Ulster Rugby v Benetton Rugby

Q&A REFEREE Why did you decide to take up the whistle? I had finished playing and had coached mini and school rugby and I was interested in staying involved in rugby in some capacity. A friend, Ken Spence, (who was an AIL referee and is now an IRFU referee coach) encouraged m e to take the step to take the referee course. Another friend, Davey Boyd, refereed for years and I enjoyed listening to him over the odd pint or two... normally when he was complaining about the loosehead’s scrummaging! What is the biggest thing you have learned since you started refereeing? For me I learned I needed to prepare as well as possible to get the maximum enjoyment out of refereeing. I never realised how much was involved and how enjoyable it would be. What was the process like to become a referee? The process was seamless and very well organised by John Crothers (USRFR). I attended a one day course in August 2016 and by November I was able to referee my first match. John ensured I was ready and had all the help needed before my first match. What is your training regime like? I try to get a decent preseason starting in June and finishing in mid-September. This involves 3 sessions a week with a mix of interval training and one gym session. It is really important for me to have a good preseason as it makes a big difference for me to get in the right positions on the pitch. From October I will be doing more matches and I tend to taper my training to shorter sprint interval sessions. What is your favourite thing about refereeing? I just love the buzz of 2.30pm on a Saturday afternoon waiting for the teams to come out of the changing room. It really is the next best thing to actually playing with the added benefit of not being tackled. I would highly recommend it. Also, being able to eat what you want after the match is a definite advantage! What is the most memorable game you have refereed so far? This is only my third season but I really enjoyed an opportunity to referee at Kingspan last season for The High Schools Cup Final. I also had a great time refereeing at a warmup tournament for the Ladies World Cup at Malone RFC last year.

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What is your pre-match routine like? It can vary but normally involves coffee and sugar! Most importantly, I will prepare a plan for my match and make sure I am in plenty of time. Once at the ground I like to meet the coaches, do a good warmup prior to the match and get a chat to both sets of front rows and the captains. Being punctual is key for me so I have plenty of time and I am not rushing. What is your ambition as a referee? Quite simply – I want to fulfil my potential as a referee and give it my best shot. If you prepare well and perform you do get the opportunities. I took up refereeing in my forties but I have had loads of opportunity to progress! What one law would you like to change or introduce? I would limit the amount of kicking especially when teams are not kicking to touch. Perhaps allow the defending teams to mark kicks they field in the field of play and so discourage the low-risk kick chase game that has become so popular for teams. Who is your favourite referee and why? Alain Roland was always my favourite ref. He communicated well and kept himself very fit, allowing him to get in to great positions to make the correct decisions. It helped he was very quick as well! Nigel Owens is not bad either! What could make you improve as a referee? Scrum management is key for any ref especially in the adult game. However, staying calm when things get tight is probably the key area I am looking to improve. The calmer you are it really helps with your control and overall performance and decision making. What advice would you give to someone thinking about taking up refereeing? Please give it a go! If you have played the game then use that experience to good effect... honestly you will love it even the banter from the coaches becomes fun! To find out more about refereeing in Ulster, visit www.ulsterrugby.com/referees or email Richard Kerr, Provincial Referee Development Manager, on richard.kerr@irfu.ie

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