Seven Scottish referees and three ref coaches spent five long, hot days at the European Touch Championships in Vichy and came home with plenty to show for it. Clare Hammond was upgraded to Level 4. Bronwyn Wake and Mathew Sharkey both gained their Level 4 ref coaching awards. John Beaton reached 100 caps and Gregor Wrightman reached 50. Ailsa Falconer was named leading senior female referee. Team Ref Scotland were also assigned to a number of finals.
Vichy was the high point of a busy year. In Scotland, referees covered the leagues in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, worked at national squad training and officiated at tournaments at home and abroad. Level 1 referee courses ran in November and August, with 23 people attending across the two. Several of them are now being coached and assessed for their Level 1 badges.
The international season started at the England Nationals in Nottingham in May 2026, which served as a warm-up for the Euros. Team Ref Scotland sent nine referees and three ref coaches, travelling with a number of Scottish squads. Amy Oates, Josiah Yuen and Neil Rae all earned Level 3 upgrades, and Finlay Mcdonnell was awarded Level 2.
The season finished at the European Youth Touch Championships at the University of Warwick. Seven referees and one coach worked the three-day tournament, and Scotland again did well in the finals allocations. John Beaton earned his Level 2 ref coaching award. Ailsa Falconer won her 100th cap at the tournament. Earlier in the year she had gained her Level 2 coaching award at Touch and Tapas in Elche, Spain.
The road ahead
Level 1 and Level 2 courses will run in Scotland over the off season. Referees aiming higher can take Level 3 courses in England and Europe.
There are three tournaments where referees can upgrade to Level 3 or Level 4: the England Nationals in Nottingham, the Opens permit tournament in Stirling, and the Juniors, whose venue and date have still to be confirmed. A referee going for Level 3 needs to officiate at one of these, and a referee going for Level 4 needs two of the three. Ref coaches will be prioritising the England Nationals and the Opens permit tournament. Every upgrade needs an endorsement from a coach and from the National Referee Director, so do not leave it until the last minute. Coaches can help with off-season preparation, but the responsibility lies with each referee to be proactive.
The Atlantic Opens Cup comes to the University of Stirling from 12 to 15 August 2027, and the Federation of International Touch has confirmed the dates. The next target after that is the 2028 Touch World Cup in New Zealand. Europe is likely to get about 15 refereeing places there, so ranking highly at the Opens permit in Stirling next year will count.
If you want coaching, an assessment, a ref mentor or buddy, or a place on a course, or you have a refereeing question at any level, email referees@touch.scot.
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