Twenty Years of Refereeing

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 79, 24 June 1927, Page 10

Twenty Years of Refereeing

My Rugby

Reminiscences

(Written for THE SUX By Rev. W. B. Scott").

Thanks to a good constitution, combined with a spare frame, carrying a light weight, I have been able to take an active part as a referee in Rugby football during the past 20 years. Always a keen follower of the Rugby code, since 'I saw Stoddart’s team play Auckland away back in 1888, I have never played Rugby. My occupation in my youth prevented this, so any success that has come to me as a referee must be put down to Jack Peake's (Canterbury’s champion referee) dictum that “Referees are born and not made.” In 1906 I was induced to try my prentice hand —or should it be mouth? —with the whistle because no qualified person was available. Two small wayback 'town teams were trying conclusions with each other. They belonged to no union, and the game was played in a paddock plentifully decorated with dead stumps and situated behind the village pub. The game was a somewhat strenuous one. One player was ordered off and three others left the field, and the game ended 10 points to 9. The publican in the kindness of his heart hurried me off the field and saw me safely on my horse before any damage could possibly come to me. THE “GOOD OLD DAYS” On my removal to Taranaki, where every boy in those days was a lover of Rugby, I was soon in the thick of the fray. In those days there were no motors, and long .distances to travel. The usual means of conveyance was a horse and gig. Owing to the milking industry claiming the time of most country players in the very early spring, the season in Taranaki was always on the short side. There were no postponements of matches and we had to control games on many wild and woolly days. I remember one terrifically wintry Saturday—a day of sleet, rain and hail, with a high wind, on which I had to drive in an open gig 17 miles to the field of play, and 17 miles home again. As a member of the Taranaki Rugby Union I had once a fortnight to driv« 24 miles to attend the meetings, and often the horse could scarcely keep its feet on account of the frosty state of the roads. You needed to be an enthusiast then to keep the Rugby flag flying at the peak. On another occasion I was appointed to control the Clifton-Eltham match. In the first round these teams had met at Waitara, and there had been considerable trouble, which reached a climax when Dive, the famous El|£tam threequarter, broke his leg. I was not aware of the trouble that was brewing when the teams met again. Afterwards I learned that each team entered the field determined to kick the other off the ground. It was a fight and not a game. It was the most difficult match of my 21 years’ experience. One player was ordered to cool his toes on the sideline, two were carried off, and both sets of forwards were reported to the union for insubordination. “KAPAI, TE REFEREE!” An amusing incident occurred in connection with a match between Horowhenua and Taranaki for the Ranfurly Shield in 1912. Among the challenging players were two or three Maoris who did not seem to appreciate some of my decisions. However, one of these Maoris claimed a mark and a place-kick was taken at goal. The rule for allowing a second kick, if those lined up on the mark charged illegally and affected the first kick, had just come into force, and these natives had evidently not heard of it. When I ruled “no charge” and ordered a second kick which resulted in a goal, the Maoris were delighted and exclaimed to one another: “My golly! He te goot referee.” I had no further trouble during the game. It fell to my lot in 1913 to select the Wanganui team that inflicted an unexpected defeat on Morgan’s Australian team in that year. The Wanganui team was a very young one, and there is no doubt that their keenness did much to achieve victory. The Aussies did nl)t take us seriously until it was too late to redeem the position. Naturally I was very proud of my men, and one Australian expressed the following opinion: “Taranaki told us that they had beaten you twice by 25 points, but I’ll bet that wasn’t the team they beat.” I don’t think that Wanganui has seen a team equal to it since It was indeed a game out of the box. My welcome to Canterbury in 1915 was very real, and until I went overseas with the N.Z.E.F. I had more than my fair share of good games, including some of the inter-college and high school matches. Mr. Jack Peake at that time was in the very front rank of referees, and we were all glad to yield the palm to him in the big contests. WARTIME EXPERIENCES My connection with the Expeditionary Forces led to my refereeing games in Featherton, Jamaica, France, Germany and England, all in one season. This constitutes something of a record I should think. At Kingston, Jamaica, with th 6 thermometer at 90 degrees, and Sabina Park as hard as cement, my reinforcement played an exhibition game at 4.30 p.m. The game was played in four quarters of 15 minutes each, and there were no casualties. About 500 were present and many of them had never seen a game of Rugby before! The remarks from the line were more amusing than illuminating. At Baupaume before the close of the war, I controlled a most exciting game between teams representing Wellington and Auckland. The keenness and rivalry of the old days were much in evidence. A few days later quite a number of those I met at that game “went west” in the greater game of war. In Germany I had another unique experience when I was called upon to referee the game, N.Z. Division v. N.Z. Artillery. This game was played in honour of the visit of the Prince of Wales, and although it was a cold, grey, wintry day, the Prince stayed throughout the whole game. At halftime he mixed with the “boys” and made himself quite at home. There was a great gathering of “brass hats“ on that occasion, but the Prince left them largely to themselves while he

became acquainted with the rank and file. I was privileged to shake hands with him after the game and to obtain his signature in my autograph album. One match that I will always remember was the game between the N.Z. Southern Command team and Bristol at Bristol after my return to England. The home team had not experienced a loss through the season, and in this game the score was six all until on the call of time, when one of our boys potted a beautiful goal. Then pandemonium was let loose. One woman shook her fist in my face crying out, *‘Oh, you dirty dog!” and the red-headed fullback, a Welshman, nearly burnt up the atmosphere with his language. The N.Z. players formed a bodyguard and escorted me from the field. A little later Bristol’s manager interviewed me and expressed sorrow for the action of the crowd. He stated that he was well satisfied and that his team had been fairly beaten. I must confess that my preconceived ideas of British fair play received a severe shock, as no stretch of the imagination could accuse me of unfairness as evidenced by my decisions. HOMEWARD BOUND On our way home we spent a week in Durban with other transports, and by one day, owing to the departure of our transport, I missed adding South Africa to my list of scalps for one season’s refereeing. Since my return home, each year I have decided to give the game best, but with the close of the cricket season the old warhorse scents the battle from afar and one becomes a “muddied oaf” once more for the good of the game. One more experience and I have finished. The year 1923 was a great football year in Christchurch. The games were good, and the crowds were great. Merivale and Marists tied for first place, and it was necessary to have a play-off. I was appointed to referee the match. When the game commenced close on 15,000 were present, the greatest crowd that has ever attended a club match in Christchurch, and only beaten, by any match, last year when Hawke’s Bay met Canterbury for the Ranfurly Shield. From the time the teams put in an appearance till the final whistle, the roar of the multitude was as the roar of the sea on a rock-bound coast. Nevqr have I seen so much enthusiasm over a football game. The papers were full of pictures and interviews so that all concerned had one

brief glorious day of public notice. Strange to say it was anything but a difficult game to handle, although the nervous strain proved to be so tremendous, added to the physical exhaustion caused by a muddy field, and a fast game, that I had to be helped from the field. The authorities sent me home to Kaiapoi in a limousine and the paper reports were complimentary, stating that I controlled the

game with ability and impartiality. Looking back through the years and remembering the accomplishments of our boys during the years of the Great War, I am convinced that Rugby football is doing much to build up the stamina, initiative and resourcefulness of our New Zealand youth. I have never regretted for one moment the very active interest that I have taken m the game through all these years.