North Wales referee Amanda Leah was persuaded by her son to take up refereeing despite never having picked up a rugby ball. She went along to a local Level 1 course and got a taste for refereeing through junior and youth rugby to such an extent she is now a Level 3 referee on the WRU Panel, which means she regularly takes charge of Specsavers National League matches throughout the season.
Amanda has also become qualified as a mentor and will help support new female referees as part of the Ready to Ref initiative.
She said, “I’d never even picked up a rugby ball when I first started. My son begged me to have a go after his rugby team didn’t have a coach as the coach had to step in and referee. I haven’t looked back since. I’ve had so much help and support and I would definitely advise others to give it a go.”
WRU Women and Girls’ General Manager Charlotte Wathan said, “We want to increase the opportunities available for women and girls to be involved with all aspects of rugby. That means playing opportunities but also coaching, refereeing and other volunteer roles.
“Whether you have ambitions of becoming the next Nigel Owens by representing Wales on the international stage or simply want to take an active part in junior club, school or Female Hub rugby, we will support you every step of the way with courses, mentoring and feedback.”
A specifically-designed and free of charge Ready to Ref Level 1 course will be held at the National Centre of Excellence, Hensol on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July and North Wales women can join the North Wales Level 1 refereeing course on Sunday 7 and Sunday 14 July.
CLICK HERE to register your interest and sign up
Participants will need to wear sports clothing, bring a drink and evidence of completion of an easy-use World Rugby laws test. Click here to find out more.
The Ready to Ref course will be useful even for women who already hold a WRU Level 1 Referee Qualification as it has been updated with new content and participants will then be part of the WRU #ReadyToRef mentoring programme.
