Ulster School's Cup Final

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UR: Favourite match you have officiated?
MP: Refereeing Edinburgh v Treviso at BT
Murrayfield – my first PRO12 game as referee.
UR: Best ground you have experienced?
MP: Stade Marcel Michelin – home of
Clermont Auvergne. The atmosphere is just
incredible.
UR: Most enjoyable experience?
MP: Assistant Referee for George Clancy
this year in the 6th round of the European
Champions Cup. The game was Clermont
Auvergne v Saracens and I remember thinking
to myself during a stoppage in play “It’s for
days like today that you become a referee!”
UR: Most memorable experience?
MP: Most memorable because it was my
most embarrassing is probably when I was
Assistant Referee four years ago in my first
Heineken Cup game. It was Biarritz v Zebre
and the rain was coming down sideways! I
was on the pitch doing my pre-match warm-
up in front of the main stand of about 7 or 8
thousand people and when I went to push
off to do a sprint at the half way line, my foot
went from under me and I went flat on my face.
Covered in mud and rather embarrassed I
had to walk past the crowd into the changing
rooms to a torrent of laughter.
UR: What advice would you give to
someone interested in refereeing?
MP: This is something that I would really
recommend to anyone who is keen to stay
involved in rugby, or just trying to keep fit, and
is not able to or not quite enjoying their playing
anymore.
For young guys, there are so many
opportunities for those who do well to meet
a load of new friends and travel right across
Ireland and potentially all over Europe.
For more information on refereeing
you can contact David Wilkinson at
MAN IN THE MIDDLE