Leeds Rhinos Foundation’s Volunteer with the Rhinos graduates will be joining over 6,000 people at this year’s Rhinos Challenge event at Butlin’s Skegness to gain community rugby league experience as match referees at the UK’s biggest junior rugby festival this weekend.
The programme, which got underway on the 27th February 2017 with a workshop offering an 'introduction to refereeing' at Stanningley ARLFC, has seen 15 regular attendees from a number of community clubs across the city take part, all to provide the next generation of coaches, referees and rugby league administrators.
Volunteer with the Rhinos has also seen the young volunteers take part in workshops on an introduction to coaching, refereeing modified games and coaching and refereeing assessments which culminated in refereeing half time teams at Leeds Rhinos Super League fixture against Huddersfield in April.
Now graduated, the young volunteers including James Boland, Kyle Boland, Aaron Drummond, Harvey Drummond from West Leeds Eagles, Janiel Simpson and Joel Watson from Dewsbury Celtic and Bethany Keenaghan from East Leeds will further their refereeing experience by officiating under 7-15 games at Leeds Rhinos Foundation and ESF Events' Rhinos Challenge 2017 festival this weekend.
Due to the ongoing success of the programme, Rhinos Challenge will also see a number of last year’s Ref with the Rhinos class attending Butlin’s including Oulton Raiders' Molly Hutchinson.
Head of the Volunteer with the Rhinos programme Russell Parker said:
"This year’s group of Volunteers have shown a great deal of enthusiasm and have grown over the duration of the course, showing a great deal of dedication.
The programme has also seen Volunteer with the Rhinos graduate Leyla Cobden officiate at a Championship game as a touch judge this season.
"They are now applying their practical skills to refereeing and coaching in the local community with a number of the group joining referees societies and we look forward to having them along to Rhinos Challenge this weekend to referee the games, added Parker."
If you would like more information about Leeds Rhinos Foundation's Volunteer with the Rhinos programme contact Russell.Parker@leedsrhinosfoundation.org