DAVID ABOOD

DEPUTY CHAIR

David Abood was a New South Wales Graded referee from 1995 to 2012, officiating in State of Origin, National Rugby League and New South Wales Rugby League fixtures over the course of 18 seasons. David continues to be an active committee member of his junior association, Canterbury Bankstown, where he is a Life Member and assists in the development of young referees as well as remaining heavily involved in the administrative management of the association.

David has a strong belief in the need for an increased respect for referees from the game’s administration, the media and the general public. It is in the sphere of the media, and its delivery to the public, that David advocates for more knowledge and understanding of the role of refereeing – the resilience, commitment and experience required to reach the top, and the processes by which a referee develops the necessary characteristics to perform at an elite level.

Away from rugby league, David is a self-employed physiotherapist who specialises in assisting workers to return to their employment following injuries. David has an extensive career in consulting within the injury management and insurance fields.