Adventures in Aussie Touch Footie Part 11 - Referee Recruitment & Retention Program

 
A couple of weekends ago I participated in the Referee Recruitment & Retention course. It does pretty much as it says in the tin - is designed to equip people to present the entry level referee course (recruit) and provide basic coaching to new referees as well as discuss support structures and the like in order to keep new recruits motivated and developing (retain).

One of the best modules was the DVD/video session where we had to watch a game and come up with coaching assessments of the referees. In a serendipidous little twist, the game NSW are currently using is one from Euros 2007 featuring yours truly! I remember at the State Cup one of the Panel telling me that I "starred" in a coaching video they're currently using and thinking that's probably not a good thing...

... and OH MY GOD wasn't it just PAINFUL to watch! Fcuk me that's really how I used to go? After much ribbing from the other aspiring coaches - I knew what they were going to say before they even opened their mouths - we just got on with it and picked each referee's game apart. It was a really good exercise.

There really is nothing like seeing yourself on video - it makes verbal feedback so much more obvious and amazingly (if you're tuned in to yourself) gives you a heightened sense of awareness of your body the next time you perform the activity you've watched. I've since found myself noticing and changing things in my game as I've noticed them on-field during a game.

Most participants are awarded a Level 1 Coach and Level 1 Course Presenter accreditation upon successful completion of the weekend. My certificates arrived in the post from TFA yesterday - Level 1 Coach and Level *2* Course Presenter.

On the fast track... how pleased am I :-)
 

Adventures in Aussie Touch Footie Part 10 - NSW Country Championships

NSW Country Championships was held in Dubbo this year, a 6-hour road trip from northwest from Sydney (but with a difference of about 100km depending on route). I was originally not planning on attending until one of my referee mates pointed out that I really should "check the box" on it... and he was right because I have thoroughly enjoyed every State and National event I've been to so far and would have probably ended up kicking myself later for missing this one. Thanks Fraggle :-)

On-field, I have achieved everything and more that I wanted to in Touch before I came to Australia. So instead of participating as an active referee at this event I spent my weekend with the State Panel developing as a referee coach, getting a feel for how they do what they do and for what happens behind the scenes with the evaluation and [finals] appointments processes. I was grateful for the invitation as it would set me up very well for the Referee Recruitment & Retention Program I would attend in June to attain formal accreditation(s) for course presenting and referee coaching.
(Of course having got a taste for the fun these people have together when I met most of them for the first time six months ago at State Cup (my no-alcohol preparation for the previous 4 weeks blown in the process!) I was also looking forward to partaking in a little myself... not that I'll be writing about it!)

The weekend certainly opened my eyes to the public and behind the scenes effort that the Panel members put in before, during and after these tournaments. Even after one day, I was mentally tired and actually sore.

Friday saw a pretty leisurely road trip out to Dubbo - via Bathurst where I drove a "hot lap" of the famous Mount Panorama circuit (but that's for another story!) - followed by a chilled out afternoon of catch-up chat and banter as people arrived at the motel. Around 6pm most people headed across the road to the Leagues Club for a feed before the weekend "officially" started with the pre-tournament referees' meeting and subsequently the Panel's team meeting - both of which are largely to motivate and communicate expectations, strategy & procedural announcements.

Now normally the night before a tournament I'd be back in my hotel room relaxing and settling down for a reasonably early night in preparation for an early start. But I'm not active this weekend :c) so it's time to get a few drinks in! As it was my first time with the Panel though, I and another fella were also on "grommet" duty, which meant serving up drinks to the rest of them for the night! Good times... late too!

Saturday morning and dammit the cold/flu symptoms I've been trying to fight off the past week have caught up with me... though I should hardly be surprised. So I downed a mug of hot honey & lemon before heading to the fields - via Maccas for a brekkie roll - fried food is the order of the day the morning after a drinks session! Naturally there were plenty of other people with the same idea and surprisingly a lot of them were players.

Wish the exception of a short break for lunch, I spent 8 till 5 on my feet watching games, attempting to study and write up coaching sheets for 3 referees at a time and delivering feedback to them after the games. After play finished for the day we [Panel] all headed straight back to the hotel to begin the evening's meetings - reviewing the day and discussing upgrades, finals appointments and back-fill appointments. This took about 3 hours in total, not including having to break for the tournament referees' dinner. I'm told we "got off lightly" in time terms as frequently these meetings run into the small hours of the morning. I skipped drinks that night, instead curling up in bed with more hot honey & lemon and the Lions tour game on TV.

I actually fell asleep before the game ended but not before contemplating differences between attending a tournament as an active referee vs. as a referee coach... but more on that later.

Sunday morning was a similar to Saturday... early start, not-exactly-healthy breakfast and more game watching and referee assessing. Around midday we [Panel] all got together to have a full team debrief as people needed to travel. It was a really good open and honest session for all concerned. Normally the Panel will invite a couple of coaches to work with them at an event but this time out there were NINE of us, so a little more "full-on" for them but the flip side is I think lots of great feedback came out of it so well worth it.

As active referees, we pretty much show up and run according to a schedule that has been prepared for us... and yes we generally run our guts out. When we're off duty though, we can sit down, recover and relax somewhere getting out of the sun/wind/rain if we choose. The Panel does a bunch of prep work before each tournament and coaches spend most of their days on their feet watching and analysing games, followed by evenings stuck in meetings. This is a big ask requiring much concentration effort and I for one developed a renewed appreciation for what these people do at every tournament.

I'm so glad I did this and am looking forward to the RRRP now and getting back on the field at Vawdon Cup in Sydney :-)
 

Leinster for the Heineken Cup!

 
In about an hour, Leinster will contest the Heineken Cup final for the first time, having smashed Munster off the park in the semi-final 3 weeks ago - something that gave me much satisfaction. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Munster at all. Munster is the heart & soul (not to mention proclaimed/propaganda crown jewel) of Irish rugby and I will happily and passionately support them, and Ulster & Connacht for that matter.

But many Leinster folk have morphed into fairweather supporters of our own provincial side, instead jumping on the winning bandwagon, claiming Munster is "their team", which bothers me. I'm confident those people will be back wearing blue today and it gives me satisfaction to say truthfully that blue was always my primary colour.

Allegiances aside though...

Ireland are Six Nations champions and Munster recently took the Magners/Celtic League (claiming Leinster's crown). It would be just FANTASTIC if Leinster could win the Heineken Cup (claiming Munster's crown in return!) to complete a clean sweep for Irish rugby and cap our greatest ever season.
 

Adventures in Aussie Touch Footie Part 9 - Recognition I never saw coming

 
I've talked before about the genuine recognition culture that exists within the Touch Football community here in Australia. Tonight I was a recipient of it - I just arrived home from the Sydney Rebels AGM where I was presented with a fabulous Kooga over-jacket with Rebels referee branding.

