REFEREE Richard Silverwood was one of rugby league’s longest-serving officials by the time he retired back in 2016.
Becoming Super League’s youngest referee when he took charge of a game between Salford and Halifax in 2001 at the age of 24, Silverwood went on to become a mainstay in the top flight, officiating more than 400 Super League games during his career.
In 16 years, Silverwood took charge of three Super League Grand Finals, three Challenge Cup finals and was in charge of the 2013 World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand at Old Trafford as well as the 2010 World Club Challenge, creating a reputation for himself as one of the most able officials in the summer era.
His last career game took place at the Magic Weekend in May 2016 before Silverwood hung up his whistle for good.
From there, the former referee took up a job with insurance specialists, Precise Protect, before moving to Roann Limited in 2018.
That company specialises in providing high-quality quartz work surfaces direct to house builders, developers and contractors across the UK.
It’s a very different industry to rugby league refereeing!
