Ulster Rugby v Munster

Q&A REFEREE Why did you decide to take up the whistle? As a fresher at University in 2010 I became involved with the ladies rugby team for three years and enjoyed the fitness, matches and socialising! After graduating I came home to teach and shortly after that my brother became a referee and said “Lynsey why don’t you give refereeing a go, you know the Laws and you’re very bossy, I think you’d enjoy it!” What was the process like to become a referee? The process is one which is very well set up with a great team of enthusiastic people ready to help you develop as a referee. Your path as a referee is one which is moulded by your dedication and hard work, so the more time you can dedicate to the USRFR, the further through the process you can go. There is always someone you can phone after a game to ask questions or get advice. What is your training regime like? If I’m honest, my training comes in fits and starts, I’ll take notions to run every night for a fortnight or do some strength and conditioning at the gym, but equally so, a week could go by when my only fitness is my match on a Saturday. At the moment I am working on improving my pace for short bursts of speed at any point of a match. What is your favourite thing about refereeing? I love being able to be involved in the game without getting tackled! Having refereed a lot of U16 matches lately, I’ve really enjoyed being able to referee and coach on the pitch at the same time. What is the most memorable game you have refereed so far? Lisburn 3 v PSNI 3 - I felt I performed well as a referee (thankfully my assessor agreed!) and both teams were wanting to play good rugby.

L Y N S E Y D A V I S O N

What is your pre-match routine like? My routine starts from getting my bag packed. Being a teacher, I am quite organised and like to have things planned in my head. I aim to arrive at the club an hour before kick-off, check boots, do the toss and chat with the captains in good time so I can get my own stretches and warm up done before a punctual start. What is your ambition as a referee? Women’s World Cup?! I take each game as an individual one and if I develop and progress well then I’m happy. Who is your favourite referee and why? I really like Nigel Owens. I think his fun energy on the pitch and his humour makes the matches he referees fun to watch. What could make you improve as a referee? I think every referee would answer ‘refereeing the breakdown’ to this one but also to referee more matches to get more experience and assessments. What advice would you give to someone thinking about taking up refereeing? Go for it! It’s a great way to stay involved in the sport with great opportunities.

To find out more about refereeing in Ulster, visit www.ulsterrugby.com/referees or email Richard Kerr, Provincial Referee Development Manager, on richard.kerr@irfu.ie

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