The following is an excerpt from the Regional Director's report:

"There has also been a new initiative launched this year aimed towards our graded referees. This year has marked an emphasis on referees being more proactive to "put back" into their region. This can include actions such as:

• Senior referees presenting their own refereeing courses at their affiliate or better yet in neighbouring affiliates
• Assistant to a presenter in refereeing courses at their affiliate or better yet in neighbouring affiliates
• Being available for inter regional trial matches
• Refereeing in smaller affiliates from time to time to assist in development
• Attending NTL

It is my view that less experienced referees benefit from watching, talking to and ultimately work towards advancing through the system as the senior referees did before them. The following referees have not only met the above criteria but have excelled at it. Rebels Touch thanks you for your efforts."

I'd been doing this stuff because I got enjoyment, learning and satisfaction from it - certainly never saw this coming so am really quite chuffed :-)
 

Penalty shootouts

 
The penalty shootout has finally managed to blight itself on rugby. Damn.

Last weekend saw one of the (Heineken) European Cup semi-finals decided on a penalty shootout. This was certainly the first time in this has happened in Heineken Cup history and possibly rugby history. I've struggled to find another game that has been decided like this (the 2003 World Cup Final came within seconds of it) and unsurprisingly it's given rise to much discussion & debate.

It is a LOUSY way to decide a game... and I've always thought so.

Penalty shootouts are most commonly seen in football, generally follows a dour period of extra time (which has often itself followed a 90-minute snorefest) where teams have decided to sit back and take their chances with the penalty lottery. FIFA, to their credit, did attempt to experiment with alternatives such as "golden" and "silver" goal: golden was sudden death, i.e. first team to score won, while silver gave the team who conceded until the end of the half to equalize otherwise the game was over. But both concepts failed due to teams more concerned with "not losing" the game rather then winning it. How often do you hear post-match reaction fob off the shootout inferring it's a lottery? The game wasn't really lost and I'm sure that's saved many a coach/manager job in the past.

At least in football all the players are (loosely) doing the same thing - attempting to kick a ball through a target - so it can be argued there isn't much different about what they're trying to accomplish with penalties.

Rugby union is completely different - yes there is kicking involved but it's not the core of the game nor core skill for every player. Rugby union is incredibly specialised - players need have a very different physiology and skill set depending on the position they play. A winger doesn't pack down in the scrum and you don't see a front row forward punt the ball 50 yards down field and chase down the catcher (Keith Wood being the exception). Martyn Williams, one of the greatest back row forwards to ever play the game, missed what turned out to be the decisive kick and I feel for him - he's there to win ball and be creative with it in hand, NOT to kick goals.

Peter Wheeler, Leicester's chief executive, summed it up well: "Let's not get involved in the blame game here because this was unchartered territory for rugby and we are all learning, but I found that very uncomfortable to watch. Just imagine if it had gone on for a couple more kicks. For all I know Martin Castrogiovanni or Gethin Jenkins might be useful goal-kickers, but almost certainly not, and how humiliating and illogical it would have been for two of the best in the world at what they do, having to decide a European Cup semi-final by attempting something that they never do."

Rugby union continues to have an ethos/code of gentlemanship, respect and honour about it. Players will pummel each other on the field and occasionally things flare up but generally once it's all over they will shake hands and say "good fight" regardless of winning or losing. Most if not all post-match reaction from Leicester (who won) conveyed a message of "we didn't want to win it like this." So Wheeler's choice of words - humiliating and illogical - is pretty appropriate.

Solutions? Let's look at some other sports.

In basketball and ice hockey, the concept of a tie game doesn't even exist. Extra time periods are played (as many as are necessary) until the game is decided. In basketball this is determined by the score at the end of each period while in ice hockey it's sudden death, first goal wins.

In the sport of Touch (Touch Rugby / Touch Football) an elimination game is decided by a "drop-off." It's still plain ol' extra time but each side plays with a player less - that is instead of 6 players they play with 5, with a further player from each side dropping every 2 minutes until it's 3-on-3. Meanwhile it's sudden death rules - the first team to score a touchdown wins but both must have had possession before the game can end. (I should probably mention though that in Touch unlimited rolling substitutions are allowed - thus teams can continually get fresh legs on.)

I love the drop-off in Touch and think it's a brilliant way to decide a game. There is no difference between normal and extra time in what a team has to do to win the game, i.e. score touchdowns. It's urgent and exciting: teams know that there is an increasingly higher chance they will concede that sudden death touchdown - fewer players, same size field - so they go out gung-ho to score it themselves. You always know when and where there's a drop-off at a Touch event because spectators and players who've only just finished their own game literally flock to that field - and the atmosphere is always, ALWAYS electric.

I can accept that maybe the drop-off maybe doesn't directly translate to rugby but I can certainly see a variation of it being a viable solution - after all, the Sevens version of the game is established and strong. With football too, there is 5- and 7-a-side, albeit on a smaller playing field. So we're not talking about breaking new ground here, just applying modifications of pre-existing concepts. Drop some players off, say down to 10-a-side, disallow all kicked goals and make teams score a TRY to win.

Ultimately, games should be decided though by playing the core of that game. Anything that gets closer to that - even if it's still imperfect - surely has to be a good thing?
 

Adventures in Aussie Touch Footie Part 8 - NSW Referees Grading Night (30th Anniversary Dinner)

Grading Night is the annual dinner on the NSW Touch calendar where the successes and achievements of referees - some of the most important people in the sport - are officially recognized, including:
- Elevation to the ranks of a State Referee (level 4 or above)
- Length-of-service awards
- Selection for the TRYS program (Talented Referee Youth Squad)
- "Matthew Medal" (referee of the year)

I actually worried (excessively) whether or not I should attend, if it was my place to be there. I do like to consider myself a part of NSW Referees and also as having contributed back to the sport, but in the back of my mind it's also never been lost on me that I am "guest". Fortunately a few people helped me come to my senses because I'd have been pretty dirty with myself had I elected not to be there, now that I actually have. It was simply a wonderful evening - classy without being overly flashy, if you get my meaning. I think the keyword I'm looking for here, is "genuine".

NSW Referees doesn't feel like an organization to me anymore, it feels like a community - friends and family. I didn't recognise half the people in the room but knew I was looking at multiple generations of retired, active and upcoming referees and coaches and that having everybody together, even for one evening, was something special. Guest speaker Peter Fitzsimons, an "outsider" to Touch Football, even sensed this and remarked on it. Throughout the entire evening I witnessed sincere recognition and gratitude of people and their efforts, everybody who graced the stage thoroughly deserving.

Teenagers being inducted into a "talented youth squad". I've refereed with some of them and to see, for example, them holding their own in fast, intense games and not being intimidated by players & coaches many years older than them, has taught me a thing or two.

Long service: 5, 10, 15, 20 and, in the case of Paul Cini, 25 years service to NSW Touch. The game has barely been around for 40 years. I turned 30 last year so Paul has been doing this since I was 5 and that's amazing to me.

Referee of the year - Adam Foley & Sam Clark (joint), currently the #1 male and female referees in the world.

