- USA Rugby Referee & Laws Committee seat Working Group Chairs and Members to foster five segments of laws and officiating within USA Rugby competitions.
- Working Groups include Development, Pathways, Match Management, Governance and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
The USA Rugby Referee & Laws Committee have finalized and seated Chairs and Members for five Working Groups, geared towards focusing committee and organizational efforts into areas of strategic growth. These Working Groups include Development, Pathways, Match Management, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Governance.
REFEREE & LAWS COMMITTEE WORKING GROUPS
| DEVELOPMENT | |
| Name | Region or Role |
| Rosalind Anderson | Chair |
| Lindsey Oliver | DE&I |
| Matt Lake | Eastern RDG |
| Marquise Goodwin | Western RDG |
| Anthony Lovegrove | Independent |
| Steve Parrill | Southern RDG |
| Katie Hunzinger | East Penn Rugby Referee Society |
| TBC | Midwest RDG |
| Haylee Slaughter | Southern RDG |
| PATHWAYS | |
| Name | Role or Region |
| Olivia Rogers | Chair |
| TBC | DE&I |
| Josh Houston | Midwest RDG |
| Haylee Slaughter | Southern RDG |
| Pete Smith | Western RDG |
| Jake Steel | Eastern RDG |
| Nick Ricono | 7s League |
| Richard Every | NIRA/D1A/ARP League |
| Amanda Cox | WPL League |
| Jamie McGregor | USA Rugby National Office |
| Riaan van Greuning | USA Rugby Assignments |
| MATCH MANAGEMENT | |
| Name | Role or Region |
| Mark "Tigg' Handel | Chair |
| Derek Summers | Texas Rugby Referee Association |
| Cisco Lopez | DE&I |
| Amelia Luciano | Northeast Rugby Referee Society |
| Davey Ardrey | Mid-America Rugby Referee Society |
| Lee Johnson | NorCal RFU Referee Society |
| Len Borcky | East Penn Rugby Referee Society |
| DE&I | |
| Name | Role or Region |
| Amanda Cox | Chair |
| Elvy Asonye | RSV |
| Tina Watts | NorCal RFU Referee Society |
| Cisco Lopez | Southeast Rugby Referee Society |
| Lindsey Oliver | Southeast Rugby Referee Society |
| Kahlil Harrison | Utah Rugby Referee Society |
| Ann Kristoferson | SoCal Rugby Referee Society |
| GOVERNANCE | |
| Name | Role or Region |
| Margy Thomas | Chair |
| Ann Kristoferson | DE&I |
| Jason Wallach | Potomac Referee Society |
| John Clavin | Pacific Northwest Rugby Referee Society |
| Robert Gilmore | Rugby Referee Society of New York |
| Ozzie Bayazitoglu | Texas Rugby Referee Association |
| Phil Klevorick | B10Pro |
The Working Group Chairs and Members are comprised of individuals who supported on-going match official infrastructure activities during the USA Rugby restructuring, along with members who were nominated through an open nomination process with peer review by the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee, prior to ratification by the Referee & Laws Committee.
Referee & Laws Committee Working Group focuses:
DEVELOPMENT
To ensure that match officials are adequately trained, skilled, and fit to officiate the games that exist in the USA from Youth & High School up to Performance League level.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
To support wider representation in the match official community, to ensure everyone is treated fairly with equal and equitable access to resources, training and to make all people feel welcome in the match official community.
GOVERNANCE
To provide guidance, best practice and documentation on the structural, administrative and business aspects of running referee organizations.
MATCH MANAGEMENT
To provide guidance on matters related to the match management of rugby, including interpretation of Laws, Guidelines and Clarifications issued by World Rugby, USA Rugby or the Referees & Laws Committee.
PATHWAYS
To provide transparency, communication, and consistency in the management of referees and other Match Officials across National Performance Leagues and in the pathway from Regional Development Groups to Major League Rugby and World Rugby.
With a focus on referee development, each referee region will have a Regional Development Officer on the Development Working Group to ensure consistency with the Pathways Working Group and LRO needs per the standard of the Referee & Laws Committee Terms of Reference. Given the overall workload of the Development Working Group, there will be seven sub-groups with at least 18 volunteers working on projects including: RefChat, Levels Workbook, L1 ELOs, Assistant Referees, Youth Referees, Ref Coaches Workshop, and Performance Referee Research.
Local Referee Organizations (LRO) are encouraged to reach out to the elected Chairpersons with any questions or inquiries within the respective sectors. USA Rugby Members are also welcomed to contact the group at laws@usa.rugby for Global Law inquiries and referee@usa.rugby for general questions to the Referee & Laws Committee.
