International Rugby League lead match official educator James Jones has expressed confidence in the bright future of African referees on the international stage.
Speaking in an interview during the closing ceremony of the 2025 Rugby League Tri-Nation Festival, Jones praised the officials’ progress and potential, noting that their development demonstrates the rising standards of match officiating within the region, particularly in West Africa.
He added, “It’s been very positive working with these Ghanaian match officials. There has been great work going on behind the scenes in Ghana. The International Rugby League Federation is investing in further developing and educating match officials.”
Jones further explained that the IRL is not only committed to developing match officials but also to providing international exposure for African referees. “We are working to get more match officials and educators involved, and to hold more workshops, because if there are no match officials, there is no game,” he said.
He noted that Ghana is gaining full rugby league recognition, describing it as “a massive step in the right direction” which will benefit local referees. According to him, match officials are central to this progress, forming a crucial part of the development pathway and supporting the wider growth of rugby league.
Jones is in Ghana as part of the International Rugby League’s support programme and to observe the accreditation process for locally trained match officials. He has overseen the final technical education modules for Rugby League Federation Ghana officials who have been progressing along the IRL development pathway during his week-long stay as part of the Tri-Nation Festival.
This included signing off 5 level-one and 3 level-two match officials at different stages of the IRL education continuum.
The Welsh referee tutor marked his first experience working with African match officials in Ghana when he took charge of the men’s match between Ghana’s Leopards and arch-rivals Nigeria, the reigning Middle East–Africa Championship holders, in the fiercely contested “Jollof Derby” as well as the closing game between the host nation and USA’s side Roots at the University of Ghana Rugby Stadium, Legon last Sunday.
He was assisted by Ghanaian touch officials Marshall Nortey and Jacqueline Ansah, Ghana’s first female level 2 match official, soon to be accredited. Ansah also became the first woman to officiate at a competitive senior men’s match in Africa during the 2022 Middle East–Africa Championship held in Accra.
Marshall Nortey was recently deployed alongside Kenya’s Brian Odiwuory to officiate at the Euro C Championship in Italy, part of the European Rugby League’s competition structure. Both officials are achieving the IRL Level 1 Match Official Educator accreditation and will now be able to train and accredit Level 1 match officials across the sub-region.
RLFG officials Elizabeth Adongo, Jennifer Moncar, John Bless Mensah, Seth Mac-Bruce, Andy Anang, Alfred Ocloo Jnr, and Kwabena Kyem Gyawu (Ashanti) are on the verge of receiving their Level 1 officiating certifications, while Marshall Nortey, Jacqueline Ansah, and Chris Da-Gama Idan Odum will soon be qualified at Level 2.
James Jones became Wales’ first dual-code international referee in 2021 and has since gone on to officiate in the Betfred Super League, League One, and several international fixtures.
