The Star: May 04, 2023

The Star Thursday May 4 2023
20
SPORT
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Rugby league’s Daryl Mataiti: The
The attack on a football
referee in Sydney is in
the extreme when it
comes to the downside
of being a whistle
blower in sport. Today
Will Evans talks to a
Christchurch rugby
league referee about
why he does it
EVERY REFEREE’S ‘how’ and
‘why’ they first came to pick up a
whistle is different.
For Daryl Mataiti – who had
hung up the playing boots several
years earlier due to a knee injury
– it was returning to the game as
a volunteer in the junior space
that has led to a long and fruitful
tenure as a Canterbury Rugby
League premiers referee.
“One of my sons started playing
league, I was going to trainings
and giving them a hand,”
Mataiti recalls.
“The following year I did a bit
of coaching, then about a year
after that CRL sent out a message
to the clubs looking for junior
refs.
“It was about my third year of
refereeing when I did my first
senior games.”
He began playing for Shirley
Hawks as a 9-year-old after moving
into the area.
He played for the Hawks until
the 13s, joined Papanui Tigers for
three seasons
(the Hawks
didn’t
have a
14s team
at the
time)
and
turned out for Shirley Boys’ High,
and after a break of a few years
returned to the Shirley club for
three seasons in the senior grades
before injury intervened.
After honing his refereeing
craft in the lower grades, Mataiti
was elevated to Massetti Cup
duty in 2012. His debut
in CRL’s top flight
remains one of his most
memorable matches.
“You always
remember your first
premiers game and
for me it was the
grand finalists
from the previous
year, so that was a
little bit daunting
– Celebration
versus Halswell
at Cuthberts
Green.
“I was pretty
nervous. It
didn’t go too
bad, so
that
one
stands out.
“I’ve also done a women’s
championship final, it was good
to be involved with that. I had a
couple of 18s finals – the finals
are the big ones. And I’ve run a
few lines, for Jason Wilson for a
New Zealand versus Australian
Universities match, and at a
couple of the national finals at
NZRL junior tournaments.”
While he’s been a permanent
fixture as the man in the middle
of premiers matches for more
than a decade, many supporters
will have memories of Mataiti
haring down the touchline with
flag in hand at a string of Pat
Smith Trophy deciders in recent
years.
“Last year’s grand final was
pretty memorable in that it
went down to the last play of the
game to win it – it’s been pretty
awesome to be involved as a
touch judge in a few grand finals
as well.”
Referees embark on a long
learning curve before achieving
those sort of appointments,
however, and guidance and
mentorship is a vital part of any
whistle-blower’s progression.
Mataiti singled out a couple
of Canterbury’s most respected
referees of the modern era
as being especially helpful in
showing him the ropes and
accelerating his education as a
match official.
“Steve Toms, he was a very
good referee and he gave me a lot
of support in those early years, all
the way through.
“The rugby league community
would say in the last 15 years
Adam Burns would be the
benchmark for refereeing, and
he was also really valuable in
guiding me and being someone
to watch and aspire to.”
But every referee moulds their
own style – though generally
speaking, Mataiti says, there are
two types: a referee’s referee and a
player’s referee.
The genial, measured Mataiti is
‘I consider myself a player’s referee rather than someone
who’s too dogmatic on the rules’ – Daryl Mataiti
confident about which category
he falls into.
“I suppose I’m more in the
mould of a player’s referee in
terms of I’m a bit more patient
and tolerant with players than
some referees are.
“I try to get more of a feel
for the game than be pedantic
about the rules. I consider myself
a player’s referee rather than
someone who’s too dogmatic on
the rules.”
While an appeal from
Canterbury Rugby League for
junior refs was Mataiti’s sliding
doors moment, remaining in
the ranks for as long as he has
requires plenty of motivation and
dedication.
“I actually enjoy being put
under pressure,” he said.
Ruby Tui to play sevens in US
BLACK FERNS star Ruby Tui
will spend her sabbatical playing
sevens in the United States.
Tui played for University of
Canterbury in 2010 before she
made the Black Ferns sevens
team in 2012. The World Cup
winner and Olympic gold medallist
has now signed up for the
Premier Rugby Sevens.
The competition is held over
multiple tournaments with the
men’s and women’s teams vying
for one trophy.
Tui said she was thrilled to be
involved in competition which
provided equal opportunities for
men and women.
“I’ve been a massive fan of
Premier Rugby Sevens and what
they’ve done for women’s rugby
since they formed in 2021 in the
United States.
“To help grow our game
around the world, especially in
a place like the US, is an opportunity
I take very seriously. PR7s
has an awesome model for their
competition, with equal pay and
opportunity for men and women.
And I’m absolutely buzzing
to play some sevens again.”
Tui, 31, recently announced
she was re-signing with New
Zealand Rugby for another two
years, but she would take an immediate
sabbatical.
She will miss the Black Ferns
test against Australia on 29 June
in Brisbane due to her playing
commitments in the US.
She had taken a break from
playing after the World Cup to
pursue media opportunities and
sat out Super Rugby Aupiki.
Tui said she had multiple
offers from Europe, Asia and
Australia, but she wanted to stay
in New Zealand if possible.
The team she will play for in
the US competition is yet to
be confirmed. There are eight
franchises in the PR7s with
each aligned with a region or
city. PR7s chief executive Owen
Scannell was delighted to have
secured Tui’s services.
“Having Ruby come
and compete in Premier
Rugby Sevens at the height
of her playing career is an
unprecedented historic moment
for the sport of rugby and
women’s sports across the
United States,” Scannell said.
“She has already captured the
attention of millions of new fans
around the world.”
CANTERBURY
BROUGHT YOU BY
SPORTS CORNER
WITH NEW ZEALAND WOMEN’S CRICKETER
FRANKIE MACKAY SATURDAY 7– 8AM