Leading African nation Ghana will see a further boost to its capacity through a week-long visit next week by IRL tutor James Jones, who is also the head of Wales Rugby League’s match officials.
The deployment coincides with the American ROOTS Rugby Family and Nigeria tours to Accra.
Ghana was one of three African nations involved in launching the IRL technical education project in January and has received sustained support throughout the year, including the recent deployment of its technical director to Euro C in Italy.
Jones will oversee final technical educational modules for Rugby League Federation Ghana match officials who have been progressing along the IRL development pathway. The targeted outcomes of the trip are to accredit at least five level 1 and three level 2 match officials, who are at varying stages on the IRL’s education continuum, and to sign off three local Level 1 Match Official Educators.
Jones said: “As always it is a privilege and honour to represent my country on the international stage.
“International Rugby League are investing heavily in growing the game across the globe with coach and referee educators sharing a wealth of knowledge. I am honoured to be a part of that group.
“Wouldn’t it be fantastic to see a neutral referee one day refereeing an Ashes test! – Or a match official outside the top nations officiating at a World Cup!
“The next set of international referees are out there and I look forward to visiting Ghana – a Nation with a huge passion for Rugby League.
“Refereeing and working with an exciting group of officials on and off the field creates further opportunities for the growth of the game and strengthening Ghana’s standings within the IRL.”
RLFG President Madam Juliana Storey said, “This match officials program is an important investment in our people. Building skilled referees and educators is essential to the future of rugby league in Ghana. These workshops give our team the confidence, tools, and experience they need to grow. Partnering with the IRL helps us develop the human resources that will drive our competitions, support our communities, and strengthen the sport for years to come.”
The local officials will be some of the first practitioners added to the IRL’s new learning management system and will attend multiple theory and practical sessions with Jones and RLFG match educator candidates Marshall Nortey, Chris Ebo Dagama and Jacqueline Ansah. That knowledge will be applied in up to eight representative games that will take place over a week.