Then there's that blue blazer awarded to "State Graded" referees, that is those who attain Level 4 standard. People joke that the blazer is an awful colour but for those wearing it who genuinely "get it", I could see a sense of pride radiate from them. It is a WONDERFUL tradition - there's not enough of stuff like this left in the world - and I hope some day in my own refereeing career to be part of something like it.

At the last European Championships (July 2008), Matto planted the idea in my head of spending some time in NSW. He told me "I had talent", which I recall taking rather lightly as a cordial compliment - as I had no concept of his basis for comparison. So I found myself glancing around the room at people I've refereed with, travelled with, been coached by, studied - and in some cases look up to and consider mentors (regardless of whether they either realise or might want it). You don't have to look far...

At the recent Trans Tasman games, a member of the Panel joked that someday I might be refereeing a game like this rather than watching it... I think unaware this was something I already considered and wanted. It is amazing, as people, how our goals adapt over time. Last year I was content to be a "good" referee. Since I came to NSW I've wanted to become a "great" referee. Now it these people who are the standards to which I aspire.

The night is about reflecting on achievement and so I find myself thinking of my own. It's never been lost on me that I came from nowhere in terms of the greater Touch scheme of things, so the extent I've developed is due to having the company of the very best in the world... and I am so very grateful for that, even if it will only be for a short time.
 

Adventures in Aussie Touch Footie Part 7 - Trans Tasman Series & NSW 14/16s Regionals

It's back to Wollongong this weekend for NSW 14/16 Regionals - which I am refereeing in - and Trans Tasman international test match series between Australia and New Zealand. It should be a great festival of Touch Football and I'm really looking forward to it.

I do feel different about this weekend, almost like the pressure (I put myself under) is off having put in the hard yards and achieved my goals - I got my red badge at NTL last month and am firmly back on track for my black [badge] and to nominate for 2011 World Cup selection. So I'm in good spirits, relaxed and have come down to hopefully give something back to the NSW Touch Referees organization that has been very good to me as a guest over the past 5 months. That I will get to see Australia and New Zealand go at it - that, and anything else - will simply be a bonus.

The Trans Tasman Series

"Wow" is pretty much how I would have to sum this up. Every game was played at WIN Stadium, except for one that took place at Dalton Park (venue for the 14/16s) on ANZAC day after the memorial ceremony. I watched 2 out of 3 games in each division and it was THE B-E-S-T Touch that I have ever seen. Don't take my word for it though, see for yourself.

I refereed the New Zealand women earlier in the week so I had some idea how fast those would be, but the Men's games were faster again and that just blew me away. It was literally a case of "blink and you'll miss it" both in terms of general play and individual skill - one particular highlight for me being the most delicious inside reverse switch pass for a touchdown in Mixed Open game 2.

NSW 14/16 Regionals

Again, wow. These kids are TALENTED and I reckon the Southern Suns 16s Boys (who won their division) would challenge if not knock over many a Men's Open side back in Europe. Bold statement? Maybe. Feel free to challenge it AFTER you've seen the speed these boys run and ball skills. I remember the first time one of them sprung a 25-metre pass from middle channel to his wing who scored easily - fortunately I was on the sideline at the time because all I could do was stand there open-mouthed... before I realized I was on the scorecard side and had to restart the game :-)

It turned out that I was ranked the #3 referee for the event and appointed to the top final. I have to be honest I did not intend for it nor did I see it coming - I've gone to every event with the stance that I am a guest and therefore ineligible - until Sunday morning when somebody planted the seed in my head and for some reason I started to feel anxious! It's always nice to be recognized and I really enjoyed the hit out with Kim and Adam so thanks guys.

In one of my earlier games though I developed a rather irritating habit of losing concentration on the Half. I must have missed three "Half caught" decisions and I think I even called a "Half caught" that wasn't... maybe I was overcompensating. The lesson I learned here is that you always need to be on top of your game, always. It's very hard to separate the top referees from one another so it's those little concentration lapses and resulting mistakes that can cost you a ranking and even a final as a result.

Another great Touch weekend. I do love this game.
 

Adventures in Aussie Touch Footie Part 6 - Reffing the New Zealand "Touch Blacks"

 
New Zealand are in town preparing for the "Trans Tasman" international series against Australia next weekend, 24-26 April, which coincides with ANZAC Day. There will be a men's, women's and mixed series - best of 3 games in each division - and I am looking forward to seeing them so very much.

Last night I had the pleasure of refereeing New Zealand women's side as they took on Australian national/regional NTL side, the Sydney Rebels. There was also a men's and a mixed game. Australian national squads are selected from NTL regional sides so these games were always going to be of the highest quality between the #2 Test playing nation in the world vs. some of the very best players from the #1 nation who are knocking on the door to represent their country.

Every one of these women was super fast, strong and skilful, which of course led to a hatful of touchdowns scored. The result wasn't kept to my knowledge but NZ outscored Rebels by a factor of about two to one.

This was arguably (at times definitely) the hardest, most intense run I've ever had on a Touch field - but was both happy and very satisfied that I could hold my own and (I felt) maintain my intensity and concentration levels throughout the game.

My first taste of refereeing the highest quality of Touch on the planet: I loved every minute and I want more.
 

The Touch Blacks are coming AND I'LL GET TO REF!!

 
I am so excited right now I'm ready to burst.

There's gonna be a "Trans Tasman" Test Series here in Australia over Anzac weekend (Apr. 24-26) when New Zealand and Australia will contest full international Test matches in Men's, Women's and Mixed divisions. Touch Footie doesn't get any better than that and I've already been looking forward to seeing it for weeks.

Well, for me personally, it actually just did get better. NZ will play warm-up games earlier in the week here against Sydney Rebels, my NTL/regional affiliate. And I've just been nominated [by Rebels] to the referee panel for these games!

Is it a full international? Okay, no. But I'm gonna be in the middle of the #2 Test playing nation in the world vs. a National/Regional Rep. side from the #1 Test playing nation... probably the highest and most challenging level of Touch I will referee in my fledgling career so I will TAKE IT GRACIOUSLY, thank you very much.

So much for resting after NTL... it's back to training for me! Bring it on :-)
 

Feeling grand (slam!)

 
Wales vs. Ireland in Cardiff with the Grand Slam at stake... again. Well it's nice to see I wasn't too far off with my pre-tournament predictions given how things turned out. Italy were awful (Sergio Parisse aside) while France and Scotland were pretty much as expected (Scotland with their token win over the Italians and France up & down but clearly building for the future). I honestly didn't see Wales losing to France and but for ill discipline England may have surprisingly found themselves in the championship hunt.

It hasn't been the most spectacular Six Nations - not by a long way - but for the destiny of the Grand Slam, Championship and Triple Crown all to come down to the last kick of the last game, well Hollywood couldn't really have scripted it better, could it?

