Injury blow - season over for Poverty Bay's top ref

OUT OF ACTION: A snowboarding accident has sidelined Poverty Bay referee Damien Macpherson until next season. Macpherson, who is in the New Zealand Rugby high performance referees squad, suffered a broken leg the day after officiating his second Heartland Championship match.Picture by Liam Clayton

RUGBY

RISING Poverty Bay referee Damien Macpherson’s Heartland Championship season is over after just two games.

The 32-year-old farmer— who started refereeing in 2015 and was named in a 15-strong New Zealand Rugby high performance referees squad late last year — broke his left leg while snowboarding the day after he officiated the King Country v North Otago game at Taumarunui.

“Because I was over that way, I stayed with a mate and the next day we went to the ski fields (Turoa, Mt Ruapehu),” said Macpherson, who played flanker for Poverty Bay and the Ngatapa premier team before taking the whistle-blowing path.

“I was on my way down the mountain when I hit some solid ice and lost the edge (edge of his board coming out of the snow) and headed for a rock.

“There was nothing I could do and I smashed into it.”

At first he thought he had escaped injury as there was no pain.

“Then I looked down at my leg (middle of the shin) and saw it was sideways.

“My mate came and I asked him to make sure the bone hadn’t come through the leg and to check if there was any bleeding. I know there’s a high risk of infection with a compound fracture.

“Fortunately it wasn’t but when I straightened my leg the pain was nine out of 10.”

Ski field medics arrived, put Macpherson on a sled and transported him to the first-aid rooms.

“They were great. I was air-lifted to Whanganui Hospital and operated on that night.

“I was out of hospital around lunchtime the next day and a mate drove me home.”

Macpherson said a specialist told him it would be three months before he was walking again without pain.

“After that it’s all about rehab and hopefully I’ll be back refereeing before the second round of club rugby next season.

“The New Zealand refereeing association guys have been brilliant.

“They told me not to worry about my place in the national squad.

“They said my place in the squad was not in jeopardy and not to push my recovery.”

Macpherson is one of two Heartland union refs selected in the high performance squad. The other is former Black Ferns international Rebecca Mahoney (Wairarapa Bush), who became the first woman to referee a first-class fixture (Thames Valley v Buller in September).

For Macpherson, making his way up the ladder has meant a lot of time away from the farm, travelling to and from games.

“I couldn’t do it without the support of my wife (Vivienne), family and friends, especially now.

“My father (John) and father-in-law (Jim Hall) have been great. They’re putting fenceposts in for me. I’ve also got brothers (Brad and Karl) who help out.”

The King Country-North Otago game was Macpherson’s second Heartland appointment. His first was the Thames Valley v West Coast match at Te Aroha on August 25.

A qualified plumber and gasfitter, Macpherson said he didn’t like talking about goals but the next step would be refereeing in the Mitre 10 Cup.

“I’d love to do that but first I have to get fit again, and nail being a good Heartland referee.”