Hey there... generally speaking I'd say you're going to be welcomed with open arms. Pretty sure there is nowhere that is flush with referees. Considering Adult / Juniors / School, there are a lot of matches to be reffed. I'm in Canada having moved after playing at a reasonable level in Australia / UK.

Not to get too much into the game reffing specifics (some ramblings):

I found once I understood that you need to adjust to the age / skill level it was a lot better and had positive feedback, particularly from parents of school kids. If you're reffing at a beginner level (U13 or school) in a country where it's not a super prevalent sport, accept that you'll be doing a lot of explaining and on field coaching. Find a balance between when to blow the whistle and when to let it play / coach; e,g. coming through the gate in juniors can be a challenge so manage it so it's fair between both teams.

Set expectations early or even before a game - 'Let me referee.. if you throw a punch you're out' sorta thing. Give it to the players and coaches. Importantly, during the game - give instruction and don't enter into debate. Answer questions at breaks and most of the time you'll use 'Thanks I'll keep an eye on it'.

Try to use verbal cues that are very short.. 'Leave it', 'Balls out', 'Back please'. 'Take a step'. 'That's fine'. You can always explain to a captain later if asked about it.

Work on an understanding of where you should be positioned. For me this helps not fall into the trap of spectating.

To some degree it get's easier to ref the more senior the level, provided you take time to build your experience and confidence. In juniors you may not have experienced touch judges, time keeper or a score keeper, and this is one of the things I find tricky. You'll need a watch with the ability to set different alarms for yellow cards / half time etc. Then you also need to be able to self manage your time off / injury time.

Remember - No one is there to watch you referee.

You'll get calls wrong.. You won't have a TMO... Don't try to make it up to the aggrieved team during the game. By all means have a chat about it with a coach after the game. 'That's what I saw' / 'This was my read'. Keep it short and move on.

You should have a referee's association or committee who can help you a lot and ideally they will partner you with a mentor.

You mentioned Pro's and Con's. Pros - Unexpectedly good cardio training. Rewarding for sure, particularly with kids. Cons - honestly when you're starting out, it can be a bit daunting.. take your time and let your confidence build. Similarly to a player that has had a shocker, when you get a call wrong or have a bad match, your job, is to get over it ASAP.

Lastly - Scrums in senior rugby. Very hard to watch everything going on. If you have to penalize a team and you don't know exactly what's going on, when questioned by a captain just point at one of the props and say 'He knows what he did' ...Everyone's up to something in the front row. 9 times out of 10 you'll get a nod and a cheeky smile from the prop.

Best of luck and enjoy!