“We look not just at the referee on-field but the cut of the person and the attributes they bring off the field,” said New Zealand Rugby high performance referee development mana ger and former test referee Vinny Munro.
“The more life skills they have, the better the chances of performing at a higher level.
“Damien’s growth in the last year was clearly evident to us leading into the tournament and that’s testament not just to his hard work, but the support crew around him.
“Some of our best referees have come from Heartland unions and there’s nothing to stop that continuing.”
Auckland beat defending champions Waikato 30-17 in the premiership final.
One of fastest gamesMacPherson said it was one one of the fastest games he has been involved with since joining the Poverty Bay Rugby Referees Association in 2014.
“I was pretty nervous a couple of hours before the final but once I blew the whistle for kick-off the nerves settled a bit.
“You’re aware of where the ball is but you focus on what players are doing around the tackle-breakdown area — are they legal or not — and the offside line.
“Most importantly, the ref has to keep the game flowing as much as possible. The under-19 tournament is about showcasing the skills of players. They under-20 world cup is in Scotland next year and selectors from Mitre 10 Cup and Super Rugby franchises were in Taupo to see the new talent.”
MacPherson and twin brother Brad are old boys of Ruakituri and Gisborne Boys’ High.
Damien played openside flanker for the first 15 in 2003, started for Poverty Bay in a Ranfurly Shield challenge at Rugby Park in 2008 and finished his career as a player with the Ngatapa prems in 2014 due to concussion.
He has refereed the last two Poverty Bay club finals.
His best memories as a player are of hard tackling, the positive environment in every team he played for and the mates he made.
“The Poverty Bay Rugby Referees Assocation are all good people. They’re behind me 100 percent,” said MacPherson, who has managed one of the MacPherson family’s farms for the last four years.
“Vivienne, my wife, has been supportive even though I spend a lot of time away during the rugby season.
“I’m a lucky man to be able to come home to her and our baby daughter Madison.
“With the rugby, it’s good to be able to bounce ideas off two really good referees in Royce Maynard and Hamish Campbell. Hamish has been my local coach for two years and he’s been outstanding for me.
“I’ve really benefitted from Hamish’s help around my thinking on the game and focusing on the important areas that I’ve needed to develop to be better.”
Campbell said the final was the biggest game MacPherson had done and he did a fine job.
“It was great for us to have his father and brothers there with us in the refs’ rooms to watch it live. We were all rapt because he’s absorbed the learnings from game to game over the last four years so quickly.
“He takes it all in and you don’t have to tell him anything twice. He’s come out of a small union — competing against guys from bigger unions who referee fast games every weekend — but he has a very high fitness level and he understands players and referees accordingly.
“We think he’s got what it takes to go further.”
