Cornish Pirates

New National Level Referees

A double Super League Grand Final referee, an ex Moseley fly half and the first university refereeing course graduate will take charge of national level rugby next season.

Karl Kirkpatrick, Greg MacDonald and Matthew Carley are three of seven promotions to the RFU National Panel for the RFU Championship and National One and Two.

They will be joined by Will Halford - the RFU's Referee Development Manager for the North East and Yorkshire - Wayne Falla from Northumberland, Shane Lewis, a former captain of Frome in Somerset, and Mike Cooper from Sussex

Kirkpatrick said: "I'm really looking forward to this next step in rugby union. My aim is to referee at the highest level I can in union, as I did in league. If I can do some National League One matches and even a Championship game next season then that would be great.

"My rugby league experience has been of massive benefit and I am really enjoying refereeing in rugby union.

I'd really thank my refereeing coach Tony Rossall who has helped me so much over the last 12 months as well as Paul Renton (RFU Referee Development Manager for the North West) and Steve Lander (former international referee)."

Steve Leyshon, RFU Panel Development Manager, said:
"We are delighted to bring the total number of National Panel referees to 46 with these new appointments.

These guys have worked hard and have received tremendous support from the volunteers from within both their societies, federations and groups, all of whom work tirelessly to facilitate their development.

"To have the likes of Karl, who has refereed rugby league at the highest level, Greg, an experienced player with Moseley, and Matt is testament to the fact that we are getting a wide spread of people wanting to get involved in refereeing

"We have seen Luke Pearce, Ian Tempest and Lyr Apgeraint Roberts recently promoted to the RFU's Elite Referee Development Unit so the pathway is there to develop a career in officiating."

Richard Glynne-Jones, RFU Head of Referee Development, commented: "Our Referee Development Team continue to ensure that referees of the very highest quality are being promoted to the National Panel. Their work, in conjunction with that of the volunteers, will undoubtedly ensure that talented referees will continue to progress"

New RFU National Panel referee profiles

Matthew Carley
Matthew started his refereeing career at 16, taking charge of Aylesford 3rds vs Maidstone 4ths.

In September 2004 he was the selected for the RFU scholarship at the University of Gloucestershire, which ran alongside his sports science degree.

After graduating he returned to Kent and joined the South East Group for the 2008-09 season. He has refereed in Jersey and Scotland.

Mike Cooper
A former Bognor Regis colt, Mike had a break from the game at 17 and took up the whistle, refereeing Worthing 5ths v St Francis 2nds in February 2000.

Now a member of the London Society, he has officiated in Sweden, as well as South Africa on an RFU programme.

Wayne Falla
A former cricketer for Tynemouth & Northumberland, Wayne took up rugby to stay fit during the winter, played for North Shields RFC between 1989 -2002 and was asked by a fellow cricketer and rugby referee to go along to a Northumberland Society meeting.

He refereed Novocastrians 3rds v Gateshead 3rds in 2004 and has never looked back.

Will Halford
RFU Referee Development Manager for the North East and Yorkshire, Will played for Tynedale and then Northern.

Started officiating for Northumberland Society in October 2002, debuting in Novocastrians 3rd XV v South Tyneside College - and wish he had started a couple of years earlier

Karl Kirkpatrick
A former Super League referee of more than 200 games including two Super League Grand Finals (2003, Wigan v Bradford, Old Trafford and 2006 , St Helens v Hull, Old Trafford) and a Challenge Cup final (2004 Wigan v St Helens, Millennium Stadium) and Powergen Referee of the year in 2003.

A banker by profession. He refereed his first game of rugby union in March 2007 - Manchester Village Spartans v Buxton

Shane Lewis
Started his playing career at Tenby before studying at UWIC and then moving to Frome, where he captained them in South West Two.

Retired from playing in 2005 after a neck injury and joined the Somerset Society in 2006.

Greg Macdonald
A former fly half who made more than 100 appearances for Moseley after joining at 18, including winning the National League 2 title in 2005-6,

Greg started refereeing a year ago for the Staffordshire Society after retiring from playing in the middle of last season.

Followed in the footsteps of his father Colin, a referee and National Leagues assistant referee.