Chris Jefferies is "nervous but excited" about the prospect of controlling the Wairarapa-Bush premier division grand final rugby match between East Coast and Masterton Red Star, at Memorial Park, Masterton, on Saturday.
Jefferies, who will turn 39 tomorrow, became part of the refereeing ranks just five years ago when an injury stopped him from playing the game and he was keen to continue his involvement in the sport.
"I saw in the paper where there was a shortage of referees and I thought why not have a crack at that," Jefferies recalled yesterday.
By the middle of last season Jefferies had progressed his refereeing skills to the point where he was given his first premier division appointment and he has been a regular on that stage in 2009.
And his advancement has been such that not only has he been given club rugby's plum job but, along with two other Wairarapa-Bush referees, Andrew Stringer and Tom Roseingrave, he has been nominated for the Hurricanes zone panel as well.
Wairarapa-Bush Rugby Referees Association assessor Peter Debney said the reason why Jefferies had got the grand final spot was simple, he had been the most consistent performer over the whole of the club season.
"Week in and week out he's gone out there and performed well and this is the reward," Debney said.
Jefferies believes refereeing is all about being neutral and controlling what is happening in front of you.
"It certainly gives you a different perspective to what you get as a player, you are close to the action all of the time," he said.
Jefferies, a versatile sportsman who played over 100 matches for the Wairarapa senior men's cricket team, expects Saturday's grand final to provide a lift in intensity from other club matches and he is looking forward to the challenge.
"I guess you could say I'm nervous but excited, it should be a top game," he said.
The full draw for grand finals day on Saturday is:
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Premier division
(Tui Cup): East Coast v Masterton Red Star, Memorial Park No 1 at 3pm (C. Jefferies; assistant refs, G. Reisima and D. Goodin; subs, G. Hall and A. Payne).
Premier plate
(Hodder Steffert Cup): Gladstone v Marist, Memorial Park No 1 at 1pm (A. Stringer; G. Hall and M. Porter; E. Wallace and T. Kiel).
Senior reserves
(Ryan Cup): Eketahuna v Carterton, Memorial Park No 1 at 11am (T. Roseingrave; G. Moorcock and M. Porter; G. Hall and K. Lochhead).
Senior reserves plate
(Presidents Cup): Greytown v East Coast, Memorial Park No 2 at 12.30pm (S. O'Gorman; V. Peterson and T. Lyford; J. Devine and T. Penny).
The secondary schools draw for Saturday is:
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Premier one:
Wairarapa College first XV v Palmerston North Boys High second XV, Wairarapa College at 12.30pm (A. Payne).
Open grade:
Kuranui first XV v Wairarapa College Blue, Kuranui at 11.15am (N. Burt); Chanel first XV v Makoura first XV, Chanel at 11.15am (J. Devine); Wairarapa College Yellow v Rathkeale second XV, Wairarapa College at 11.15am (E. Wallace).
Under-15:
Wairarapa College v Fielding High School, Wairarapa College at 9.50am (V. Peterson).
Colts:
Rathkeale Green v Chanel second XV, Rathkeale at 10am (T. Lyford); Kuranui Maroon v Makoura second XV, Kuranui at 10am (T. Kiel).
Junior:
Wairarapa College Blue v Rathkeale White, Wairarapa College at 10am (K. Lochhead); Kuranui Blue v Wairarapa College Gold, Kuranui at 10am (T. sPenny); Rathkeale Red a bye.
The secondary schoolgirls fixture between Wairarapa-Bush Barbarians and PNGHS will be played at Colombo Road on Sunday, commencing at 1pm. Referee will be Baden Whale.
Meanwhile, three players from the Pioneer club's senior reserves team were to appear before the WBRFU judiciary last night on alleged offences relating to their semi-final match against Carterton at the Jeans Street grounds last Saturday. Two of the players were charged with verbal abuse of the referee and the third for throwing a punch. Carterton won the game and meet Eketahuna in the grand final this weekend.
