IRB 7’s Murrayfield 2008
I was honoured to be amongst the 8 Scottish TJ's selected for the Final leg of the IRB Sevens at Murrayfield.
We arrived on the Friday afternoon and got allocated our rooms at the hotel in the grassmarket in
Friday evening we had a meeting regarding what Roy McCombe and the referees were expecting from us before our evening meal and then because we are all athletes it was off to bed!
Early start on Saturday morning 6.30am breakfast then off to the ground in our allocated Ford Galaxy cars (being driven like VIPs), we arrived at the field a few hours before the first kickoff to warm-up, and go through the schedule.Got our kit on a lovely jersey, bright Orange and the comms set, then nervously waited for my first game. It was reassuring to be teamed up with such an experienced team of Alan Forrest, David Anderson and John Ferns also with Ronnie Dumma running touch what vast experience to draw from and a big thank you to them all for the help, advice and guidance they gave.
As we enter the playing area for the our first game the sun was up and the heat of the day just kept on climbing as we went through our games, with a fair share of sweat leaking from our brows, however not quite as much as that coming from the refs in that heat.
Running touch is a lot of work as well. Being such a fast game you need to constantly be thinking of positioning, not being concerned about in goal as that is the in goal judges job, and looking at players feet touching the line. Did our fitness come to the fore? (All those training nights competing against ‘The Bull’ Craig smith must have paid off)
Saturday came to a close with controversy in the Scot V Argentina game 2 yellow cards and a red to Argentina Jonesy was in his element disciplinary hearings and alsorts going on back stage but for us it was back to the hotel for a welcome rest and evening meal again as the athletes we were it was off to bed!
Sunday 8am breakfast, then of to the stadium for the nitty gritty part of the tournament quarters, semis and finals what a change in the weather sun (sunstroke on sat to trench foot on the sun) to good old Scottish rain, but what a great part it played giving some really exciting rugby with the slippy ball
Overall experiences:
Met some great referees from all over the world. James Jones, Smally and JB from
A great moment seeing Andrew Mac taking to the field in his first IRB 7’s game well done a proud moment for him, and a big moment for BRRS, Not only with Andrew but also having Trees, Ronnie, John, James and myself all from the Borders Society officiating at the International 7’s.
A big moment for me was to be allocated to officiate in the final New Zealand V England what an ending to the weekend. Also meeting some great people, super experience, tapping into a wealth of knowledge and seeing a good atmosphere in murrayfield.
Just to end a big thank you to BRRS and all its members for the help and support they have give to all of us who took part in the IRB’7s 2008 @ Murrayfield
Have a good summer, and let’s look forward to a new season and new laws
Bob Nevins.
