All Golds v NW Crusaders KPL1S 2017 Final

WELSH REFEREE AIMING
FOR WORLD CUP IN 2021
WRITTEN BY IAN GOLDEN
20
Welsh referee James Jones is
making his Kingstone Press
League 1 refereeing debut
this Sunday when Oxford
take on Hunslet at Tillsley
Park in Abingdon.
Jones has been in the WRL
and then the RFL systems
for the last four years after
moving from rugby union
and has worked his way up
the community and junior
refereeing ranks to be able
to take charge of his first
competitive professional
game. He was in the charge
of both of the South Wales
Ironmen v North Wales
Crusaders friendly matches
earlier this year.
The hope is now for Jones
to move up to Super League
then be able to become
Wales’ first ever referee at
the Rugby League World
Cup when it comes to
England in 2021.
The Bridgend-based official
was formerly ranked as the
second best referee in Welsh
Rugby Union but decided
to give the 13-man game a
try after the number of fulltime
officials were cut in that
organisation.
His last two seasons in union
saw him refereeing top level
games in the European Cup,
French League, Celtic League
and English Premiership – all
of these being Super League
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