For years, emphasis has been put on the physical side of training for National Rugby League referees. Given that referees typically run upwards of 5.5 miles each during a single match, they essentially trained like triathletes.
However, NRL Referees’ Strength & Conditioning Manager Cameron Black wanted to develop a better way to train these individuals. “They’ve got a lot going on and can have a huge impact on the game if they’re not performing well,” he explained.
When Black first started working for the NRL, he noticed that referees weren’t getting enough exposure to the specific environment needed to develop skills.