Referee Web Awards
Contents |
About
The Referee Website Awards are the 2011 replacement to the Referee Society Awards that ran in 2005 & 2006.
The Awards are voted on by members of RugbyRefs.com and are designed to encourage referee websites to keep up their good work. With the way that the world has turned to online information it is now as important as ever that every Referee Society & Association has some it's own web presence, or as a minimum, a respectable amount of space on their unions website. Those that don't may be missing a great opportunity to both provide themselves with good public relations to show how they server their rugby community, publicity to help bolster their membership & sponsors, and resource to help their referee obtain the required information as and when they need it.
New Awards (2011 onwards)
The new awards brought with them new eligibility criteria, the expectations of voters is also higher as the internet has moved on quite a lot from 2006. The lists below show if a website is currently eligible to be voted on for an award. Next to a cross will also be a number which shows why the website is not eligible, as well as having N/E for the years applicable.
Eligibility
To be eligible to gain a Referee Web Award the website must meet the three criteria below:
- The society or association must have a website.
- The society or association's website must be their own (i.e. it is not few pages on their unions website).
- The website is must be free for use by referees.
How to know if your website will be graded
As we become aware of new referee societies, associations and websites they will be listed here (and on the Referee Societies & Associations page). If they are classed as eligible (have a tick) but have an N/V rating then it is because they have been added after voting has finished and so were Not Voted. If your website is not on the list then you should contact the webmaster using the Wiki Forums at RugbyRefs.com.
When the voting takes place
The voting for the awards takes place between November & December each year.
Who can vote?
Any registered member of RugbyRefs.com may vote on the awards, for the final vote (Website of the year) the vote is public so that anyone can vote.
Society/Association Websites of the Year
For each country that has more than one referee society/association website there is an award of website of the year, this is awarded to the website with the highest rating, or voted upon if more than one. The top websites for each country then are voted upon to decide which website is classed as Website of the Year.
Websites that win their countries website of the year will have a * next to their award, The website that wins website of the year will have 2 gold symbols in that years column (i.e. 
).
What do the winners get?
Any website that is voted upon to receive an award will receive an email with an mage attached that they can use on their website, the image has the year of the award upon it, and what it was awarded for. It is always appeciated for websites to link the image back to us at RugbyRefs.com but this is not a condition of receiving the award. The site may display the image with no link back whatsoever, the main reason of the award is to recognise the work that has gone on in the website, and hopefully encourage them to try for a higher award the following year, if possible.
These awards are represented by a , 
, 
or 
in the relevant year.
What do these images look like?
The images are shown below without a year stamp and as samples.
Societies, Associations & Website Awards (2011 Onwards)
An * beside the site's name means they are displaying their well deserved award proudly.
Australia
| Association | Currently Eligible |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACT * | 
|
|
||||
| Brisbane (QLD) |
|
|
||||
| Bundaberg & District (QLD) |  1
|
N/E | ||||
| Cairns & District (QLD) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Central Australian (NT) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Central Coast (NSW) |
|
|
||||
| Central Highlands (QLD) | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| Central North (NSW) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Central West (NSW) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Darling Downs (QLD) |
|
N/E | ||||
| Eastern Goldfields (WA) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Far North (NSW) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Gold Coast (QLD) |
|
|
||||
| Great Southern (WA) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Illawarra (NSW) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Katherine (NT) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Mackay & District (QLD) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Mid North Coast (NSW) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Mount Isa (QLD) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Newcastle (NSW) |
|
*
|
||||
| New England (NSW) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| NSW Referees | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| North Sydney * |
|
|
||||
| Northern Division (WA) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Northern Territory | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| Rockhampton (QLD) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| South Australia |
|
|
||||
| South West WA (WA) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Sunshine Coast & District (QLD) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Tasmania |
|
|
||||
| Townsville (QLD) |
|
N/E | ||||
| Victoria |
|
|
||||
| Western Australia |
|
|
||||
| Western Plains (NSW) | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Western Queensland (QLD) | 1
|
N/E |
Canada
| Society | Currently Eligible |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta |
|
N/V | ||||
| British Columbia |
|
|
||||
| Calgary | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| Edmonton |
|
|
||||
| Ontario |
|
|
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| Toronto & District |
|
*
|
England
| Society | Currently Eligible |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| Berkshire |
|
|
||||
| Bristol * |
|
|
||||
| Buckinghamshire |
|
|
||||
| Cambridge |
|
|
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| Central Yorkshire | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Cornwall |
|
|
||||
| Cumbria * |
|
|
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| Devon |
|
|
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| Dorset & Wilt * |
|
|
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| Durham |
|
|
||||
| Eastern Counties Federation |
|
|
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| East Midlands |
|
|
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| East Yorkshire | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Essex | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Gloucester * |
|
|
||||
| Hampshire |
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|
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| Hertfordshire |
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| Kent * |
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| Leicester |
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| Liverpool |
|
N/E | ||||
| London |
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| Manchester |
