Chris Pollock heads for Hong Kong
World Cup qualifier
New Zealand referee, Chris Pollock is off to Hong Kong this weekend for a World Cup qualifier between Hong Kong and Japan, his first IRB Test.
Three teams are in the final round of Asian qualifiers – Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. They start their triangular tournament this weekend. The winner will go directly to France for the 2007 World Cup. The second-placed country will play Tonga for a répechage place. The side coming third drops out. There is a lot to play for. Serious stuff.
This World Cup qualifier is a big occasion, and for the three countries involved there is a great deal involved. Chris is a young referee on the way up. This year he refereed a Ranfurly Shield match, his first Super rugby match and the final of the IRB's Under-21 championship. This year, too, he came onto the IRB's merit panel for the first time, making him one of the top 40 referees in the world. He is on the second panel of 19 referees, those whose main job at the top level at the moment will be as touch judges and television match officials.
This is Chris's ninth year of refereeing. He was a halfback and a fullback at school, playing for Taranaki Under-18, and at club level but gave up through an ankle injury and started refereeing in 1997. " I started refereeing at the end of May in 1997 after suffering my fourth major injury in six years. I had every intention of returning to play in 1998, but enjoyed refereeing so much I decided to stick at it."
His progress has been rapid. In 1998, just his second year, he was refereeing the top club league. In 2000 he refereed his first representative matches – in the NPC's third division. Then he got onto New Zealand's national panel in 2001 and has gone on to referee in the first division, including a Ranfurly Shield match, and this year Super 14. In 2005 he refereed his first Test – Niue vs Tahiti. In addition he has refereed 11 age-groups internationals.
He is a referee on the move.
Highlights? Hong Kong Sevens in 2003, Under-21 World Cup Final in 2006 and his Super 14 debut in 2006 – Highlanders vs Blues.
Of course, he has had help along the way, notably from Harry Quinn, Lyndon Bray, Glenn Wahlstom, Colin Hawke and Keith Lawrence.
Role models? Paddy O'Brien, Jonathan Kaplan and Alain Rolland.
The kind of referee he would like to be? "Being unobtrusive whilst getting what matters but most of all enjoying myself."
Chris Pollock was born in Hawera on the North Island of New Zealand on 9 November 1971. He was educated at New Plymouth Boys High with Mt Egmont to watch over him and then at Otago University where he graduated Bachelor of Education, qualified as a PE teacher. He taught at Wellington College and in Hawke's Bay before giving up the profession to become a full-time referee.
