This page has been created as a Tournament FAQ for umpires officiating at the 2024 AFI World 9s.
What is the date of the 2024 World 9s?
Saturday 3 February
Where is the venue?
Box Hill Rugby Union Football Club, Cnr. Middleborough & Canterbury Roads, Box Hill
Who are the competing teams?
Division 1 Men – Cook Islands, Italy, Nauru, Samoa, South Sudan, United Nations
Division 2 Men – Chile, Nauru, Switzerland, Wales
Women’s Division – Australia, Fiji, Nauru, Samoa, South Sudan, United Nations
Where can I find the fixture?
The 2024 fixture can be found here – www.aflinternational.com/world9s/fixture
What are the playing rules?
The playing rules for the World 9s can be found at www.aflinternational.com/world9s/match-rules
Please take the time to read them and understand them, it will make your day much more enjoyable!
Don’t worry, they are very easy to pick up. We will also have an umpire’s briefing at 9.15am on match day to go over the rules.
Is there parking at the venue?
Yes.
What do I need to bring?
There is a dedicated umpire’s room in the clubhouse. There is only one clubhouse at the venue, so it’s very easy to find. This is where we will meet on match day.
You can’t see any footy from the umpire’s room, so if you want to watch the footy whilst you are on a break, we suggest you bring your own folding camping chair to sit on. This is because there is no grandstand at the venue.
There is also a large embankment overlooking Field 1. This is a great space on which to sit and watch the footy when you are not umpiring, so please bring a blanket if you would prefer not to sit on the grass.
Don’t forget to also bring yourself, and a whistle! Current AFI umpires – please ensure you bring your existing AFI green shirt, AFI umpire cap, AFI umpire shorts, AFI umpire wristbands and AFI black socks. For those of you who are new, we will provide you with a new uniform.
All umpires this year will be provided with an official off-field AFI umpires polo shirt (see below). Please note they are off-field, only the green shirts can be worn during matches.
Also, runners are recommended, but please bring your boots as this is Melbourne! On the subject of weather, you can find the weather forecast for Melbourne here.
Hashtags
If you are taking photos and posting on Instagram on the day, it would be great if you could include the hashtags #aflinternational and #world9s. Thank you!
Who are the umpires?
Please find below the current list of umpires who have confirmed their availability for the World 9s.
1. Paul O’Loughlin
2. Merv Monty
3. Laurie Girardo
4. Bryan Crowe
5. Bruce Lister
6. Brendan Corcoran
7. Joe Tartaglia
8. Luke Wong
9. Josh Doherty
10. Jeff
11. David Smith
12. John Natoli
13. Peter Leggett
14. Dave Weatherhead
15. Neil Whatman
16. Eddie Kowalczrx
17. Shelley Thomas
18. Felix Scarlett
19. Avi Kulatunge
If you are not on this list, and keen to umpire, please ring Brian Clarke on 0435 092 987.
Is there a roster?
Paul O’Loughlin has kindly offered to assist with putting the umpire’s roster together. This will be sent out to you closer to the event.
From experience the roster will evolve during the day – to account for people who need a break, might need to leave early etc. But everyone will get plenty of games and the chance to rest as well.
How much fun is it going to be?
Heaps! See you soon 🙂