REFEREE REGISTRATION

Introduction:

Welcome to the Bay of Plenty Rugby Referees Club "REGISTRATION PAGE".  We have two types of referee registration set out below and depending on what role you are going to be performing, will dictate which registration path you will take.

If you plan to referee or be a touch judge, assistant referee, substitutions or sideline manager for 7's, 10's and/or 15-a-side tackle rugby at any level, (junior, secondary school, senior, boys, girls, men, women) or are a referee coach for a referee in any of these formats, then you need to register as a "REFEREE" and complete all of the steps as set out below ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE.


If you plan to referee RIPPA or RIP Rugby, then you need to register as a RIPPA/RIP RUGBY Referee and complete all of the steps as set out below ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.

Referee Registration Process
2025 REGISTRATIONS CLOSE IN SEPTEMBER

  1. Create a Rugby Explorer PROFILE.
  2. Get Registered
  3. Pay Your Subs
  4. Update your availability in Rugby Explorer
  5. Complete RugbySmart

(1st Year refs only continue beyond this point)

  1. Check out our A-Z of Info
  2. Complete Introduction to Rugby Refereeing "online cocurse".

Step 1: Create your profile in Rugby Explorer​​​​​​​

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Step 2: Register as a Referee

Step 3: Pay your Annual Membership Subscription

When you register as a referee you are also joining the Bay of Plenty Rugby Referees Club.  Membership Subscriptions for ALL CATEGORIES of referees for the 2025 are set out below:

  • Standard Subscription (7's/10's/15's Referees & Referee Coaches) - $40.00
  • Student/Social Subscription (Secondary/Tertiary Students & Social Members) - $20.00
  • Junior Referees (Panel 5, Associate, Rippa/Rip, You Make The Call) - NO CHARGE

Level 1 Referees - your subscription payment is optional. There are no drawbacks or extra benefits with paying or not - it is simply if you wish to contribute to the Club.

Payment is due upon completion of registration, but AT LATEST by the end of the month of your first appointed game for the 2025 season.

Until such time as online payment is arranged, please deposit your subscriptions into the fofllowing bank accocunt: Account Name: Bay of Plenty Rugby Union Incorporated. Account Number: 020466-0329270-00. Reference: Your name Ref Subs.  Then email your receipt to refereeadmin@boprugby.co.nz. Your subs may be automatically deducted from your first koha payment if they are not already paid.  Please advise f you wish this to occur.

Step 4: Update Availability in Rugby Explorer

Set your availability
By default, you will be UNAVAILABLE TO BE APPOINTED, and as such unable to be appointed to fixtures. Log in to your profile in Rugby Explorer.
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Click on  "AVAILABILITY".

Scroll down to "SCHEDULE UNAVAILABILITY".  Click on either "Add Unavailabale Dates" or "Add Recurring Unavailability"

Complete either the "Add Unavailable Dates" form or "Add recurring Unavailability" form.  CLICK SUBMIT.

Step 5: Complete RugbySmart

Rugbysmart is an annual COMPULSORY course that all coaches and referees must complete at the beginning of every season. As all face to face cocurses are comppleter, you will need to watch a video to complete rugbysmart.  To do so, click here!

ATTENTION ALL 1ST YEAR REFEREES
If you are registering as any type of referee for the very first time, it is strongly recommended that you check out the referees club website.  It is JAM PACKED with a ton of information.

Step 1: Check Out our A-Z Page

https://www.boprugby.co.nz/referee-a-z

The A-Z is a fantastic source of ionformation all pertaining to refereeing in the Bay.  For example, did you know you can earn a little $$$ for refereeing?  If you go to the "KOHA" page under A-Z, you'll learn all about how.

Step 2: Complete our online Introduction to Rugby Refereeing course

Our online training course, “Introduction to Rugby Refereeing” and its contents does not assume any previous experience in the sport of rugby refereeing. It is the first stage in the rugby refereeing training and development pathway.

This online course has been written and designed directly from New Zealand Rugby’s publication of the same name, “Introduction to Rugby Refereeing.”

It consists of the same modules from the work book and turned into an interactive online course for the participant to watch and learn from.

An exciting new interactive programme is in its final stages of production! You will be contacted once it is ready to complete. To view the previous version of the online Introduction to Rugby Refereeing course, click the following button.