NO MORE FIX FOR HICKS
No reffing is like coming off a drug... I’ll miss the rush & banter, says new RFL chief
TOP Super League official Robert Hicks claims that leaving refereeing fulltime is like going cold turkey.
But now the 40-year-old is determined to experience just as big a high by steering rugby league into a strong and healthy future.
Hicks has taken over as the RFL’S Director of Operations and Legal.
He said: “It is a bit like weaning yourself off a drug.
“Refereeing at that level is allconsuming and does take over your life.
“I won’t miss that part, but I will miss the adrenaline rush, the banter and the emotional rollercoaster that you go on throughout the year.”
Hicks is currently involved in a range of top-level discussions
High up on that list is France’s decision to make Covid vaccinations mandatory for sports stars and staff.
That has raised the fear some clubs could have to leave behind unvaccinated players for their fixtures away against Catalans and
Toulouse.
But Hicks is convinced the matter can be resolved and that the Super League season will start on time on February 10.
He said: “It is a very fast moving position with France, but we expect some decision in the next week or so.
“We are in discussions with both the French clubs, the French Federation and with their government.
“We will get to the right place with France. It helps us that the Six Nations rugby union starts at the same time as we do, and that Champions League football is also involved in talks.
“We certainly plan to start the
season on time. We need to start on time. Every other sport is still playing.”
By the end of December, statistics revealed 81 per cent of Super League and Championship players had double-vaccinated.
Hicks added: “The blunt reality is that we need as many players vaccinated as possible, not just for rugby league but for themselves, everyone else and to reduce the strain on the NHS.
been
“The amount of people in hospital, and in intensive care, who are not boosted or doublevaccinated is quite significant.
Refereeing at the top level is
all-consuming. I won’t miss that but will miss the emotional
roller-coaster
“We cannot force people to do it, but everything has a consequence.
“And I would encourage everyone to get vaccinated. I don’t see why you wouldn’t.”
Hicks, who was a full-time referee for 12 years, has even offered to help out as a touch judge or referee on a part-time basis going forward.