Canberra Referees

Wonderful to see our own, Ben Cummins, feature on the NSWRLRA behind the whistle series!

With many great graded officials coming from Canberra, please keep an eye out for some of our own.

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Continuing with our new daily series: Behind the Whistle!
Each day, we’ll shine a spotlight on a referee or touch judge who has helped shape, serve and contribute to the great game of rugby league.

Today we recognise Ben Cummins, one of the most experienced officials in rugby league history.

Graded from the Canberra Referees Association, Ben built an incredible career across the NRL as a referee, touch judge and video referee, finishing with more than 500 combined first grade appointments.

His first grade refereeing debut came in Round 9, 2006, when the North Queensland Cowboys played the Penrith Panthers at Dairy Farmers Stadium. From there, he went on to referee 443 NRL first grade games, including five NRL Grand Finals, 16 Test matches, 14 State of Origin matches and a City vs Country fixture.

Ben also made history in 2021 when he became the first match official to officiate in 400 NRL matches, a remarkable milestone that showed his longevity, professionalism and resilience at the highest level.

He was also known for his routines and attention to detail, including keeping a favourite whistle for decades — a small but great reminder of how personal and disciplined the life of an official can be.

Ben’s final first grade game came in Round 27, 2023, between St George Illawarra and Newcastle at Kogarah Oval, closing one of the longest and most respected careers in modern rugby league officiating.

A Grand Final referee, representative official, record breaker and mentor — Ben Cummins truly helped keep the game moving.

Who will be featured tomorrow? Stay tuned!

Women in League Round 💜

Saturday marked the 20th NRL Women in League Round, celebrating the incredible contribution of women to our game. To celebrate, three of our female members were invited to enjoy an unforgettable NRLW and NRL game day experience.

Junior referee Kourtney had the exciting opportunity to run water, warm up alongside the NRLW and NRL match officials, and listen in to the referee communications throughout the game. It was an invaluable learning experience, and it's fantastic to see our young female referees embracing opportunities to develop and grow.

Senior referees and coaches Katherine and Heather spent the day with the NRL referee game day coach and officiating teams, gaining valuable insight into match day preparation, coaching, and officiating at the elite level. We can’t wait to see what you bring back to the association!

On top of this, Ava also had the opportunity to referee the Mini Maccas Footy game on field during the day!

Congratulations to all these ladies on this well-deserved opportunity. We are excited to see them continue to inspire the next generation of female officials! 💜🏉

This weekend, we celebrate Women in League Round! 🏈

We recognise all those women who make our game possible - referees, players, coaches and team officials, mums, daughters, and sisters who work so hard on and off the field.

To all the women in our association: thank you for everything you give to this sport. You inspire us all.

Well done to our officials who went and refereed in Penrith this weekend!

Heather refereed the under 19s Div 1 with Jorja on the line. This game made history in the Penrith Referees Association being the first all-female officiating team at this level!

Aidan was touch judge for A Grade Div 3 and refereed the A Grade Div 1 with Heather on the line.

Jorja also refereed under 15s and Dave ran the touch line for reserve grade. Great job to all involved!

Thanks Penrith for making this exchange possible!

WASHOUT ROUND - Due to ongoing rain across the region, ACT and surrounding NSW councils have confirmed that all sports grounds will be closed for the weekend. As a result, all scheduled matches are cancelled. 🌧️

While it’s disappointing to lose a round, safety and field preservation come first. Please take the weekend to rest, recharge, and be ready to hit the ground running when conditions improve! ☃️☀️

Good luck to those travelling up to Penrith to officiate some games!! Huge thanks to Penrith Referees for making this exchange possible 🔥👊

Congratulations to two of our members who have made debuts over the recent weeks. Last weekend, Oscar stepped up to make his First Grade Touch Line debut, and this weekend Benji took to the centre in League Tag for the first time! Big milestones for both, and only upwards from here for these awesome officials! 🏉🔥

At today's Sullivan Shield in Curtin, some of our up and coming referees officiated games between several Primary Schools in Canberra.

They were supported by our Schools Coordinator, Jason.

If you are a referee and want to referee school games, please get in touch with us.

Huge congrats to Phil Henderson, who will be running the line in State of Origin Game 2 tomorrow night!

This match marks Phil’s 12th Origin appearance as a touch judge. Alongside his multiple NRL Grand Final appointments, his consistency at the absolute highest level of the game is incredible.

Phil has given so much to our association over the years, and his legacy on the sidelines is exactly why our annual Henderson Touch Judge Award is named in his and his father Glyn's honour.

The entire CDRLRA community is incredibly proud to see you out there again, Phil. Best of luck tomorrow night, mate! 👏

Awesome opportunity for the father-daughter duo Luke and Lexi to referee the Maccas Mini Footy before the Raiders game last week!

After overcoming her initial nerves about stepping out in front of such a big crowd, Lexi had an absolute blast. More importantly, she walked away feeling a little more confident in herself, which made the experience even more special.

Great job Luke and Lexi!!