Fiji Rugby Referees Association will appoint the country’s best referees to control the finals of the Vodafone Super Deans Championship at Lautoka’s Churchill Park.
The finals are expected to be the final sporting event of the year on the park which will undergo renovation from next year for future internationals including the Fijian Drua’s home games in the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season.
Association president Samuela Tuidraki said appointed refs would be stringent to minimise stoppages in matches.
“We are selecting the referees based on performance,” Tuidraki said.
“The best referees will officiate in the finals and we are undergoing process of their selection including reviews from the referees’ coaches in their past performance.”
He said the appointed referees had been reviewing past games of their appointed teams inorder to draw a game plan for their match control.
“The referee does his game plan to submit to the referee’s coach to state how he will control the match and things he will look at during the match.
“Referees will focus on areas that needs improvement in a game to avoid a lot of stoppages. He will prepare him or herself according to the history of matches for the teams they will control, positioning, scrum and lineout managements, the atmosphere, weather, team structure and the management of the game.
“The referee will consider all these to know where to position him or herself and weaknesses to look out for.
“The referee will try and avoid a lot of stoppages to allow the games to flow for fans to enjoy watching.
“We call on teams and the public to understand the rationale behind the referees’ decision and why decisions were made. Even though the referee has the final say, we ask the public to understand what the referee is trying to achieve in ensuring that the games is controlled at its level best.
“Mostly the referee will look at adherence to the basic rules such as clearance in the tackle area and what the ball carrier and the tackler should be doing to ensure that play is not disrupted.
“We will look for clear breakdown in the contest area to ensure that the ball is clear for both teams to contest, what the ball carrier should do and also the tackler and the arriving players to be on their feet for the contest to be fair. We will also look at the general kick rules, the set piece, the scrum management from the front rows to the rest of the forwards, no early jumps in the lineout, and so on.
“These are the basic stuff to avoid stop-start games.”
Vodafone Super Deans Championship finals at Churchill Park:
U14:
RKS v MBHS
U15:
RKS v QVS
U16:
QVS v SGS
U17:
SGS v MBHS
U19:
Ra High v Rt Navula
U18:
SGS v MBHS.
Raluve Championship:
U16:
Sigatoka Methodist v Naitasiri
U18 Natabua v Jasper Williams.
