NLD Refs is always open to new members, whatever their experience level or ambition. Whether you’re just taking up the whistle for the first time or transferring across from another Society, we’d love for you to join our team! Our appointments team prioritises matching new members to appropriate games and will ensure that a new member has a mentor or match official developer at one of their early fixtures.

New member benefits include:

• First season’s membership fee waived.
• One free set of match kit (1 x match shirt, shorts and socks) after 5 Society appointed fixtures*.
• Reimbursement of the cost of England Rugby Refereeing Award after 10 Society appointed fixtures*.

*Cancelled, postponed or non-Society appointments are not counted. ERRA Day 2 booking confirmation or payment receipt required as evidence.

If you wish to join the society as a referee, match official developer or club referee, please complete this application form. Completing the application form does not commit you to joining. Shortly after you complete the application form, someone from the society will get in touch to discuss the next steps and help you find out more.

Qualifying as a Referee

If you wish to referee outside of your club, or grow your refereeing skills, you need to complete the England Rugby Refereeing Award (ERRA).

Dates for the ERRA in NLD during the 2024/25 season:

Venue	Day 1 Date	Day 2 Date
Carre’s Grammar School, Sleaford	27 Oct 2024	01 June 2025
Chesterfield RFC	24 Nov 2024	22 Jun 2025
University of Nottingham	19 Oct 2024	07 June 2025

Bookings are taken via the RFU GMS Course Finder here. Courses outside NLD can be found at the same link. The location of the course has no impact on the training and qualification received.

New referees can referee for the Society after completing the England Rugby Introduction to Refereeing course and our appointments team will ensure they are only appointed to suitable matches for their experience level.