James Child
 | |||
| Full name | James Child | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
4 July 1983 Dewsbury, England | ||
| Other occupation | Surveyor | ||
| Domestic | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2006-2009 | Championship | Referee | |
| 2010- | Super League | Referee | |
| International | |||
| Years | League | Role | |
| 2012- | IRL listed | Referee | |
James Child (born 4 July 1983)[1] is an English rugby league referee in the Super League. He is one of the Rugby Football League's Full Time Match Officials.
Referee career
James started refereeing at the age of 11 years as a member of the Dewsbury & Batley Rugby League Referees' Society.[2] Since then he has enjoyed many notable successes, particularly as a touch judge having officiated at the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Challenge Cup Finals, the 2007 and 2008 Super League Grand Finals and most notably the 2008 Rugby League World Cup Final.[3]
As a referee, his first professional game was Gateshead Thunder v Workington Town on 17 April 2006, before making his Super League debut on 15 March 2009 with Wakefield Trinity Wildcats v Catalans Dragons. This came a week after he officiated the Rugby League Varsity Match between Oxford University and Cambridge University at the Twickenham Stoop.
On 11 January 2010, he was promoted to the RFL's elite refereeing squad for 2010's Super League XV.[4]
Personal life
He is a member of the Dewsbury and Batley Rugby League Referees' Society.[5]
He combines his role as Super League referee, with a part-time job as a Chartered surveyor for Leeds City Council.
In February 2021, in an interview for BBC Sport, Child confirmed that he is gay, something known to his family, friends and colleagues for some time.[6]
References
- ^ "The Rugby Football League". therfl.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 October 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ "Dewsbury & Batley Rugby League Referees Society |". Freewebs.com. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ "RFL trio head to the Rugby League World Cup - 8th October 2008 SportFocus news". Sportfocus.com. 8 October 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ "The Rugby Football League". Therfl.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ Dewsbury society
- ^ "'It's better to be who you are' - referee talks publicly about being gay". BBC Sport. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
External links
- RFL profile
- RL source
- RL REFS stats
- Delighted James joins ranks of RFL's top referees
- Officiating in RL World Cup final is Child's play
- Sportsman of the Year[permanent dead link]
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