It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Somerset County Rugby Football Union Referees Society Ltd. I hope that you will find the website useful and informative.
It was a great honour and privilege to be re-elected as President of the Society for the forthcoming season. The previous season had been a highly successful one with our Training and Recruitment Committees bringing over 40 new referees into the Society. We now have a considerable number of committed and able new referees who should develop into very good referees.
The Officers of the Society are hardworking and dedicated to recruiting, training and providing the best referee for each match. In the main, our referees are well thought of by the clubs and schools we service. I hope that we can continue to improve the competence and ability of our referees so that our ‘customers’ receive an excellent service. In return I would ask all clubs and schools to remember that our referees and officers are volunteers and need your co-operation and support.
Our referees continue to turnout in all weathers with a high degree of commitment. We can always do with new referees and with talent and commitment it is possible to reach the top. The Society will always strive to support and develop all referees to the best of their ability.
Our senior referee, Tony Spreadbury, has now firmly established himself as one of the world’s elite. Despite his globetrotting life-style he still has the commitment to help in the development of new referees and support the work of the Society.
We are honoured to have a second international referee in our midst. Clare Daniels had an excellent season and deservedly gained promotion to the South West Group. Then came the wonderful news that Clare had been selected as one of the referees for the Women’s World Cup in Canada. The Society sends its wholehearted congratulations to Clare and wishes her the best of luck for the tournament.
My first season was not without incident or problems and I would like to thank all the members of the Society for their support and encouragement. I hope that we can continue to build on our strengths and contribute further to the development of the game of rugby.
In conclusion I would wish everyone an enjoyable season.
Mel Hillman
Footnote: Mel Hillman has now stood down as President of the Somerset Society. An updated introduction page will appear here shortly.
