Scrumhalf turns Referee

Scrumhalves are always close to referees – running similar lines and seeing similar things. This often brings them into conflict, often of a friendly kind.  Now a top scrumhalf has become a referee. Setting a thief to catch a thief?

Jamie Nutbrown's playing career was ended by a serious shoulder injury and he has taken up refereeing. He says: "Since I have done some refereeing it has given me a new lease on life really."

Nutbrown had a great playing career, playing Super Rugby for the Crusaders and the Chiefs and then, too, for Canterbury, Ospreys and Bay of Plenty. While playing for Bay of Plenty he became an apprentice electrician.

After the shoulder forced his retirement, Nutbrown was coaching the Te Puke Club within the Bay of Plenty.

He recalled an incident that set him thinking: "I was having a chat to an opposition coach before a game and he made a comment along the lines of ‘I would rather him [the referee] than me'.

"And that sort of struck me. I thought that's not the attitude to have.

"I had even found myself on the sideline screaming at the referee and thought, well, I had better have a go and see if I enjoy it or am any good at it."

And so it came to pass that he started to referee – high school matches. The Nutbrowns then moved to Canterbury and he joined the association there, gradually moving up into senior rugby.

He has found refereeing demanding and rewarding. "You are just learning all the time, especially with things like where to stand, not getting in the way and things like that. It's certainly been interesting being on the other side of the game."

He says:  "It would have been nice to keep playing but then I had that major reconstruction and just had too many injuries and niggles. Then I thought it would have been nice to go coaching – and I enjoyed it but I was pretty hopeless on the sideline because I just wanted to be out there.

"Since I have done some refereeing it has given me a new lease on life really."