They have been the centre of attention this week but the game cannot go on without them, and in some parts of Otago they are in short supply.
Referees are the glue which holds the game together but Otago Rugby Football Union referee education officer Todd Pullar said though there were just enough referees in Dunedin this weekend, they were struggling for numbers in the country region.
"We need about 70 referees in Dunedin every week and most of the times we can just have enough. But one or two guys just have to go down and that can cause problems," Pullar said.
Many referees were university students which meant there was always a turnover of referees as new students came to town and others left when they graduated.
Pullar was keen to get former players involved in refereeing and giving something back to the game.
He acknowledged it was hard for many former players who wanted a break but felt many were still passionate about the game and should still be involved.
The longer players spent away from the game the harder it was to return, Pullar said.
That meant the pool of refereeswas getting younger, and he estimated of the referees in Dunedin at least 60% of them would be aged 25 or under.
Veteran referees Mark Milburn and Neal Wallace had come back to the ranks this year.
Pullar said not only were they a real asset on the park but they gave the benefit of their considerable experience to the younger referees off the playing field.
This weekend, with secondary schools rugby starting, a full set of games was being played and Pullar said there were just enough referees.
The aim of the national union and the Otago union was to have all games down to under-14 controlled by an official referee.
Many players were around clubs in the morning before playing in the afternoon, so they could help referee a game, he said.
Tim Baker, who was in the top five last year, had moved to Wellington.
Otago's top-ranked referee, Ross Barnett, had been in Japan for the past few weeks, officiating at the Sanix world youth tournament in Fukuoka which was won by Hamilton Boys' High School, which beat Ivybridge College, from England, 35-17 in the final.
