Referee Information

Referee Registrations – 2026 Whakatāne January Touch Tournament

Referee registrations open 1 September 2025!

The 2026 tournament continues the successful improvements introduced in recent years to support referee wellbeing and ensure fairness across all teams. These changes have proven effective over the past three tournaments and will remain in place.

In previous years, some teams nominated referees who did not attend or did not officiate. This placed unnecessary pressure on those referees who fully committed to the event. This practice will not be tolerated.

Key Information

• Team Requirement: Every team must register their nominated referee before team registrations open as part of the three-gate team registration process.

• Independent Referees: If you are not attached to a team but would like to referee, please register online so we can include you in planning. If you are not associated to ateam, but would like to be considered, please make a note of this in you online registration.

• Annual Registration: Referees are not automatically carried over from previous years. You must re-register each year to confirm availability.

Expectations for Nominated Referees

To meet the team entry criteria, nominated referees must:

1. Register as an available referee for the tournament.

2. Sign in with the Referee Directors on the morning of the tournament.

3. Be available for the full duration of the tournament.

4. Officiate all compulsory matches as allocated by the Referee Directors.

Failure to meet these requirements (or any additional rules set by the Tournament Officials) will result in the immediate withdrawal of the associated team from the 2026 Whakatāne January Touch Tournament.

Important Notes for Teams

• A referee can only be nominated to one team.

• It is strongly preferred that nominated referees are qualified.

• If your team is struggling to find a referee, please contact your provincial Referee Director for support. Contact Details Here

• Referees must complete their own registration – teams cannot do this on their behalf.

• Ensure all referee contact details are accurate, as they will be contacted directly to confirm attendance.

• Please advise us immediately if there are any changes to your team’s nominated referee.