Glen Jackson
After 12 years of playing professionally, the former provincial and Super Rugby first five-eighth decided to try refereeing. He’s quickly risen to international level and says it’s “a fabulous way to be part of our great game, without all the bumps and bruises”.
How do you stay in shape? I spend eight or nine hours a week doing physical training. We run 7-9km per game, so we need a high standard of fitness. It’s not the toughest physical challenge, but it’s pretty intense mentally, so the fitter you are, the better decisions you’re likely to make. The biggest difference between playing and refereeing is that I don’t have to do the heavy lifting in the gym that rugby players do.
Do you have a special meal before a game? No, but I eat four hours before kick-off and then have a coffee an hour and a half before the game.
Are there any venues where you eat with the teams? Apart from breakfasts at hotels, we don’t see any of the players before a game. But some test matches still have after-match dinners, especially in the Northern Hemisphere.
Do you pay attention to your diet day to day or just when refereeing? A bit of both, really. I want the kids to understand what’s good for them, and I know I need to be careful about what I eat.
How would you describe your diet? We eat well. We have good meat and we love salads. I don’t have a sweet tooth, but I do love cheese and crackers with wine. Both our kids play sport, and my wife is also sporty, so we often have family games of touch or soccer.
What’s your typical breakfast? Today, I had three Weet-Bix with blue-top milk, vanilla yogurt, two kiwifruit and a flat white.
What about lunch? Today’s was BBQ ribs and salad. That’s a pretty unusual lunch for me!
What’s your favourite evening meal? Steak, eggs, chips and beetroot salad.
What about snacking? I don’t often snack. If I’m hungry between meals, I usually have a smoothie, but if snacks are brought out – like chips or cheese and crackers – I can’t help myself.
What happens when you eat at other people’s houses? I often get a dig about their team losing. They say it was my fault.