Aussie whistleblowers, where are you?

http://bloggers.heavensgame.com/Main/?p=211

An interesting opinion on the apparent decline in officiating down under from Peter Marshall.

For those of you not in the know, the moustached Marshall is an ex-Australian Test referee and was once referee manager for the ARU.

As someone in the know, his thoughts on officiating are interesting and given that the leading light for Australia is now Kiwi bad-boy Steve Walsh, one wonders where the next breed of Aussie whistleblowers will come from.

Some good news this Christmas

Christmas has some early for me and nine other women referees after we learned this week of our appointments to the Women's World Cup next year.

For a match official, like any player, representing your country at a World Cup - whatever the sport - is a career highlight, and so to be told by the IRB that I've made the cut for the match officials' team at next year's event in London is a huge honour.

At the last Women's World Cup in 2006, I was given the official nod just eight weeks before the event, and given that it was in Canada and would mean three weeks out of the country, it was a little hectic to say the least, but this time around we've all been given at least eight months' notice, so there's plenty of time to get things arranged!

I know all the female officials on the list having worked with most of them in Edmonton (2006) and the World Cup 7s, so it will be great to catch up with them again and learn what each other has been up to.

The IRB has also named four male referees and three assistant referees, although they will no doubt appointment more ARs to service all the games (six on each match day), so there will be plenty of opportunity for female officials based in England to be involved in the tournament.

So, there will plenty of festive cheer for those selected and no doubt a few sherries and mince pies will be consumed over the Christmas period to celebrate.

Here's to a return to training on January 2nd!

Referees: Sarah Corrigan (Australia), Clare Daniels (England), Joyce Henry (Canada), Gabby Lee (Hong Kong), Dana Teagarden (USA), Sherry Trumbull (Canada), Nicky Inwood (New Zealand), David Keane (Ireland), Andrew McMenemy (Scotland), Sebastien Minery (France), Javier Mancuso (Argentina).

Assitant referees: Debbie Innes (England), Kerstin Ljungdahl (Germnay), Barbara Guastini (Italy).

Chiefs help to struggling Coventry

http://www.exeterchiefs.co.uk/site/4/News___Events.html?&nv_item=1848


Blimey, in this era of dog-eat-dog professionalism, a snippet of some festive "good will to all men", with Exeter Chiefs extending some support to Coventry RFC.

For those that don't know, Championship side Coventry - one of the oldest rugby clubs in England - have hit on hard times.

They are not the first and won't be the last, but Exeter Chiefs' offer of support goes someway to making me think that maybe, just maybe, there's some integrity left in top-flight rugby.

Referees and players... read this

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/3123766/Richie-McCaws-breakdown-break-down

This is well worth a read if you play the game or referee it - arguably one of the, if not the, best in the business when it comes to the breakdown.

Lord knows most of us have nearly had a breakdown when trying to referee one!

Steve Walsh back on the Super 14 panel

As I've worked with Lynon Bray (Women's World Cup), Garratt Willisamson, Jaco Pepyer and Tappe Henning (7s World Cup), it's good to see these guys making the news for all the right reasons!


SANZAR has announced the team of referees from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to whistle the Investec Bank 2010 Super 14 competition.

Acting SANZAR Referee Manager Lyndon Bray announced a core team of eight Super Rugby referees, and a reserve panel of nine referees who will have the chance to officiate at Super Rugby level as required.

All eight referees in the core ‘merit’ panel have extensive experience at Super Rugby and international level. This team of lead referees includes four international referees from South Africa, three from New Zealand and one from Australia.

“We are very fortunate to have such a strong team of internationally experienced referees – they set a very high standard of performance across all three SANZAR nations,” Bray said.

The selections see a return to Super Rugby for former New Zealand and international referee Steve Walsh after a one-year absence. Walsh, who now referees in Australia, will start in the reserve panel alongside Air New Zealand Cup referees Vinny Munro (New Zealand) and Nathan Pearce (Australia), and six other SANZAR referees.

“It’s great to have this high calibre of referees in the reserve crew and we fully expect that they will be promoted quickly into the senior group of starting referees for Super Rugby.
"Steve Walsh is an experienced international referee and we welcome his experience into the camp. Several referees in the reserve panel, whom have previously refereed Super 14 matches, will have the opportunity to seek promotion to the merit panel, subject to form,” Bray said.

The Super Rugby referees and reserves have been selected for the first time under a new SANZAR selection process.

The new SANZAR Referee Selectors - Colin Hawke (New Zealand), Andrew Cole (Australia) and Tappe Henning (South Africa) - will closely monitor referee performances as part of a promotion/relegation system.

“This performance-based system ensures we are open, transparent and accountable as match officials,” Bray said.

An unusually large number of reserve referees had been named in anticipation that some of them would be promoted quickly into the core group."

The referees selected for 2010 Super Rugby match official duty:
Merit Panel: Jonathan Kaplan, Craig Joubert, Mark Lawrence, Marius Jonker (South Africa)Bryce Lawrence, Chris Pollock, Keith Brown (New Zealand)Stuart Dickinson (Australia).

Reserve Panel: Steve Walsh, Nathan Pearce, Paul Marks, Ian Smith (Australia), Jaco Peyper, Pro Legoete (South Africa), Vinny Munro, Garratt Williamson, Jonathon White (New Zealand).

Cockerill and his mouth...

LEICESTER TIGERS Head Coach Richard Cockerill was yesterday suspended for four weeks after pleading guilty to two offences of match official abuse during the LV= Cup match against Newport Gwent Dragons on November 14.

Cockerill is banned from any involvement with the Leicester Tigers team or match officials on game day and from coaching mini, midi and youth rugby on Sundays until December 23.

He was also fined £2,000.

Referee hits 50th Test Landmark

RFU Elite Referee Chris White will take charge of his 50th test match when Scotland line up against Fiji at Murrayfield this weekend.

In a 14-year international career, Cheltenham born White has officiated at three Rugby World Cup's including taking charge of the New Zealand v Australia semi-final in 2003.

White first picked up a whistle at the tender age of 17 when he wasn't allowed to play on a Saturday due to school trials and in the pub the night before he was persuaded to be the referee for the Cheltenham Saracens 3rd XV fixture the next day.

A centre for Cheltenham Grammar, Cheltenham Saracens, Cheltenham RFC he went on to play at Swansea University after previously representing Gloucester Schools at U16 and U18 levels. His first game as an international official came in November 1995 when Italy hosted South Africa and his test debut as a referee took place two and a half years later when Georgia faced Russia.

White went on to act as touch judge in another 63 test matches and as a referee in three Heineken Cup finals including Munster's win at the Millennium Stadium in 2006, 2 Premiership finals and 1 Tetley's Bitter Cup final. He has currently been in charge of more Premiership matches than any other referee.

White said: "I am looking forward to the game this weekend very much. I'm grateful for the immense support I have received from so many colleagues in so many places and roles over the years.

"I have been very fortunate to have witnessed many wonderful occasions and have been privileged to be on the field with the best players in the world. I am still enjoying all aspects of refereeing and I'm looking forward to the kick off at Murrayfield."

IRB International Referee Manager Paddy O' Brien said: "Chris has been an outstanding contributor to international refereeing over the last 12 years and I would like to congratulate him on his 50th international.

"It is not just what Chris brings to the field of play but just as important is the respect and experience he brings to the international panel that has been a hallmark of a wonderful career. I will be at the match on Saturday and I'm looking forward to another excellent performance."

Pumas make an early appearance at Twickenham

The Argentine Rugby Union team, the Pumas, are making the most of their time in and around Twickenham Stadium next week.

As they prepare for their game against England at the stadium on November 14, the Pumas will be making a personal appearance at the Rugby Store at Twickenham Stadium on November 12 from 2pm-4.30pm.

Rugby fans and Puma supporters are invited to come along, meet the team and get their autographs in the store on the main concourse.

Well known players such as Gonzalo Tiesi, Juan Martin Fenandex Lobbe and Rodrigo Roncero will all be present thanks to their sponsor adidas who have organised the session.

Andy Ward of the RFU said: “It's fantastic that even in a busy Test week, the Pumas are taking some time to meet the fans.

