Pioneering referee to whistle forward a new generation

Paddy O'Brien with some of his rugby memorabilia at his home in Invercargill. Picture / Simon Baker

Paddy O'Brien may be giving up the whistle but he's not going to let himself get "all potbellied and silly".

When he walks off the rugby field for the last time after the Lions tour he will be retiring as New Zealand's most prominent and successful referee, and one of the world's best.

His position may have been one of the higher-profile rugby jobs next to being an All Black or a coach but, ever the consummate Southern man, O'Brien shrugs off the hype.

He's already done 18 media interviews before this one at his Invercargill home yesterday, yet he is as relaxed and down to Earth as usual.

He won't be missing the media attention.

"Truth be told I'm just a rugby, racing and beer man," he said.

His new career will allow for a little bit more of two of those and less of one. He's moving to "basically a desk job" in Wellington.

The new position as the New Zealand Rugby Union's high performance referees coach will allow him to continue working in his sport of choice, rugby, but once again he will be starting from scratch.

When O'Brien and Colin Hawke became NZ's first professional rugby referees they had no blueprint to follow and worked out the best way to do the job by "trial and error".

"So this is starting from scratch again. There has never been this position before, but it's a challenge I'm really looking forward to taking up."

His long and successful refereeing career began in Invercargill in 1982 when he was controlling the "little fellas" on a Saturday morning.

Some of those little fellows grew up to be a lot bigger than O'Brien - Jimmy Cowan, Paul Henderson and Simon Culhane, to name a few - and O'Brien says that has been one of the many highlights.

"You watch them come through the grades as players and to be honest those that stand out really do stand out in Southland. They have done very well."

His own success is also partially attributed to players like Sean Fitzpatrick.

"He really took me to the cleaners as a young referee.

"But it's all part of learning how to do the job. And obviously it was part of the make-up to get me to where I got."

Born and bred in Southland, O'Brien is a keen supporter of the province and, despite moving to Wellington, he will retain that Southern interest.

He takes up his new position in August but the family won't be moving north properly until next year.

His departure from the public eye of professional sport does not spell the end of the O'Brien family's reign with the whistle, however.

His oldest daughter from a previous relationship is a recruit to the national netball referees squad and her first major game will be in Invercargill next month between the Sting and the Shakers.

Paddy O'Brien

* Age: 45.
* Born and bred in Southland.
* Former policeman.
* Controlled 218 first-class games and 37 tests.
* First game: 1988.
* Six-times New Zealand's Referee of the Year.
* Spends 180 days away from home working each year.
* Uses Acme Thunderer whistles.