David Haines

Golden Oldies World Rugby Festival
Match Director

One of the most important jobs at a Golden Oldies Rugby Festival is putting together the match draw across all our different playing grades. Next year, this task will be in the vastly experienced hands of David Haines – the Knoxville based Golden Oldies regular who is also head of IGORRA (International Golden Oldies Rugby Referee Association).

David kindly shared his rugby story and his considerable rugby resume…

I started playing rugby in 1978 for Penn State University after seeing an article about a tournament where the trophy was a plaque with the doorknob from Zeno’s Bar & Grill. Having played American football, I was looking for something physical to play, and rugby hit the spot.

After Penn State, I went on to play for the Lancaster Roses RFC. In 1989 I retired, and in 1990 I started refereeing the game. I still played occasional matches for South Bend RFC, Little Rock RFC and Knoxville RFC. In 1998 I played in my first Golden Oldies World Rugby Festival in Cape Town, South Africa with MARS RFC. Needless to say, I loved every minute of that event.

During my years of refereeing, I moved up the ranks until I made territorial level where I refereed various territorial finals in both 15’s and 7’s for five years. 

In 2000 I became the Chairman of the MidSouth Rugby Referee Society which I held for ten years. In 2002 I became the Judicial Officer for the MidSouth Union, which I held for nine years. In 2010 I became a Performance Reviewer for the MidWest Territory where I critiqued the performance of the top referees in the territory. In 2012 I became a performance reviewer for USA rugby events and was just selected to be part of the team for Major League Rugby’s third season.

Currently I have several roles in the US:

• Referee Development Officer for the MidSouth Rugby Referee Society

• Judicial Officer for the Dixie Conference of NSCRO

• Referee Performance Reviewer and Coach for the Midwest Territory.

• Referee Director for the SCRC Div 1AA Conference

• Director Smokey Mountain Athletic Club for youth rugby

• Referee Performance Reviewer and Coach for the Women’s Premier League

• Referee Performance Reviewer for Div 1A College, NIRA and ARP leagues

• Referee Performance Reviewer for Major League Rugby

• President of IGORRA

• Match Director Golden Oldies Rugby.

I am currently a member of MARS Golden Oldies team and the Knoxville Old Grays!