I thought it might be gone when Jones slotted that drop goal with 5 minutes left but once Munster (yes Munster... read on) got camped inside the Welsh 22 you just got the feeling a drop of our own was on the cards. O'Connell takes the line-out once again to get us on the move... maul... ruck... O'Connell picks... ruck... Horan to Wallace... I'll let RTE commentator Ryle Nugent's words tell the rest: "Horan... Wallace... Ireland in position... this MUST be it... this MUST be it for Ronan O’Gara... drop at goal... Grand Slam at stake... HE’S GOOOOOOT IIIIIIIIIT!!!!!!!!"

Two minutes remaining. In the grand scheme of things 120 seconds isn't much, but when your country is on knife edge between winning and losing major honours and the heart is pounding, well, it's a hellish eternity. Please lads don't blow it all by conceding a silly penalty...

Sixty seconds later: "No penalties," pleaded the RTE commentators, voices trembling about half an octave higher then about an hour ago. Seconds later: "Penalty to Wales."

Paddy Wallace might have had thoughts of emigration while Stephen Jones' kick - on target - and the last action of the game remember - looked like it had the legs to get over. "I just felt the game lacked a bit of excitement," Wallace joked back in Dublin at the public reception in response to O'Gara (at the time) being "ready to kill" him. Form a orderly queue...

But joyfully for a country starved of national (team) sporting success, it fell short. CHAMPIONS AS LAST!!! :-)

I woke at 4am Sydney time hoping to catch the game online. Thank you whoever you are, that piped the TV coverage live (well almost live) back across the 'Net. Despite the early morning drowsiness and sleep in my eyes at the time, I'm feeling pretty "grand" now.


 

Adventures in Aussie Touch Footie Part 5 - NTL

Well this is it, the big one, pretty much my raison d'être in Australia and what I've been gearing up to since I arrived back in November. I nominated for my referee accreditation upgrade at NTL and hope to come away wearing a red badge (or at least a recommendation to be awarded one). It's interesting trying to digest how my standards & expectations of myself have evolved because I find myself feeling that the European red (Level 4 from 5) will no longer satisfy me - though that's the only badge I can wear as I remain in the European system - secretly I hope to be told that I am of a good enough standard on-field for the Australian red (Level 5 from 6), which is a higher grade.

Thursday 19th February
Better pack water wings...

The venue is Port Macquarie, not Coffs Harbour as has been traditional in previous years. Having said that I'm not sure the venue would have mattered due to all the very heavy rains & flooding. This is how the Tuffins Lane fields currently lie about 3 weeks out from NTL. The walkway of that bridge is under about a foot of water so the back fields must be under almost 1 foot and we're talking about a BIG area here. The weather isn't showing any promise of improving either so I'll be interested to see how things pan out.

Tuesday 10th March
What is it about Touch and rising at the crack of dawn?

I had a decidedly unpleasant 6am start to get down to the Greyhound Coach terminal at Central Station - not a bad thing in hindsight as it set me up for getting up at similarly unsociable times for the rest of the week. Pretty uneventful road trip not that I'd know much about it having slept most of the way! Got to the motel not too long after Badge, Milo and Luke, so after unpacking quickly we headed off to the mall to get some lunch and stock up on groceries. The atmosphere is good, Dave has already fixed his hair twice and the banter is flying... it's going to be fun rooming with these guys.

You know how establishments like hotels and restaurants sometimes put out a sign welcoming large groups? Well this place was no different and I wish I'd taken a photo. The sign in question (hand-written on a white board) went something like this: Ki-ea Apartments welcomes NTL 2009 "Referees". Not seeing the joke? Re-read and pay attention to the quotation marks...

The pre-tournament referees' dinner took place that evening and this was another moment in my refereeing career here where I just had to stop, look around and appreciate where I was and the company I was in: 120 of the best Touch referees and arguably THE top 15 referee coaches on the PLANET. I found myself thinking of various (Touch) countries back in Europe - just for example Germany by my last approximation had about 120 players of which about 15 were in the refereeing system at some level - and I'm certainly not wishing to imply anything negative about Touch in Europe, far from it. The simple fact is that the game in Australia has been developing for almost 40 years while it is infant all over Europe - there are people in this room (and not in it but whom I've run with) who have served the game for up to 25 years. I just turned 30.

Wednesday 11th March

Day 1 and only senior grades play today - open grades begin tomorrow. The scary thing is "senior" grades here start at the 27 age bracket! That's much less of a concern for me though than the condition of the fields, which I've had a chance to check out as my first game isn't until later. Thanks to the recent weather they are, in a word, SHIT... completely waterlogged, marshy and in some cases still UNDER water. Even just walking tentatively about the place my feet are sinking into the ground and I think the trainers, strappers and physios may have a busy week ahead dealing with ankle and knee injuries.

Fields 1 (stadium) and 2 (adjacent), which remained above the water level, are in decent shape all things considered - still wet, but reasonably firm underfoot. I can foresee appointments being a potentially contentious issue as these field conditions will influence how we referees can perform. I'm only up against against the system for a badge upgrade and I'm concerned. I'm sure it's absolutely weighing more on the minds of people competing for rankings and finals appointments.

Got to the field for my first game and sure enough about half of it is under surface water and I'm wondering how this is going to go. I'd already overheard a story of one referee, in similar conditions, faced with a decision to award a change in possession for a "rollball more than 1m". The player had performed a valid rollball (on water, unfortunately for them) but the ball subsequently FLOATED off the mark! I can't remember what the outcome was but it's a great example of letter vs. spirit of the rules.

I will admit to initially being a little precious in my on-field movements in an attempt to avoid getting overly soaked & filthy but quickly came to the realization that an attitude of "snap out of it, suck it up and get stuck in" was required. So I did and was pleased to get at least that nonsense out of my head - now I could focus on my upgrade performance for the rest of the game and the day.

Come the afternoon though, I was feeling pretty deflated and down on myself. I felt I hadn't put in anywhere near the performance I knew I was capable of - thinking of my men's open semi in WA State Champs just 10 days prior, though that game was admittedly played on a flat, bone-dry field in glorious sunshine. One of my biggest assets as a referee has always been my pace and the fields here just nullified that - I'd plant my foot changing direction or pushing off to sprint only for the ground to leech onto my shoes and suck the energy from my legs. It was a real struggle to get good, early position & presence - never mind maintain it - and while my mind was preoccupied with that it began to lose focus on other aspects of the game. I really wasn't happy.

Thursday 12th March

Day 2 and I'm running in the first timeslot... on field 2. YYYES! This was my chance to have a really good hit out, hopefully with one of the [coaching] Panel watching. I got my wish, was pleased with how I ran and my coaching feedback indicated I'm back on track. Result!

My other games today were back out in the "swamp" as I am now referring to it, but despite the field numbers changing from yesterday (which made for some interesting pre-game scrambles!) and an intense mixed open on an absolute horror field, I was pleased with the day - not least because I was starting to feel myself thinking on-field to adapt what I was doing to the conditions and read the game better because I didn't have my pace as backup to get me out of a jam.

