With a raft of referees either retiring or moving on, there is a shortage of 20 referees to control games in Dunedin.
Otago Rugby Referees Association chairman Shane McKenzie said there were 39 active referees in Dunedin but there needed to be 59 to control all games from the under-14 grade to premier club level.
The situation may not be as bad this week with grades split between Saturday and Sunday, but shortages loomed for the following week when all grades are to be played on the same day.
McKenzie said they had held recruitment drives to try to get more people refereeing but it had met with limited success.
Over the past couple of years, most of the top dozen referees in Dunedin club rugby have either retired or moved on. Many of the referees were students who moved to another city upon graduating.
McKenzie said the union was now becoming a base for referees to develop and then other unions would benefit from their education on the Dunedin fields.
He said there was some reluctance by people to take on the job of refereeing but it was a role which had huge rewards.
"You are able to be part of the action and contribute without having to take the hits. And you are a vital part of the game who are appreciated by people within the game," McKenzie said.
There may be dual appointments for some referees on Saturday. There were also short courses for those who want to be assistant referees.
The lack of referees was probably a reflection of society where it was getting harder and harder to get volunteers, McKenzie said.
He said other unions around the country were also struggling to get referees.
There had been a suggestion people might want to referee if they got paid, but McKenzie said this had not been considered.
Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association regional sports director Des Smith said it was trialling under-14 and under-15 grades to play midweek, so they could have referees.
He said senior school pupils might also be trained to become referees.
Most secondary school sport was played midweek and pupils seemed to prefer to play then as it freed them up for the weekend.
Otago Rugby Football Union community rugby manager Richard Perkins said it would look at trying to get as many games as possible controlled by referees.
He would meet the referees association in the next few days in an attempt to get an agreement on what grades would be covered but it was looking tight.
