Rugby League World Cup referees pick out their favourite moments from the tournament and share their experiences

Liam Moore, Ashley Klein and Kasey Badger recently attended a Wigan Referees Society meeting to talk to the next generation of officials.

During the event they spoke to Wigan Today about their experiences throughout the last few weeks.

Moore said: “It’s a unique thing.

“We don’t know when the next one in England will come around, so to be able to ref World Cup matches with your family present is a big thing.

“For them to watch you on the international stage is a massive honour and I’ll cherish the memories long into the future when I’m retired further down the line.

“Meeting the Princess of Wales at the England game is up there with my highlights. It’s something unique because you don’t get royalty much in rugby league.

“To have that privilege is something that will live long in the memory.”

Meanwhile, Klein is happy to be back in England after previously refereeing in Super League.

“It’s been really good,” he said.

“Being together as a whole squad of European and Southern Hemisphere officials has been fantastic.

“We are learning from each other and are looking forward to the end of the tournament.

“It’s a good bond, and we were lucky enough to meet a fair few of the guys in 2017.

“It is about getting to know each other as people more than just refereeing in another hemisphere.

“To be involved now has been really good, it’s been a fun few weeks.

“A few of the stadiums are a little bit different since my time here, there was no Totally Wicked Stadium, it was Knowsley Road.

“The fans are still fantastic, and that’s something I enjoyed during my time in the British game because they made me feel welcome.

“The England and Samoa game at St James’ Park is one of my highlights, because there’s something special about opening up a tournament.

“The Tonga and Samoa quarter-final match was also great, with their cultural performances at the start. It’s something that definitely had the adrenaline going and had me excited.”

Badger has also enjoyed being part of the officiating team for the tournament, in which she became the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup game.

“It’s a good group to be around,” she added.

“Refereeing is so unique. Unless you’re involved in it, it’s very difficult to understand what we do and what we go through.

“To meet other people straight off the bat, you just automatically have a connect.

“You are similarly wired so you have that empathy of knowing what each person has gone through, meaning it’s very easy to make connections in a short period of time.

“It’s great to come across and quickly make some pretty good friendships.

“It was great to make my test match debut at the tournament, and then being on the line for that Samoa and Tonga game was fantastic as well.

“If I take the games I’ve been involved in out of it, then the wheelchair tournament has been amazing.

“Now that I’ve watched it, I’ll actively go to it outside of World Cup years.”