Leinster Rugby v Cardiff Blues
Leinster Rugby v Cardiff Blues | Issue 04 Leinster Rugby Official Matchday Programme Sunday 22nd November, 2020 | Kick-off: 17:15
Leinster Rugby v Cardiff Blues | Issue 04
Leinster Rugby Official Matchday Programme
Sunday 22nd November, 2020 | Kick-off: 17:15
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I STARTED OUT MY REFEREEING CAREER IN 2001 AND AS I MOVED THROUGH THE<br />
RANKS AT A STEADY PACE, A YOUNG SEAN GALLAGHER JOINED A FEW YEARS LATER<br />
AND SHOT BY ME. ONE OF IRELAND AND LEINSTER’S FINEST REFEREES, I CAUGHT<br />
UP WITH HIM LAST WEEK, IN BETWEEN GUINNESS PRO14 GAMES, TO TRY AND<br />
UNDERSTAND WHERE MY CAREER TOOK A WRONG TURN AND TO SEE HOW HE IS<br />
GETTING ON IN HIS ROLE AS A FULL-TIME PROFESSIONAL REFEREE IN THE IRFU…<br />
Sean Gallagher Q&A<br />
Sean, how long are you refereeing now<br />
and what made you decide to take up<br />
the whistle all those years ago?<br />
I started refereeing in October 2005.<br />
I returned to Navan <strong>Rugby</strong> Club one<br />
afternoon, having played a match<br />
against Bective Rangers in Donnybrook.<br />
The Thirds were due to play a match<br />
against County Carlow but received a<br />
call to say the referee’s car had broken<br />
down and he couldn’t make it.<br />
BY DAN WALLACE<br />
The coaches were trying to find a<br />
replacement referee and I reluctantly<br />
agreed to take up the whistle. I really<br />
enjoyed the experience and some of the<br />
senior referees in the club persuaded me<br />
to give it a go that season. I’m still at it<br />
almost 16 years on!<br />
What is your day to day role in the IRFU<br />
as a full-time professional referee?<br />
I work as a High Performance Referee in<br />
the IRFU. There are four others in Ireland<br />
– Andy Brace, George Clancy, Joy<br />
Neville and Frank Murphy. We represent<br />
the IRFU in professional game matches<br />
across the world – including World<br />
<strong>Rugby</strong>, EPCR and PRO14 competitions.<br />
I’m also the Referee Development<br />
Manager in <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong> and work to<br />
educate and develop the 200 domestic<br />
game referees in the province.<br />
What does your average day look like?<br />
I get up early and train in the IRFU High<br />
Performance Centre in Abbotstown.<br />
After that it depends on the day of the<br />
week. Monday and Tuesday involves<br />
reviewing the matches from the previous<br />
weekend. Wednesday is our rest day.<br />
Thursday is spent preparing for the<br />
upcoming matches that weekend. Friday,<br />
Saturday and Sunday includes travel and<br />
matchday. I spend three or four hours<br />
each day working with the <strong>Leinster</strong> <strong>Rugby</strong><br />
Referees in my Referee Development<br />
Manager role.<br />
What is your training regime like and<br />
how does this fit around your working<br />
day?<br />
We’re fortunate that training is built into<br />
our working day – and it’s one of the<br />
most important parts of our role. The<br />
game is faster now than ever. There’s<br />
more to it than looking physically<br />
fit – referees need to make accurate<br />
decisions, in high pressure situations,<br />
under fatigue. The IRFU provides us<br />
with access to strength and conditioning<br />
coaches who monitor our fitness. I do two<br />
strength sessions in the gym, one speed<br />
session on the pitch and a high intensity<br />
running session each week.<br />
How has turning to a full-time role<br />
changed your refereeing?<br />
I was a secondary school teacher prior<br />
to becoming a professional referee. I<br />
wouldn’t say my approach to refereeing<br />
has changed but being able to focus<br />
solely on refereeing makes a huge<br />
difference. I’m now able to spend more<br />
time preparing and reviewing matches<br />
From The Ground Up | 66 | www.leinsterrugby.ie