The RFL Match Officials are a select group of professional Rugby League match officials who officiate the top divisions of Rugby League in Britain.[1]
Officials are required to take part in a Fitness Test to maintain and or gain their status.
Match Official Department Staff
Phil Bentham was re-appointed as the RFL's Head of Match Officials in February 2024,[2] he previously held this post on an interim basis between Jan-March 2021 while Steve Ganson was on leave.
Dave Elliot served as interim Head of Match Officials for between Jan-Dec 2023 while an internal investigation took place into the department, ran by Steve Ganson from 2016. This concluded with Ganson leaving the RFL by mutual consent in December 2023.[3]
| Name |
Position
|
| Phil Bentham |
Head of Match Officials
|
| Dave Elliott |
Match Officials Coach
|
| Julian King |
Match Officials Coach
|
| Anthony Atherton
|
Match Officials Coach
|
| Chris Kendall |
Select Referee Group Manager
|
| Steve Williams |
Select Touch Judge Group Manager
|
| Tom Grant |
Entry & Emerging Referee Groups Manager
|
| Marcus Griffiths |
Women's Super League Squad Manager
|
| Ryan Cox |
Appointments and Development Officer
|
| Mike Smaill |
Match Officials Business Manager
|
| Matty Lynn |
Match Officials Administrator
|
Graded Match Officials
To become an Elite match official, Grade 1 officials must have an interview with the Head of Match Officials.
| Grading
|
Referee
|
Touch Judge
|
| Elite
|
Super League
|
Super League
|
| 1 (Select)
|
Championship & League 1
|
Championship & League 1
|
| 2 (Emerging)
|
Academy/Reserves & Women's Super League
|
Reserves & Women's Super League
|
| 3 (Entry)
|
National Conference League & Scholarship
|
Academy & Scholarship
|
Elite Referees (RFL Full Time Match Officials)
Since the 2007 season, the Rugby Football League have employed a panel of full-time officials. That panel currently has nine members.
Current Full Time Match Officials Squad
Managed by Phil Bentham.
| Name
|
Society
|
Age
|
Year Appointed
|
 Aaron Moore
|
Wigan
|
26 years, 118 days
|
2023
|
| Ben Thaler
|
Wakefield
|
42 years, 194 days
|
2005
|
| Chris Kendall
|
Huddersfield
|
31 years, 282 days
|
2015
|
| Jack Smith
|
Wigan
|
35 years, 24 days
|
2022
|
| Liam Moore
|
Wigan
|
28 years, 257 days
|
2017
|
| Tom Grant
|
Leeds
|
29 years, 247 days
|
2018
|
| Marcus Griffiths
|
Widnes
|
29 years, 300 days
|
2019
|
| Liam Rush
|
Dewsbury & Batley
|
23 years, 267 days
|
2022
|
 James Vella
|
St George Referees (Sydney, Australia)
|
34 years, 279 days
|
2022
|
Previous Full Time Match Officials
Elite Touch Judges (Super League)
Managed by Dave Elliot. By default the RFL Full Time Match Officials are graded as Elite Touch Judges.
| Name
|
Society
|
Name
|
Society
|
| Denton Arnold
|
St Helens
|
Tom Grant
|
Leeds
|
| Nick Bennett
|
Wakefield
|
Marcus Griffiths
|
Widnes
|
| Dean Bowmer
|
Wakefield
|
Chris Kendall
|
Huddersfield
|
| Peter Brooke
|
Manchester
|
Aaron Moore
|
Wigan
|
| Ryan Cox
|
Midlands
|
Liam Moore
|
Wigan
|
| Mark Craven
|
Leeds
|
Liam Rush
|
Dewsbury & Batley
|
| Simon Ellis
|
|
Jack Smith
|
Wigan
|
| Neil Horton
|
Wakefield
|
Ben Thaler
|
Wakefield
|
| Gareth Jones
|
Warrington
|
James Vella
|
St George Referees (Sydney, Australia)
|
| Paul Marklove
|
Warrington
|
|
|
| Ellis McCarthy
|
Castleford & Featherstone
|
|
|
| Scott Mikalauskas
|
Leigh
|
|
|
| Jonathon Roberts
|
Leeds
|
|
|
| Richard Thompson
|
Hull
|
|
|
| Warren Turley
|
Leigh
|
|
|
| Cameron Worsley
|
Castleford & Featherstone
|
|
|
| Total Count = 25. Part Time = 16.
|
Full Time = 9.
|
Grade 1 Match Officials
Select Referees
Managed by Julian King & Chris Kendall.
| Name
|
Society
|
Name
|
Society
|
| Denton Arnold
|
St Helens
|
Sam Jenkinson
|
|
| Aaryn Belafonte
|
Huddersfield
|
Tara Jones
|
Warrington
|
| Nick Bennett
|
Wakefield
|
Freddie Lincoln
|
Huddersfield
|
| Alan Billington
|
Widnes
|
Matty Lynn
|
|
| Luke Bland
|
Leeds
|
Scott Mikalauskas
|
Leigh
|
| Elliot Burrow
|
Cumbria
|
Bradley Milligan
|
Cumbria
|
| Matty Clayton
|
|
Kevin Moore
|
Castleford & Featherstone
|
| Ryan Cox
|
Midlands
|
Michael Smaill
|
Midlands
|
| Will Gilder
|
|
Andy Sweet
|
Castleford & Featherstone
|
| Sam Houghton
|
Manchester
|
Adam Williams
|
Wigan
|
| Carl Hughes
|
Wakefield
|
Cameron Worsley
|
Castleford & Featherstone
|
| Jordan Hughes
|
Cumbria
|
Kristoff Young
|
Wales
|
| Total Count = 24.
|
Select Touch Judges
Managed by Steve Williams.
| Name
|
Society
|
Name
|
Society
|
| Aaryn Belafonte
|
Huddersfield
|
Matty Lynn
|
|
| Alan Billington
|
Widnes
|
Ollie Maddock
|
Warrington
|
| Luke Bland
|
Leeds
|
Milo McKelvey
|
|
| Ben Brocklehurst
|
Castleford
|
Bradley Milligan
|
Cumbria
|
| Elliot Burrow
|
Cumbria
|
Kevin Moore
|
Castleford & Featherstone
|
| Jamie Callaghan
|
St Helens
|
Lewis Obrien
|
Wigan
|
| Alex Cameron
|
|
Josh Pemberton
|
Warrington
|
| Matty Clayton
|
|
Oliver Salmon
|
|
| James Collier
|
|
Lucas Seal
|
Cumbria
|
| J Collins
|
|
Gary Shaw
|
Wigan
|
| Luke Flavell
|
Wigan
|
Joe Sterne
|
Castleford & Featherstone
|
| Tommy Gibbs
|
|
Andy Sweet
|
Castleford & Featherstone
|
| Will Gilder
|
|
A Tallon
|
|
| A Giles
|
|
Jordan Unsworth
|
|
| Sam Houghton
|
Manchester
|
Adam Williams
|
Wigan
|
| Carl Hughes
|
Wakefield
|
G Winnard
|
|
| Jordan Hughes
|
Cumbria
|
H Winnard
|
|
| Sam Jenkinson
|
|
P Wroe
|
|
| Tara Jones
|
Warrington
|
Kristoff Young
|
Wales
|
| Freddie Lincoln
|
Huddersfield
|
|
|
| Total Count = 39.
|
Thierry Alibert