The RFL Match Officials are a select group of professional Rugby League match officials who officiate the top divisions of Rugby League in Britain.[1]
Officials are required to take part in a Fitness Test to maintain and or gain their status.
Phil Bentham was re-appointed as the RFL's Head of Match Officials in February 2024,[2] he previously held this post on an interim basis between Jan-March 2021 while Steve Ganson was on leave.
Dave Elliot served as interim Head of Match Officials for between Jan-Dec 2023 while an internal investigation took place into the department, ran by Steve Ganson from 2016. This concluded with Ganson leaving the RFL by mutual consent in December 2023.[3]
Name | Position | |
---|---|---|
Head of Match Officials | ||
Dave Elliott | Match Officials Coach | |
Julian King | Match Officials Coach | |
Anthony Atherton | Match Officials Coach | |
Select Referee Group Manager | ||
Steve Williams | Select Touch Judge Group Manager | |
Tom Grant | Entry & Emerging Referee Groups Manager | |
Marcus Griffiths | Women's Super League Squad Manager | |
Ryan Cox | Appointments and Development Officer | |
Mike Smaill | Match Officials Business Manager | |
Matty Lynn | Match Officials Administrator |
To become an Elite match official, Grade 1 officials must have an interview with the Head of Match Officials.
Grading | Referee | Touch Judge | |
---|---|---|---|
Elite | Super League | Super League | |
1 (Select) | Championship & League 1 | Championship & League 1 | |
2 (Emerging) | Academy/Reserves & Women's Super League | Reserves & Women's Super League | |
3 (Entry) | National Conference League & Scholarship | Academy & Scholarship |
Since the 2007 season, the Rugby Football League have employed a panel of full-time officials. That panel currently has nine members.
Managed by Phil Bentham.
Name | Society | Age | Year Appointed | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aaron Moore | Wigan | 2023 | ||
Ben Thaler | Mid Yorkshire (Chairman) | 2005 | ||
Chris Kendall | Huddersfield | 2015 | ||
Jack Smith | Wigan | 2022 | ||
Liam Moore | Wigan | 2017 | ||
Tom Grant | Leeds | 2018 | ||
Marcus Griffiths | Widnes | 2019 | ||
Liam Rush | Dewsbury & Batley | 2022 | ||
James Vella | St George Referees (Sydney, Australia) | 2022 |
Name | Society | Start | End | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
James Child | Dewsbury & Batley | 2010 | 2022 | 12 years | |
Cameron Worsley | Mid Yorkshire | ||||
Robert Hicks | Oldham | ||||
Scott Mikalauskas | Leigh | 2021 | |||
Greg Dolan | |||||
Phil Bentham | Warrington | ||||
Thierry Alibert | |||||
Joe Cobb | Widnes | ||||
Chris Campbell | Widnes | ||||
Steve Ganson | St Helens | ||||
George Stokes | St Helens | ||||
Ian Smith | Oldham | ||||
Richard Silverwood | Dewsbury & Batley | ||||
Ashley Klein | Leeds |
Managed by Dave Elliot. By default the RFL Full Time Match Officials are graded as Elite Touch Judges.
Name | Society | Name | Society | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Denton Arnold | St Helens | Tom Grant | Leeds | |
Nick Bennett | Wakefield | Marcus Griffiths | Widnes | |
Dean Bowmer | Wakefield | Chris Kendall | Huddersfield | |
Peter Brooke | Manchester | Aaron Moore | Wigan | |
Ryan Cox | St Helens | Liam Moore | Wigan | |
Mark Craven | Leeds | Liam Rush | Dewsbury & Batley | |
Simon Ellis | Jack Smith | Wigan | ||
Neil Horton | Wakefield | Ben Thaler | Wakefield | |
Gareth Jones | Warrington | James Vella | St George Referees (Sydney, Australia) | |
Paul Marklove | Warrington | |||
Ellis McCarthy | Castleford & Featherstone | |||
Scott Mikalauskas | Leigh | |||
Jonathon Roberts | Leeds | |||
Richard Thompson | Hull | |||
Warren Turley | Leigh | |||
Cameron Worsley | Castleford & Featherstone | |||
Total Count = 25. Part Time = 16. | Full Time = 9. |
Managed by Julian King & Chris Kendall.
