# James Child

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{{short description|English rugby league referee}}
{{for|the World War I flying ace|James Martin Child}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
<!-- This is a neutral point of view biographical article, prone to soapbox vandalism, not a complaints department. Please ensure that your edits are a) relevant and b) concerned with notable events in the subject's life. -->
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{{Infobox football official
| name = James Child
| image = Referee James Child.jpg
| full_name = James Child
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|7|4|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [Dewsbury](/source/Dewsbury), England
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| otheroccupation = [Surveyor](/source/Surveyor)
| years1 = 2006–2009
| league1 = [Championship](/source/RFL_Championship)
| role1 = [Referee](/source/Referee)
| years2 = 2010–2022
| league2 = [Super League](/source/Super_League)
| role2 = Referee
| internationalyears1 = 2012–2022
| confederation1 = [IRL listed](/source/International_Rugby_League)
|  internationalrole1 = Referee
}}
'''James Child''' (born 4 July 1983)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.therfl.co.uk/referee/full_time_match_officials/james_child|title=The Rugby Football League|website=therfl.co.uk|date=|accessdate=11 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026141133/http://therfl.co.uk/referee/full_time_match_officials/james_child|archive-date=26 October 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> is a former English [rugby league](/source/rugby_league) referee. He was one of the [Rugby Football League](/source/Rugby_Football_League)'s [Full Time Match Officials](/source/RFL_match_officials).<ref>{{Cite web |title=James Child blows time on outstanding career |url=https://www.rugby-league.com/article/61303/james-child-blows-time-on-outstanding-career |access-date=2023-08-03 |website=www.rugby-league.com |language=en}}</ref>

On 19 December 2022, Child announced that he would be stepping down as referee, ahead of the 2023 season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/64024837|title=James Child to stand down as referee|work=BBC Sport |accessdate=19 December 2022}}</ref>

==Referee career==
James started refereeing at the age of 11 years as a member of the Dewsbury & Batley Rugby League Referees' Society.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freewebs.com/dewsburyandbatleyrefs/profiles.htm |title=Dewsbury & Batley Rugby League Referees Society &#124; |publisher=Freewebs.com |date= |accessdate=2011-02-11}}</ref> Since then he has enjoyed many notable successes, particularly as a touch judge having officiated at the 2006, 2007 and 2008 [Challenge Cup](/source/Challenge_Cup) Finals, the 2007 and 2008 [Super League](/source/Super_League) Grand Finals and most notably the [2008 Rugby League World Cup](/source/2008_Rugby_League_World_Cup) Final.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportfocus.com/newspub/story.cfm?ID=30623 |title=RFL trio head to the Rugby League World Cup - 8th October 2008 SportFocus news |publisher=Sportfocus.com |date=2008-10-08 |accessdate=2011-02-11 |archive-date=29 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629194733/http://www.sportfocus.com/newspub/story.cfm?ID=30623 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

As a referee, his first professional game was [Gateshead Thunder](/source/Newcastle_Thunder) v [Workington Town](/source/Workington_Town) on 17 April 2006, before making his [Super League](/source/Super_League) debut on 15 March 2009 with [Wakefield Trinity Wildcats](/source/Wakefield_Trinity) v [Catalans Dragons](/source/Catalans_Dragons). This came a week after he officiated the [Rugby League Varsity Match](/source/Rugby_League_Varsity_Match) between [Oxford University](/source/Oxford_University) and [Cambridge University](/source/Cambridge_University) at the [Twickenham Stoop](/source/Twickenham_Stoop).

On 11 January 2010, he was promoted to the RFL's elite refereeing squad for 2010's [Super League XV](/source/Super_League_XV).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.therfl.co.uk/~therflc/superleague/news_item.php?id=16290 |title=The Rugby Football League |publisher=Therfl.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2011-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120323021504/http://www.therfl.co.uk/~therflc/superleague/news_item.php?id=16290 |archive-date=23 March 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In December 2022, Child retired as a match official after more than 10 years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-19 |title=Rugby league referee James Child announces his retirement |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/super-league-betfred-child-b2248031.html |access-date=2023-08-03 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==
He is a member of the [Dewsbury](/source/Dewsbury) and [Batley](/source/Batley) Rugby League Referees' Society.<ref>[http://www.freewebs.com/dewsburyandbatleyrefs/profiles.htm Dewsbury society]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dewsbury 's Super League official James Child calls time on his refereeing career |url=https://www.dewsburyreporter.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/dewsbury-s-super-league-official-james-child-calls-time-on-his-refereeing-career-3960280 |access-date=2023-08-03}}</ref>

He combines his role as [Super League](/source/Super_League) referee, with a part-time job as a Chartered [surveyor](/source/Surveying) for [Leeds City Council](/source/Leeds_City_Council).

In February 2021, in an interview for BBC Sport, Child confirmed that he is gay, something known to his family, friends and colleagues for some time.<ref>{{cite web |title='It's better to be who you are' - referee talks publicly about being gay |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/56182569 |website=BBC Sport |access-date=25 February 2021 |date=25 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=James Child: Super League referee happy with reaction after speaking publicly about being gay |url=https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/news/12196/12228927/james-child-super-league-referee-happy-with-reaction-after-speaking-publicly-about-being-gay |access-date=2023-08-03 |website=Sky Sports |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-18 |title=Rugby league referee James Child celebrates marriage to fiance Steven |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/malton-north-yorkshire-jack-russell-rugby-football-league-covid-b2104247.html |access-date=2023-08-03 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20160305011441/http://www.therfl.co.uk/referee/full_time_referees/james_child RFL profile]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100206123859/http://rleague.com/db/referee/child_jamie/index.php RL source]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110715191109/http://championshipstats.rlfans.com/Refs/James-Child/index.html RL REFS stats]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Child, James}}
Category:1983 births
Category:Living people
Category:English rugby league referees
Category:English gay sportsmen
Category:Rugby League World Cup referees
Category:Sportspeople from Dewsbury
Category:21st-century English sportsmen

{{England-rugbyleague-bio-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [James Child](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Child) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Child?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.