There are similarities in the Australian and Irish sense of humour... we both enjoy some good banter. I had a "senior" women's (it was 30s I think) this afternoon and if it wasn't enough that the half one of the 35s teams vacating the field after the previous game shamelessly flirted upon hearing my accent (no I'm not complaining and yes of course I played along!) one of the players responded to my, ahem, "encouragement" for higher effort to get back onside with something along the lines of "we're being deliberately slow because we like hearing you talk", followed by a wicked grin and a wink! You cheeky minx... Now I'm sure this isn't what the [coaching] Panel has in mind about building rapport with players but they continually talk about the importance of the OUTCOME over other things, so I'll just reach for that and smile innocently :-)

This morning I was also asked if I would do an interview for TFA so during the afternoon their communications interns returned to the referees' tent and I answered their questions. I'm wondering now what material they'll use and how it'll appear when written down... and yes I did conveniently forget to mention the previous story.

Friday 13th March
Happy birthday Mum - I'll be calling you later.

Day 3 - another 6am start - and I realised they'd already posted yesterday's interview* from comments on Facebook (God or Deity of your choice bless web-enabled mobile phones). Upon arrival at the grounds I had people saying to me I'd been mentioned on the radio which was a little surreal to be honest. I'll chalk it up to novelty value... first European referee at NTL (I think?) and, as I learned yesterday, the locals do seem to like an Irish accent.
* Apologies to Touch München the Bavarian Open was omitted from the written version. I'm absolutely convinced I spoke of it...

I've a similar schedule to yesterday with my first game on field 2 and the others in the swamp - though later on I would re-assess its condition as "bog" as it managed to drain and firm up a little.

Back to business. Upgrades will be announced tomorrow so today is my last chance to impress and I intend to leave it all out there in this first game. I found myself doing a pre-game double-take when one captain introduced herself as Sharyn (Williams - Australian women's open captain who I've only ever seen on DVDs and heard described by words like "legend" and "star") but once that minor distraction was out of the way it was game face on & time to shine. I thought I put in a good performance - thankfully so did the Panel - so I was happy and relieved with my turnaround since Wednesday afternoon. Now all I can do is wait and hope I've done enough.

Saturday 14th
Finals, Rankings, Appointments, Upgrades.

5:30am (yuck!) start today as the morning referee's meeting on the final day of an event customarily requires additional time - in addition to the usual information updates and fines session there is also the non-trivial matter of announcing badge upgrades, finals appointments and rankings - and since the match schedule won't start later, we have to start earlier.

As they started announcing Level 5 upgrades my confidence was up but it began to wane as badges left the table. I was not expecting to receive a badge - I'm not in the Australian system, remember - but I was hoping to at least hear my name.

With one Level 5 badge left on the table they moved on to Level 6 announcements. I just sat there quietly disappointed confused but still hoping - there's one badge left - could it be, however strange, that I might get some sort of special mention at the end?

Just two badges left on the table now - a 6 and a 5 - for a "unique, special moment to finish" as we would have a simultaneous father and daughter upgrade - Rob and Rebecca Ward. I then realised that I hadn't noticed Bec's name wasn't called earlier and felt rather guilty about it, even selfish. She was a team mate, we were both going for our Level 5, we'd refereed together, supported and run water for each other. She also somehow managed to convince to jumping into an ice bath for the first time - an unconventional way to bond with someone but it worked! Despite feeling pretty crushed myself I was pleased to be part of the moment and just happy for her - I understood too well how she would have been feeling - before returning to my own little world as I had a game first timeslot and the meeting was now running over time.

So I slipped away to tog out wondering how I would be able to concentrate with my mind at least distracted if not consumed trying to figure out where I blew it. I absolutely believed that I was at least as good as some of the other upgrades. Luke and then Badge - thank you guys - came to chat to me which did help me get some focus back and Badge (who was in fact my team leader) would arrange it so I'd get a coaching debrief ASAP.

This happened after lunch (after stewed for the morning and run two games) but by now I just was grateful to get it all. Jim chatted with me for about a half hour - thank you Jim - not just giving me feedback but answering all my technique and "how do I push on further?" related questions. Mission accomplished though - I'm good enough for the Australian Level 5 and the upgrade recommendation will be going back to Europe. RED BADGE BABY YEAH!

Time now to feel relieved, relax and enjoy the finals over a beer with mates - and reflect on the experience and journey this week has been.
 

Adventures in Aussie Touch Footie Part 4 - WA State Championships

Lightning Park in Bayswater, Perth, was the venue for the 2009 WA State Championships, my last serious run out on the road to NTL. I was really looking forward to this one: as a visiting/guest referee from another state there was no question of competing for finals appointments so my only competition was with myself to run as well as I could in front of the coaching Panel - of which there were about 8 from WA State and National Panels - and get as much feedback as possible and iron out any little niggles so I could be a position to really gun for that red badge at NTL. So I arrived feeling pretty relaxed and in high spirits.

I got a different vibe being in the referee team at this particular event. First off it was a much smaller event than either of the NSW State or Junior State Cups I've done so far - 6 fields instead of 20 or 30, a referee team of 60-odd vs. 200-odd or 320+. I'm not saying it was better or worse, just different! And different has been good.

WA State Champs reminded me of Euros a little bit, certainly in terms of general size and participation, but also of the referees' environment. It's always nice to meet new people and at the larger events I met so many to the point that I couldn't remember their names (I admit to being awful for that at the best of times so I had no hope in this case!) but it's hard to build relationships as everybody's on the go and it's a hectic schedule. I find that a smaller group has a "tighter" dynamic where everybody knows everybody (or at least most others) and that it involves and engages people more with one another whether or not they realise it at the time. It also certainly made for more entertaining fines sessions ;-)

The conditions were just beautiful - clear skies, bright sunshine and a light breeze. The grounds were great too - six immaculate fields, pretty much in two groups of three divided by a row of tents for each of the affiliates. The referees' tent was right in the middle and it was maybe 2-3 minutes walk to the farthest fields. I wish I'd thought to take photos of the place as I thought it was just the P-E-R-F-E-C-T size, setup and layout for Euros... thought maybe it would help generate some create ideas "back home". If I was to be constructive about something it'd be that there wasn't enough shelter around - natural or otherwise - the sun beat down all weekend with temperatures in the mid/high thirties. But that's minor stuff and, as I said, constructive rather than complaint as it didn't take away a second of my enjoyment.

The standard of play at times was right up there with anything I've experienced so far in NSW so I'll be curious so see how the franchises from each region fare at NTL in a few weeks. I reffed a good mix of games - men's, women's, mixed, open, 27s, 30s - and with the exception of one game where I'd have expended more energy watching paint dry, I had a pretty good hit out every time. Saved the best for last though...

I finished my Sunday refereeing a fast, intense Men's Open semi. It finished 12-11... that's 23 touchdowns in a 40 minute game... a score every two minutes (less actually), each team scoring say every second possession they had. My first thoughts were how impressive that was - creative attacking flair is a major attraction for people to a sport - but then when I started thinking about the game many of those touchdowns were actually scored up the middle because of lazy defense. There's a couple of moving parts to that: (i) good referees controlling offside and playing advantage, and (ii) attacking players clued into the referee's calls and taking that advantage when it comes. It REALLY makes a difference to the flow and continuity of the game.