Name | Society | Name | Society | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Denton Arnold | St Helens | Sam Jenkinson | ||
Aaryn Belafonte | Huddersfield | Tara Jones | Warrington | |
Nick Bennett | Mid Yorkshire | Freddie Lincoln | Huddersfield | |
Alan Billington | Widnes | Matty Lynn | ||
Luke Bland | Leeds | Scott Mikalauskas | Leigh | |
Elliot Burrow | Cumbria | Bradley Milligan | Cumbria | |
Matty Clayton | Kevin Moore | Mid Yorkshire | ||
Ryan Cox | St Helens | Michael Smaill | Leigh | |
Will Gilder | Andy Sweet | Mid Yorkshire | ||
Sam Houghton | Manchester | Adam Williams | Wigan | |
Carl Hughes | Mid Yorkshire | Cameron Worsley | Mid Yorkshire | |
Jordan Hughes | Cumbria | Kristoff Young | Wales | |
Total Count = 24. |
Managed by Steve Williams.
Name | Society | Name | Society | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Aaryn Belafonte | Huddersfield | Matty Lynn | ||
Alan Billington | Widnes | Ollie Maddock | Warrington | |
Luke Bland | Leeds | Milo McKelvey | ||
Ben Brocklehurst | Mid Yorkshire | Bradley Milligan | Cumbria | |
Elliot Burrow | Cumbria | Kevin Moore | Mid Yorkshire | |
Jamie Callaghan | St Helens | Lewis Obrien | Wigan | |
Alex Cameron | Josh Pemberton | Warrington | ||
Matty Clayton | Oliver Salmon | |||
James Collier | Lucas Seal | Cumbria | ||
J Collins | Gary Shaw | Wigan | ||
Luke Flavell | Wigan | Joe Sterne | Mid Yorkshire | |
Tommy Gibbs | Mid Yorkshire | Andy Sweet | Mid Yorkshire | |
Will Gilder | A Tallon | |||
A Giles | Jordan Unsworth | |||
Sam Houghton | Manchester | Adam Williams | Wigan | |
Carl Hughes | Mid Yorkshire | G Winnard | ||
Jordan Hughes | Cumbria | H Winnard | ||
Sam Jenkinson | P Wroe | |||
Tara Jones | Warrington | Kristoff Young | Wales | |
Freddie Lincoln | Huddersfield | |||
Total Count = 39. |
Managed by Tom Grant.
Name | Society | Name | Society | Name | Society | Name | Society | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tolver Arnold | St Helens | C Curren | A McDonald | Pete Smith | ||||
M Apsee | C Davies | Milo McKelvey | Joe Sterne | Castleford & Featherstone | ||||
J Bacon | Simon Ellis | R Mitchell | A Tallon | |||||
Dylan Barlow | Wigan | Luke Flavell | Wigan | Lewis Obrien | Wigan | Warren Turley | Leigh | |
O Bowie | Tommy Gibbs | G Pallet | G Winnard | London | ||||
Dean Bowmer | Wakefield | A Giles | Neil Pascall | H Winnard | London | |||
Ben Brocklehurst | Castleford | Connor Griffiths | Warrington | Josh Pemberton | Warrington | Brandon Worsley | Castleford & Featherstone | |
F Brown | Neil Horton | Craig Regan | Cumbria | |||||
Jamie Callaghan | St Helens | Owen Ireland | A Rhodes | |||||
Alex Cameron | J Kinsley | Oliver Salmon | ||||||
James Collier | D Krout | Reece Schofield | Manchester | |||||
J Collins | Phil Loeb | Warrington | Lucas Seal | Cumbria | ||||
M Cowan | Ollie Maddock | Warrington | Gary Shaw | Wigan | ||||
A Creasey | Paul Marklove | Warrington | Kristian Silcock | St Helens | ||||
Total Count = 49 |
Managed by Ryan Cox.
