RFL match officials

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^[4]

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)^[5]

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	27 years, 43 days	2023
Chris Kendall	Huddersfield	32 years, 207 days	2015
Jack Smith	Wigan	35 years, 315 days	2022
Liam Moore	Wigan	29 years, 182 days	2017
Tara Jones	Warrington	28 years, 170 days	2025
Tom Grant	Leeds	30 years, 172 days	2018
Marcus Griffiths	Widnes	30 years, 225 days	2019
Liam Rush	Dewsbury & Batley	24 years, 192 days	2022
James Vella	St George Referees (Sydney, Australia)	35 years, 204 days	2022

Previous Full Time Match Officials

Name	Society	Start	End	Total
Ben Thaler	Wakefield	2005	2024	19 years
James Child	Dewsbury & Batley	2010	2022	12 years
Cameron Worsley	Mid Yorkshire
Robert Hicks	Oldham
Scott Mikalauskas	Leigh		2021
Greg Dolan
Phil Bentham	Warrington
Thierry Alibert
Joe Cobb	Widnes
Chris Campbell	Widnes
Steve Ganson	St Helens
George Stokes	St Helens
Ian Smith	Oldham
Richard Silverwood	Dewsbury & Batley
Ashley Klein	Leeds

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	Dewsbury & Batley	Marcus Griffiths	Widnes
Dean Bowmer	Mid Yorkshire	Chris Kendall	Huddersfield
Peter Brooke	Manchester	Aaron Moore	Wigan
Ryan Cox	St Helens	Liam Moore	Wigan
Mark Craven	Leeds	Liam Rush	Dewsbury & Batley
Simon Ellis	Dewsbury & Batley	Jack Smith	Wigan
Neil Horton	Mid Yorkshire	Tara Jones	Warrington
Gareth Jones	Warrington	James Vella	St George Referees (Sydney, Australia)
Paul Marklove	Warrington
Ellis McCarthy	St Helens
Scott Mikalauskas	Leigh
Jonathon Roberts	Leeds
Richard Thompson	Hull
Warren Turley	Leigh
Cameron Worsley	Mid Yorkshire
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	Mid Yorkshire
Aaryn Belafonte	Huddersfield	Freddie Lincoln	Huddersfield
Nick Bennett	Dewsbury & Batley	Matty Lynn	North East
Alan Billington	Widnes	Scott Mikalauskas	Leigh
Luke Bland	Leeds	Bradley Milligan	Cumberland
Elliot Burrow	Barrow	Kevin Moore	Mid Yorkshire
Matty Clayton	Huddersfield	Michael Smaill	Leigh
Ryan Cox	St Helens	Andy Sweet	Mid Yorkshire
Will Gilder	Midlands & South West	Adam Williams	Wigan
Sam Houghton	Manchester	Cameron Worsley	Mid Yorkshire
Carl Hughes	Mid Yorkshire	Kristoff Young	Wales
Jordan Hughes	Barrow
Total Count = 23.

Select Touch Judges

Managed by Steve Williams.

Name	Society	Name	Society
Aaryn Belafonte	Huddersfield	Matty Lynn	North East
Alan Billington	Widnes	Ollie Maddock	Warrington
Luke Bland	Leeds	Milo McKelvey
Ben Brocklehurst	Mid Yorkshire	Bradley Milligan	Cumberland
Elliot Burrow	Barrow	Kevin Moore	Mid Yorkshire
Jamie Callaghan	St Helens	Lewis O'brien	Wigan
Alex Cameron	Bradford, Halifax & Huddersfield	Josh Pemberton	Warrington
Matty Clayton		Oliver Salmon
James Collier		Lucas Seal	Barrow
James Collins	Midlands & South West	Gary Shaw	Wigan
Luke Flavell	Wigan	Joe Stearne	Mid Yorkshire
Tommy Gibbs	Mid Yorkshire	Andy Sweet	Mid Yorkshire
Will Gilder	Midlands & South West	Adrian Tallon	Hull
A Giles		Jordan Unsworth
Sam Houghton	Manchester	Adam Williams	Wigan
Carl Hughes	Mid Yorkshire	Gareth Winnard	London & The South
Jordan Hughes	Barrow	Henry Winnard	London & The South
Sam Jenkinson	Mid Yorkshire	P Wroe
Tara Jones	Warrington	Kristoff Young	Wales
Freddie Lincoln	Huddersfield
Total Count = 39.

