Season 2017 is nearly done nearly! We ve enjoyed a few weeks with some sensational seven s and majestic masters and the obligatory photos have been taken and fines recorded. If you have not done so please get the Working with Children s Check done and send your detail to Neil details later in the newsletter. Also if you have not done so get in there and get your Rebels membership for 2017 and let us all stand as one! This will be the last newsletter for this year. Thanks to everyone who has been involved this year. Stay fit, stay sharp and stay up to date with all the happenings in Rugby. ~ Rock Upcoming Events ARU Senior Sevens 25 & 26 November - Bendigo This year, Bendigo will be hosting the ARU National Senior Sevens Tournament, over the weekend of 25/26th Nov. This annual tournament includes representative men s and women s teams from all the rugby states/territories, as well as Universities, Defence Force and Indigenous teams. The VRRA has been asked to provide AR and IGJ referees to assist in the running of this tournament. Given the number of games to be covered (36 on Sat; 32 on Sun) we would ideally need to provide approximately 12 suitably experienced referees for the weekend. Please advise Neil as soon as possible if you would be available to attend this weekend tournament. (neil.macdougall@melbournerebels.com.au) VRRA Members Facebook If you are on FACEBOOK and not added to the VRRA Members page then please join. Lots of informal discussion about games and law issues and a bit of banter off season/pre-season / in season!
AGM & Incoming Committee 2018 The 2017 AGM was held Wednesday November 1 st at our go to back up venue the Belgian Beer Café. After a wonderful meal and an evening reliving the highs and lows of the season our president for the last two years Owain Stone officially stepped down from office. On behalf of the association as a whole our huge thanks and best wishes as you continue to take your association with Victorian Rugby to higher levels within the board of the Melbourne rebels and the VRU. Also departing the committee is Travis MacLachlan and Simon Gerring who have been excellent servants of the association. Simon s outside interests are dividing his ability to contribute so in preference to being a Scrooge with his time he has decided to focus more on his on field contribution. Travis has been instrumental in securing a number of the sponsorship support we enjoy the benefits of this season and his enthusiasm and willingness to work in a number of different areas of the committed will be missed. We look forward to the continued involvement of all of our outgoing committee members both on and off field through 2018. VRRA Committee for 2018 President: Tom Holyman Secretary: Stephan Hubert Treasurer: Brett Waterford VP CAG: Alastair Grigg VP Education: Mel Nash VP Community: John Stitt VP Recruitment: Corey Alex Bell Ordinary Board: Derek Shaw Ordinary Board: Rob Osborn Patron: Gordon Cheyne The main role of the committee is to work for the benefit of our members. We are all active referees, referee coaches (or both) so we also share the highs, lows, joys and disappointments that we all experience across the course of the season. If there is any issues that you as a member feel needs to be raised then please do so. Best first point of contact should be: General Enquiries: Secretary (VRRA Secretary vrrasecretary@gmail.com). Coaching & Grading: (VRRA Coach vrracoach@gmail.com) for coaching / grading questions
Senior Club 7 s (Saturday 23 rd of September) Melbourne International 7 s Saturday 7 th and Sunday the 8 th of October AON Women's Uni 7s
Bendigo Goldfields 7 s Saturday 21 st and Sunday the 22 nd of October One of the highlights of the weekend was a series of trial games played between the Australia Pearls vs NZ Black Ferns across the weekend. In the mid-week matches John Still and Rob Edwards were the AR s supporting Damon Murphy. On the weekend all VRRA officials with our very own Amber Hibbard was in charge of the matches. Amber Hibbard in action for the Australia Pearls vs NZ Black Ferns with her team of six.
Vic Masters Rugbyfest 2017 (4 th & 5 th November 2017) Cup weekend was the first of what I certainly hope is an annual tradition in the making with Vic Masters Rugbyfest. Most of us have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Karl Dix in our time with the VRRA and it was largely his enthusiasm to involve, and in some cases introduce us, in being part of the Masters Rugby in 2017. 600 players from all over Australia came together to celebrate the spirit of the game in a hugely successful weekend of rugby and socialising all in the name of enjoying the competition and supporting others through our wonderful sport. Rugbyfest was one of the last events on the 2017 calendar but it was certainly one of the most enjoyable. Saturday was a teams vs teams competition with some silky skills on display from the Ba Baa 35s; Power House; Masters Box Hill 35s; Vic Country, Masters Keri Keri 45s; Masters Uni; Souths 35s; Masters LNZOB; Moorabbin; Maroondah Ba Baas 45s, Chargers, Masters Vosa XV, Harlequins. Sunday was ladies day with the women s 10 s comp between the Never Passed It, Golden Girls, Grandma-ster Flash with a return to the field for our very own Marika Vertzonis & Mel Nash. In the mens comp it was international day with the Pacific Island Chiefs 35s, Old Black 35s, Brittle Lions 45s, Masters Walkbokke 35s/45s & Wannabees 35/45s Well done and Thanks to out referees: Robert Edwards, Ciaran Daddo-Langlois, Karl Dix, Tom Holyman, Marika Vertzonis, Andrew Cumming, Brett Waterford, Matt Hall, Finn Waterford, Jerry Collins, Gerry Thiedeman, Sam Thiedeman Stephan Hubert, John Schlafrig, Mel Nash
Working with Children Checks Amendments to the Working with Children Act 2005 (the Act) came into effect on 1 August 2017. The most significant amendment that impact us as referees was: 1. Expand the definition of direct contact in the Act. The definition of direct contact now includes oral, written or electronic communication as well as face-to-face and physical contact. 2. Remove references to supervision from the Act. This means that even if a person s contact with children as part of their childrelated work is supervised by another person, they will still need to apply for a Working with Children Check (Check). Upon advice from working with children all referees (unless occupational exemptions apply) will require a working with children check to referee and support fellow referees who are children (under 18 years old). This includes refereeing matches and coaching referees. There is no cost to the check as we are volunteers but they are required. Some occupations are exempt from a WWC Check, further details and application for the check are found at: http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/home/ The committee will be working the Victorian Junior Rugby Union administration about how our details will be recorded for future appointments. If there are any questions it is best to consult working with children directly but the advice we have received is this is now an expectation for all sporting codes that involved match officials of children s games. Instructions from Neil: To complete a Working With Children Check please complete the below steps. Please note there is zero cost as you are considered volunteers when you are a match official or referee coach for clubs and associations. Moreover, there is a large list of professions which are exempted from completing a WWC check. Please check the website if your current professional exempts you from completing a WWC Check. 1. Click here http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/ 2. Click Apply for check 3. Click Apply in Victoria a. Recommend viewing video Lodging your application WWC Check 4. Click Start Application 5. Complete Application and click volunteer a. Under occupational fields 1 please club #42 Clubs, associations or movements or a cultural, recreational or sporting nature b. Under Organisation, please put the Victorian Rugby Referee Association and the following address: PO Box 24303, Melbourne VIC 3001 6. You will then be required to go to an Australian post outlet to confirm your identity. Any questions or concerns please contact Neil: Neil MacDougall neil.macdougall@melbournerebels.com.au