Referee News, Mentoring Expectations & Sean Curragh in the Hot Seat (Ep 4)

It’s a quieter Easter window, but plenty happening behind the scenes for Bay of Plenty referees. We cover the season launch and the news that Local Gecko Productions will stream a Premier Men’s and Premier Women’s match each week via subscription, making local club rugby easier to follow from home.We unpack the senior referee kaupapa discussed at the bay‑wide meeting: stronger mentoring and sideline support, including arriving early to back the ref before you and lifting the overall standard across Premier and Development grades.Jamie shares new how‑to videos (Rugby Xplorer availability + reporting processes), and we introduce a listener poll to shape what you want from the podcast.Referee news: MLR’s new sideline Referee Review System, Amy Barrett‑Theron’s upcoming 50th Test, Marcus Playle’s 50th first class game (Moana Pasifika v Chiefs, Rotorua), and Cam Russell’s international officiating roles.Guest: Sean Curragh — his refereeing origin story, overseas highlights (Japan + Sri Lanka), Heartland debut reflections, favourite refs and laws, plus what’s ahead for a big opening Baywide round.Presenters: Sam Fellows, Jamie Bell, Sean Curragh.