"We are hoping that parents will be able to bring their children on the way home from school to drop in and meet the players who will grace the field on the Saturday. This is a rare opportunity and one we are grateful to Adidas for organising.”

A busy November lies in wait

I like to be kept busy - it works for me, and on that basis November is looking good both on and off the pitch.
Off the pitch, my rugby-writing colleague at the Bath Chronicle has the small matter of a new addition to the family looming, so I will be kept busy covering Saracens v Bath, Bath v Ospreys, Worcester v Bath and the last home game of the month - Bath v London Irish.
But it such a shame that Steve Meehan's men have had such a poor start to the season, with last weekend's defeat to Newcastle rubbing salt in the wound.

On the pitch, though, November is also full on, starting on the 7th with a game in National Two South, followed by an evening encounter at Esher RFC on Tuesday, November 17th when England A take on New Zealand.
The Black Ferns take on England in three matches, the first - a full Test - at Esher on Saturday, November 14th, the second at Esher and the third - the second Test - at Twickenham on Saturday, November 21st.
And the great news for me is that England women's second test at TW1 is a double-header, as the men take on the All Blacks, with the women kicking-off afterwards at 4.45pm.
Both games are live on Sky and I'm extremely privileged to be appointed as an assistant referee at Twickenham, with the iRB's David Keane (Ireland) in the middle.

Any involvement with a match at the hallowed turf of HQ is an honour, and to be there on international duty when the Martin Johnson's men take on the mighty All Blacks is the stuff dreams are made off.

All we need now is for Bath to start doing the business on the pitch too - and they need to start producing some results quickly if they are to avoid mediocrity this season in the Guinness Premiership.

Motivation is always good

Without doubt, training is a must for most officials and with players getting fitter, stronger and faster, that inevitably means referees have to increase an up their training too.
If you don't, it's fair to say that progression up the ranks will either slow, or stop. But it helps to have some form of motivation, a goal - some light at the end of the tunnel - always helps provide the impetus to get out there and train.
I am not a gym monkey, although I try to get down there twice a week, but the last thing I want to do is spend time on the treadmills or rowers, etc - they bore me senseless.
So, a couple of seasons ago someone encouraged me to have a go at 5km race that was run locally and not being one to back down from a challenge, I had a go. Shock horror - I actually enjoyed it.
Maybe it was my competitive nature, but running along side 100 or so others sparked something in me, and three years later I have knocked more than one minute of my personal best.
On Wednesday I went round the course in 26 minutes - OK, so not the fastest and I won't win any medals, but to learn that I beat my last time (run last November) by more than a minute really made my week.
My game plan was simple - find someone of a similar pace and sit behind them. And it worked!
While 5km races won't do anything for my speed work, it's the variety in training that I enjoy and setting a new personal best time has now enthused me to do even better in the next race in the Winter Series next month.
Somehow, though, I doubt I'll be knocking chunks off my time like last week.

Simply not acceptable

Much has been made in the press about events during and after the Coventry v Moseley match last week in the Championship.

For the record, Moseley won this fiercely-fought Midlands derby 25-28, with the referee awarding the visitors three penalty tries, the last deep into injury time.
I was not at the match and have not seen replays of it, but I understand that Coventry missed some kicks at goal and had chances to win the game, but did not.

The furore that has surrounded the game has, unfortunately, delved into the realms of that normally associated with football, in that the behaviour of some people (and I will refrain from calling them fans) after the final whislte was abhorrent. An alleged punch was aimed at the official and beer thrown over him, while a torrent of abuse was shouted as he made his way to the changing room.

Put simply, there is no place for this type of behaviour in our sport - and when the ink has barely dried on the RFU's Core Values statement, credit goes to Coventry RFC in taking swift action to identify the perpatrators and, hopefully, ban him/them for life.

As referees we've all at some time been a "pressure cooker" game, although it's fair to say that most will be a million miles away from the intensity of a Midlands derby in English rugby's tier-two competition.

Regardless, the referee would have gone out there and done his utmost to perform to the best of his abilities, and sometimes when the pressure comes on we all make decisions that - while in the comfort of a sofa with a DVD - we may not have otherwise. That's rugby - played by humans, refereed by humans.

But the press and local media have deemed to jump on the "age" bandwagon, as the referee in question is 21-years-old.
Cries of "he 'ain't old enough" and "what experience has he got?" have echoed around the Midlands for sure, but, like any other referee at the level, he would have gone through endless match assessments, performance reviews, training sessions, etc, to have proved his worth at that level.

Occasionaly the powers that be have to take a punt - fortune favours the brave after all, and I've no doubt the RFU firmly believed in his capabilites and potentional, and I have no doubt they still do.

Ask any referee and they will tell you that you learn more from the hard games than you do the good - and most of it comes down to how we deal with pressure.
The best, the very best, are past masters at it, while the rest of us keep forging away at working out the most effective plan on deflecting it.

Maybe the referee's calls at Coventry were right, maybe they were not - but no referee ever goes out there to make the wrong ones.

I stand by the fact that for someone as young as this referee is to go there and make some huge calls against the home side in a local derby says a lot.
And while the ins and outs of how he dealt with the pressure (rightly or wrongly) will no doubt be analysised by his bosses, I take my hat off to him and hope he bounces back very soon.

And I have no doubt he will.

Time to stop and think

www.ecclesrfc.org.uk/main.htm

This is sad news - I never knew the guy, never went to Eccles RFC or indeed know anyone from the club, but still...

I am sure everyone in the rugby community will have the thoughts of this man's family and friends in their prayers.

New website for women's rugby

Thankfully, after many years of hoping, a new website has been launched specifically for the promotion of women's rugby.

While there are plenty of websites dedicated to rugby, and in fairness most of the home unions have a dedicated section on their own sites to their national women's team, a target-specific site has been sadly lacking.

Those looking for information on the top-end of the women's game have been lucky to find the odd snippet buried at the back of some of the major sites.

But fear not anymore, for http://www.scrumqueens.com/ is here. With editor Alison Donnelly at the helm, the site - launched this week - looks very promising and professional.

And I guess a bit of harmless self publication won't do any harm as yours truly is contributing to the site via the medium of the blog.

With the Women's World Cup taking place in London from August next year, an exciting season lays ahead for the sport and I am sure everything you could possibly want to know about international women's rugby will be covered by scrumqueens.

I know Alison has some great interviews and features lined up with coaches/players/administrators and, yes, referees, from the top-end of the game - so it bodes well for the future of the sport on the web.

Take a look and see what you think!

Unconscious on the pitch...

Two weeks into the new league season and I've two league games under my 2009-10 belt, with, it's fair to say, differing degrees of success in one very important area of the game.

The tackle-to-ruck phase has this season presented a challenge with the new directive from the powers on high (see previous blog).
My first match went reasonably OK in this area and last weekend I ventured "op north" on the Friday evening fairly confident ahead of my game on Saturday.

The Wirrall provided me with a good day at the office when I last visited the area in 2007, but it would be fair to say last weekend my report, if I were at school, would read "must try harder".

I've come to conclusion that if the first 10 minutes of a match go swimmingly, you've hardly had to breath a word and there's yet to be a scrum, then prepare yourself for what is to come...

OK, so that may be a little harsh, but in truth I got caught out in the second quarter and my penalty count (look skyward) reflected inadequate management of the tackle/ruck.
The pressure came on and where as last season I was almost refereeing this phase in the... *warning - management speak alert*... unconscious competence state, last weekend - for 20 minutes anyway - I was consciously incompetent.

But, what was pleasing was the mental and giant kick-up-the-arse I gave myself - with the help of two excellent ARs it must be said - and pulled through to finish off a second half that although by no means perfect, was better than the first.

And so the DVD review, sometimes a tortuous endeavour when it's not gone as well as you would have liked, and putting right the wrongs from last weekend. Self-reflection is something most referees would have spent endless hours doing - and I've done plenty of that since last Saturday.

This weekend sees another trip up the M6 to cover Sale v Bath on Friday and then a game in Gloucester on Saturday - the perfect opportunity to work on the breakdown as, let's face it, no side hailing from Gloucester is going to make life easy for a referee in that department.

Here's hoping Bath win at Edgley Park and I become somewhere nearer to "unconscious competence". Match observers beware...

Hands in - or not?

Pre-season is over - let battle commence in the leagues, starting with a trip to Berkshire in the renamed National Three south West on Saturday, followed by short jaunt to Wellington on Sunday.

But, is it any wonder that we as officials get more than our fair share of gob from the sidelines when - try as we might to referee to the latest directive from the iRB - even coaches (not all I admit) don't know the latest missives from on high?

Take this weekend, for example. A competitive pre-season trial game between two level 8 clubs.
Before the game (and bear in mind the league season is six days away) I mention to the coaches "are you happy with the latest directive about handling in the ruck post tackle?"

The response was "I thinks so. What was it again?" Now, it's pretty fair to say that the new directive will not be the easiest to interpret at our lowly levels, so you can be sure that when the season starts there will be a few people screaming "hands in ref", when in fact they are oblivious to the iRB's directive.

It would appear a great many coaches, and therefore players, won't have a clue about this latest ruling.

And even on Friday when I had the pleasure of covering Bath v Scarlets in a pre-season friendly at The Rec, the somewhat rather dull cries from the ill-informed rang out about "hands in".

In a nutshell, at the tackle, an arriving player (on his feet) can play the ball with his hands. When a defender makes contact and a ruck is formed, he is still allowed to go for the ball, whereas previously he (and the defence) would have to take their sticky paws off it.

Even on Sunday when refereeing a league club in a charity 7s tournament a player questioned me on this pearl of wisdom: Player - "ref, feeding's allowed in 7s isn't it?" Me - "excuse me, are you kidding?" Player - "No, no I'm not. I'm sure I was told it was OK."

He wasn't joking either. Lord help us all.

Still confused? Visit www.irb.com and see the light.

Is there any wonder?

Well, is there? All unions are crying out for referees, so when you read that yet another top-flight official has had enough, one can't help but think why?

Why do people act like this? What prompts someone to take such drastic action as to abuse a match official in this way?

The name of our beloved sport has been dragged through the mud recently - eye-gouging, drug scandals, bloodgate - and now this.

Top South African referee resigns

Test referee Willie Roos has resigned from refereeing, prompting Andre Watson, referees' manager of the South African Rugby Union, to call on rugby supporters to return to traditional rugby values of respect towards officials.

Roos retired from refereeing after 15 years of training and experience after he was abused and had a drink flung in his face in Kimberley following an Currie Cup match. Some supporters blamed Roos for Griquas' defeat after they earned two yellow cards in the final ten minutes and succumbed to a late score from the Blue Bulls.
Roos is taking legal action against his assailant in Kimberley.

"Incidents like this and the criticism and abuse that our officials receive both from the stands and from the attendant publicity violates the spirit of rugby," said Watson.
"It takes many years and tens of thousands of rands to bring a referee through the ranks to be able to officiate at Currie Cup level, and to lose one because of the actions of a few hot-headed supporters and ill-informed media comment is desperately wasteful from a rugby point of view and personally very sad for Willie Roos.
"I'd like to thank him and pay tribute to him for the many thousands of hours he has given to the game in usually unglamorous surroundings and at times that have taken him away from his family. We tried to talk him out of his decision, but he told us that 'enough is enough'."

In his letter of resignation Roos said that refereeing had given him many great friends and taken him all over the world, but that his passion for the game had gone.
"I have made mistakes in my career but they were never intentional and I always tried my best. But I fail to understand how the decisions of referees are blamed for winning and losing matches but those of coaches and players are not," read the letter.
"I was taught never to swear at or criticise players or coaches when I was a youngster but I have experienced it in abundance - particularly in the last two years. The off-the-field abuse has caused considerable embarrassment and heartache to me and my family and this latest incident told me it was time to quit the game I love and cherish."

Watson said that Roos's application of the Law leading to the yellow carding of two Griquas players against the Blue Bulls could not be faulted, from a Law point of view. He added that replacing a referee of Roos's calibre and experience was far from straightforward.
"He has refereed nine Test matches, 14 Super games and more than 30 Currie Cup matches. Experience like that takes seasons to accumulate," said Watson.
"Willie was one of the top ten referees in South Africa and it is tragic to lose him at the tender age of 34, when he should have been available to service SA Rugby for at least ten more years.
"The Kimberley match was the last straw in the Willie's case. Referees know that our role is potentially controversial and that there will definitely be criticism, but when it becomes physical and personal in nature, then a line has been crossed.
"Whilst we have a policy of admitting mistakes in public and continuously attempting to educate the public and supporters regarding the law and its application, we find it increasingly irrational to blame everything on the refereeing every time."

http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,16024_5516289,00.html

Nations Cup

USA v Canada - 15-10

What a game to be involved with. Women's rugby does have its critics, but before the ill-informed shoot their mouths off about the sport, they may want to pop along and watch the odd game or two.

This North American battle pitted hosts Canada (ranked fourth in the world) against the USA, who finished fifth at the 2006 World Cup and who had not beaten the US since 2006.

The Canucks were the firm favourites to win the clash as they had also beaten their neighbours two months ago in a Can-Am clash in Colorado, 25-17.

While there were the usual higher-than-normal numbers of scrums than one may associate with the men's game, this was a cracker of a game.

Quite often as a referee I don't remember a match in as much detail as, for example, is written in a match report, but I knew from the outset that any sport involving a Canada v USA match-up was going to be intense - and it was.

These teams are building for next year's World Cup in England, and a tough encounter ensued. I remember the close-fought nature of the game and the intensity under which it was played, and at 10-10 in the second half, with the Canadian fly-half missing a conversion, there was everything to play for.

And so when the hosts went over for a try in the final quarter, one wondered what the response would be. Neither team surpassed the other, they were both evenly matched, and to write-off the US would have been foolish.

The US fought back with plenty of belief and a try in the final minute of the game sparked scenes of celebrations at the final whistle - it was if I'd just blown time on the World Cup final, such was their joy at beating the Canadians.

But for me the team of the tournament was by far South Africa. Having played dismally in the World Cup three years ago, the improvement in the squad is staggering.
The success of their 7s team has helped enormously and having a few experienced heads in the squad will help them in their quest for next year.

If they can get their forwards a lot fitter and conditioned, and sort out their set piece play, they will cause a few upsets next year.

But, having said all that, it's such a shame the team's success (they drew with Six Nations side France 17-17) appears to have missed the sporting media spotlight down south.

Bad timing maybe? (what with the SARU having recently been fined by the iRB for its farcical armband protest) - I doubt it.

And as for Total Rugby (the iRB-sponsored television show) following the England squad in Toronto? Hmmm... maybe their cameras would have been better off following the Springboks?

Nations Cup

Match Day - Canada v USA. Kick-off 6.30pm.

9am - 10am - Breakfast with match observer and two other referees. Had a bit of a lie-in as enjoying relocation to a dorm with air-con. Am still resisting temptation to eat anything other than bowl of cereal. Pat on the back for me.

10am - 11am - Catch up with the news and sport back over via the wonder that is the internet. Drink coffee - freshly ground and brewed - and then go for a walk. Thankfully the humidity has dropped, although it's still quite warm, around 26C.

11am - 12pm - Meet Canadian coaches at their request to discuss a few issues and then walk down to the practice field to do the same with the Americans. All quite straightforward stuff and the usual questions arise around tackle/ruck and scrum. Agree time for kit check and brief.

12pm - 1.30pm - Become restless and find myself clock-watching. 6.30pm kick-offs are a nightmare - too much time to kill and little to occupy it. Drink another coffee, but am careful not to overdo the caffeine and climb the walls.

1.30pm - 2.30pm - Lunchtime. Again, spoilt for choice as there is always two choices for main course and a veggie option. I'm not a veggie, but the stir-fry looked good, so stocked up on that and loaded the plate with salad. I'm going to miss this when I get back to England.
Conscious of need to eat in plenty of time before kick-off, without then becoming hungry 30 minutes before the whistle. Resist another coffee, but opt for iced-tea. Am still not convinced on that one.

2.30pm - 3pm - Pre-match chat with touchjudges. It's normally carried out around an hour before kick-off, but my two TJs are on the game before mine, so we have to chat early as there's no time later. It's all pretty straightforward stuff, but we need to make sure we're singing off the same sheet.

3pm - 4.30pm - Review objectives and outcomes of first game and focus on objectives for this one. It's about now that the nerves kick in and I'm becoming restless. The first game of the day, England v South Africa, kicks off and so after a quick change into my game kit, it's off to the field to watch 30 minutes of the match. The field is less than 100m from my dorm - happy days.

5pm - 6.30pm - Chat with both teams', the usual front row and half-backs brief, and go for a warm up. Thankfully I can warm-up away from the rugby on the soccer pitches at the other side of the college. It's much easier to warm-up away from the hype of the games, although the heat doesn't seem to relent. A quick look at the watch confirms 20 minutes before kick-off, so it's back to the main field and all systems are set for game time.

Seconds out... round four here we come!

Nations Cup

Observations from an English perspective

Positives

Friendly Canadians

Amazing scenery

Decent coffee

Sunshine

Great food prepared for you three times a day

Big pick-up trucks and big, wide roads

People in the service industry who actually enjoy their job

Niagara Falls

CN Tower

Negatives

Humidity

Mosquitoes

Dorms with no air-con

College campus with no bar within walking distance

No baked beans

Ice baths

Ques for CN Tower

Nations Cup

Nations Cup - down time

Generally speaking, the day following matchday is pretty laid back and uneventful.

Most of the time it's taken up by a post-match debrief with the match observer and a DVD review.

Occasionally one of the teams will request your presence at a DVD review so they can ask questions of certain decisions (or in some cases lack of them).

The only team to have asked this so far have been the South Africans, and it was a good meeting in which myself and the coaching staff learned of each others' interpretations.

It transpires that the South Africans, unlike the other nations here, have played very few international matches since the World Cup in 2006, so they are keen to learn referees' interpretations of certain events that take place on the field.

Most of the time coaches from the other nations tend to catch you for a chat over breakfast in the dining hall, although I'm not a morning person, so do my best to avoid contact until at least 10am when I'm a little more awake.

Monday, thou, was a little different after Sunday (match day three) in that we went to Niagara Falls - obviously a must-see when you're in this part of the world.

It was simply amazing and a trip on the boat that takes you right up to both the Canadian and American falls has to be done if you are to really appreciate the power and wonder of nature.

And it was nice to get away from rugby for a day. As much as we all love the sport, two weeks can be a long time and the danger of cabin fever at the campus creeps up as the days go by.

A worthwhile trip and a change of scenery - definitely good for the sporting soul.

Nations Cup

Nations Cup - Day Three

After a two-day break, taken up by a trip into downtown Toronto and the proverbial open-top bus tour around the city, it was back to work on Sunday.

Match day number three saw two touch-judging assignments (assistant referees for the purists out there) - USA v South Africa and France v Canada.
For the record, USA beat SA quite comfortably, although the game will be remembered for the SA's inability to listen to the referee and, if I'm honest, the inability to think for themselves.
Three yellow cards for failing to retreat 10m at a penalty in the attacking 22m was disappointing, but, try as she might, the referee could not get the SAs to listen. And they suffered for it.

The second game, though, threw up a shock result when France beat hosts Canada, who finished fourth at the World Cup in 2006.

And the second game saw a new record for me - a foul play flag less than two minutes in, but it didn't help that the comms broke down and the referee didn't get wind of the incident until the offending team where awarded a kickable penalty.

I wasn't flavour of the month on the hosts' bench, but then I wasn't the one who gave away a needless penalty less than 6ft from the TJ.

But it's all part of the fun and, as they say, the learning curve of officiating.

Another match day done and dusted - it's time for a well-earned pint.

Time to go to work

Nations Cup Day Two

No-one likes waiting, so Thursday could not come quick enough for me. Finally, after four days, it was my turn to feel the nerves.

A 6.30pm kick-off though, like I mentioned before, presents one major problem - overcoming the anxiety of the wait. Canada versus South Africa was my game, while a Canadian colleague was taking charge of the France against England match at 4.30pm.

Breakfast was followed by a quick trip into town for coffee to break up the feeling of "cabin fever" that can exist when you're staying in one place for so long with not a great deal to do on site.

Lunch quickly came and went and then it was time to get set. The one thing that did concern me was the heat, or to be more accurate, the humidity.
Even at 6.30pm it still feels like 35C and you quickly find yourself "glowing". I was just hoping I didn't expire midway through the game!

Fortunately I did not, and the match unfolded into a cracker, with Canada winning 35-17, although the second half belonged to South Africa.
The Canadians came out of the blocks quickly and put three tries on the board early on, but the South Africans hit back and pushed the hosts all the way in the second period.

Game over and job done. Glad to have got the first game under my belt and, judging by the comments of the Welsh assessor, it was a good evening at the office.

Here's to game day three.

Nations Cup - Match Day One

Nations Cup 2009

Day One: Monday saw the first fixtures of this year's competition; France v South Africa and England v USA and because of the heat, the kick-offs are scheduled for late afternoon - 4.30pm and 6.30pm.

Although it doesn't make much of difference as it is still baking and there's high humidity. And what is strange is that being based on a campus means no changing facilities like one would normally be used to. With the teams all being boarded in separate houses/dorms, the pre-match logistics of kit checks, front row briefs and coin tosses, etc, go a little out of sync.

But the killer with late kick-offs is the wait... like the players, you wake up and just want to get on with it... but you can't, and the hours drag by.

My work for the day consisted of fourth official for the first game and assistant referee for the second.

Having holidayed in France quite a lot, I can get by with the language, just, but trying to control the technical area and substitutions calls for a little more pigeon French than I can muster.

Having said that, the French are renown for their hand gestures and we eventually get along just fine - despite the fact they, like most of the teams, push the boundaries.

The second game saw England overcome a resilient USA side. It was a case of England's attack against the US's defence, but the team of the day for me were the South Africans.

Having refereed them in the World Cup (2006) against Australia, when they were quite honestly woeful, I was amazed at just how far they had come.

The 7s influence (they have their entire World Cup 7s team in the squad) is plain to to see, and their workrate and tackling is second-to-none.

They held France to a 17-17 draw, although were unlucky to lose as France scored in the final play to draw the game.

Day one is done, here's to day two, and my shot in the middle.

Nations Cup

The first full day in Toronto (Sunday) was taken up with Rugby Canada's National Championships - a competition to see who would be crowned under-16, 17 and 19 champions.

And it was an ideal way to run off the flight and give the lungs a blow-out, while dodging the rain storms and mosquitoes. It's almost as if the rain followed from England and the mosquitoes sense fresh blood.

But a good day ensued and I had one appointment in the middle for British Columbia v Newfoundland and Labrador and a TJ and fourth official appointment. The BC v NL match was pretty one-sided, but fun and it beats going for a run.

The day also meant catching up with old faces whom I'd met on my travels over the years, some from the Women's World Cup in 2006, and some from as recent as last year.
And, of course, it also provided the opportunity to meet new people who were also going to be involved in the Nations Cup.

But the lasting memory of the Sunday has to be the huge storm that swept through in the evening. I have never seen anything like it and despite being in the comfort and relative safety of a monster 4x4 pick-up that Rugby Canada had rented for the duration of the tournament, it's fair to say I was petrified. Thunder and lightening like I've never seen, storm clouds as black as the night sky, rain like a power-shower and winds in excess of 100mph.

Toronto's famous CN Tower was hit five times between 7.30pm and 8pm, while we took shelter in a hotel lobby as the storm passed.

And I thought I'd left the rain in England...

Living the dorm life....

Nations Cup 2009

Apologies for the lack of posts, and it's not as if I can blame it on the time difference, but I am in the fortunate position to be based in Toronto for two weeks for the Nations Cup.

I arrived last Saturday and a week later I have still no got used to one thing - the humidity. The time difference/jet lag, etc, are a doddle compared to the humidity, although being based in a dorm with no air conditioning doesn't help.

The Nations Cup involves the women's national teams of Canada, England, France and South Africa and is based in Appleby College, Oakville. In fact, Gloucester trained here two seasons ago, and I'd love to know what they made of the rooms (all the teams and officials are based in dorms) and the lack of temperature control.

The setting is fabulous as the college is based on the shores of Lake Ontario and unless you've actually seen it, it is difficult to comprehend the size and expanse of one of the Great Lakes. With the towns of Oakville and Bronte a short drive away (walking it means you're a mass of perspiration within five minutes), local amenities are never far.

And so to a first night of sleep broken by the need to toss and turn as I try and get used to the fact that it's going to be warm... very warm.

Be warned... bad joke alert

A Friday funny...

In the middle of a game, the referee suddenly blows his whistle to stop play when he sees a long funeral procession on the road that runs alongside the field.

He closes his eyes and bows his head in prayer.“Wow,” said the yellow-carded scrum-half. “That is the most thoughtful and touching thing I’ve ever seen. You truly are a kind man. I’ll never think badly of a referee again.”

The referee replies: “Thanks lad, we were married nearly 30 years.”

Yep - it's a bad one!

Well done on two accounts

Followers of Bath Rugby will have been kept busy these past few weeks and will no doubt be glad the RFU hearing in Messrs Lipman, Crockett and Higgins is over.

Briefly, the three have been banned for 9 months after they were found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute after failing on two occasions to attend drugs tests. (see the links to the right to thisisbath.co.uk for all the news).

Now, being privy as I am to goings on at Bath via the medium of the good old press conference, can I just say two things;

1 - How refreshing it is to have players put up for interview who actually speak their mind and seem passionate about the topic of conversation. Excellent choices by the squad to elect the "famous five" as player representatives - although Joe Maddock, as pleasant as he is, was a little on the quiet side. But then who good blame him when you're sat next to David Barnes and David Flatman.

2 - Well done the RFU for publishing in full the judgements into the Justin Harrision and Lipman/Crockett/Higgins hearings - a journalist's dream. Transparency the order of the day.

Here's to Bath Rugby moving on and putting the whole sorry saga behind it.

Now, who will be named captain?

From fly-half to referee...

Saracens fly-half Glen Jackson is to join New Zealand's professional referee ranks.
The New Zealander is contracted for another year at the English Premiership club but has been granted special leave to attend a New Zealand Referees training camp in Auckland this week.
He will undergo the NZRU Referee Academy Training programme with a view to officiating in the 2010 Heartland Championship - the second tier provincial competition.
The 33-year-old started refereeing age-grade rugby in Tauranga while playing for the Chiefs Super 14 franchise and has continued to develop his skills since moving to Britain in 2004.
He has completed his English RFU referee exams and is a member of the Hertfordshire Referees Society.
NZRU high performance referee manager Lyndon Bray said Jackson's signing as a full-time professional referee would add depth and provide a new dimension to New Zealand's professional pool of rugby referees.
"We're thrilled that Glen Jackson has chosen refereeing as the next step in his professional rugby career," he said.
"It's rare that professional players at Glen's level make the move into refereeing but his skills as a player can only enhance his ability as a referee.
"It's great that England has embraced and supported Glen's desire to develop his skills in refereeing, and I am confident that support will continue over the next year."
Jackson, who has played for Bay of Plenty, the Chiefs, New Zealand Maori and the New Zealand Barbarians, is looking forward to the new challenge.
"I've enjoyed refereeing age grade rugby back home in Tauranga and in London," said Saracens all-time Premiership top-scorer.
"This is a great opportunity to continue living rugby at the top level.
"I am keen to create the right environment for working towards earning an opportunity to referee at Test level. I'll bring something different to the game, and I think players will recognise this."

Back Down Under

A few months ago it was widely reported in the media that New Zealand referee/bad boy Steve Walsh and the NZRU had parted company.

Walsh had been in and out of the media spotlight for a number of reasons over the year and the final straw appeared to be his alleged turning up at an SANZAR conference while under the influence of alcohol late last year.

The NZRU refused to give Walsh yet "another" final chance to sort himself out and so they parted company. He admitted he'd not dealt with personal issues properly and was taking time out to sort things.

But the good news, as far as I'm concerned, is that Walsh appears not to have been a loss to the game as it appears he's enjoying life in Sydney, Australia, where he's picked up the whistle and is back in action.

That is unless there is another Steve Walsh refereeing the TooheysNewCup Shute Shield match between Eastern Suburbs vs Northern Suburbs at the Woollahra Oval this weekend.

I indeed hope it is Steve Walsh, formerly of NZ, and not a namesake. For all is problems off the pitch, he was a world class referee and would have been a big loss to the game.

Jutge hangs up his whistle

France's top referee Joël Jutge has given up the battle against injury and has decided to quit active refereeing and go into administration.

Jutge has been unable to referee since November 2007 when he was having cartilage trouble and underwent a knee operation. After the operation he spent eight months recovering but all was s till not right and he underwent another operation on the same knee. This meant 10 months of recuperation.

He had hoped to be ready but was forced to withdraw from a club match in France and then from, European Challenge match and then from two Six Nations appointments. He was a strong candidate to referee on the Lions' tour to South Africa.

Jutge was honoured by the French government. Roselyne Bachelot, the Minister of Health, Youth Affairs, Sport and Associations, presented him with the medal of a Chevalier of the Order of Merit (Médaille de Chevalier de l'Ordre du Mérite).

Jutge was born in Lavaur on 5 April 1966. He took up refereeing after a top career as a scrumhalf for Colomiers and then Cahors.

He is not lost to rugby as he will join Joël Dumé and will look after the professional sector of French refereeing.

Brian Moore

Love him, or hate him?

Some days it's the former, some the latter, but while I can't bare listening to him as a commentator during the BBC's rugby coverage, there's no questioning his ability as a writer.

On the present turmoil at Bath Rugby, his article (see link below) is worth a look.

I have the dubious pleasure of working in the sporting media in Bath, so have watched this whole sorry story unfold for a long time.

And I have to admit I am not surprised. A well-respected source informed me last year (well before the Matt Stevens saga) that drugs were involved at Bath.

Like many, though, I am deeply saddened at the current situation that envelopes the club I have supported for many years.

Quite how head coach Steve Meehan is supposed to rebuild his squad when he returns from Australia's east coast is beyond me - good luck to him. The Australians are facing a coaching crisis as it is withing their club structure - would anyone blame him for returning back Down Under?

I for one hope he doesn't. There is plenty enough talent at Bath and one hopes the actions of a few bad apples doesn't spoil the efforts of the majority at the club.

Kick the offenders out and rebuild, quickly. Easier said than done I know, but here's hoping the Bath management pull it off.

www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/5438561/Bath-in-turmoil-as-peer-pressure-is-floored-by-player-power.html

Oz refs have it tough

Not even swine flu can save Australian NRL referee Matt Cecchin.
Four match officials have been placed in a five-day quarantine after they were exposed to the H1N1 virus on a flight to Canberra last weekend.

They have been replaced for round 12 games this weekend – but not by Cecchin, who awarded the controversial penalty which cost Manly victory on the Gold Coast last Sunday and was not appointed to a first grade game this weekend.

Jared Maxwell also can't take a trip. He is among the four just days after being crash-tackled by a pitch invader at Campbelltown.
Maxwell joins referee Bernard Sutton and touch judges Jeff Younis and Ricky McFarlane in being advised by the ACT and NSW health departments that a fellow passenger on the flight had tested positive to the virus.

The four, who officiated at the Canberra versus Warriors match on Sunday, were told to remain in quarantine until at least seven days after the exposure.

A quieter month - that was May then

When the season is in full swing, many of us dream of a break - "ah, the summer", but it always appears a long, long way off.
And before you know it - May arrives, the end of the season looms and, after about three weeks, I'm climbing the walls and looking forwards to 7s, August and pre-season.

Not that May has been without its rugby ups and downs. At the end of April I was fortunate enough to attended the RFU's Panel Evaluation Conference - a selection weekend for the National Panel.
Although I was pleased with how the weekend went (and I figured I did myself justice in the various "trials" - including one by knife and fork at a formal dinner) the news at the beginning of May was disappointing. I didn't make the cut, and the reason was my pace, or, more importantly, perceived lack of it.

It was good to hear some positive feedback about other areas of my game (and yes, there are some!) but the powers that be felt I lacked the pace to progress beyond National Three (as it stands).

But a good thing to hear was the RFU's intended pathway for continued progression towards next year's Women's World Cup, in England. A meeting in the summer with the RFU will enlighten me more, so it wasn't all doom and gloom!

As for the rest of May - I've taken it fairly leisurely I have to admit (despite a 7s tourno), although it has been great to see some of the referees I met at the 7s World Cup in Dubai doing really well. Two have made their debuts in the middle of Super 14 matches, and others have popped up in the Magners League and at further iRB 7s Series events.

So, while my hamstrings have been glad of the break, a 5k race breathed some life back into the lungs this weekend, although little disappointed I didn't set a new personal best. Thinking about it, a club annual dinner the night before did not help matters.

Here's to more 7s in June and July and a two-week trip to Canada in August. In the meantime, there's the small matter of shifting a few pounds and beating my 5k pb!

And that was April..

A sign of getting older is how quick time passes, so should I be worried about just how quick April flew by?

It seems mad that the end of the season is here already, but as the end of the 15-a-side game looms, the 7-a-side circuit takes off - no rest for the wicked.

April has been another good month on the pitch - a cracking SW1 game between two of the leagues top sides kicked the month off, with a Cornish Cup final thrown in for the mix.
The games could not have been different, and played only three days apart. One had glorious weather and saw two teams fling the ball all over the field and run from wherever. The second was played in a mudbath with what seemed like a monsoon raging the Cornish coastline!

And it was also a month for another first - two games in one day, not to be recommended as my hamstrings will testify. A leisurely trip to Henley for the National Colts semi-finals (with me all set for a 3pm KO) turned into a fast-lane dash up the M4 when a call came in asking me to get there for the 12pm KO as the referee failed to turn up.

The lungs held out, but the hamstrings just about recovered in time for another pasting on the Rec the day after when the rocket boots came out for the Bath United v University of Bath match - a warm-up for the Real Varsity Match between the University of Bath and Loughborough Uni this week.

I was lucky enough to be in the middle for the women's Real Varsity Match and while the pace of the game allowed the hamstrings to recover, the endeavour shown by the players was just as great, if not greater, than their male colleagues.

And so April has drawn to a close and with it the 15-a-side season. Bring on the 7s!

Mad as a March hare...

What a month! March provided some of the biggest rugby highlights for me, and it's fair to say it was an exciting journey.
Of course, it started with the 7s World Cup in Dubai and, following a weekend off, I was then in the middle for the Wales v Ireland Women's Six Nations clash.
It was a cracking day in Taffs Well RFC, South Wales, with second place in the Six Nations championships up for grabs.
With Wales beating England 16-15 earlier in the tournament, the hosts started as favourites and were two tries up within 10 minutes. Things looked ominous...
But then Ireland saw some of the ball and a cracking contest unfolded between two good teams. Ireland have come on a lot since the World Cup in 2006 when I refereed them against South Africa - surely this bodes well for a great showing from both teams in the World Cup next year.
For the record, Wales won 13-10, and the appreciative crowd (one of the best I've had the pleasure of refereeing in front of) were treated to some excellent play.

My final match of a mad month was my fourth shot in the National Leagues - my last chance in effect to prove myself worthy of the next level.
It went well and the feedback overall was positive. Of course, there were discussion points around various areas, but I left the North Midlands a happy woman.

And now it's a case of waiting to hear if I've fortunate enough to be recommended for the jump up - the month of March has been amazing, one of the best even. Let's hope April is just as positive.

World Cup 7s - The final

It's great knowing that you've been part of a "first", in whatever field.

And the fact I was part of the first women's world cup 7s final is something special. I ran the line for Gabriel Lee (Hong Kong) and it was a cracking game.

Played between New Zealand and Australia, and going into extra time - first score to win, was a thriller. The whole build-up and the match were great adverts for the sport and, following the conclusion of the men's final (a Welsh victory over Argentina) everyone is buzzing and enjoying the feeling that our work is done.

And so it was time for a shower and clean-up, before plenty of beers in the changing room, where iRB chairman Bernard Lapasset and vice-chairman Bill Beaumont joined in. It was nice of them to come in and congratulate all the officials.

As for the rest of the evening - it was spent celebrating!

A great tournament, great people, great game. Bring on the Olympics!

World Cup 7s semi-final

Refereeing the Women's World Cups 7s semi-final between the USA and New Zealand has to have been the quickest 14 minutes of my life.

I can honestly say that I can't remember much of the first half at all. What I do remember is the pre-match build up - something I have never experienced before.

It starts after the last game, when the tournament DJ plays music over the tannoy and whoops the crowd up, all 35,000 of them. The atmosphere is amazing as people enjoy the rugby, the beer, the sun - occasion.
You look out of the tunnel at the pitch, the crowd, the people managing the sideline and then the floor manager (linked up to the live television broadcast) wonders up from the pitch and tells you "two minutes".
The teams come out of the holding rooms (small rooms by the tunnel) and line up, while I look around at my colleagues wondering what the hell I'm about to do. I can't keep still and am like a cat on a hot tin roof. But nerves must not get the better of me.

I then get the signal that we've one minute, and it's then the USA team sing their National Anthem at the top of the voices. The New Zealanders opt for the usual shouting that most teams do, while I get a few pats on the back from other referees with calls of "don't cock it up Daniels!"

That really made me smile and was just what I needed - I was going to enjoy this, whatever happened.

"30 seconds" rings out and my two assistant referees wish me luck, before the floor manager (now standing pitch side) waves his hands about like a film director, counting down "5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."
And then we're off - the teams run out on the pitch, followed by me, the TJs and the in-goal judges. We run past the TV cameraman (I chose not to wear any lip gloss for my debut) and out to the middle. I take a moment to look around the stadium, take a deep breath and soak up the atmosphere, before turning to find the floor manager with his famous red clip board held aloft.
When he drops the clip board you're good to go, and before I know it he does. Kick-off!

And before I know it it's half-time. I honestly cannot recollect any of the first half. It's a close game that is eventually settled with conversions, finishing 14-10 to the Kiwis.

Both teams were class acts, but what really made it for me was the first person to shake my hand after the final whistle was the USA coach. That meant a lot.

So there it was - game over and a World Cup semi-final in the bag.

World Cup 7s - Day Seven

Another early start and trip to the stadium is greeted with anticipation, but today's matches hold a new meaning.

It's knockout time and anyone who has been fortunate enough to be involved in something like this will tell you how the atmosphere and tempo goes up several notches.

The appointments for today are made on a progressive basis, but my first port of call is a debrief from yesterday with iRB assessor, Tappe Henning (South Africa).
Fortunately the debrief goes well and is very positive. Of course there are always a few things to work on, but the overall report is good. Now it's time to cross the fingers ahead of the next round of appointments.

In our meeting on Wednesday we were all told that the best 7s referees get the following right in this order; breakdown, scrum, advantage, game management.

Thankfully it appears I did a reasonable job in heeding this advice, so I can only hope that I get a shout at a Cup quarter-final.

And I do! On pitch two I referee USA v France in the Women's Cup quarter-final. All four female officials are given a quarter-final, but the shock result sees England knocked out by Australia, while Wales men dump the New Zealanders out and England too make an early exit.

That's one of the beauties of this tournament - anyone on any day can cause an upset. It's also great for the Olympic bid to get 7s in the Games as the IOC are also here.

My quarter-final goes well, and so does the others, but it's only now that I realise what's at stake here.
While sat with Hong Kong referee (and room-mate) Gabby Lee watching the men's competition on pitch one, Paddy O'Brien comes over to give us the news of future appointments.
"Daniels, you've had a fantastic tournament - you're on the New Zealand v USA Cup semi."
This is music to my ears - I'm to referee a World Cup semi-final on the main pitch!

Paddy then tells Gabby that she had the best quarter-final and will be refereeing the Women's World Cup final! This is fantastic news - as he then explains that I will be TJing, along side Joyce Henry of Canada, with two female in-goal judges! An all-woman team on the final is a huge step forward and I'm thrilled that my room-mate has got the gig she deserves.

Sure, I'm disappointed that I didn't get the call, but that's life - that's sport. I allow myself five minutes to ponder on it, but it's vital that I accept and move on.

If I don't, all the hard work I've put in leading up to this will be wasted if I don't put in my best performance in the semi and then support Gabby in the final as a TJ. The bigger picture here is worth every second and we will be part of refereeing history.

Roll on the semi-finals!!!

World Cup 7s - Day Six

It feels a bit like Christmas Day when you're six - awake at 6am and unable to go back to sleep in anticipation of the day ahead.

An early breakfast sees an electric atmosphere in the restaurant as everyone in the officials' team is excited ahead of the first full day of rugby.
The team itself amounts to around 40+ people, including referees, assistant referees (or TJs), in-goal referees, match observers, sideline managers, citing officers, judicial officers and official liaison officers. And they're all headed up by the iRB's head of refereeing - Paddy O'Brien and 7s referee manager Keith Lawrence.

The ground is a 45-minute minibus trip away, but it flies by and we're soon arriving at the stadium. Security is tight and although we have our own entry point, we still have to walk through metal detectors and put our bags through an X-ray machine.
This tournament is also the first one I've been to where you have to wear your accreditation at all time. At every entry point and door, security guards insist on seeing accreditation - it's a good feeling knowing that security is being taken very seriously.

At the ground, the women referees change in a separate changing room which is some five minutes walk away from the men's changing room, located right by the tunnel to the main pitch.
As our room, although very clean, is tiny in comparison, a takeover is planned and so we march forth once changed and set-up camp in our own corner of the men's room. Mission accomplished.
It's three times the size of ours anyway, so there's plenty of room, despite the fact there are at least 20 already utilising it!

The games eventually kick-off and everyone is buzzing - it's a great feeling, but my kick-off time can't come soon enough.
My first match is Russia v Japan on pitch one, which means thousands will be in the stadium watching, I'm going live on TV and both teams will not understand I word I say. But it goes well and I'm just thrilled to have game number one under my belt.

My second match was on pitch two, Australia v Netherlands, which went well and my third game was back on pitch one - Canada v Brazil.

All three games go well and the feedback from the match observers is good. When not refereeing, I have also ran touch, which provides a great opportunity to see the other teams in action.

Eventually, at gone 8pm, the games are all finished and, after a quick shower and change, it's back to the hotel in the knowledge that I still have another full day's rugby at this wonderful event to look forward to.

www.rwcsevens.com

World Cup 7s - Day Five

At last - the day had arrived, the start of the World Cup 7s.

The team meeting at 8am has been canceled so that people can enjoy a lie-in - bliss!
Breakfast is followed by a walk around the marina with a few others and then coffee - a time-killing exercise before a 2pm pick-up for the trip to the ground.

There are two game pitches at the tournament, and the first games kick-off at 5pm. But before that we have yet another run-through and the official team photo on the main pitch.

Eventually my turn arrives as touch judge one (or assistant referee if you want to be PC) for the Argentina v Uruguay men's pool match. This appointment was a pleasant surprise as I wasn't expecting to be involved in the men's side of the competition.
The fact the iRB have appointed women to officiate on the line in the men's game is a huge step forward, sure to impress the watching Olympic Games blazers!

And the game passes without incident - not the best match, but I'm just pleased to have been a part of it.

In fact the whole afternoon and evening passes without controversy, so the officials team eventually board the bus at 9.45pm happy in the knowledge the first day has gone reasonably well.

And now I can't wait for my turn in the middle tomorrow... roll on Friday.

World Cup 7s - Day Four

A 6.30am alarm call is not greeted well - I do not do mornings, but a yet another meeting at the teams' hotel at 8am means an early start for the officials team.

The morning is taken up with a referees' meeting to clarify protocol, etc, before a 45-minute journey to the ground for a run-through and familiarisation exercise. Everything goes well and a quick game of touch rugby on the pitch gives everyone the chance to stretch their legs.

The facilities here are amazing. The stadium was purpose-built for the Dubai 7s, but they've added a lot of extra facilities for the World Cup. The work behind the scenes is simply mindblowing, and now the team is here everyone is just keen to get started.

The afternoon provides some welcome relief from rugby, with a 4x4 desert safari organised.
Now I'm not one for fairground rides (a carousel is as adventurous as I get) so my stomach takes a pasting as they throw the jeeps up and down, over and side by side - but it's well worth it and gives everyone the chance to free their minds from the tournament for a few hours.

The trip finishes at 9pm, so by the time we arrive back at the hotel, everyone is well and truly beat.

My head hits the pillow and the next thing I know it's 8am on Thursday - never underestimate the value of a good night's sleep!

World Cup 7s - Day Three

This morning's meeting was rocked by the news of the attack on the Sri Lankian cricket team in Pakistan.
One of the local touch judges here works for the International Cricket Board and he took a call from Chris Broad literally minutes after the attack, when Chris and the rest of those who were in the minibus were held up in a stadium.
The guy was, understandably, very shaken after the call, but came back into the room to explain what had just happened and that he had to go.
To say the room fell silent would be an understatement. People didn't know what to say or do, but we were all soon reassured that, despite the enormousness of the event we were involved in, the security intelligence was second to none and we were not to worry about any possible terrorist threat to the World Cup.

Business resumed after a quiet morning and lunch with a trip to the ground (about 45 minutes from the city) were I refereed a warm-up game between Japan and Australia. It was good to get a workout and it beats pounding the pavements or the monotony of the gym.

It was the first time I'd seen the purpose-built stadium and it was very impressive. And it was also very hot, but it was very beneficial to get the lungs pumping and get acclimatised to the heat.

A quite evening was spent watching DVDs and drinking tea - a very British way to round of a bizarre day as Wednesday was to start with a 6.30am start!!

World Cups 7s - Day Two

OK, so who was the bright spark who scheduled daily 8am meetings?

Pretty much everyone in the meeting room looks like they've not slept for a week, although some (those with 7s experience from the World 7s Series) cannot blame jetlag - and it has to be said it's the full-time referees who appear to have led astray by Mr Stella Artois. I have no sympathy!

So while some go back to bed, the four women officials decided to do what we do best - go shopping. A brief whizz around the Mall of the Emirates (who wants to spend time in a mall anyway) and it's off to the markets.

The gold and spice souks are an eye-opener for any visitor, although after 10 minutes I am sick to death of young men asking me if I want to buy a "handbag, sunglasses or pashmina lady?"

According to these robotic street sellers, these goods are all "genuine Gucci and Prada" - sure, but there's more fun to be had bartering with the older shop keepers over some unrecognisable sweet-smelling powder that I'm sure customs will be interested in when I arrive back. (And for the record, it's ground cinnamon).

Anyway - shopping trip over and it's off to the Atlantis Hotel (on the Palm Jameriah) where the teams are based for the duration of the tournament for a managers' meeting.

The meeting is led by Paddy O'Brien and Keith Lawrence of the iRB and it follows the usual format of what is and what is not expected/tolerated on the pitch, with lots of protocol thrown in for good measure.

But the highlight for me was when the English team coach pointed out how much other teams time-waste while taking conversions, before Keith then introduced a slide detailing the worst offenders, and there are no prizes for guessing who topped the list!

A swift bus-trip back to the hotel is followed by dinner and then crashing out in front of the largest flatscreen TV I've seen. And it's night night from me...

World Cup 7s - Day One

Well I'm finally here - a seven-hour plane journey after an 6.30am alarm call on Sunday morning and it's touchdown in Dubai.

As it was night when we arrived, there were two other officials and the entire Irish 7s team on my flight (to be sure), there wasn't that much to see, but the first thing noted on the drive to the hotel from the airport was the amount of construction going on.

And the hotel, for all it's five-star glory (including apartments bigger than my house) is surrounded by building work, but the location more than makes up for it - overlooking Dubai Marina and the Palm Jameriah (Google it if you're unfamiliar).

Dubai is a new city and now's not the place for a history lesson, but everywhere you look, they're building something - and you get the feeling hat whatever it is, it will be bigger and better than the last thing they built.

