Rugby Football Union - President honours Yorkshire referees

President honours Yorkshire referees

By Murray Walker, North Regional Press Officer

RFU president Robert Horner was in Doncaster recently to honour two members of Yorkshire Referee Societies who had passed the 50 year service mark.

Richard Batley, from Sheffield (South Yorks), and Trevor Tarran, from South Cave (East Yorks), had their achievements recognised by a joint presentation by Horner, Ken Bracewell, the RFU referee manager, and Mark Roberts, secretary of the Yorkshire Rugby Football Union, along with an invited audience of current and former refereeing colleagues. In addition to award certificates presented by the RFU Referee Department, both received framed rugby prints from the Referee Society.

Allan MacGregor, the honorary secretary of South Yorkshire Referees Society, said, “This remarkable and unique achievement by two long serving volunteer referees and administrators attracted significant media coverage and helped to promote a positive image of refereeing at a time when there is a real shortage of referees in this country.”

Richard Batley took his first game as a referee in 1952 at Bakewell - Old Mannerians v Sheffield Tigers - and joined the South Yorkshire Referees Society. He was soon being sent all over Yorkshire and beyond and recalls once leaving home at 10am to get a tram to Sheffield station, then a train to Penistone, change there for Huddersfield, then a bus across the Pennines to Lancashire and refereeing Celadine Nook v Huddersfield YMCA at 3pm.

Richard soon developed an affinity for schools rugby, covering as many games as he could, which meant two or three each week. He still does the occasional game today when youngsters are involved and the minimum of running around is needed! But his regular refereeing ended when he reached 70 and in all those years he never sent a player off the field.

He combined refereeing with administration when he became the local appointments secretary in 1970, a role he fulfilled for 20 years. In 1987, he received the accolade of becoming one of the first ever Life Members of the Yorkshire Referees Society to mark 35 years service to officiating.

Trevor Tarran has been a member of the East Riding Referees’ Society for 50 years and for over 45 he has been secretary, treasurer, appointments
and reappointments secretary, outlasting 11
Society chairmen.

During his term of office, he has been the backbone of the Society, not only carrying out his duties but also quietly supporting and encouraging new and developing referees with words of encouragement both at Society meetings and on the touchline. His wife, Kath, has also helped to administer the Society. Trevor is also a past chairman of the Prison Board of Visitors at Everthorpe Prison where his fair but strong manner on the rugby field was repeated in his treatment of prisoners. Although ever the gentleman, it is said that Trevor was once heard to shout at a team not known for its silence on the pitch: “Come on gentlemen - cut out the b***** swearing.”