Injury Robbed Me Of Turning Pro

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A hospital bed turned out to be more dangerous than playing rugby in my case.

Back in 1999 I was involved in rugby refereeing as at the age of 30 having stopped playing due to fear of injury. Quite ironic when you think about it as work would not turn a blind eye if I broke a leg or something more serious. The very same company in South Africa was the total opposite and even gave me time off for training. Many of my ex team mates were playing professional rugby around the world so the next best thing was to get involved in officiating or coaching.

I made contact with Roger Uttley who was based at the England Rugby Football Union (Twickenham) as I had no clue who to contact and he put me in touch with the English Referee Society. What became very clear from early on was doors would open fast being an ex player. I can't repeat what Roger told me over the phone as he was over the moon that someone who had played to a high level was taking up the whistle. The other option was coaching which Coventry Rugby Club offered me a position as player/head coach with the only snag they were waiting on lottery funding.

I was welcomed by the Sussex Referee Society with open arms and told I had to start at the bottom which is level 12. I had no problems with that as it would take some getting used to and I had to learn. The rules were easy and passed the test comfortably as that is one part of the game I stayed abreast with.

The games came quick and fast as I was thrown in the deep end receiving my fixtures for the weekend on a Wednesday evening. Most weekends I would end up with 2-3 matches if I could drive fast enough between the venues. What I did notice was I was being assessed right from the beginning with someone over looking my performances. This didn't worry me as I found the whole experience fun and was just happy to be involved again. Level 12 soon became Level 11 as I was moving up the ranks in lower league rugby.

two years went by and I was progressing rapidly when I was pulled aside by the assessor and asked if I wanted to go full time. I filled in the paper work and was now on the fast track scheme. There were 4 referees in the country who were now on this particular scheme which would mean more travelling and the chance to get to the top games far quicker. I was told it would take 5 years so I had 3 more years before I crack International Rugby.

How Much Do Rugby Referees Earn?

An International referee earns between $150K -$200K excluding bonuses like World Cup years which would double the salary. Definitely a career path to do very well on whilst having the best seat in the stadium.

During that season I was in charge of a 7 a side tournament when I noticed my Achilles felt like it was slipping on the back of my heel. During the off season I had key hole surgery on my right knee as I wanted to be as fit as I could with no physical issues. Being a referee you have to be seriously fit as you not only have to read the game, but also keep up with play.

I contacted my orthopedic surgeon and after a consultation said it was a fairly simple fix. It was not drastic as it was a piece of the heel bone they grind away making it smooth. It could wait, but then again it could also cause problems later on so I thought it best to just get it over with. While he was at it being the same leg why not do a keyhole on my other knee and it would be a once off fix. This was agreed and I was checked in the following day, benefit of private medical as there is no waiting.

I had the operation and everything was fine until the medication started to wear off and I was in excruciating pain. My leg was fine but it was my back that was the problem. Knowing what I do know now I would have treated this far differently than a simple back pain as there was clearly a problem that I didn't have before I went in.

I couldn't see the problem myself obviously as I was in too much pain to twist around and look with my leg also in a cast. I told the surgeon the problem and because I was still under his supervision had to see the other specialist he recommended in the same hospital. The bruising which was now obvious should have been a wake up call. These days you just snap a few photos on your cell phone and you have instant proof but it was not that obvious in those days.

Personally I think I was dropped in the operating theatre as the bruising told me so. I raised my concerns with the back specialist and he had straight face response so I was not going to get any further with that. This was like a closed shop and wish I had used my brains and not been muddled by the pain I was experiencing. The heavy pain killers wouldn't have helped and everything I recall from back then is just a blur.

Long story short is I had a prolapsed disc that had collapsed towards the spine and was inoperable. Only a 15% success rate told me it was not worth touching and I needed to live with it. Overnight my dreams of having a refereeing career had vanished and I was now on my own.

I definitely would have done things differently if this was more recent as how is this allowed to even happen? I obviously have no proof as bruises heal quickly and that time has now passed by.

Definitely a missed opportunity with the refereeing career as I know I would have been good at it as I see the game from a players perspective and not just a rule book. Unfortunately the majority of games being officiated today are not being done correctly as so much is being missed even with the video referee to back you up.

I just find it rather ironic I stopped playing the sport for fear of injury and I took the safer route and still ended up injured. Some scripts you just cannot write and make up as who would have guessed this outcome.