McMaster names Match Officials for the opening rounds of the Canadian Rugby Championships

“I would firstly like to congratulate all of the officials who have been selected. We are excited to see this group  of officials, including experienced National Panel members, talented youngsters who are part of the National Focus Group, and some new faces, really contribute to producing a top-quality tournament. We are always keen to see the progress and improvements of officials from year to year, and a couple of individuals, though their first time participating at this level of competition, are being brought in to the environment to help foster their development,” says McMaster.
 
One such individual is National Senior Women’s Team and Women’s Rugby World Cup finalist Julianne Zussman. She will be one of 4 females attending the event as an official, along with Shanda Mosher-Gallant, Rebecca Matheson, and Kristine Lovatt. “It’s an honour to take part in a National Championships and to have the opportunity to contribute to the game in a new way. I’m looking forward to seeing the best players in Canada go head-to-head and to work with a new crop of athletes on the officiating side of the game,” says Zussman.
 
“With Rose LaBrèche having stepped down from international officiating, we have an opportunity for some of the young women to step up over the short and long term and really put themselves out there to get a look at even higher levels of competition. We will be working diligently with all 4 of these young women, as well as others across the country, to continue to grow female refereeing in Canada,” added McMaster.
 
Throughout the week there will also be an emphasis on working with players and coaches as the game moves forward. “We will be conducting daily reviews with the officials as well as trialing a tackle law variation at the U19 level. There will be an emphasis on technical, tactical, and game management feedback and review, and the senior officials of the group such as Chris Assmus and Dale Hall will be leading the charge with much of the process. The coaches will be involved in the process for feedback as well as adjusting slight interpretations where applicable,” added McMaster.
 
The officials all arrive on Sunday, July 15 and have an evening of tournament preparation before matches kick off on Monday afternoon. We look forward to seeing them all in action, and you can catch all of the game lives at http://objectified.com/webcasting/live-streaming.
 
Match Official Panel for CRCs in Saskatoon, SK
 
James Acker – Rugby Québec (Toronto, ON)
Chris Assmus – National Panel / BC Rugby Referees Society (Pierrefonds, QC)
Dale Hall – National Panel / Rugby Ontario (Niagara Falls, ON)
Kristine Lovatt – Saskatchewan Rugby Referees Society (Souris, MB)
Christopher Chopra Micheletti – Rugby Québec (Dorval, QC)
Rebecca Matheson – Rugby Ontario (Orangeville, ON)
Shanda Mosher-Gallant – BC Rugby Referees Society (Summerside, PEI)
Cole Pedrick – Saskatchewan Rugby Referees Society (Brandon, MB)
Jeff Wiggett – Manitoba Association of Rugby Referees (Winnipeg, MB)
Julianne Zussman – BC Rugby Referees Society (Ottawa, ON)