King Country rugby referees will celebrate their centenary in Te Kūiti this weekend. Pictured (from left) are local referees Chris Cowie, Jamie Bell and Blair Bacon. Photo: KCRU
After a century of whistle-blowing, King Country’s rugby referees still haven’t run out of puff.
The association, flying under King Country Rugby Union’s banner, converge on Te Kūiti on Saturday to celebrate 100 years of officiating.
It all kicks off tomorrow night at Waitete Rugby Football Club, golf at Piopio on Saturday morning, then pre-game lunch ahead of the Waitete v Taupo Sports premier club game, topped off by a centenary dinner at Waitete in the evening.
Centenary organiser and referee Kieran Smith said the centenary celebration was “more than just a milestone on a calendar”, but a chance for referees to connect and honour the impact volunteer rugby referees have had on the community.
“It’s a chance to come together and acknowledge the volunteers, commitment and sense of community that have sustained King Country referees for 100 years, while encouraging the next generation to get involved,” Smith said.
“Most importantly, it honours those who have gone before us and reinforces why what we do continues to matter, today and into the future.”
Paul Williams during the Auckland v Waikato, NPC Match, Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand, Thursday, 31 July 2025. (Photo by Blake Armstrong / action press)
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In a rare coup, international referee and centenary guest speaker Paul Williams will referee the Waitete v Taupo Sports game – something the former halfback is looking forward to.
“I’ve got no doubt it’ll be roll-your-sleeves-up physical rugby. I’m not expecting the helter-skelter kind of rugby I’ve seen in Super Rugby so far this season,” he said.
It’s a rare occasion for Williams to referee club footy these days, but when he gets the opportunity to connect with the community game he takes it.
“Unfortunately, the club games are not ticking over that quickly for me; I didn’t even get to referee one club game last season,” Williams said.
“When you go to the professional level, the scrutiny is much higher, the pressure’s a lot greater, so there’s a different sort of air about it. But when you referee at community level, you can definitely feel the love of the game all around you.
“It’s almost like therapy for me because you operate at a high-performance level for so long and you can experience a bit of burnout. But when you get that opportunity to be involved in club rugby, it’s massively energising and it reminds you about why you love the game,” he said.
His return to Te Kūiti brings back memories early in his professional career, when he officiated the Heartland Championship match between King Country and Buller in 2014.
“I vividly remember following the teams into the tunnel, they ran onto the field and as I was coming out through the middle of the tunnel, I reached down to grab my whistle out of my pocket and realised, ‘Oh no, I don’t have my whistle’,” Williams said.
“The ground announcer happened to be standing around the tunnel and he heard me say I’d forgotten my whistle, so he communicates to everyone there, ‘Oh, the referee’s forgotten his whistle, he’s just heading back into grab it’.
“You could ask me about test matches I’ve done that I’ll have no recollection of, but I remember stuff like that,” he said.
Following the game, Williams, the first New Zealander to referee an All Blacks test, will join New Zealand Rugby game development manager – referees Matt Peters and former King Country referee Pat Coogan on a guest panel at the centenary dinner.
“I enjoy having the opportunity to relive some of the stories I’ve been so fortunate to have through rugby. It really has been an amazing vehicle for me,” Williams said.
“I’ve certainly got plenty of scars on the back and I’ve learnt a lot of lessons along the way, so I’m looking forward to sharing some of those.”
While Waitete host Taupo Sports, Taumarunui Districts will look to keep their unbeaten streak alive against the winless Waitomo in Taumarunui, while Taupō Marist have their second Hetet Shield defence of the year against Taumarunui Eels.
After three rounds, Marist and Districts sit unbeaten and atop of the ladder, Waitete and Eels round out the top four, Taupo Sports and Piopio have wins against Waitomo to show for their season, with Waitomo lingering at the bottom of the table.
King Country rugby referees will celebrate their centenary in Te Kūiti this weekend. Pictured (from left) are local referees Chris Cowie, Jamie Bell and Blair Bacon. Photo: KCRU
