A referee and the son of a referee
Bruno Bessot grew up with rugby – ‘bathed’ in rugby from babyhood, he says. Now he is off to Lisbon to referee the European Nations Cup match between Portugal and Czech Republic.
Bessot was born in Brive – on 26 February 1965 – and learnt to play rugby first from his father and then at Brive’s rugby school. His father Pierre was a hooker for Brive In 1965, the year of Bruno’s birth, Pierre played for Brive in the Final of the French Championnat – against Agen at Stade de Gerland in Lyon. Each side scored two tries but Agen, through Jean-Louis Dehez, kicked the goals that counted and won 15-8.
Finished with rugby Pierre took up refereeing. Injured at rugby, Bruno took up refereeing in 1987. His was not rocket rise to his present high position. He moved slowly up the ranks till in 2006 he refereed his first Top 14 match – Stade Francais vs Bourgoin. It still ranks amongst the best rugby memories for a man who confesses that his passion is rugby football.
Interestingly, he reached the Top 14 a year after he had refereed his first internationals – Georgia vs Chile, a Nations Cup match in Tblissi, and Morocco vs Uganda, a World Cup qualifier in Casablanca.
He is loving his refereeing and says that his ambition is “to stay at this level for as long as possible”.
Role models? Alain Rolland of Ireland, Chris White of England and the two Frenchmen Joel Jutge and Christophe Berdos.
Those who helped? “The people who helped me the most are my family, who support me and lets me benefit fully from my passion, and my godfather in refereeing Daniel Pascal, a former high level referee in France, who is still involved in refereeing in France.”
On Friday, he goes to Lisbon “with two friends”, who will be his touch judges, Didier Martinaud and Alain Vallon. For Bessot it is an honour to be in the team of three with them. In fact for him it is an honour to referee this match which he is sure will become a treasured memory.
Pierre Bessot was an entrepreneur in a public works company. Bruno is a manager in a public works company which also involves his wife. He is married to Patricia and they have three daughters – Coralie, Celia and Carla.