As for for my badge chase, the coaching feedback I've been receiving has graduated from things I need to work on to "keep going how you are, consistently at that intensity and you'll be right." So I'm leaving Perth my confidence sky high and so, so glad I came over. But what that does is raise expectations of myself. The European red (4) and Australian red (5) aren't equivalent, and I'm being coached in the Australian system. So although I'm gunning for an upgrade in the European system, what I really want to hear in 2 weeks is that (on-field) I fit the Aussie red.

Next stop, NTL. Bring it on.
 

Adventures in Aussie Touch Footie Part 3 - NSW Junior State Cup

Monday 9th February

"Welcome to the Junior State Cup 2009. This tournament is undoubtedly the biggest Touch event in the history of the sport and it keeps on increasing in numbers each year. This year there are 303 teams, which is the most we have had nominate. To support this we have 301 referees. This now entrenches the event as the largest in the world."

This is how the intro' letter of the referee's information pack begins. I was told by quite of the local Touchies at the State Cup back in December that if I thought that was big/impressive/etc., to "wait until I saw Junior State" which would be "50% bigger again" and not just with participants - thousands of kids between 10 and 18 years old - but this time with lots of *parents* around the place too. Apparently a lot of them are voraciously supportive of their kids (read: competitive!) with referees in particular copping a lot of verbal from the sidelines, seemingly irrespective of the decisions they make. Over half the 300+ referees' team are juniors themselves so should spectators turn out as rumoured, I hope they remember that without referees there would be no games and these kids are trying to learn as they go and deserve a lot of credit for stepping to this environment to gain experience.

In an unexpected twist, I just realised I've been appointed as a team leader... interesting.

Weekend 14th/15th February

What is it about this sport and early starts?! Up at 6:15am Saturday to be at the fields by 7:00am (after hopefully catching a lift) in time for a 7:15 team leader's meeting. Other referees didn't get much longer in bed though, as they needed to be present for an all-referee's meeting at 7:30am. The first timeslot started at 8:00am.

Referee appointments are done, in my opinion, in a very smart way here. First referees are allocated to a team and then those teams are allocated to a group. Group A is appointed to the first timeslot, group B to the second and so on until each group is allocated, then it's back to group A and the sequence is done again. This means referees generally have one game on followed by two off. Sometimes a team will not be appointed in a group's timeslot - they're effectively on standby making it easier for team leaders to find replacements should somebody in their team pull out of a game, e.g. due to injury. It all works really well - not sure if and/or how it would adapt to smaller sized tournaments that we have back in Europe... mathematically it certainly seems plausible, if a bit tight in case of injuries or other "replacement needing" problems.

The point of discussing that was that my team was the one on standby for the first timeslot (8:30am, 2nd of the day) that our group was appointed to. I thought this was pretty great as it took some of the initial time pressure off to get through some paperwork, admin, introductions and team talk.

Earlier in the week the [Sydney] weather turned largely overcast and showery bringing some welcome relief from the stifling heat. On Thursday it turned to heavy rain - which I got caught in sans umbrella - causing streams to flow down the city streets within minutes. Friday didn't improve much so that evening I spent much of the trip to Wollongong hoping the wet weather wouldn't follow, but it did.

Early on Saturday afternoon the heavens opened, turning many of the fields into puddle-ridden marshland and walkways with frequent traffic into mud tracks. Sunday also saw regular monsoon conditions for much of the day, before the sun finally managed to break through mid-afternoon. You couldn't, as I learned the hard (cold, wet and slimy) way while wearing Crocs barefoot, enter or exit the referee's tent without your feet sinking half an inch into the mud! Oh well, apparently Junior State Cup weekend just isn't the same without the rain. It's amusing to that in 5 years of attending Touch events, that the south-east coast of Australia, during summer, would be where I break my duck of not getting drenched :-)

The referee's tent generally remained pretty packed with few people, when they were off duty, going outside to stand watching games in the rain and damp. People came back from games, myself included, looking and feeling like drowned rats so the name of the game was to stay sheltered and get dry and warm. With so many around most of the time there was plenty of chit-chat and banter to keep spirits high and a nice atmosphere.

You'd really have to see these kids play to realize just how good they are, especially at such an early age. I was blown away watching 10-14 year olds repeatedly execute what coaches refer to as the "basic skills", for example performing ONE-HANDED roll balls on the run and on the mark almost every time. I dare say that a few of the 18s and even 16s sides would give quite a few sides in Europe a run for their money.

I had variations of "it's only juniors" said to me both in the run up and during the event, but was always sceptical - maybe it's a perspective thing. Certainly most of the kids rocked up of course to compete to win but certainly to play Touch and have fun doing so. But you'd think it was a matter of life and death for some of the coaches and parents if the child wasn't doing something right (coach) or a decision went against a (parent's) child, by some of the "colourful" outbursts. A slightly more amusing confirmation came when I was returning to the referee's tent on Sunday after retrieving a cuppa from the refreshments tent, when I passed three 10 year old girls each drinking a Powerade and wearing full leg length SKINS compression tights. Now I wear a size S in these things and my legs are a good 3 feet long. These kids were barely as tall as my hips! So I found a few things running through my mind, like "Good lord they really make these things in your size?" and "C'mon, you're TEN!" as well as the more practical "How'd you manage to get your folks to shell out $140 for these things?" before reverting to "You're TEN!" So yes, junior Touch is taken pretty darn seriously.

On-field, I refereed 18s games all weekend with the exception of a couple of 16s semis and the 12s grand final. I was very pleased to get the final appointment as it put me inside the top 25 of the 300+ referees at the event. My medal (I get the impression they're handed out to commemorate appointments rather than just for showing up) is hanging on my bedroom wall now, a souvenir of a unique event in my Australian trip that I just couldn't have bought.
 

It's Six Nations time again

 
France and England at home, away to Italy, Scotland and Wales. I've always looked at every second campaign as the more realistic opportunity for Ireland to win the championship - it's a big ask to beat both England and France on their home turf in the reverse season.

I'm finding that 2009 is no different. England are a shambles while France seem to be doing the entirely sensible thing of blooding new players early into the second year of the World Cup cycle and building some depth & experience into the squad for 2011, weakening them (I use the term loosely) in the short term. Italy are, well, Italy. My concerns are Wales & Scotland.

Wales have, by the proverbial country mile, been playing the best rugby in the northern hemisphere during the past year or so with a superb blend of skill & style - of course there is also the memory of what happened in 2005 (the last time Ireland went to Cardiff in 2005 for a Grand Slam showdown) when Irish arses were well and truly spanked. Scotland have too many average days at the office but every so often, like last season against England, spring a quality win. In my mind though, again, is the 2003 season Ireland were competing for the Slam only to self destruct in Murrayfield - so make no mistake Scotland are a slapstick comedy sized banana skin and you need look no further than Leinster's results in Edinburgh for evidence of that.

