The leading GAA referees are undergoing stringent medical checks in preparation for the forthcoming National League and championship campaigns.

They are being examined individually at Dublin City University to ensure they can cope with the increased demands of modern-day refereeing.

GAA president Nickey Brennan has stated his desire that referees become physically fitter, and as a result the men in black have been screened for possible health problems.

Fitness specialists at DCU have taken blood samples, measured body fat and, using sprints and treadmill exercises, tested the lung capacities of leading referees.

But Niall Moyna, head of the School of Health and Human Performance at DCU, has not yet finalised the exact format for the rigorous pre-championship fitness test referees will undergo at the end of March.

It is now understood the National Referees' Association will not undergo a test used by the FAI for soccer referees; latest indications are that GAA referees will undergo the same examination as last year.

Meanwhile, referees in Athlone on Tuesday night offered sustained applause for the 2007 Rugby World Cup final referee Alain Rolland, who was a special guest at the first refereeing seminar of the year.

Referees spokesman Fr Gardiner said: "Alain spoke on how he became a referee, preparation, working with his officials and training. He mentioned what happens before a game when he speaks to the team coaches and the front rows, where the trouble often is.

"He didn't say anything specifically about the GAA but he mentioned that there is a code in rugby where a referee speaks to the captains and gives them a minute to sort things out if the game is boiling over.

"That seems to work very well at all levels and he also made the point that he has a full-time job and is not a professional, which is the same as our referees."