The men in the middle of it all
By Josh Ball
"A referee can't make a bad game good, but he can make a good game bad."
– Derek Bevan MBE, Welsh referee.
Having looked at the teams coming to Bermuda for next week's Rugby Classic, it only makes sense that we take a peak at the man in the middle, those officials without whom the game could not function.
A generally unloved group in any sport, referees come in for their fair share of criticism, but the good ones, the ones that come to be respected, can be the difference between a good game and a bad one.
Bevan's approach sums up the philosophy most of us would like to see in referees. Officials who understand that a little leeway needs to be given, that boundaries can become blurred sometimes without actually drifting into cheating, that 'advantage' should actually mean that, and who refrain from whistling the game into oblivion.
Of course, not all referees are loved. Many are loathed and others considered with downright contempt.
While not treated with the same vitriol that football referees endure, they do still enrage on occasion.
Former Wales international Jonathan Davies once said: "I think you enjoy the game more if you don't know the rules. Anyway, you're on the same wavelength as the referees."
The ex-Australian international and current Stade Francais coach Ewan McKenzie was slightly less diplomatic after one game, reportedly saying: "I never comment on referees and I'm not going to break the habit of a lifetime for that prat."
Bermuda though is fortunate to have a clutch of world-class referees taking charge next week. And of allcoming to the classic, Bevan is by far the most experienced.
He took charge of a record 44 internationals in all, from 1985 to 1999. Refereed the 1991 World Cup Final and also one of the semi-finals in the 1995 World Cup.
Bevan has also refereed the 1997 Heineken Cup Final, four Welsh Cup finals, the Hong Kong Sevens, the Dubai Sevens and the Students' World Cup final.
In 2001 he published his autobiography "The Man in the Middle" and he was awarded the MBE by the Queen for his services to rugby.
This is his ninth appearance at the classic and he can usually be found, during the week, holding court in a select corner of the Members Tent.
Alongside Bevan, Nigel Whitehouse is one of the best known officials in the game.
Making his first visit to the classic, the Welshman was in charge of 20 international matches from 2000 to 2007.
Prior to his refereeing career, he played scrum-half for Llanelli and South Wales Police and was a member of the Wales B squad in 1984/85 season.
He also represented the Welsh and British Police as well as the Combined Services. An injury in 1988 ended his playing career.
His first international, in 2000, was Ireland v Japan while his final one, in 2007, was Argentina v New Zealand.
He is an Inspector in the South Wales Police and continues to referee at a local level in Wales and assists with the coaching and development of the younger referees.
Among the other referees taking part next week are Ian Ramage (Scotland), Huw Lewis (Wales), Jean-Christophe Gastou (France) as well as local referees John Weale and Dennis Dwyer.
