The Local Referee Organization for Montana, Northern Idaho, and Eastern Washington
Michael "Tex" Gillette, Brian Briske, and George Mullen served as part of the the referee pool for the Great Northwest Challenge in Corvallis, Oregon 25-26 June 2015. The GNWC is the regional all star tournament for the western United States and a gateway for players and referees to be seen by national coaches.
Montana youth rugby has grown by leaps and bounds. As a result, it comes as no surprise that Montana's referees have been getting younger and younger. The latest is Tucker Nadeau from Kalispell.
Shown here with MRRS President George Mullen, center refereed a Junior High Match in Missoula on April 22, 2016. When not refereeing, Nadeau is a high school sophomore and player for the Kalispell Black and Blue rugby team.
The Montana Rugby Referee Society is proud to offer a spring Level 1 Refereeing Course in Missoula, Montana on 20 February 2016. Anyone who is interested can sign up through USA Rugby.
The Level 1 Referee Course is the entry point for anyone wanting a greater understanding of rugby law and refereeing. The course runs about 8 hours and covers a wide variety of topics both in and out of the classroom. While aspiring referees need to take the course, players, coaches, parents, and spectators can all benefit from the class.
Refreshments will be provided by the MRRS.
The Montana Rugby Referee Society held a Level 1 referee course with the help of the Billings Bulls, the Rimrock Rattlesnakes Youth Rugby, and the Black Mambas Youth Rugby. Four individuals completed the class and may soon be running the fields of Montana with a whistle in hand:
Congratulations for the achievement and the effort they put in to the class! Also, special thanks to the Bulls, the Rattlesnakes, and the Black Mambas for putting the new referees through their paces during the field exercises. Without the help of these clubs, the event would not have been the success it was!
Michelle O’Brien (née Knurr), initially trained as a referee in Montana, will officiate the second match in the two test series between the USA U20 women and the Canadian U20 women.
The match will be be streamed live starting at Noon MDT on Saturday, 22 August 2015 at one of these sites:
Congratulations Michelle - we're all pulling for you!
We’re about ready to start the fall season in Montana. Just a few tidbits: