Referees Help Clubs to Play On
The Rugby Football Referees Union, the referees’ national governing body, has helped to return a substantial sum to the game.
This has gone either directly to clubs or through their Constituent Bodies. The RFRU says that, so far, some £170,200 has gone to the game. This adds to the RFU’s £7m relief package for community clubs.
Savings came with the help of Referee Societies through a mixture of direct refunds, not billing for services already provided, payment holidays for all or part of next season, and not implementing intended fee increases for clubs, covering match official costs for next season and other means.
“Individual Referee Societies are sending benefits which reflect the size of the area and number of clubs they cover," said group captain Mike Priestley, RFRU chairman.
“The Rugby Football Referees Union encouraged Referee Societies to consider their options for supporting the wider game through innovative financial measures and by the RFRU not taking up the second round of RFU budgeted training and development monies, ordinarily used to support Referee Society training.”
Michael Patz, match official development manager, added: “I would like to thank member Referee Societies who moved rapidly and provided refunds of charges levied against clubs for the provision of match officials. The response has been amazing and is continuing across the country.
“Covid-19 will hit our clubs hard. These gestures in support of affiliated clubs which, in normal times, we have the pleasure of visiting and being hosted at each week will help to ensure that when the 2020-21 season does start we will still have that breadth of clubs to be welcomed at to enjoy officiating the game that we all love.”
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