The Weir Rose Bowl offers development for youth referees through the NZCT Referee Academy - Weir Rose Bowl.

Led by experienced officials and referee educators, the youth academy takes charge of all games over the three day tournament. 

In 2026, more than 40 youth referees will stay onsite for four days, learning from a team of referee coaches.

They are mostly selected from the NZCT Youth Referee Academy programmes run in Tauranga, Hamilton and Rotorua.

Coaching sessions are held in the morning, before games, and in the evening, after games, with feedback during and at the end of each game. This immersive nature of the weekend allows referees to experience a accelerated learning curve.

The programme is led by WaiBOP Football Referee Development Officer Anna-Marie Keighley, a FIFA referee, with support from other top level referees, including FIFA Referee CK Kawana-Waugh, WaiBOP Football’s Referee Manager.

Anna-Marie Keighley says creating a nurturing environment for development of referees is extremely important: “Referees often don’t get the same kind of support that players do,” she said. “Events like the Weir Rose Bowl give young referees a chance to build their confidence and skills in a safe, encouraging space.”

The skills required to referee

Being a referee is a challenging job. On the field, they are tasked with enforcing the Laws of the Game, making split-second decisions on fouls, goals, and disciplinary actions, while managing the overall flow of the match. It requires concentration, a thorough understanding of the rules, and the ability to remain calm under pressure.

Join the Academy

For teenagers looking to get into refereeing , we would love you to join one of our Youth Refereeing Academies.

These academies, run in Tauranga, Hamilton and Rotorua, offer a supportive environment for you to develop skills to referee both Football and Futsal. 

At the end of the First Year, you will be qualified as a Level 1 Referee, and you will be able to be appointed to referee games, and earn some cash. 

In 2024, 26 youth referees worked with nine referee coaches over the 3 day tournament. 23 were from WaiBOP, and they were joined by 3 youth from Northern Regional Football.

They ranged in age from 14 to 17, and all had been refereeing community football during the year. 

They were joined by 3 referees, and 3 referee coaches from Auckland. 

The academy began a day before the games, with on-field sessions. Throughout the tournament, every match was assigned a youth referee, observed by referee coaches from a central position.

At half-time and post-match, the coaches offered two to three key pieces of advice for each referee to work on. This instant feedback allowed the referees to adjust and improve immediately. The referee coaches rotated between games, giving all referees the benefit of different coaching styles and perspectives.