And so we come to Ireland. It's hard to know what to expect - will we get more apathetic toothless displays of recent memory or a return to some of the most exciting rugby we've ever seen? Irish sporting mentality for the longest time has us content to be the plucky lads just happy to participate and anything else is a bonus (I'd wager you can remember where you where and how you completely lost your mind when David O'Leary slotted home that penalty in 1990). It's argued that such a mentality no longer applied when it came to Irish rugby's "golden generation". While I do think this was true initially and we demanded success, we remained unsurprised and accepting when defeated (2007 World Cup excepted). Prior to this Ireland won three Triple Crowns in four seasons - the first was an achievement to be rightly celebrated, but subsequent ones became acceptable consolation viewed as a successful campaign even though we couldn't get over France, at least we "won something".

This is where I start to take exception. The competition is for the SIX Nations Championship, not four. We shouldn't be content with the Triple Crown anymore but kicking on to win the whole damn thing, not accepting anything less than the Championship. As a nation we've shown we have what it takes to be European Champions with Munster winning the Heineken Cup last season and Leinster claiming the Magners League not to mention both provinces being in the mix for both competitions this season - and I have genuine hope this year we will finally get the formula right and translate that success to the national team.

So come on lads, get stuck in and HAVE A GO. Answer Ireland's call - show us all what you're capable of and bring home that elusive Slam.
 

Adventures in Aussie Touch Footie Part 2 - Fight! Fight! Fight!

 
I've been refereeing, on average a couple of nights per week, with the Eastern Suburbs Touch Association out in Sydney's Queen's Park. Easts run the largest Touch comp in Australia - the current summer comp has on average 16 fields going for 2 timeslots 4 nights a week with further games running on Saturdays.

It is in essence a "park" comp but every player young or old brings a *very* competent basic skill level, so even down in division 15 (it does exist) they know what they're doing. At the other end of the scale in the upper divisions teams have the added expectation of winning, not to the mention the step-up in intensity that goes along with it. Last night I ran a Mixed Div 1-3 game in which just a couple of minutes in I sensed I may have problems with some of the fellas. It wasn't until later I would learn both sides had known mouthy players and one side had even been "given a season off" in the past - they were also both apparently in poor positions in the standings for exactly what I can't recall but suppose relegation or qualification for finals - either way they were up for putting one over on the other.

The first half was an untidy affair with players being particularly lazy on the scoreline with onside and moving out off the line. Mid-way though both sides started committing clumsy, borderline-physical touches that stuffed up the attacking player's roll ball began to creep in more and more. Not enough to warrant anything more than penalties but I did warn both sides to clean it up before blowing to start the second half. It seemed to have the desired effect, that was until a blue player pushed a red player (guys both of them) off his roll ball. The red player though, went down like a European footballer, like he'd been shot simultaneously with having both his legs broken. Pussy! Yes it was a push, but nowhere near what he'd made it look like. I had to send the blue guy to the sin bin for the push but sent the red guy as well for cheating to milk a penalty. Both guys went without much dispute so maybe the message was hitting home now. Things went pretty smoothly again for a while, that was until the red side got a breakaway from mid-way inside their own half. With the red guy haring down the left link channel a blue guy managed to run him down coming across from the middle. But he didn't stop at a touch, he pushed the runner over. And that's where the "fun" started...

The red guy got to his feet, understandably annoyed, and threw the ball at the blue guy's head - American football style - but thankfully missed. Both players fronted up to one another, testosterone flowing, and traded obscenities and insults escalating to punches. The other guys from both sides of course got involved - some to break it up, others to do the opposite - including one blue player who crossed the field from his own sub box to throw a punch. Not a lot you can do except take a step back and watch - as a referee you're expected to provide a report on this stuff. The squabbling continued even after the teams separated as players just wouldn't shut up. After I regained a modicum of control, I binned the blue player for the initial offense. I didn't realize until later that this was actually the same blue player I'd sent earlier for the same offense - so he should actually have been sent off - but I rectified that with Tournament Control later. Good experience though and lesson learned: stop to take note of players you discipline. The red player who got pushed did get sent off, as did the second blue player - it doesn't matter what others do they can't react the way they did.

Now we're about 2 minutes gone at this stage with players still bickering when, mercifully, the full time hooter went. Strictly speaking, I should have played the penalty but since (i) I couldn't decide (yes I admit it) who should get it, and (ii) I'd had enough of the lot of them, I just ended the game. The guys involved in the scrap were still exchanging verbals by the time I'd quickly and quietly clarified my decisions to one of each team so I just left them to it.

In case you're wondering, the score was tied!
 

Adventures in Aussie Touch Footie Part 1 - NSW State Cup

The State Cup is NSW's premier Touch competition. This year marked the 32nd annual event and its 20th consecutive year in Port Macquarie. I'm not sure where to begin with describing it but I enjoyed every minute. From seeing the size of the (virtually empty) event venue when I arrived on the first morning to seeing 20-odd games running concurrently during the day and each with its own groups of supporters and spectators - it was unlike anything I've ever participated in before, sporting or otherwise. This was my experience.

Thursday 4th December
"The Wagga Boys & The Irishman"

Not the opening line of a cheesy joke, rather the beginning of an entertaining road trip. I met up with the guys on their way through Sydney. This was about 12noon after the guys had already been on the road from Wagga since before 6am with another 4-5 hours left up to Port. Distance-wise that's roughly the equivalent of driving between Cardiff & London 3 times, from Berlin to Munich and half way back again, or almost 4 times between east & west *coasts* of my native Ireland. Australia is roughly 3/4 the size of all of Europe and long road trips are commonplace. Fortunately with Luke & Blake in the car, entertainment was provided ;-)

Got to the hotel and met Matto & Westy (great to see you again after Euros guys...) as well as the rest of the coaching panel. It wouldn't be until tournament proper that I would start to appreciate just how good these people are at what they do but already blindingly clear was how much they enjoy doing it and being around one another. The ref from Europe (complete with glowing Irish sun tan) stuck out a mile which of course meant various banter was lobbed in my general direction - reminded me that we were here to enjoy ourselves as well as run hard. I confess I’d spent more time focusing on the latter, worrying about my ability being good enough to bridge the gap between Euro and Aussie Touch - especially since I'd been billed as AU4 level badge - so this went some way to relieving nerves.

In an interesting turn of events, I've been told I “star” in one of the coaching development DVDs they use here in NSW! It’s apparently one of my games from the first day at Euros 2008. Now that I think about it I'm not sure it’s a good thing I'm in it given that it’s a coaching tool, i.e. training people to identify what the subject should be doing better! Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on a copy.

Friday 5th December
"Wow - look at the size of *this* place."

After an early start and quick breakfast - as they generally are at Touch comps - I hitched a ride to the grounds for the 8:30am referees' meeting. I'd seen and heard a few numbers regarding the size of the competition but upon arriving at the ground I realized I had no concept of what they meant (the largest competition I'd ever been to was the 2008 Euros - 6 fields, a referee team of about 50, I forget the number of teams). The referees' tent alone was massive - and it needed to be to accommodate a team of some 220 people - while 22 fields would be the battleground for over 200 teams across 15 divisions. Despite its size & number of people, things would run pretty much like clockwork over the entire weekend. And so it was time to check my appointments.