Name | Society | Name | Society | Name | Society | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M Apsee | D Frederick | K O'Shea | ||||
R Apsee | D Geddes | G Pallet | ||||
Innes Arnold | St Helens | Jordan Greenhalgh | Widnes | Neil Pascall | ||
Tolver Arnold | St Helens | Connor Griffiths | Warrington | Shaun Pickering | St Helens | |
Jack Bacon | Wigan | Lee Haggerty | St Helens | S Quarmby | ||
Dylan Barlow | Wigan | S Harrison | Craig Regan | Cumbria | ||
Ronan Bird | Widnes | R Holmes | R Rhodes | |||
O Bowie | Jamie Hooper | Castleford & Featherstone | Reece Schofield | Manchester | ||
L Breheny | Wigan | Rhiannon Horsman | Leeds | S Shea | ||
F Brown | Owen Ireland | Kristian Silcock | St Helens | |||
P Clayton | Liam Jones | St Helens | Adam Smith | |||
L Corcoran | J Kinsley | Pete Smith | ||||
Andrew Coupar | St Helens | D Krout | B Thomas | |||
M Cown | K Lewis | C Topping | ||||
G Cox | Phil Loeb | Warrington | T Topping | |||
I Curzon | Andy Marsh | Wigan | Rebecca Whiteley | Huddersfield/Wigan | ||
C Davies | M Mills | A Woods | ||||
Rebecca Floyd | St Helens | R Mithchell | Jack Woolass | Hull | ||
H Forster | Mia Murphy | Leigh | Brandon Worsley | Castleford & Featherstone | ||
Stuart Fraser | Midlands | B Neilson | Esmai Wright | Warrington | ||
Total Count = 60. |
Managed by Tom Grant.
Name | Society | Name | Society | Name | Society | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anthony Atherton | Wigan | Harry Forster | Logan Miles | |||
T Bell | Jordan Greenhalgh | Widnes | M Mills | |||
J Berry | Liam Grundy | Andrew Mulligan | St Helens | |||
Ronan Bird | Widnes | Lee Haggerty | St Helens | Mia Murphy | Leigh | |
M Bolton | S Harrison | R Nevinson | ||||
N Bragg | Andy Hawley | Warrington | Tom Prescott | St Helens | ||
L Breheny | Wigan | Johnatan Hewitt | Mid Yorkshire | Shaun Pickering | St Helens | |
M Brighton | Ryan Holmes | Dewsbury & Batley | Sam Price | Wigan | ||
D Brown | Jamie Hooper | Castleford & Featherstone | S Quarmby | |||
I Carson | Leigh | Rhiannon Horsman | Leeds | R Rhodes | ||
Steve Cockram | St Helens | S Powell | Matt Roberts | Bradford | ||
L Corcoran | Liam Jones | St Helens | Dan Saunders | Leeds | ||
Andrew Coupar | St Helens | Naz Khan | Warrington | A Smith | ||
G Cox | D Kindelan | Dave Swindlehurst | Wigan | |||
Lucas Dabbs | Leigh | Alex Leaf | Leeds | T Topping | ||
J Davey | C MacDonald | E Watson | ||||
F Evans | Andy Marsh | Wigan | A Woods | |||
J Evans | M Martin | Jack Woolass | Hull | |||
O Filer | Ross McCarthy | St Helens | Esmai Wright | Warrington | ||
Rebecca Floyd | St Helens | Callum Murphy | Wigan | |||
Total Count = 59. |
Managed by Ryan Cox.
Name | Society | Name | Society | Name | Society | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anthony Atherton | Wigan | J Hewitt | A Tallon | |||
T Bell | Naz Khan | Warrington | B Thomas | |||
J Berry | D Kindelan | E Watson | ||||
M Bolton | C Lawson | A Woods | ||||
K Bonsor | A Leaf | |||||
N Bragg | C MacDonald | |||||
D Brown | M Martin | |||||
I Carson | Leigh | Ross McCarthy | St Helens | |||
Steve Cockram | St Helens | L Miles | ||||
L Collins | Callum Murphy | Wigan | ||||
Lucas Dabbs | Leigh | R Nevinson | ||||
J Davey | S Powell | |||||
F Evans | Tom Prescott | |||||
O Filer | Sam Price | Wigan | ||||
O Foulkes | J Raddings | |||||
J Foxon | M Roberts | |||||
Cameron Gray | London | D Saunders | ||||
L Grundy | P Strafford | |||||
Andy Hawley | Warrington | Dave Swindlehurst | Wigan | R Nevinson | ||
Total Count = 44. |
Period | Manufacturers | Sponsors |
---|---|---|
2003-2006 | Patrick | Powergen |
2007 | Engage | |
2008-2009 | Puma | |
2010-2012 | ISC | |
2013 | none | |
2014 | Specsavers | |
2015-2017 | BLK | |
2018 | Hummel | |
2019-2020 | Ronseal | |
2021-2026 | Oxen |