By Martin Morgan

Published at 15:43, Wednesday, 28 July 2010

TEENAGE ref Ryan Collins is one of just seven match officials from across the country to be selected to officiate in the Carnegie Champion Schools Finals in London next month.

ref: Ryan Collins

And the 17-year-old, from Whitehaven, even has a chance to stride out on to the Wembley turf to take charge of a curtain-raiser to the Challenge Cup final.

Collins took up the whistle while still at school after attending an RFL match officials course at St Benedict’s School in Whitehaven just two years ago.

He has since officiated in the West Cumbria Youth & Junior League and the Carnegie Champion Schools competitions.

And in July 2009 he was named young ref of the year by the Cumberland Rugby League Referees Society.

“Ryan has made fantastic progress since taking the course back in 2008 and his commitment and attitude are to be applauded, and its just reward for his efforts,” said Peter Wharton, RFL match officials development officer for the region.

“All seven officials will spend a full day training down at Leeds Carnegie with the RFL’s full time match officials in August prior to the event.

“They will train and analyse match officials’ performances which will give them an insight to see what it takes to be an RFL full-time match official.”

The curtain-raiser to the cup final will be a schools final and all seven refs will be officiating, either in the middle, as touch judges or in-goal.

Published by http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk