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.

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