Calm Kelvin Deaker into the Millennium cauldron
Kelvin Deaker, the experienced New Zealand referee, has an exciting prospect – refereeing the Gaelic derby between Wales and Ireland at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on the opening day of the 2007 Six Nations in this year of World Cup.
The teams could get excitable but calm Kelvin is a man to handle that – and he loves what he is doing. A chartered accountant by profession, he found being a full-time referee more exciting – at least for a while. Yet he was a reluctant started.
He grew up in New Zealand where being involved in rugby was a congenital condition. From the deep south, he played at Southland Boys High and then played provincial age-group rugby for Otago and Southland. “I had a serious leg injury whilst playing and was advised not to play again.
“I started coaching for two years but couldn’t handle being on the sidelines on Saturdays and not being part of the game. One of the then current referees challenged me to come to the local referees’ meeting and join them. That challenge turned into a hobby and now a career!”
That was in 1991. His career moved rapidly – first first-class match in 1996, first Test in 2001 when Wales played Japan at Prince Chichibu Stadium in Tokyo. He has now refereed well over a hundred first class matches, 21 of them Tests, his last that historic occasion when Argentina beat England at Twickenham. In 2003 he was one of the referees to attend the World Cup in Australia. He is one of the 21 referees, chosen from the world, on the IRB’s merit panel.
He has refereed Ireland twice and Wales three times.
Kelvin Mark Deaker was born in Balclutha, South Otago, on 19 October 1965. He was educated at Southland Boys’ High School and Lincoln University. He is married to Meghan and they have two children – Jessica 9 and Matthew 7.
He has moved up from South Island and is now a member of the Hawke’s Bay Referees’ Association.
Highlights? “Right from starting refereeing it was a highlight when you moved up through the grades from kids to open grades then from provincial to international. Running on to the field no matter where it is and the stadium is full (25,000 or 75,000) and there is an atmosphere – that’s a highlight.”.
Help along the way? “Surrounding yourself with plenty of support from family and friends to current and past refs that have been there and done that is very important.”
Role models? “Refereeing is a relatively individual vocation as it is down to you when you are out in the middle to make right calls and decisions. Training is often lonely and I really admire the sports people that have the discipline and resolve to put in the extra effort for themselves and not have a coach demand it of them, i.e. a swimmer that does extra lengths, a golfer that spends more time on the driving range, a cyclist that goes round the block that one extra time. They have preformed better than the rest because of the extra effort and motivation they have within.”
How you do it? “Refereeing is about believing in what you see. The game is moving faster all the time and you have to trust your own gut instinct that what you saw is correct as you haven’t got a second chance, if you have to think about what just happened, it didn’t. Move on.”
Hopes? “Obviously making it to the RWC later this year would be a huge thrill. It is great to get the big games and perform well in them.”
