PROMISING Maitland referee Nik Gaal has been selected to officiate at the Australian Schools Rugby Championships at Riverview College next month.
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The 21-year-old is among a host of rising whistleblowers in the Hunter.
Harry Martine, 20, controlled his maiden top-grade game last round.
Dru Tonks, 24, has progressed to the Shute Shield first-grade panel.
Of the Newcastle based referees, Jarryd Logan, at 33, is the most senior regularly in charge of premier one games, ahead of Lewie Nelson, 26, Xavier Edwards, 22, and Jared Lynch, 20.
Brendon Farrar, 31, returns from a long-term injury in divisional rugby this weekend.
All bar Nelson, who declined, and Martine are part of the Rugby Australia development program.
Below them are another group of young whistleblowers working their way up.
Junior development officer Des Gilbert has added 30 new referees to the ranks in the past two years.
"It's an exciting time for referees," Newcastle referees association chairman Paul Ryan said. "The current crop of premier one referees are a result of programs implemented over the past few years."
Five referees from the Rugby Australia referees development program will spend the next four days in Newcastle.
While here, they will write a new coaching course, attend a training session with the Newcastle referees, review games on Saturday and conduct a training course Sunday.
