.”
The Rugby NorCal Invitational will serve as a celebration of women’s rugby, as the NorCal DII Club Championship will also take place in Livermore, Calif. On Saturday, April 14 at 3:00 p.m., the senior women’s league will contest its final and name its representative to the Pacific North DII Club Championship.
Bretz encourages any girl or woman who wants to learn more about the laws or curious about rugby to register for the course: goo.gl/iJpESs.
For more information on the NorCal Invitational, visit www.rsc2lc.com/norcalladiesinvitational/.