Five weeks have come and gone just like that. I am merely halfway through my trip to South Africa and I have seen and officiated more rugby than I would in a full year back home. Youth rugby is everywhere and I don't think we have gone a single week without seeing U-somethings in action. I have seen U11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, and U19 and as if that weren't enough, each age group has several teams. Recently I referred a game between Paul Roos and Grey High U19 G sides. G wasn't even the lowest side present; there was supposed to a game between I sides but it cancelled. Where are these schools finding enough males between 16 and 18 to field an I-th team? Back home, in Orlando, there is one team for the whole city. Insane, right?
At first glance these kids seem like highly trained rugby machines and it is surprising, and a bit startling, to think that they are just kids. The awe wore off quickly though because 1. they make the same great plays and mistakes as the kids back home and 2. they have been playing rugby since they were born. I imagine that if a lower tier basketball country, say, SA, was to see the amount of basketball in schools, playgrounds, etc in America they would also wonder how we have so much of this one sport. With that said, the top U19 players all have the stature of grown men and play like it.
It is frightening to think that they will become bigger, stronger, and faster over the course of their careers.
Collegiate rugby is another animal, particularly the representative sides. Here at Stellenbosch University there is a Varsity Cup side, two club sides in a particular division, and two or three others in another division. We here at the academy will never referee one of their games because we are part of the school's structure but we do, occasionally, help with on field practices. Among the five of us we have reffed scrums, lineouts, one phase drills, lineout drills, and one side attacks for a period then switch, and all as individual items. The teams operate faster than anything we see on a normal basis so we have some troubles at first figuring out how to stay out of the way but we always figure it out.
It's frightening to think that not only are there four professional leagues plus national teams after college, but that the players will continue getting bigger, faster, and stronger.
We five refs are ambitious, though. We each have far-reaching goals and we fully believe those goals will be met. Since Emily and I arrived we have not turned down any extra games regardless of how tired our legs are. Trappe and a full body workout in the morning then trials all afternoon plus a high school game for each of us? Let's do it. Voluntary bergpad (2.33 mile mountain run), gym, and law session in the morning followed by a youth tournament in the afternoon then a Maties scrimmage in the evening? Sign us up. We'll rest when we go back to our countries.
There is always something to learn or to fix or to improve. We ref so much rugby and watch each other so often that it is impossible to not improve on a week-to-week or even game-to-game basis. Some problems that I knew about have been fixed. Some problems have come to light and those have also been fixed. I, of course, have a ways to go before you see me in a grand final but I think I am on my way.
More and more each week I see parallels between refereeing and general life. In both one must be able to, give/receive constructive criticism, learn to ask for help, support ailing comrades, discuss opposing opinions, defend one's own opinion, perform when all eyes are on you, and too many other things to name. One of my biggest takeaways, however, will be the process of learning. It is centered around having a concrete plan and analyzing the results of the plan once executed. Depending on the desired results, a new plan would be made and tested until things are as they should be. Learning about this one process has helped me grow greatly as a referee; I can make a plan, test it today, tweak the plan and test it tomorrow, and continue this process throughout the week until my problem is solved. Even if the issue does not completely go away I will have at least learned how to address should I see it again.
All in all, it's a shame my trip is halfway through but I am extremely grateful to have been given the chance in the first place.
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