RugbyREF, Game Management born on the field...
In 2017, a Referee returning to the game after a long break realised something was missing 🤔 There was still NO Mobile App specifically for Rugby Referees to support or manage the game on the run, not for scoring, cards, or subs.
So the 'Old Fella' opened a bottle of Whiskey and, with no formal coding experience, and no development team in sight, decided to build it anyway. RugbyREF launched on iOS in 2018, followed by the world’s first dedicated RugbyREF App later that year.
Since then, RugbyREF has evolved through ongoing field testing, sideline experimentation and community feedback, with the focus of ‘MyRugbyREF’ always on real-world, practical rugby application, leading to the launch of SidelineManager in 2025.
Today, RugbyREF is used in 17 countries, from local clubs in New Zealand, Australia & South Africa to test fixtures in Europe and some unlikely places like Malaysia. Every update, feature and function is built by someone who still puts on the whistle every season.
🛠 What’s Next?
- A full Android Watch version build is underway
- New apps, SidelineManager and CardReview, joined the family in 2025
- More custom tech tools may be just around the corner… We’re just getting started
Who’s #UncleFester..? (@RugbyREF)
You may know him through TikTok, and now in 2026 YouTube, as #UncleFester, the slightly Odd, Quesrky and Knowledgeable 'Rugby Law Whisperer'.
Well, that’s me. The same Referee behind the Apps, just a little more passionate and animated online.
UncleFester is where education meets entertainment, demystifying Referee Calls, Explaining Rugby Laws, and occasionally handing out performance reviews with a few whiskeys 🥃🥃🥃.
Behind the persona is an Active, Qualified and Accredited Match Official with decades in the game, a former Player, Senior Referee, HSBC 7s Match Official and part of the 2025 Rugby World Cup Qualifier Sideline Crew.
But this isn’t about ego, RugbyREF is about giving back, supporting fellow Referees and building a platform that promotes better understanding of the Law and Referee Performance with both credibility and a bit of fun.
Thanks for being part of the journey 🥃 For updates, News, and the occasional “Whiskey”, join the debate and follow #UncleFester on TikTok @RugbyREF
Follow #UncleFester on TikTok for LAW Clarifications & Referee Reviews Follow #UncleFester @RugbyREF