Sport
17 January, 2026
BEST OF 2025: Xanthe Gale named ‘Young Referee of the Year’
Year nine Gilgandra High School student Xanthe Gale was announced as the 2025 Dubbo and District Junior League (DDJRL) Young Referee of the Year for 2025 at grand final day on Saturday, August 30.
First published in 2025
Contributed
Xanthe was presented the award by NSW Rugby League chief executive officer, David Trodden, at Apex Oval, Dubbo.
Xanthe was shocked to win the award after only starting to referee last year when she became old enough.
She decided to do the course which was run by her Dubbo club St Johns to give back and help, as she knew how hard it was for clubs to get referees.
From there she upgraded this year to being able to ref older age groups and was refereeing not only league tag but rugby league as well as peers sometimes only 12 months younger than her. Xanthe is an avid rugby league and tag player playing all year round being a player for St Johns Dubbo under 15s league tag, U16s Castlereagh Cougars in the Western Women’s Rugby league starting in September and was captain for the Far West Academy of Sport U15s rugby league this year.
The DDJRL described Xanthe as a role model for all of her clubs and someone younger girls and boys look up to and a real goer, someone who travels for training and plays not only in her U15s but also backs up and plays U17s as well.
In between all of this Xanthe would ref as many games as she could sometimes arriving at 8am and not leaving until 4pm.
Xanthe started playing footy at four locally for Gilgandra Junior Rugby League and enjoyed giving back and refereeing a few games for Gilgandra in a carnival this year.
Xanthe was very proud and honoured to win this award.
