Refereeing can be lonely but I wouldn't change it

MOST journeys in life don’t go exactly as planned and that was definitely the case with my refereeing career which began, of all places, on the other side of the world in Australia.

- GREG GARNER

I was on a gap year working in a school in Perth and they sent me on a coaching course. But when I got there after a long bus journey, the people running it said the course was full. They offered me a refund or a free place on the refereeing course. As I was faced with the prospect of sitting around for ages waiting to get the bus home, I decided to go for it.

From there, I refereed the odd school game and then it was back to England to go to university in Nottingham, where I played on the Wednesday and referred on a Saturday. Injuries meant I had to give up playing the game and that’s when I properly threw my hat into the officiating ring. I enjoyed it and it was a good way of staying involved in the game. As a back row you are never far away from the action and that helps you get a good understanding of the basics of the game.

When I joined the Warwickshire Referees’ Society, I broke the mould a little bit in that I was younger than your average referee. But everyone was so welcoming and Ian Roberts was just an absolute legend, he really was a great mentor and coach and is still a very good friend. Refereeing can be quite lonely, you turn up at a club and you’re on your own but having the support of the society was invaluable to me.