RFL match officials explained

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.

Match Official Department Staff

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

Graded Match Officials^[4]

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

Elite Referees (RFL Full Time Match Officials)^[5]

Since the 2007 season, the Rugby Football League have employed a panel of full-time officials. That panel currently has nine members.

Current Full Time Match Officials Squad

Managed by Phil Bentham.

Name	Society	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

Previous Full Time Match Officials

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

Elite Touch Judges (Super League)

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.

Grade 1 Match Officials

Select Referees

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.

Select Touch Judges

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.

Grade 2 Match Officials

Emerging Referees

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*

Emerging Touch Judges

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.*

Grade 3 Match Officials

Entry Referees