Referee Q & A - Jonny Erksine

Why did you decide to take up the whistle? I took up the whistle after suffering various shoulder injuries playing rugby. I was beginning my teaching career and felt that doing my coaching badges and referee’s course would be beneficial to helping with my involvement in Schools’ Rugby. What is the biggest thing you have learned since you started refereeing? Some of the best refereeing decisions are when you don’t put the whistle up to your mouth. What was the process like to become a referee? There is an excellent structure in place within Ulster to help support referees begin officiating games at all levels. Like in every aspect of sport, competitive people want to push themselves as far as their talent and endeavour allow, and there is a lot of practical and personal support available within the USRFR and the IRFU Refereeing department to achieve this goal. What is your training regime like? I will train personally 2-3 times a week and as I am coaching schools’ rugby, I get opportunities to practice different elements of the discipline before refereeing senior games at the weekend. What is the most memorable game you have refereed so far? I had the opportunity to be the first overseas referee to referee at the famous Craven Week Tournament near Stellenbosch, South Africa earlier this year. What is your ambition as a referee? I have already achieved one of my bucket list items, having had the opportunity to referee the Schools’ Cup Final in 2018; but I would also like to have the opportunity to referee in the Pro14 and European Rugby competitions. What one law would you like to change or introduce? One law I would change is around the number of substitutes. I would revert back to having only two substitutes, with the expectation that all players are able to play for 80 minutes. Who is your favourite referee and why? I admire the excellent communication skills of Wayne Barnes and the relaxed but technically excellent ability of Australian referee Angus Gardner. What advice would you give to someone thinking about taking up refereeing? If you love the game of rugby, get involved as a referee, as you get to be right in the middle of the action and get to contribute in a positive way to the game we all love.