North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Experienced ref backs recruitment
Rugby referee Glenn Newman has been involved with matches at the highest level, but it is the experiences closer to home that mean the most to him.
After transitioning from refereeing touch as a teen, Newman has gone on to referee more than 120 premier club games as a North Harbour referee, matches at Heartland and NPC level, while also running touch for Super Rugby. He has been a Television Match Official (TMO) since 2004. As a TMO he has officiated more than 100 NPC, Super Rugby and international test matches including Six Nations games in Scotland and Wales.
North Harbour Rugby Referees Association is hosting an open day on March 4 from 8am til 1.30pm at North Harbour Stadium and Newman wants more people to consider joining the ranks.
‘‘For me, my greatest rugby achievement came last year when I managed to participate in rugby five different ways in the course of one day. I watched my step-son play in the early morning, coached my elder son in the late morning, refereed a first XV game at midday, played a Presidents rugby game in the afternoon and TMO’d a Super Rugby game in the evening.’’
The good referees are knowledgeable rugby people, and are interested in all aspects of the game, not just being a referee, Newman says.
‘‘I think the best referees have an empathy for both the players and the game. While law knowledge is very important, understanding what the players and coaches are trying to achieve during a game allows a referee to participate in a game rather than simply adjudicate it.’’
This season, in all adult rugby, a blue card can come into play. This new initiative gives the referee the ability to remove a player from the field whom they suspect has been concussed by showing them a blue card. The player then has to leave the field and can not take part in the game until they obtain a medical certificate. ’’Player safety these days is very important and the referee is often able to apply impartiality to a player they feel has been concussed, where the player or the team coach may have a desire for the same player to complete the game if they ‘feel’ ok,’’ Newman says. ‘‘Just like we are asked to protect players in the air and deal harshly to player contact to the head in a tackle, dealing appropriately with concussion is equally important.’’