National Rugby Championship - Match Official Appointments Round 1 & 2

The National Rugby Championships (NRC) in Australia start today and RugbyRefs.com is pleased to be able to bring you the full appointments for match officials for rounds 1 & 2.

The NRC is Australia's 2nd tier Rugby competition, created to reduce the gap between local club rugby & Super Rugby. Many of the players involved have been called up from their local club teams to take part, and those who perform well could be in line for involvement in their local Super Rugby franchise.
The competition is especially important this year as the best players that are not contracted to Super Rugby will play a two game series as the Australian Barbarians against the best non Super Rugby Players from the Heartland Championship, with both games being played in New Zealand later this year.

As with players, the NRC is also an excellent opportunity for the Australian Rugby Union to develop their up and coming referees on a bigger scale with faster and more competitive games.

The NRC incorporates a number of law variations and competition rule changes, which proved very successful in last year's competition.

They are:

• 2 Points for a penalty goal & drop goal, combined with less tolerance for cynical infringements.
• Pre-2013 TMO regulations (only scoring or in-goal situations)
• Bonus point if team is three tries ahead (instead of for scoring four tries).
• Quick throw in allowed even if touched by another player or person. Explicitly forbids support staff or reserves touching ball deliberately (PK 15m in)

Along with this a number of alternate referee interpretations have been introduced to speed that play up, these are:

• If not contest at lineout referee can rule not straight as immaterial.
• If a penalty is award after time has expired, a kick to touch can be made and the line out is permitted to be taken.
• 45 seconds to take a penalty goal and 60 seconds for a conversion.
• 30 seconds to set scrums, ability to move scrum away from minor injuries.
• scrum half cannot enter pocket between No. 8 & flanker.
• increased latitude for taking quick taps away from mark.
• enforcing of Maul laws once formed to stop the collapse turnover tactic.

All 2015 NRC games will be broadcast by Fox on one or more of their platforms.

The appointments below are very exciting for us here at RugbyRefs.com as they involves some of our own members. Congratulations to all who have been appointed.