Ever-attentive Fred Barwick makes sure this YMP player legitimately scores in the corner in a Poverty Bay Premier game at Rugby Park. Photo / Paul Rickard
Ever-attentive Fred Barwick makes sure this YMP player legitimately scores in the corner in a Poverty Bay Premier game at Rugby Park. Photo / Paul Rickard
Rugby devotee and long-time referee Fred Barwick won’t be at the Poverty Bay Premier club rugby final on Saturday.
The latest life member of Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union (PBRFU) will instead be officiating the Senior 1 final between Nūhaka and Wairoa at Nūhaka.
Barwick has no complaints. He isthe union’s referee appointments officer and told the Gisborne Herald the Senior 1 final would be a good match. Last week he was the assistant referee for the YMP v OBM Premier semifinal.
The Motu farmer - like Albie Gibson, who was also made a life member of the union at its recent AGM - is a long-serving and loyal servant of rugby and remains passionate about the game.
Barwick started refereeing at schoolboy level in 1986 while playing for High School Old Boys.
Hooper and another former first-class referee and ex-PBRFU chairman Malcolm MacLean informed Barwick of his life membership.
He was stunned.
“I aways thought you got life membership around 80.”
Veteran referee Fred Barwick keeps up with the play while running the line in a game between Pirates and YMP. Photo / Paul Rickard
As a life member of the Poverty Bay Rugby Referees Association, he did not expect to receive the same honour from the union.
He follows Hooper and MacLean as a life member of both rugby organisations.
So what is it about refereeing and what has motivated him to have kept blowing the whistle for so long?
Barwick, now in his mid-60s, said there was a lot of camaraderie in refereeing and it was a joy to watch the “different tiers” of players coming through.
“I played (against) Richard Owen (Old Boys and Poverty Bay fullback) and his two boys have come through. It’s good to see kids getting out on the rugby field and giving it a crack.”
Barwick temporarily gave refereeing away at the age of 45 after he was brutally assaulted by a Premier Grade player in 2003.
He suffered lacerations to his left eye socket, a broken nose and received six stitches to his bottom lip after being punched.
The player was sentenced in the district court to five months’ jail for the assault and the union banned him for 10 years.
Barwick said he was away from the game for a year.
“I’m a farmer - old school. A couple of mates said ‘come on Fred, get back on the bloody horse’.”
Barwick returned to refereeing, but admitted he was initially apprehensive.
“There was a lot of support from the players.”
Referee Fred Barwick keesp a close eye on play in a match between High School Old Boys and Horouta many years ago. Barwick, who is now in his mid-60s, says he has no plans to retire and will be back next season. Photo / Paul Rickard
Barwick has no plans to retire and will be back next season.
