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.
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Monday, 25 May 2009
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 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!
Friday, 1 May 2009
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!
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!
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