Ulster School's Cup Final

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

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

Ireland and potentially all over Europe. For more information on refereeing you can contact David Wilkinson at david.wilkinson@irfu.ie.

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