Referees

The Referees Coaching Commission is established to set a progressive platform for the development of referees in many Touch Associations around the world, offering Referees courses throughout the year.

Sports Development Director - Peter Topp

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Referees Commission Chair - Ian Matthew

Ian Matthew has been involved in Touch for over 40 years, starting off as a player who moved on to becoming a coach and a duty referee. From there, he became more interested in refereeing than any other arm of the sport, progressing through the levels and was State Graded in 1985, attending his first National tournament and World Cup in 1988 as a referee, and representing again during the 1991 World Cup.

Between 1992 and 1993, Ian was appointed as the NSWTA Director of Referees and the National Referees Coaching panel, both in which are positions that he still hold over 20 years later. Ian became involved with FIT in 1996 when he was invited to become a part of the FIT Referees Commission, and was appointed as the Chair of the commission in 1999.

In his capacity as the Chair of the Referees Commission since then, Ian has contributed to the every World Cup since Japan 2003, having attended also every Youth World Cup and Trans-Tasman Series.

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