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| Norfolk | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| North Midlands |
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| Northumberland |
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| North Yorkshire & Cleveland | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Notts, Lincs & Derby * |
|
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| Oxfordshire |
|
N/V | ||||
| Plymouth |
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| Royal Air Force | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| Royal Navy | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| Somerset * |
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| South Yorkshire | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Staffordshire |
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| Staines | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Suffolk | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Sussex |
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| Warwickshire * |
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| West Yorkshire | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Yorkshire Federation * |
|
|
Germany
| Society | Currently Eligible |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRV Referees |
|
|
Hong Kong
| Society | Currently Eligible |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong * |
|
|
Ireland
| Society | Currently Eligible |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connacht |
|
|
||||
| Leinster * |
|
*
|
||||
| Munster |
|
|
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| Ulster |
|
|
New Zealand
| Society | Currently Eligible |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand Referees |
|
|
||||
| Auckland |
|
|
||||
| Canterbury | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| Hawke's Bay |
|
|
||||
| King Country |
|
|
||||
| Manawatu |
|
*
|
||||
| North Harbour |
|
|
||||
| Otago | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| Taranaki |
|
|
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| Tasman | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| Wellington |
|
|
||||
| Waikato | 2
|
N/E |
Scotland
| Society | Currently Eligible |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Border |
|
*
|
||||
| Caledonia | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Edinburgh |
|
|
||||
| West of Scotland |
|
N/V |
South Africa
| Society | Currently Eligible |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South African Referees |
|
*
|
||||
| Blue Bulls * |
|
|
||||
| Boland | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Border | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Eastern Province | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Free State | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Golden Lions | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| Griffons | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Griquas | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Leopards | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Pumas | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Sharks | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| South Western Districts | 1
|
N/E | ||||
| Valke |
|
N/V | ||||
| Western Province |
|
N/V |
United Arab Emirates
| Society | Currently Eligible |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arabian Gulf |
|
|
United States of America
| Society | Currently Eligible |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| Arizona |
|
|
||||
| Chicago * |
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|
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| Deep South |
|
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| East Penn |
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|
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| Florida | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| Great Plains | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| Indiana |
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|
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| Michigan |
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| Minnesota | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| New England |
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|
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| New York |
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|
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| Northern California |
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|
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| Ohio | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| Pacific Northwest |
|
|
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| Potomac |
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|
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| Southern California * |
|
*
|
||||
| South East |
|
|
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| Texas | 2
|
N/E | ||||
| Virginia | 2
|
N/E |
Wales
| Society | Currently Eligible |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardiff |
|
N/V | ||||
| Gwent |
|
N/V | ||||
| Ospreys |
|
N/V | ||||
| Pontypool |
|
N/V |
Non Society/Association Websites
| Society | Currently Eligible |
2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ref Zone |
|
|
||||
| Arbitage-rugby (in French) |
|
|
History
RugbyRefs.com was the first site to bring in a system of rewarding those referee society & association websites that help to enhance the role of the referee. Our first awards were emailed out in March 2005. Through these awards we hoped to recognise the efforts made by some, whilst encouraging those less attractive sites to improve. Websites reviewed will gained a rating of Gold, Silver, Bronze or no award from each reviewer, and depending on the amount of reviewers, will achieve one of the following four levels:
- Gold
- Silver
- Bronze
- No Award
The graphics that the site was then allowed to display on its pages are:
Sites that didn't meet an award but would like to support the awards are asked to display the following imgae with a link to us.
Who was eligable to review the websites?
Any member of the RugbyRefs.com forums that is a referee was able to review sites and cast their vote to help gain a site the award it deserves.
What were the criteria?
There are two simple rules that sites and reviewers must follow:
1. Site must be upto date in it's information.
2. No referee may vote on their own society's site.
What did the reviewers look for?
The reveiwers may look for whatever they want, and grade on how they feel the site to be, however some area that we do ask people to look at is as follows:
1. domain name (easy to remember/type)
2. adverts (not too many) Sponsors are obvioulsy ok
3. pop ups adverts (none at all preferably)
4. sound (can be good or bad)
5. upto date (Should have been updated within last 30 days, Off season allows this to be relaxed to 90 days)
6. navigation (easy or hard?)
7. usefulness to referees (is it a good resource for all referees, or just that society?)
8. online appointments (can all clubs see who is refereeing them and others?)
Sites were to be regraded every year so that awards can remain current and relevant to the quality of the website.
2005/6 Awards
The websites that were graded over 2005 & 2006 were awarded ratings as follows (Please be aware that some links may no longer go to where they did in 2005/6):
