The joint venture between the NBL and the state sporting organisations allows referees to work full time in basketball as they pursue their careers as referees in the NBL.
Ruben Woolcock (Victoria) will work with Basketball Victoria as our Elite Referees Development Officer alongside his work as an NBL referee. Jacqui Dover (New South Wales), and James Griguol (South Australia) are also part of the pilot program, with all three of them becoming full-time employees with their respective state associations.
Dover is the NBL’s first Indigenous female referee and recently made her debut in the league after progressing through the WNBL and QBL.
Basketball Victoria CEO Nick Honey said: “We’re excited to see the pathway for elite referees continue to grow in this partnership with the NBL.
“Creating full-time referee career opportunities strengthens their ability to hone their skills and assist in developing fellow high-calibre referees on our elite panels.
“We’re pleased to welcome Ruben Woolcock to our organisation as our Elite Officials Development Officer and wish him the best of luck in his career with Basketball Victoria and the NBL.”
NBL Commissioner Jeremy Loeliger said: “We are delighted to partner with all three state associations in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia to deliver this innovative program.
“We are committed to investing in the development of our referees and build their capability across the league. We currently have two full-time referees in Michael Aylen and Vaughan Mayberry and we believe having Jacqui, James and Ruben also working full-time in basketball will only enhance their development.
“We will continue to invest in more of these opportunities so we can open up new pathways for young referees to work in basketball full-time and take the professionalism of our referees to the next level.”
