Brett Bowden

Local referee Brett Bowden has refereed Test matches and is a regular at Super 12/14 level. Last weekend he oversaw his 100th first grade match when he refereed the Queanbeyan-Easts encounter at Campese Field. Brumby Jack caught up with Bowden to find out what makes a world-class referee tick.

Brumby Jack: How did you first get involved in refereeing?
Brett Bowden: My arm was twisted by Baden Stephenson at Tuggeranong Rugby Club in 1998. I was running the fitness centre there and coaching the Colts. Bado asked me to do a referees course one weekend. My first reaction was “certainly not, I don’t even like referees”. I didn’t need to become a referee, it was more to fulfill the requirement of the club for people to do the referees course. I went along and did it and they appointed me to an Under 9’s game. I did the game and though ‘how much fun is this?!’ and the referees coach at the time then moved me on to Under 15’s and inside 12 months I was doing my first first grade game.

BJ: Having refereed Tests and Super 12/14 games, do you still enjoy refereeing Canberra club rugby games?
BB: I enjoy refereeing Canberra club rugby more than any other game at any other level. It’s a quality competition we have down here, the players are great to referee – they’re very responsive, and I get so much support from my Referees Association – that’s probably the biggest thing.

BJ: Do you get nervous before a game?
BB: The last time I was nervous was when I did that first Under 9 game – gee I was nervous then! But ever since then it doesn’t matter what level I’ve done, there’s no nerves at all. I’ve had such good teachers in the ACT that have taught me to referee at any level. This is my full-time job and no one else gets nervous when they go to work each morning, and that’s the way I feel about my job now.

BJ: What’s the key to a good refereeing performance?
BB: If the referee goes out to manage a game rather than control a game, I think that’s the key to a good referee. If you’re out there to manage the game, the players don’t notice you as much as someone who’s out there trying to control the game.

BJ: What was your playing background?
BB: I’m originally from Port Macquarie and I played first grade there. When I was just out of high school Rod Macqueen approached me and asked me to join Warringah with the intention of playing for Australian Under 21’s. But I chose to go to Lismore to study Sports Science and became captain-coach of the side up there at the age of 19 and in my third year of rugby. I went to the States and played for California State University in Long Beach and played a year of club rugby there before coming back and playing a year with Southern Districts [in Sydney].

BJ: What position did you play?
BB: I started playing flanker but after the first year I moved to flyhalf.

BJ: What’s been the highlight of your refereeing career so far?
BB: The first Super 12 game I did between the Chiefs and the Stormers at Newlands in Cape Town stands out as a highlight because of the setting and the size of the crowd. The first Test I did in New Caledonia was special but the one that stands out the most was when I had the opportunity to referee my son this year playing for the Marist First XV. I got a great deal of satisfaction out of refereeing a First XV game – which is very good in Canberra – and being out there with my son on the field at the same time.