The Devonport Flagstaff Page 18
Interview
June 3, 2016
Whistling while he works: Brendon Pickerill a true professional Brendon Pickerill is four games into his professional rugby refereeing career. This month he heads to Fiji and Japan to officiate at his first international matches. The former Takapuna Grammar and North Shore player spoke to Rob Drent. Every young New Zealander playing rugby dreams of taking the field in a World Cup game. Brendon Pickerill has similar aspirations. And if the last couple of years are any guide he will make it – but as a referee rather than a player. “The pinnacle for a referee is to go to a World Cup and that is definitely an aim of mine. I would absolutely love to referee in a World Cup. “At the moment all I want to do is keep refereeing well in every game I’m given, and give myself the best chance of being selected for whatever might be there in the future.” This year Pickerill made a huge leap towards that goal, with his inclusion in the elite squad of referees who officiate in Super Rugby matches. The toughest challenge for Pickerill has been keeping up with the pace of the game. He reckons Super Rugby is 20 per cent faster than provincial rugby, both in the speed of the match and in the mental processing needed to make split-second decisions. The collisions are harder, the play more organised in professional sport, played by professional athletes. “It all means I have to move around the field faster and make my decisions quicker.” But Pickerell (26) has learned rapidly and has now been appointed to assistant referee international games following his four Super Rugby matches (Hurricanes vs Kings, Highlanders vs Force, Crusaders vs Reds and Hurricanes vs Reds). He has already been to Australia as an assistant-referee. And in June, he will travel to Fiji to be assistant referee when the national side plays Georgia, and then on to Japan again as assistant referee when the home side plays Scotland. Pickerill has been a referee for nine years and progressed through the ranks of grade and schoolboy rugby to senior matches and then ITM Cup games. When he was offered a professional rugby refereeing contract by SANZAR this year, he put his civil-engineering career on hold. Pickerill grew up in Bayswater, with parents Don and Robyn and brother Tim, and attended
why buy?
just borrow our 700 toys
Join Today
playawhile.org
Refereeing a no-brainer for a rugby lover... Super Rugby professional Brendon Pickerill on taking up the whistle Bayswater Primary, Belmont Intermediate and Takapuna Grammar Schools. He played junior rugby for North Shore through the grades and then for Takapuna Grammar, making the First XV which won the North Harbour championship in 2007. That team, which included current North Shore Premier players Leigh Thompson and captain Josh Blucher, drew the final with Massey 17-17 to share the title. Pickerill then played two seasons for North Shore under-21s, mainly on the wing and at fullback. He also started refereeing. While studying commerce and civil engineering at Auckland University, he had a part-time job at Yarnton’s menswear, where he met Karen Yarnton’s father Alan Thompson, who was a referee and life member of the North Harbour Rugby Referees Association. “I’ve always been passionate about rugby as a sport. I got talking to him and he said I should try refereeing . I decided to give it a go and I enjoyed it.” For three seasons Pickerill tried to combine officiating with turning out for Shore: refereeing in the morning and then playing in the afternoon. But as he became more sought after for under-21, reserve and premier matches, he had to choose between refereeing and playing. It wasn’t an easy decision at the time, Pickering recalls. “I loved playing with my mates and the camaraderie and friendships rugby brings. It really came down to a decision
that I could take refereeing somewhere. So it was more a career-oriented decision.” “All my mates I played with at juniors, school and now at North Shore, they are still doing it, playing and having a beer after the game. Now I’m off on my own doing something else. I did miss playing. I still miss playing – the competitive side of rugby and going out to compete with your mates is awesome.” Pickerill has refereed North Shore premiers perhaps a dozen or so times. “When I started refereeing the North Shore players felt I went too hard on them, because I had played for the them in the past. “But as a referee you do not pay attention to who is on the field – it’s just two teams. “In one match I was refereeing when North Shore was playing Western which was in its Black strip. Josh Blucher said I was refereeing with a black jersey on.” The biggest leap in Pickerill’s refereeing career was when he started ITM Cup matches. Club rugby grounds were replaced by stadiums and the matches were televised, meaning “all my decisions could be scrutinised.” Making the national referee squad for ITM Cup matches meant Pickerill got a small match payment. Added to the pressure was the SANZAAR referee scouts, who were also watching his performances. Pickerill got the call-up to the Super Rugby referee squad after the ITM Cup last year. “I was not surprised exactly, as it was something