International Rugby League hosts technical seminar for coach and match official educators
Delegates from over 20 International Rugby League (IRL) members attended a seminar to receive the latest updates on the progress of match official and coach education modules around the world. From recent meetings with IRL Chair, Troy Grant, members had placed this as a priority for them.
The responsibility for the co-ordination of the coaching and match official education sits with the international federation and the dissemination sits with the confederations, Asia Pacific Rugby League (APRL) and European Rugby League (ERL). For the first time there is a coordinated approach to technical education.
One of the initial jobs undertaken by IRL has been to map the various qualifications around the world onto a single framework that can be applied to and recognised by every member. This project is almost complete with the European qualifications currently being translated into French, Russian and Spanish. It is expected that these qualifications at Level 1 for both coaching and match officials will be formally adopted by the IRL, thereby providing a global framework for the first time.
Speaking after the seminar, IRL secretary general Danny Kazandjian said, “The International Olympic Committee has identified the management of technical education as a vital function of all international federations, therefore IRL takes its responsibilities in this area extremely seriously. It is one of the most fundamental services that we must provide to facilitate the global development of our sport.
“It was a pleasure to see our members, large and small, engaged in this exercise. Progress is being made at varying speeds around the world but all targeting a unified approach to the technical education of our coaches and match officials. Of utmost importance is the need for global cohesion and cooperation – and for the IF to improve its service to its members.
“In real numbers we now have 20 more coach educators spread around our membership all actively supporting and growing the number of qualified coaches in their own country. We have 75 match officials who have completed basic training and a further 48 have completed Level 2. Against the backdrop of COVID, restricted travel and on-line activity only – these figures are remarkable.”
