The Whistlers’ Trophy is the prize competed for each season by Clubs affiliated to the Society and Cambridgeshire RFU. The trophy is a large silver whistle, 25cm x 12cm, mounted on a wooden plinth, and is awarded by the Society to the Club that has provided the best support to it during the past year.
The competition aims to encourage Clubs to support the recruitment and retention of referees by:
- showing respect for match officials on and off the field,
- helping the Society to raise the standards of refereeing.
Referees assess the performances of teams of affiliated Clubs after each match and report back to the Society according to the following points system:-
Home Team
- Pre match planning (e.g timely confirmation of game, facilities provided, provision of touch judges, pitch adequately marked and flagged) [0-5 points]
- Appreciation – thanks, food and drink provided to the referee – after the match. [0-5 points]
Home and Away Teams
- Respect shown to referee during and after the game (no dissent or foul language) [0-5 points]
- Sporting attitude (no cheating or deliberate infringement: good sportsmanship towards opponents) [0-5 points]
- Team discipline (deduct 4 points for red card, 2 points for yellow card) [0-5 points]
Referees should give notification of the points given through Who’s the Ref.
The Society’s Management Group may also consider other factors such as:-
- practical help given by Clubs for referee training
- Club support of referee recruitment and retention measures
- prompt payment by Clubs of charges made for appointments
- prompt response by Clubs to correspondence from the Society
- discipline on the field
The Trophy is awarded to the Club that attains the highest level of performance over all these criteria and factors.
The winners of the Trophy have been:
| 1994-95 | Sawston |
| 1995-96 | Newmarket |
| 1996-97 | Saffron Walden |
| 1997-98 | Wisbech |
| 1998-99 | Wisbech |
| 1999-2000 | Saffron Walden |
| 2000-01 | Saffron Walden |
| 2001-02 | Saffron Walden |
| 2002-03 | Cantabrigian |
| 2003-04 | Wisbech |
| 2004-05 | Wisbech |
| 2005-06 | Wisbech |
| 2006-07 | Cantabrigian |
| 2007-08 | Wisbech |
| 2008-09 | Wendens Ambo |
| 2009-10 | Wendens Ambo |
| 2010-11 | Renegades |
| 2011-12 | Ely |
| 2012-13 | Renegades |
| 2013-14 | Sawston |
| 2014-15 | Renegades |
| 2015-16 | Cantabrigian |
| 2016-17 | Sawston |
| 2017-18 | |
| 2018-19 | Mildenhall |
| 2019-20 | Not Awarded |
| 2020-21 | Not Awarded |
| 2021-22 | Newmarket |
| 2022-23 | |
| 2023-24 | |
| 2024-25 | |
| 2025-26 |