On arrival at the hotel, the lobby is jammed with officials, etc, checking in, so there's a multitude of new and old faces to say hi to, before a quick shower and adjournment to the bar.

And it's a brief adjournment at that - welcome to Dubai and it's bar prices!

Watch yourself...

It can be painful, but there are benefits of watching yourself refereeing on DVD.

Once the vanity has been washed aside, and yes - my backside still looks big on the telly, you find yourself bemoaning the apparent ability the television has to make you look a lot slower than you actually are.

One of the benefits of refereeing a National League Three match (number three in my career) is the DVD, and a good quality one at that. And if any aspiring referees out there get the chance to get a game videoed - do it.

The voiceover enlightens you to the amount of waffle that one gabbles (me - waffle?), and you soon begin to realise that much of what you say is not for the benefit of the players, but you - the referee.

The art of communication and reducing "white noise" is an ongoing one for me, as is the progress of my pace and acceleration. And the DVD means there's no hiding place!

But, in my defence your honour, a quicker game requires smarter running lines and better game anticipation - and so it is here I will be focusing my thoughts ahead of my game on Sunday.

As for the 7-a-side game - my trip to the Rugby World Cup 7s in Dubai is less than two weeks away, and so there really is no excuse to miss sprint training.... oh what joy.

Dubai corner: Two weeks

Weight loss: Overall 4lbs - not quite the dizzy heights I was aiming for.
Alcohol intake: Three bottles of lager and three glasses of wine - not good after a two-week abstention.
Exercise: One game, two gym - not bad, but...

Oops I did it again...

New Zealand referee Steve "look at me" Walsh has, allegedly, been ruled out of the first round of the Super 14 as punishment for turning up drunk at a SANZAR conference last year.

And the good news is that English referee Wayne Barnes, who seemed to have fallen out with the iRB, has been promoted from his number one assistant refereeing duties to referee.

The Kiwi bad boy of officiating just can't seem to keep out of trouble and, if reports are true that he does have a drink problem, I hope Walsh gets himself sorted out. There's no doubt that he is a good referee, but he hits the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

Here's hoping he learns a lesson.

Dubai corner (three weeks)

Weight loss: Overall, 4lb - the right direction but not enough
Alcohol intake: NONE, ZIP, ZLICH - not a drop has passed my lips for 10 days!
Exercise: Two gym, one jog and no games whatsoever. Grrrreat...

Can I offer some advice...

Not that it happens often after a match, and it hasn't for a while, but it's amazing how many "ex-referees" there are willing to impart some pearl of wisdom in the bar following a match.

Before and during the game there are hoards of people only too willing to offer me plenty of advice on the refereeing front, from the man who confirms the fixture midweek, the bloke on the gate at the hosts club and, of course, the odd spectator or two - it's all part of the game and for the most part it's fine and taken in good humour.

And then there's the ex-referees. A bit like ex-smokers, they always seem to offer the "best advice".
A few weeks ago a rather portly gentlemen from the host club decided that, after the game and while I was waiting for a drink, he'd point out the error of my ways and give me a few tips to improve my refereeing.

Suspicions are always aroused when someone in a club blazer introduces themselves as an ex-referee and a member of Such-and-such Referees Society (rather than from the host club), and all this following a pre-match meal where you just know that much wine and ale has been sunk.

"You know what my love, and I know you won't mind me telling you, but you need eyes in the back of your head.." (as if a referee didn't know that already)... said Mr Ex-Referee. "You need to move around a bit more - you need to catch the cheatin' blighters.."

... and so continued a rather one-way conversation about what I missed and the fact I needed to "move a bit more".

He was right - I do need eyes in the back of my head (they've been on my wish list for years) and I probably do need to move a bit more, but being belched this advice through beer-tinged breath after a game is something I could have done without.

That's what assessors are for!

Dubai countdown: (four weeks)

Weight loss: Not good (up 1lb)
Alcohol: Not great either... (let's move on)
Exercise: Two gym, one refereeing appointment and a schools' 7s tournament

Lee Mears or Lester Piggott?

Not that I'm stereotyping, but you wouldn't say your average front row forward would spend his working week aboard thoroughbred racehorses.

Think about it - Duncan Bell or Tony McCoy; Phil Vickery or Ruby Walsh; Andrew Sheridan or Willie Carson. It really doesn't compute, does it?

So, it was with just a little shock that, on Saturday, whilst negotiating a quagmire in Gloucester, a front row player from the home team gave me an explanation as to his apparent lethargicness.

"I've been up since 5.30 riding out, I'm knackered ref..."

"Excuse me? Riding out? For whom?" I enquired. "I work for Cheltenham Racecourse, so it varies and depends whose horses are stabled at the track..." replied the short, but stocky player.

And so the conversation continued and no, he wasn't winding me up (as if a front rower would ever pull the wool over the referee's eyes).

At around 5ft 6in and, at a guess, 12st - this stocky chap knew his stuff. But the middle of a rugby pitch is not somewhere you'd expect to find a jockey.

Fortunately his side won, but unfortunately he did not know the winner of the 3.30pm at Haydock and, as a result, I'm forced back to work for a living.

Dubai Corner: five weeks...

Weight loss: going in the right direction

Alcohol: five bottles of larger and three white wines (not good)

Exercise: Two gyms and a league match in the mud

When one should and should not keep quiet

You can't beat a local derby - and a cup battle between neighbours with history that eventually goes into extra-time is something to be savoured.

Even if you're running touch, you cannot afford to take your eye off play or lose concentration. The last thing you as an assistant referee, as touch judges are now referred to, is want to let the referee down.

On Saturday, a Bristol cup derby awaited and, although the sides concerned didn't seem keen on playing the ball past their fly-halves, an intense forward battle took place throughout the 80 (or 100 minutes as it turned out).

Many people do not fully understand or appreciate the roles of assistant referees and on the line you get to hear the crowd's comments a lot clearer than when you're in the middle.

Now's not the place to bore you with the finer points of running the line, but one thing you take responsibility for is comments from the crowd directed at the referee, and if it's bordering on effecting the man in the middle from doing his job properly, you have to step in.

And so a burly gentleman with a cracking Bristol accent felt the wrath of my flag when he decided to prowl the touchline and tell all who cared to listen that the referee wasn't doing his job properly - I'm sure you catch my drift here.

What is funny, though, is just how quiet these people become when you stop the game, turn the spotlight on them and tell them, politely, that should they wish to continue, they will be asked to take residence in the clubhouse, or even further afield.

Said gentleman then decided that he would tone down his comments, promptly apologised and scuttled off behind the barrier - and not a peep was heard from him for the remaining 60 minutes.

Job done. It's just a shame I can't say the same for some of the Bath fans I sat next to during Sunday's Pool 5 clash between Newport Gwent Dragons and Bath at Rodney Parade.
I bit, if not chewed, my tongue sometimes when one or two spouted a load of nonsense at the officials - on this occasion I kept my mouth shut, just like Mr Bristol!

Dubai corner (six weeks and counting):

Weight loss: A bit, but not as much as I'd have liked
Alcohol intake: Four bottles of larger - again, not as much as I'd have liked
Exercise: Two sessions and a touch judging appointment

Frustrated at the frost

It wasn't just Bath coach Steve Meehan who was left frustrated on Saturday after his side's game against Wasps was postponed due to an unplayable pitch.

With practically the entire league programme wiped out, I was left staring at a Saturday afternoon void - and it felt uncomfortable. Shopping was out of the question (pay day some way off), an afternoon in the pub would not help my "fitness regime", so indeed it had to be one thing - training.

I hate it. The monotony of running/jogging around a pitch and then interval training - it just doesn't do it for me. I dug deep, though, and went training at my local club and it has to be said - I quite enjoyed it.

Feeling pleased with my efforts (I had also braved the gym twice last week) I stepped on the scales Sunday morning in confident mood...

... and promptly stepped off them in a bad one.

And so, with less than seven weeks to the 7s World Cup in Dubai to go, I'm upping the anti...

Weight loss: None (an increase in fact)
Alcohol intake: One bottle of wine
Exercise: Two gym visits and club training

This had better make pleasant reading next week.