Referee has blast from the past

Referee Paul Honiss will be blowing on a piece of history when he signals time on at the World Cup's opening game on Friday.

"I tell you what, it still works very well," the Waikato referee says of the heavy silver whistle he will briefly use in Sydney.

Engraving on the whistle says it was first used in 1905, when New Zealand, in their sixth test, beat England 15-0 at Twickenham.

It controlled players at the 1924 Olympics, and Mr A. E. Freethy of Wales used it to issue the blast which sealed Cyril Brownlie's place in history as the first All Black to be sent off in a test, at Twickenham in 1925.

It has also been used to signal the kick-off at all four World Cups: 1987, 1991, 1995, and 1999.

Honiss, 40, has the honour of refereeing the opening match, his 25th test. The treasured whistle was in his bag as he flew to Sydney to prepare for the Australia versus Argentina game.

"It's very special, and I love the tradition of it," he said.

Honiss will blow time on, then quickly drop the 98-year-old whistle into his pocket until the first lineout, when he will hand it to an official for safe keeping and use one of his own.

"It's actually quite heavy by modern standards."

He expects its shrill blast to be drowned out by 90,000 screaming fans at the opening game.

Bob Fordham (Australia), Jim Fleming (Scotland), Derek Bevan (Wales), and Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand) refereed the previous opening matches. Each wrote a letter to the whistle's and coin's custodians, the New Zealand Rugby Museum in Palmerston North, confirming their use.

Honiss, one of three New Zealand and 16 World Cup referees, will control three group matches, then await further assignments.

He would love to whistle games at the tournament's business end in late November, but is keen to be disqualified from being in charge of the final.

Disqualification would mean the All Blacks were playing for the prized trophy.

- NZPA