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Where are you this weekend - 2023/24?

Ciaran Trainor

Ciaran Trainor


Referees in England
Thought I'd get this going again.
Windermere v Buxton Pre-season Friendly Saturday, my 22nd season reffing.
Anyone in the lakes for the weekend? Come and have a pint.
kit.jpg
Had my first run out last week, Kirkby Lonsdale v Carlisle. No major issues with new tackle laws.
Checked my kit beforehand. Do you think I'll have enough shirts to avoid a colour clash this season?
 
Season opener tonight: Swanage & Wareham v Bournemouth 2 tonight (although the latter's Facebook suggests all senior players, so up to Regional 1). Hope that they are not too disappointed! And a MOD dusting off his cobwebs too.
 
Ciaran Trainor said:
Thought I'd get this going again.
Windermere v Buxton Pre-season Friendly Saturday, my 22nd season reffing.
Anyone in the lakes for the weekend? Come and have a pint.
View attachment 4615
Had my first run out last week, Kirkby Lonsdale v Carlisle. No major issues with new tackle laws.
Checked my kit beforehand. Do you think I'll have enough shirts to avoid a colour clash this season?
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Get those boots cleaned ;)
 
Tore my calf in pre season training.
Started jogging last weekend, so another 2 or 3 weeks at least until I can test it at full speed.
Hoping to be fit by the end of Sept latest?
 
Old Boys in Urbana, so usually splitting ref duties with another certified referee.

Looking to test fitness and survive - high temps have been pushing 100 (with heat indices > 110) for a week, but Saturday is supposed to be the first day with lower (but still warm) temps.
 
While in the Northern hemisphere you are all starting up for your season, it's the end of the XVs season here - grand finals for Seniors and Juniors.

I'll be out with the Juniors: U13s E grade, and I'm very grateful to have a Finals appointment in my first year in a new association.
 
Hoy hoy. I hope you all enjoyed the break - those that did.

Not refereed but have AR'd two so far.

Sheffield Tigers v Sandal a L4 v a L5 on 12th August - a bit cack really - spent 30 mins watching them "practising" LOs and Scrums then 2 30 mins playing a game. Better than nothing I suppose and it didn't rain at Dore Moor - always a plus.

Friday night however... Rotherham Titans v Durham University - L4 v L3 (BUCS Super League). Great game between two teams who wouldn't normally play each other. Rotherham's pack are massive and they have strengthened all over having recruited over the Summer bringing guys from Hull, Hull Ionians as well as a former Leeds Beckett player.

Durham competed well up front for most of the game although when the, what I assume will be their starting pack, came together the scrum was only heading one way. Rotherham won 22-19 with 4no. catch and drives. They'll take some stopping in N2N.

Not intending refereeing, I will continue with the flag waving unless something dramatic happens. Got a new RFU shirt - light blue - to compliment the Orange and the Green
 
Mipper said:
No games yet. All of the pre-season games go to the societies favourites ;)
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I do appointments , and that is certainly not the case when I do it !
Tip 1 update your availability again, as an appointer I like availability updated last week, I am suspicious about availability updated two months ago
Tip 2 , message your appointer and say you are really keen for a game and flexible
 
No game this week as off to Ullswater but had a couple of pre-season and a near L5 fitness test result so in the societies good books to be doing L7 as my base for the season, and I’m doing the RFU Advanced match official course - see what happens !

Promising start for next Sat, Hartlepool vs Sunderland L7 Counties 1
 
Back to full-time reffing this season having done a hybrid playing/reffing role for the previous two years... got sick and tired of not being able to consistently train in the gym during the week

First two pre-season games done -
Macclesfield U18 v Winnington Park U18 - L7/8 Colts Game
Crewe & Nantwich Ladies v Stafford Ladies - L9 Ladies Game
Really enjoyable so far - noticed I'm covering far more distance though this season under the new tackle height? - ran 6km for Sunday's Ladies game!?

Two Level 9 games that I'm appointed to in the week ahead sees me go to Sale FC on Saturday for their 2nd XV against Crewe's 2nd XV, and then Sunday sees me doing a L9 Junior Colts game - Didsbury Toc H U17s v New Brighton U17s. Nice start back for my first weekend back into full-time reffing - will be fun to see how my legs handle them after my first ever 10k race on Thursday evening...
 
Dickie E said:
what do you put that down to? I'm guessing the demise of the "ball 'n' all" tackle?
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Partly because I am the fittest I've ever been (5K PB last week... although my Bronco test attempt says otherwise)
Partly because the ball 'n' all tackle is diminished and far more off-loads were happening... equally some players were enjoying the fact that we can legally allow a single attempted 'rip' rather than a much slower hold and down.
 
This weekend back in N2N (L4) as AR.

Rotherham v Billingham

Rotherham have hoovered up a slack handful of new players from other Yorkshire clubs. Billingham were runaway winners at L5 last season so have the promotion buzz around the place I’d imagine. L5 to L4 is a big jump and Rotherham have a sprinkling of ex Prem, Champ and Nat 1 players. I’ve a feeling it’ll be a cricket score.
 
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