Dear Touchline
Re: Your article in January’s “Referees Review”, Staffordshire Referees Society has been running a similar scheme for Staffordshire Clubs for over 20 years. The actual cards that we use in Staffordshire involve:

Welcome • Changing rooms • Pitch layout / flags • First aid • Showers • Hospitality
Discipline • Fair Play

We would be glad to help any other Society to set up the same scheme. We can advise them on the printers that we use (template already made - saves money), also we could furnish them with a programme for data entry & automatic correlation.

Yours in Rugby
Derek Pemberton
Hon Sec Staffordshire Rugby Union Society of Referees

Dear Touchline
Would it be possible for you to tell me which of the laws allows Premiership players to have water taken on to the pitch at any and every stoppage, whereas at junior club level, if water is taken on, the carrier is immediately told to leave and if a player wants water, he must go to the touchline for it.

I am getting heartily sick of junior club players being treated differently from the pampered professionals.

Ken Brickell
Physio at Lowestoft and Yarmouth RFC.

Dear Ken,
The difference between the two levels of game is not the Laws, which are uniformly applied but the regulations which apply to the leagues. Within the Premiership the number of persons who enter the field of play, with the referees permission, have been defined within the regulations appertaining to the Premiership.

The numbers vary as the league regulations differ throughout the game. However, it should also be noted that the referee at a Premiership match has the help of two touch judges, a fourth official and stewards to help him manage those who enter the field of play. At the lower league level the referee will often be on his own trying to manage 30 players, six replacements, physios and team management from both teams, as I am sure you will agree an almost impossible task for one person to do let alone referee the match as well.

I appreciate that this may seem unfair and to penalise you and your club, but without referees we have no game.

Nick Bunting
Head of Officiating & Resources

Dear Touchline
Through Touchline I would like to thank Martin Johnson, Jonny Wilkinson, Jason Leonard and Austin Healey for giving my son a brief but magical evening at their book signing at Twickenham. My son went with excited anticipation and was not disappointed. He was amazed that he could get closer to Jonny Wilkinson than the Wallabies openside and have a chat, whilst the banter with Martin Johnson, Jason Leonard and Austin Healey was great fun.

Perhaps it was another promo for the stars but my son will remember it as a magical evening. Gentlemen, thank you, and congratulations to the RFU for putting the evening on.

Mick Hannay
Seaford, Sussex