New Zealand Rugby recognises Grant Cotterell’s dedication to grassroots rugby

Referees Murray Findlay (left) and Grant Cotterell were recognised for 40 years of service at the recent Waikato Rugby awards evening. Photo / Waikato Rugby

One of Waikato’s longest-serving club rugby referees has been honoured for his dedication to the game.

Te Awamutu referee Grant Cotterell has clocked up 40 years of service and received an award from Waikato Rugby for this achievement.

Cotterell said he was honoured to be recognised by New Zealand Rugby for his decades of involvement with grassroots rugby.

“It felt like a great honour as this was the first time they had been included in the awards,” he said.

“As an added bonus, New Zealand Rugby president Mathew Cooper presented the certificate. It gave me a feeling of being part of the greater Waikato rugby family, and my services had not gone unnoticed.”

Since Cotterell took up the whistle in 1984, the laws of the game have changed several times, and the game is now coached and played very differently.

“World rugby changing a try from four to five points; red and yellow cards and the sin bin have been brought in; lifting in lineouts; the referee has taken more control of scrums; a number of changes to tackling laws; backs to stand 5m back from scrums; rucking has been more or less taken out of the game and foul play being tightened up on – those are just some of the law changes along the way,” Cotterell said.

Cotterell has no plans to retire any time soon as he gets “the best seat in the house” every weekend.

As his love of the game continues, he hopes to remain injury-free and be the best referee he can be, whether at the junior or senior level.

One of his goals is to help add to the strong referee group in the Te Awamutu Sub-Union to ensure the future of the game in the local regions.

“As a referee at grassroots level, I have no say on the changes, so over the 40 years I have learned to adapt to the changes and style of play, taking the good with the bad,” Cotterell said.

“I have learned from each game along the way, as well as building friendships with people involved within the game – from locally to overseas.”

Jesse Wood is a multimedia journalist based in Te Awamutu. He joined the Te Awamutu Courier and NZME in 2020.