Howlett will create history when she takes the field
WHEN she steps onto the field today, Chyna Howlett will create a special piece of history becoming the first female referee in a Townsville District Rugby Union first grade decider.
But that honour is the furthest thing from her mind.
Howlett was given the opportunity to take the whistle after a stellar season in the middle, leading the charge for an impressive group of local officials.
Much like it is for the players who take the field, the chance to referee the grand final is something a year in the making for Howlett, and the emotion of the occasion is not lost on her.
“It is still a bit of a shock to the system, I am a mix of excitement and nerves,” Howlett said. “I definitely referee game to game, but you want to be the best you can be over the season. I am definitely humbled to get the opportunity considering the calibre of guys in our ranks.”
Howlett will bring her nononsense approach to the decider between the undefeated Teachers West and Army, leaving the players to just play the game.
“I am not there to manage them, that is the captain’s job,” she said. “I am a pretty relaxed person but when it comes to the rugby field I like them to concentrate on their playing so I can concentrate on the refereeing.
“It is a style that works for me, but every referee has a different style.”
She will arrive early in the day for the grand final festivities soaking up the sideline atmosphere while running lines in the under-13 and under-14 deciders. It is a chance for Howlett to give back to the young junior referees in the TDRU, something she once was when she picked up the whistle at only 12.
While she has not paid too much attention to it being a historic moment for the competition, Howlett just hopes it is not the final time.
“I guess I am the first, but I hope I am not the last (woman to referee),” she said.