On Saturday, October 15, 2022, we lost David Robinson, an outstanding member of the rugby community. David was an active referee for 30 years in Alberta and British Columbia but was often found refereeing around the world. David never missed an opportunity to take his boots with him on his travels, creating a legacy of having refereed in over 20 countries. David was often seen talking to new match officials about his global referring experience.

On the field, David was willing to help whenever and wherever he was needed, from his annual run at the Stampede Rugby 7s, shadowing new match officials, refereeing age grade matches, or the highest level of Provincial tournaments and Provincial finals.

David’s community involvement was not limited to the field. David never missed an opportunity to host a visiting match official. He opened his home, shared his family and community, and ensured everyone got the most out of their visit and the game of Rugby, which he loved.

David was a founding member of the Rugby Alberta Match Officials’ Association (RAMOA) and sat on its first board, serving as both treasurer and president during his time. David’s connections during his travels played a key role in helping RAMOA set up ongoing Match Official exchanges in Northern California.

In recent years, David became a Citing Commissioner for World Rugby and Major League Rugby and has been involved in several tournaments throughout Canada, the USA, and the Caribbean.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to David’s family, friends and the community he tirelessly served. A life well lived in service of others is a life we should all celebrate.