Blacks Fasteners have been proudly sponsoring the Canterbury Rugby Referees Association (CRRA) for many years. As a Canterbury based business built in the heart of grass roots rugby it seemed highly appropriate that we help an organisation that does its utmost to help the game we all love.

First formed in 1894 CRRA has produced many talented referees at club, domestic and international level. International Referees such as Tom Doocey, Paul Honnis, Vinny Munro and Nicky Ewins (nee Inwood) have all been members of CRRA.

Each Saturday from March to September in excess of 180 games are controlled by a member of the CRRA. These games cover every level from Club Division 1 right through to U12. Without these dedicated volunteers turning up every week of the season there would be absolute chaos, and they deserve our full support and respect for what they do for the rugby community. Over the years they have refereed some great players, many of whom went on to be Crusaders and even All Blacks. They help instil respect and discipline into young players that will be invaluable in their lives and potentially a great sporting career.

It’s very easy to support the Ref when the decision goes our teams way, but what happens when it doesn’t? Do we offer advice from the sideline, worse still do we have a go at the Ref? Maybe in a moment of heightened emotion we have said something that wasn’t helpful, but stop for a moment and consider the effect it has on the players that hear it. Then consider the others in the crowd and most importantly the Ref, especially if they are young and inexperienced. They could feel upset and even intimidated, they might not want to continue volunteering their precious time and effort if they feel unappreciated and disrespected.

Sadly this is sometimes a reality on the sports fields of Canterbury and it is a problem that needs to be addressed. To that end the Blacks Marketing team have designed a “Let’s all support the Ref” logo are running a campaign to promote the message. 

The Refs recently received some of the new gear at a pre-season training event where around 110 were in attendance, along with Roger Black and the Blacks Marketing Manager. Roger spoke about his love of the game and how he felt privileged being able to support this great institution. Gareth then explained how wanting to support referees was the catalyst behind the “Let’s all support the Ref’s” logo, the upcoming company’s and the companies desire to continue to support the CRRA.

Blacks want the entire rugby community to demonstrate by their actions that they appreciate the great efforts that these volunteers put in all through the whole season. That in turn will encourage our Refs to continue to turn up and do what they are good at. More importantly it will show our young future Refs that they will be treated well and can confidently fulfil a role that benefits the entire rugby community.

Canterbury rugby has been blessed with many great players over the years who have gone on to win Super Rugby trophies with the Crusaders and World Cups with the All Blacks. It is an immense sporting heritage that we can all be proud of and we can all have a part in helping it to continue to thrive.

So next time a Ref makes a call that we perhaps disagree with before we offer some unnecessary advice, stop, and remember where we would be without them. Understand what courage it takes to be in the centre of the field and to do what they do, then continue to give them all our unwavering support.

“Let’s all support the Ref”