Having a good referee on the field can change the whole pace of a game. Too many stoppages, too few, players getting away with murder or simply missed calls…. these are all symptoms of a bad ref. Rugby in Quebec can only improve to a limited degree if the quality of the match officials doesn’t also improve.
Last year, there were 18 full-time refs getting games on Saturdays… when there could be upwards of 35 games being played when you consider all the Men’s and Woman’s divisions. Myself, Ted, Spanky… we all missed games because we needed to referee, and we ALL remember the club ref from the RCM game.
In an effort to both increase the number of available refs in Quebec, and to improve the quality of the refs we already have, the FRQ (league) and the AARQ (the refs) are offering a bunch of certification courses this winter and spring.
So, if you are a player looking to help the club by being a “club ref”, a student looking to get high school games to supplement your income, or a veteran looking to stay involved with Rugby once your playing days are done, please consider getting your certification to referee.
Clinic dates and locations:
Feb. 2nd : L1 (Outaouais)
Feb. 9 : L1 (Sud-Ouest)
Feb. 23rd: L2 (Montréal)
March 9 : L2 (Québec)
March 16: L1 (3-Rivières)
March 23rd : L1 (Laurentides)
March 30 : L1 (Sherbrooke)
(Author’s note: I need to re-certify, so I will be attending the L1 course on Feb 9th, which will be in the Sud-Ouest, most likely Ormstown)
Note that the L2 courses are for experienced refs with current (active) L1 certifications, and are by invitation only.
What you need to register:
Complete the registration form for the clinic you want:
http://www.inscription-facile.com/events/register/iXY5IuwQ5VlplXnGYPpd
Pay the course fee through paypal:
https://www.paypal.com/ca
Payments made to the order of :
Fédération de rugby du Québec
The following prerequisites must be completed online, prior to attending the course:
1 – IRB Rugby Ready program:
You must complete the IRB Rugby Ready module at the following address: http://www.irbrugbyready.com/index.php?&language=en.
Once completed, the web application will generate a PDF certificate with your name and completion date. You must return an electronic copy of your certificate to the following address: [email protected]. Rugby Québec keeps your certificate in its database, but please retain a copy for your records.
2 – Complete the IRB Online Law test
You must complete the IRB Law Exam, located at the following address: http://www.irblaws.com/EN/login/. The test is multiple choice, and you can keep guessing until you get it all right 🙂
Once completed, the web application will generate a PDF certificate with your name and completion date. You must return an electronic copy of your certificate to the following address: [email protected]. Rugby Québec keeps your certificate in its database, but please retain a copy for your records.
If you would like to know more about reffing, or if you have any questions regarding the courses, please don’t hesitate to contact the club: [email protected].
Français 
English