Rochelle Tamarua is Auckland Rugby League’s Referees Development Officer, fulfilling her role daily to promote, manage and ensure our referee system is thriving in Tāmaki Makaurau year-round. 

Referees play a vital role facilitating our game on a weekly basis right from the best-of-the-best competitions all the way through to junior sport.  

Without them, we wouldn’t have the thriving game of rugby league. Inspired by them, and all the volunteers that make our game possible, we have launched our “Our Whare, Our Whānau, Our Way” campaign – building rugby league clubs and the community up as a supportive and respectful place to be.  

Rochelle runs development programmes and workshops in clubs and schools helping to upskill and build awareness of what it takes to be a referee in rugby league. Rochelle herself, referees the top level of Auckland competition in the SAS Fox Memorial Premiership, while also nurturing referees through the mini-mod grades. 

While a rugby league referee’s direct role is to deal with players and control on-field gameplay, it also involves dealing with team coaches, spectators, and supporters, that are the heart of a club and our community on gameday.  

“We’re not separate, we’re not just a referee and you’re not just players. We come together and we work as one”, Rochelle commented. This illustrates the importance that referees hold in our game, while not affiliated to a club like players or supporters, they are an important part of our rugby league community.  

Support the players, support the referees, support each other. When you come to one of our clubs, remember this is Our Whare, Our Whānau, and Our Way.  

Article added: Thursday 04 August 2022