New sponsor on board for referees

Taranaki's rugby referees are staying rural.

After nine years of being sponsored by Taranaki Farmers, the whistle blowers have announced a new three-year deal with rural supplies store Farmlands.

"Refereeing from the sidelines has always been a passion of mine," Farmlands regional manager Keith Stockman said.

"I just feel it's an excellent thing to get involved with because where the hell would we be without referees. I mean, everybody wants to sponsor the Taranaki A team but I think it's more beneficial for our wider community for us to come in on the referees' side."

Taranaki Rugby Referees' Association chairman Ray Hopkinson said the deal was "vitally important" for the sustainability of referees in the province.

"Financially, obviously is the main reason, but there is a huge opportunity for us to promote the Farmlands brand and to increase our involvement in recruitment, which is a big task for us over the next few years."

While Stockman did not want to divulge how much the deal was worth, he did anticipate their association would extend past the initial three-year agreement. "It is a significant investment," he said.

With only 45 referees on their books to cover every grade in the province, Hopkinson was more than keen to try and bolster that number.

"It's getting to the stage where we really have to work harder to get a lot more young guys on board," he said. "We need more referees, it's as simple as that."

A phone call was all that was needed to get involved, he said, with newcomers given the necessary tuition and advice to get them started. There association was also a close network who met on a weekly basis throughout the season.

Taranaki Rugby referees' education officer Matt Peters said there had to be more onus put on clubs to encourage members to pick up a whistle. "We need club captains, presidents, coaches tapping people on the shoulder," he said. "We need to create a positive culture about what it means to be a referee."

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