New refs on the block... how Jones and co are shaping up as race to find the next Nigel intensifies
WELSH rugby chiefs are confident that their refereeing conveyor belt will be in fine working order in readiness for when Nigel Owens hangs up his whistle at the end of the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Owens, widely regarded as one of the best in the game, has already revealed the tournament in Japan will be his farewell to the international stage.
But his profile and success in the Test arena has already had a significant impact, so much so that Welsh rugby is seeing a huge upturn in young aspiring referees taking up the role.
One man who the Welsh Rugby Union have high hopes for is Dan Jones. While Wales Under-20s have endured a tough few weeks at the World Championships in the south of France, the performances of the policeman from Cardiff have really caught the eye.
Jones has been regarded as one of the stand-out officials during the tournament. The 27-year-old delivered a confident, assured display in both the quarter-finals and semifinals - where England saw off South Africa in a thriller - and was unfortunate not to be handed the whistle for Sunday’s showpiece final between France and England in Beziers.
The former Whitchurch High School pupil is one of a number of emerging Welsh referees looking to follow in the footsteps of Owens, 47, who refereed the last senior World Cup final in 2015.
Craig Evans has been one of the top referees on the world sevens circuit in recent years and will be at the World Cup sevens in the US next month, while Ben Whitehouse was the man in the middle for Canada’s clash with Russia in Winnepeg last weekend.
And further down the ladder, the figures are encouraging.
Ex-referee Paul Adams is the WRU’s referee performance manager, having taken on the role a year ago from previous incumbent Nigel Whitehouse.
“Dan was a pupil at Whitchurch High School and after picking up an injury he was encouraged to take up refereeing by his teacher, Gwyn Morris, one of our premiership referees,” says Adams.
“He showed potential right from the beginning and we quickly put him into an academy group.
“Of that academy group the likes of Craig Evans, Ben Whitehouse and Dan have progressed.
“All are refereeing in the PRO14, Ben has refereed tier two Tests and this has been Dan’s second junior World Cup.
“Alain Rolland (World Rugby’s high performance match officials manager) sees the tournament as a development path for up-and-coming referees, they go through intensive training and a lot of boys have kicked on to do senior internationals.
“Hopefully this is a stepping stone for Dan, who has impressed a lot of people during the tournament.
“I understand that Joel Jutge, who is head of match officials for European rugby, is willing to select him for European tournaments next season and once you get in that European scene you live and die by how well you do there.”
Jones’ progress highlights the change in age profile of Welsh rugby’s growing legion of referees - from grassroots, through to the Principality Premiership and into the professional game.
“It has changed tremendously,” adds Adams.
“If you look at four years ago, 70 per cent of our referees were over 35 years of age and 55 per cent of those were over 45.
“Looking now at our Premiership refs, more than 50 per cent are under 30 and we had three boys last year under 25 making their debuts in the competition. Before, you would play until you were 30-odd, get an injury, or retire, then you would maybe pick up the whistle.
“We are now getting a lot of 16 or 17 year olds on our courses.
“Nigel (Owens) has had a big effect on that, they see him on television and that is what they aspire to.
“Our problem is managing the expectation because all of them want to be the next Nigel Owens.”
What is also encouraging is that a number of former players have recently ventured into refereeing after hanging up their playing boots. A head injury forced former Dragons wing Adam Hughes to call it a day earlier this season, but he has already started out as referee, as has former Scarlets and Cardiff RFC back-rower Johnathan Edwards.
It is something that is being replicated on the national stage.
Former Harlequins scrum-half Karl Dickson officiated the World Under-20s semi-final between France and New Zealand; exOspreys No.9 Jamie Nutbrown was also on the nine-man refereeing panel in France, while Kiwi Glen Jackson, who starred for Saracens at fly-half, has made rapid strides to become one of the game’s elite panel referees.
“We are hoping to encourage more and more former players,” continued Adams. “Adam and Jon had their first seasons last season while Ricky Davies (former Scarlets prop) is another. The experience they have got is important.
“Gone are the days where you had to do one year at one grade, say youth level, another at second team and then another at a lower-league level. If you are good enough you don’t have to wait five or six years, you can make strides up the ladder quickly.
“You look at someone like Ben Breakspear, who is only 20. He has gone from refereeing club second teams last year to refereeing in the Championship this season.”
In all, between the national leagues, district matches, youth and junior rugby, the WRU has more than 3,500 qualified referees on their books.
“That is great, but we always have to work hard,” adds Adams.
“The minute you think you have enough you start struggling.
“At junior levels we are trying to encourage clubs to provide their own referees and also to encourage those to also referee on a Saturday as well. In fairness, there remains a lot of respect for referees from our clubs.
“And the support referees get these days has changed a huge amount.
“I remember when I decided I wanted to referee, I phoned up the secretary of the Gwent district and he told me, ‘go to Hollybush on Saturday!’
“It is not quite like that these days, but is good to see so many wanting to take up the whistle.”
■ If you are interested in a Welsh Rugby referees course go to the governing body’s official website at www.wru.co.uk