9:35 / Men's Open B. A long walk out to Field 21, but the positive in that is you can get your warm-up done en route. It was a pacey game and an immediate step up in terms of both standard & style from what I've been used to - thankfully it was still rather cool (by Australian summer standards!) but it would only get hotter. I was pleased with my contribution and the coaching I received which immediately gave me something to work on next game.

13:05 / Mixed Open. Really nice open, pacey game and a chance to referee with "The Brick", who I think is as close to a refereeing legend as you'll find. Gary Brickell: a referee of 31 years' experience, 25 of those at "State grade" level (Aussie Level 4 badge or higher), who obtained his black badge at 53 years of age, among numerous other achievements. I've been involved in Touch for just 4 years so some of these numbers are just incomprehensible to me. It was an honour and education to run out with such an experienced and respected figure in the game.

Darting off for an interchange in that game I got a little distracted having to look twice for what out of the corner of my eye seemed a familiar face. Lokkers! Great to catch up with you over here mate - safe travels as you continue your hols and back to Munich.

14:50 / Senior Mixed. A disappointing, niggly affair with neither side really willing to listen or work with the referees - of course we had to continue pulling up each offense which led to bickering within and between the sides and ultimately not a nice atmosphere. From a refereeing perspective I wasn't sure what else we could have done for the flow of the game, an opinion echoed by my team mates, but these are the experiences you try to learn from.

16:35 / Men's 35s. Second game of the day where there a coach was present. Accepted practice as I've been learned is for the sideline referee to initiate an interchange in open play and that there is express verbal communication between them and the control referee. This was one example how where I realized referees are on a different plane down here - they interchange seamlessly with as little as a glance or eye contact, certainly at the higher badge levels anyway. So I ended up on-field for far too long first half listening for calls that never came and being restricted to interchanges on possession changes or penalties. Unsurprisingly this was a big coaching point I received at half time. It took me a while to adjust to their system but it got better second half.

With active duties over for the day I now had time to watch a game or two, enjoy the skills of the players and attempt to identify some refereeing techniques I could apply to my own game. Then it was back to the hotel for showers and a carb loading dinner - crisps, pizzas & a "stubby" or two - then an early night. Mmm, champion.

Saturday 6th December
"What a scorcher."

Games tapped off at 8am today so it was an even earlier start than Friday. I wasn't supposed to be up until 10:20 so despite calls of "you idiot :-)" from Luke, I volunteered to run an extra game as I was feeling energetic despite only scavenging a piece of fruit for breakfast.

08:35 / Women's Open. And I'm glad I did. As luck would have it, I got coaching from one of the Panel who saw me yesterday - and most if not all of what appeared on yesterday's coaching sheet was gone today. I had to ask if that was because I'd improved on it and was delighted to get validation of it. Of course, that was now replaced with coaching to improve to the next level, which was a good result for me.

10:20 / Senior Mixed. A solid performance in a decent game with positive feedback. Not much to talk about.

12:05 / Mixed Open. By now the temperature had soared to a sweltering 38 degrees, with high humidity too. This was challenging enough but come half time I was beginning to regret the bacon-egg-sausage sandwich with BBQ sauce I'd devoured barely 30 minutes beforehand (missing breakfast had clearly caught up on me). Fortunately the players also seemed to be feeling the heat and conserving themselves. At least that's my story and I'm sticking to it... no lethargy here.

13:50 / Mixed Open. My third game of the day being coached and reinforcement of some coaching points I'd received previously. I'm going to have to work extra hard to develop these ones.

The fields are by now choc full of spectators and supporters, enjoying a Sunday afternoon of beautiful sunshine and great Touch. I have never seen so many Touchies in one place and I'm starting to think my next European competition, in terms of size, will feel like being out in a small local park.

17:20 / Women's Open. The final time slot of the day, which no referee wants, especially if you've had a lengthy break in between. For me it was an opportunity to run at the cooler end of the day and really try to work on some of my feedback. At the end of day 2, I was really starting to appreciate the the SKINS compression pants I'd bought - expensive at AU$140 for the full leg length ones but they really do benefit recovery.

There was a formal referees' dinner that evening, another eye opener for me. Refereeing is taken seriously down here with a goal oriented and success recognition culture, just like in professional organizations. Referees, despite the "shtick" they get, are both admired and respected here for the effort they put in to developing themselves, as it is the players and the game that ultimately benefits from it. So to attend this dinner and see so many people from Australia & New Zealand wearing blazers & ties, pins, etc. in their State or even National colours was fantastic to witness and for me really emphasized the achievement & prestige of becoming an elite level referee and to be recognized for it.

Sunday 7th December
Finals Day

The earliest start of the weekend - 6am! This was to arrive in time for an earlier than usual referees' meeting to accommodate then announcements of finals appointments and lower level upgrades. Then it was down to business - just two games for me today, a Men's Open quarter final and later on a Senior Men's semi.

Men's Open QF. This was a really good, competitive game - which I guess it would want to be given it was an elimination round. I was really pleased with my performance in this one, particularly as I was being assessed once again. Naturally there are a couple of things I need to work on but I got two really big positives too. First, remembering the coaching DVD, I was told I looked a different referee (good different!) to the guy in the video. Second, the feedback on the game was that my effort was "controlled" and that I fit into the Australian Level 4 badge. This was the undoubted highlight of my weekend as I got the validation I came for.

Men's 35s SF. Another really competitive game which this time went to a drop off. They're trialling a new procedure here (I think it originated in New Zealand) where the drop off starts at position of the mark with the team in possession resuming the game - under current rules the team that wins the toss has a huge advantage in the drop off and this amendment addresses it. Either way it was a new experience being in the middle at end-of-game/start-of-drop-off and I was happy to get it.

And that was it for my involvement. 2½ days, 11 games run, coached no less than 6 times... a pretty good return. Now I could kick back, relax and enjoy the finals. In what I thought was a really nice touch (no pun intended) each of the grand finals were preceded by the teams & referees lining up in front of the main stand for the national anthem. We got some high quality games too with scores of 5-4 (mixed), 4-2 (women's) and 6-3 (men's). The men's final was particularly enjoyable with Benji Marshall (of New Zealand international rugby league fame - they recently won the world cup) turning out for Wests Magpies drawing more than one "OHHHHH!!" moment from the crowd... scoop from the roll ball, pause, skip, step then BAM! a reverse 25 metre pass to the wing for the touchdown... a joy to watch.

Brilliant, brilliant event and one I would love to come back some day - thank you Matto and NSWTA for having me. It was great to catch up with old mates and make some new ones. I also got invited for Christmas :-) which was really, really nice. Man, I love this sport and the people it attracts...

To any of my fellow Euro referees reading this, if you should find yourselves on this side of the world in December make sure you get to State Cup - you'll get so much from it.