World Class Match Official Fitness Series
with our partners ACME whistle We spoke to Alex Reid, the RFU’s match official strength and conditioning coach. Her career took her from Harrods to Spurs and then to the RFU. Alex has a passion for high performance sports.
In this interview, the third in the series, Alex talks about his current role and how he brings professionalism and focus to match officials’ fitness.
“I know what it takes to compete at the highest level physically, both personally and in football, and my background in trying to educate match officials to create that behavior. , I think it’s very important.
“In football, I’m with the players every day for 11 months of the year, so I can have a big influence on them.
“Right now, we have 10 full-time employees, but the rest are part-time and have other jobs. You have to check week after week to make sure they are available and suitable for selection.
“So a big part of my job is to educate, to help match officials reach their physical potential and to play in the Premiership, the Championship, Europe, whatever they are selected for. Support and make sure they are physically strong and ready.
“What’s really clear is that the game officials recognize that they can’t just get fired up and command the game on the weekend and not be physically able and ready. In some cases, you may be able to get away with it, but you may not be able to perform at the highest level because you may be late for a breakdown or may not be in a position to make decisions.
“They can’t keep up with the play, they can’t sprint for a breakaway, they’re more likely to pull their hamstring, they’re not as strong and conditioned and they’re suffering from chronic injuries from overuse. There is a high possibility that
The team further discussed how match official fitness has changed since 2009, to which Alex replied:
“I think that’s a very good question.
“I think now people want to be fit and happen to be a match official. I was probably a match official before, but then I realized I needed to be fit.
“I think we have good athletes who are also good match officials, and I think that’s probably the difference.
“When you look at the full-time match officials that are currently in the RFU, they are good athletes, move well and understand their bodies.
“When I first started working at the RFU, conditioning and fitness weren’t a big focus for match officials, but now it’s part of performance reviews and we have to hit certain performance targets. .
“If you look at the World Cup group, they’re lean. They’re athletic, they move well. They’re keeping up with the play. They’re talking to TMO or whoever, but they’re not out of breath. yeah.
“They are capable, healthy and in good condition.
“I think they realize it’s not about being at the highest level, which is what a lot of our group aspires to.” perhaps Training two or three times a week – it’s part of their job and they need to do this.
“You know, they have to be technically gifted. They have to understand the laws of the game and react appropriately. But they have to keep playing and make decisions even when they feel fatigued. Physical ability is very important to their success.
“The players are healthier than ever, so the officials need to catch up!”
“So it’s not just the fact that the referees are fitter, it’s the fact that everyone has improved their game. The World Cup is an eight-week tournament. My goal has always been for English referees to make it to the finals. That’s it.
“When Wayne played in the World Cup finals, we knew he had done everything he could to be the best, both through physical preparation and technical preparation. That’s why with him It was a great pleasure to work with you.” All of them are.
“He is a great example of the hard work it takes to be the best in the world and for me I am really proud to see him and the England team qualify for the Rugby World Cup final.
“To be able to see five Englishmen in a final like that. I mean, I’ve watched Burnsey in four World Cups and I was keen to see him rewarded. It is a well-deserved honor and a credit to his dedication to the sport.
“It’s also great to see former players like Carl come out. It’s a great advertisement for a former player.
“Karl is a great example of how seriously we take being a match official. He used to be an athlete and now he continues to play the sport as an official while maintaining a professional approach to fitness.”
In the next feature in the series, Alex explains a new approach to meeting official fitness and how it adds to your game.
To find out more about refereeing and get your first referee’s whistle, visit www.acmewhistles.co.uk.