Malcolm in Madrid
The right twin?
Malcolm Changleng of Scotland will referee Spain versus Romania in Madrid this Saturday as the Rugby World Cup Qualifiers continue to produce the finalists for France 2007. After their victory in Georgia, if they win at the University of Madrid Stadium, the Romanian Oaks will qualify and join New Zealand and Scotland in Pool C.
Spain and Romania are no strangers to Rugby World Cup. Romania have qualified for every World Cup since its 1987 inception and Spain previously qualified for the 1999 event. Changleng remembers their involvement well as Spain played Uruguay at Netherdale, Galashiels which is his home rugby club..
Changleng says: “I finished my playing career in 1999 and I can still remember the excitement of a small Scottish Borders town hosting a World Cup match and in particular a young Chris White refereeing with aplomb!”
Having played alongside twin brother David (who also referees at the highest level and is a member of the IRB touch-judgingpanel) for the Gala club in Scotland’s Premier League, Malcolm also turned out for the Borders in the first seasons of professional rugby in Scotland. “It was a real thrill to play in the inaugural Heineken Cup years against sides of the calibre of Llanelli, Leinster and Leicester and you could tell even then that rugby was about to undertake a real revolution” he recalls.
It was then that he took up the whistle and quickly progressed to refereeing the professional game. “ I was a PE teacher at Galashiels Academy – the Alma matter of famous rugby men such as Gregor Townsend, Peter Dods and Chris Paterson- but as the travel involved in the modern game increased, it was obvious that I need to become a full-time professional referee which I did in 2003.”
Professionalism has been a real springboard for Changleng as he has grasped the opportunity as Scotland’s only full-time professional to referee across the hemispheres. He has been an IRB touch judge and tel;evision match official in the last three Six Nations and has also officiated in the Tri-Nations.
He spent two seasons on the IRB Sevens Panel culminating in the Hong Kong World Cup in 2005 where he refereed alongside Craig Joubert, Nigel Owens, Gary Wise and Wayne Barnes. In 2005 he also refereed in Argentina at the Under-21 World Cup where he refereed the semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa in a match he describes as “breathtaking in its power and pace”. Earlier this year he completed the IRB list of World Tournaments when he refereed in Canada at the Women’s World Cup which he describes as “an eye-opener to the potential of Women’s rugby”
After Saturday, Changleng moves onto the Heineken Cup where he takes charge of last season's beaten finalists Biarritz versus previous winners Northampton. This is followed by another Heineken, Gloucester versus Agen before the beginning of the November Tests. Changleng is involved in thee matches, touch judging at England vs Argentina, Ireland vs Australia and Wales vs New Zealand. It is evidence again of the busy schedule of full-time referees in the modern game.
Changleng is a member of the Scottish Borders Referee Society where he is wisely guided by referee officer Bill Calder and is also fortunate to have Scotland’s new referee manager Roy McCombe and ex-Test referee Jim Fleming as his tutors. Changleng is adamant that to stay on top of your game you need constant support, saying: "In the modern game you need as much input as you can get, be it from the local refereeing fraternity or the advice you can glean from visiting other countries. The trends in the game are different in different nations. So you need to listen to others before you can realise your own potential”
Having refereed in 22 different countries in the last three years – from far flung Australia to Russia through Israel to France – he believes that he can go on to improve his refereeing abilities. But he is quick to acknowledge that “it is not the next game that you are judged on, it is the next ruck, and so you have to stay focussed, alert and aware that the pro game is an entertainment business and you need to have the ability to apply law and game awareness with great dollops of common sense and understanding of what the players are trying to achieve"
He laughs when asked what it is like to have a twin who also plies his trade on the world stage. “ It's great as I can always say it was David when a fan comes up and suggests he was less than happy with my decision-making!”
