Rugby referee Sam O’Reilly stays connected to the game
For Ellesmere’s top ranked rugby referee Sam O’Reilly, refereeing has now become a passion that has spanned nine years of Sam’s life since he began refereeing in 2013.
Refereeing has allowed the local dairy farmer to stay connected with rugby, dividing his time between his family and his work running a dairy farm near Darfield. His rugby journey didn’t start with refereeing however.
In his early years, farming took him around the country, starting out of high school in Counties Manukau, with stints across the farming regions of New Zealand, before settling in Canterbury and Darfield in 2006. Sam went on to play for Darfield for three years in a range of positions across the forward pack, a valuable asset for any senior team, before injury halted his playing career in 2009.
As a result of this injury and personal factors away from rugby, Sam tried his hand elsewhere, giving both golf and rugby coaching a go. However, with the time needed to dedicate yourself to both, it became evident that family and work commitments would get in the way, eventually leading Sam to take up refereeing.
Now a prominent member of the Ellesmere Rugby and Canterbury Referee communities, refereeing provided Sam an opportunity to stay connected with the game despite his commitments elsewhere. Throughout his nine years of refereeing, eight of which have been spent refereeing Premier rugby in Ellesmere and, more recently, throughout Canterbury as a member of the Canterbury Premier Referee panel.
“I remember at my first (referees) meeting, they asked me why I wanted to be a referee and it made me think,” said Sam. “For me, it was the opportunity to stay in the game and continue to be involved in rugby.”
As a father to three netball playing daughters, refereeing provided a level of flexibility that meant he could kill two birds with one stone. “Refereeing provided me with an opportunity to be able to watch my daughters play netball, but also continue to do my own thing. It gave me the ability to float between the two and take a weekend off when I need,” Sam said.
As a result, refereeing has become more than a hobby for Sam, who since debuting at Premier level in 2014, has refereed north of 70 Premier games. He has consistently been one of the top referees in Canterbury, as well as ranking in the Top 5 for the Canterbury region in both 2020 and 2021. He has also refereed the last four Coleman Shield finals.
“Making the Top 5 provided a lot of reward and satisfaction, and it’s a great vote of confidence for our region too, with the others recognized typically involved in national squads and roles.”
Over the coming years, Sam has one goal in mind. “I’d love to get to 100 senior games.” said Sam. “Early in my career, due to moving around every three years or so, I managed to rack up 30-50 senior games at each club, so those 100 games are my goal now. Before Covid, I hoped to get to that mark before my tenth year, but I’m still dedicated to get there within the next couple of years.”
Outside of refereeing, Sam has turned his hand to adventure racing, looking to compete in next year’s two day Coast-to-Coast despite this year’s unfortunate postponement, adding to his long list of activities away from rugby.
With another big season ahead for Sam and the Canterbury Rugby Referees Association, the Ellesmere sub-union is encouraging more people to get involved in rugby this season, whether that is refereeing, playing or coaching. It’s a great time to be connected to our region’s game and there are a number of ways for people to get involved, just ask Sam O’Reilly!