Selwyn Times: June 02, 2021

Selwyn Times Wednesday June 2 2021
22
SPORT
WHISTLE HAPPY:
Marty Gameson
(centre) refereed
his 150th division
one rugby match
at his original
club recently.
The presentation
featured
Ellesmere Sub
Union referees’
convener Sam
O’Reilly and fellow
referee Luke Clark.
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Rugby referee has another goal in his sights
• By Chris Barclay
MARTY GAMESON has reset his goals
after reaching the 150-match milestone
as a division 1 rugby referee, another
century is now in his sights.
The 54-year-old stepped down from
the Luisetti Seeds Combined division 1
refereeing panel after fittingly posting
the landmark when West Melton hosted
Hampstead on May 15.
“West Melton is so important to me
because that’s where I started playing
as a wee fella almost 50 years ago,” said
Gameson, who transitioned to refereeing
in 1998 after injuries curtailed his playing
career at Glenmark.
He made his division 1 debut in 2003, a
career highlight was accompanying High
School Old Boys to referee on a tour to
Argentina two years later.
“It was a great experience. There were
fireworks and the South Americans actually
kissed you when they scored tries,” he
said.
Gameson also had fond memories of
his refereeing debut, in spite of being
floored by Canterbury and Crusaders
prop Stu Loe during a pre-season hit out.
“I stood in the wrong place. Stu clean
bowled me and said: ‘You’ll never stand
there again will you?’
“After that game I thought: ‘This is cool,
I love it’.”
Gameson, the principal at Hororata Primary
School, had aspirations to referee at
representative level but pared back those
ambitions to focus on making rugby a
numbers game.
“I started refereeing quite late and you
don’t back an old racehorse to win the
Melbourne Cup. I didn’t go as high as I
thought I would,” he said.
“Once I realised I wasn’t going to be a
star I started setting myself goals around
appearances,” he said.
“The next goal would have been 200 but
that would take me until I’m 60. I’ve got
the ability to get there but there’s a risk
that sometimes you can also be a roadblock
to young people coming through.”
So last Saturday he refereed Diamond
Harbour and Springston, his 81st division
2 fixture as another triple-figure achievement
looms.
There are no games on Queens Birthday
weekend, but he will still be keeping
match-fit.
“I train three times a week, rugby truly
is my sport and the referees have become
my team, ” he said.
Meanwhile, although Gameson doesn’t
turn a blind eye to foul play, he is able to
turn a deaf ear to criticism either from the
field or the sidelines.
“I had a serious head injury in 2002, I
ran into a garage door. I had a helicopter
ride I don’t remember and I was asleep for
a week,” he said.
“I’m deaf on one side so I don’t hear a
lot of the abuse.”
EYES ON THE BALL: Marty
Gameson follows play while
refereeing a match between
Lincoln and Hurunui in 2019.