NNSWF launch Female Referee Mentor Program

Northern NSW Football is delighted to launch the NNSWF Female Referee Mentor Program, an initiative designed to strengthen pathways, support development and grow the future of women’s football across northern NSW.

The mentorship program provides female referees with valuable opportunities to connect with experienced female coaches and leaders to gain insights, guidance and support to enhance their development on and off the field.

The program will create a strong and connected referee ecosystem with clear pathways and increased opportunities for representative honours, leadership roles and progression through the game by investing in the next generation of match officials.

NNSWF will foster greater engagement between elite and emerging female referees and younger match officials across the region throughout the program to encourage knowledge sharing, collaboration and continued growth.

The program aims to support the retention and progression of female referees by creating an inclusive environment that recognises their contribution, builds confidence and encourages the next generation of match officials to become involved in the game.

Mentors and mentees participated in the 2026 Northern NSW Women’s State Cup as part of the program led by NNSWF High Performance Referee Coach and FIFA referee Casey Reibelt.

Mentees received active coaching from their mentors as well as other experienced match officials throughout the tournament, giving them valuable insights and support. The program also saw 25 female referees officiate across the Women’s State Cup.

Participants Sophie Whale and Jamie Mills-Cove were appointed as assistant referees for the Community Plate final, while Lilli Skaines and Kaitlyn Digby took charge of the under-13s and under-15s Premier Youth League Girls Cup finals respectively. Indi Charlesworth was also appointed as assistant referee for both matches.

Reibelt highlighted the importance of creating a strong support network for female match officials.

“I’m excited to be part of the program throughout the [Northern NSW] Women’s State Cup to support our younger and less experienced community referees coming through,” Reibelt said.

“We’re really hoping this program supports our referees because we know refereeing can sometimes be a bit of a lonely place. So being able to build that community with fellow referees to share knowledge, do matches together and make new friends is vital.

“Having a support network in refereeing is incredibly important to help improvement but also retention for referees.”

NNSWF General Manager Participation and Women’s Football Allana Neeve said the program was an important step in strengthening pathways for women in refereeing and ensuring aspiring match officials have the support and opportunities needed to progress.

“It’s incredibly important to have women as part of our game across all roles and refereeing is integral to the game,” Neeve said.

“We’re really fortunate to secure funding from Office of Sport to be able to support this program, which connects our older referees with aspiring up and coming match officials.

“We’re lucky to have Casey Reibelt who will oversee the program so that we can support the women as much as possible so we can make it sustainable and increase the opportunities for female match officials.”