THE profile of rugby league in Cooma will be raised when an NRL official visits town on the weekend.
Video referee Steve Clark will be in town on Saturday to hold a referee clinic with Country Rugby League referees form the Group 16 division, and to referee the Cooma Stallions' reserve grade match against Tathra.
Stallions' secretary Debbie Thomas has been liasing with NSW rugby league referee development officer Doug Keen, who will referee the under 18s game, and said she was excited to have these people visit for Cooma's 100 years of rugby league celebrations.
"We feel privileged, as it sort of puts Cooma on the map," Thomas said.
"Steve is the person who ultimately says try or no try at an NRL match, so people have learnt to love him or hate him, so his visit has aroused a lot of interest.
"The calibre of reffing on Saturday afternoon will be a whole different standard, especially as bush footy would be quite different to what Steve is used to," she said.
Former Eels' player and rugby league personality Johnny Peard will also visit Cooma on the weekend and talking rugby league at various pubs in town.
The under 18s match will be held at Cooma Showground at 1pm and the reserve grade game will be held at 2.30pm.
Keen will also be master of ceremonies at the Stallions' 100 years of rugby league celebrations, which will be held at the Multifunction Centre on Saturday evening.