Grade 2 Match Officials

Emerging Referees

Managed by Tom Grant.

Name	Society	Name	Society	Name	Society	Name	Society
Tolver Arnold	St Helens	C Curren		A McDonald		Pete Smith	Armed Forces
Mason Apsee	Wales	C Davies		Milo McKelvey		Joe Stearne	Mid Yorkshire
J Bacon		Simon Ellis	Dewsbury & Batley	R Mitchell		Adrian Tallon	Hull
Dylan Barlow	Wigan	Luke Flavell	Wigan	Lewis O'brien	Wigan	Warren Turley	Leigh
O Bowie		Tommy Gibbs	Mid Yorkshire	G Pallet		Gareth Winnard	London & The South
Dean Bowmer	Mid Yorkshire	A Giles		Neil Pascall	Leeds	Henry Winnard	London & The South
Ben Brocklehurst	Mid Yorkshire	Connor Griffiths	Warrington	Josh Pemberton	Warrington	Brandon Worsley	Mid Yorkshire
F Brown		Neil Horton	Mid Yorkshire	Craig Regan	Barrow
Jamie Callaghan	St Helens	Owen Ireland		A Rhodes
Alex Cameron	Bradford, Halifax & Huddersfield	J Kinsley		Oliver Salmon
James Collier		Danny Krout	London & The South	Reece Schofield	Manchester
James Collins	Midlands & South West	Phil Loeb	Warrington	Lucas Seal	Barrow
Matt Cowan	London & The South	Ollie Maddock	Warrington	Gary Shaw	Wigan
Anthony Creasey	London & The South	Paul Marklove	Warrington	Kristian Silcock	St Helens
Total Count = 49

Emerging Touch Judges

Managed by Ryan Cox.

Name	Society	Name	Society	Name	Society
Mason Apsee	Wales	Danny Frederick	Hull	Kieran O'Shea	London & South
Rob Apsee	Wales	Dan Geddes	Mid Yorkshire	G Pallet
Innes Arnold	St Helens	Jordan Greenhalgh	Widnes	Neil Pascall	Leeds
Tolver Arnold	St Helens	Connor Griffiths	Warrington	Shaun Pickering	St Helens
Jack Bacon	Wigan	Lee Haggerty	St Helens	Simeon Quarmby	Huddersfield
Dylan Barlow	Wigan	S Harrison		Craig Regan	Barrow
Ronan Bird	Widnes	R Holmes		R Rhodes
O Bowie		Jamie Hooper	Mid Yorkshire	Reece Schofield	Manchester
L Breheny	Wigan	Rhiannon Horsman	Leeds	S Shea
F Brown		Owen Ireland		Kristian Silcock	St Helens
Paul Clayton	Mid Yorkshire	Liam Jones	St Helens	Adam Smith
L Corcoran		J Kinsley		Pete Smith	Armed Forces
Andrew Coupar	St Helens	Danny Krout	London & South	B Thomas
Matt Cowan	London & South	K Lewis		C Topping
G Cox		Phil Loeb	Warrington	T Topping
Ian Curzon	Wales	Andy Marsh	Wigan	Rebecca Whiteley	Huddersfield
C Davies		M Mills		A Woods
Rebecca Floyd	St Helens	R Mithchell		Jack Woolass	Mid Yorkshire
H Forster		Mia Murphy	Leigh	Brandon Worsley	Mid Yorkshire
Stuart Fraser	St Helens	Beth Neilson	Huddersfield	Esmai Wright	Warrington
Total Count = 60.

Grade 3 Match Officials

Entry Referees