Whistleblowers Baker and Mexted set for finals

Above: Hardham Cup and Jubilee Cup finals day referees Tim Baker (left) and Hamish Mexted controlling matches earlier this year.

While most are getting ready to support their team or put on the kits to play during the Wellington club rugby finals week, Tim Baker and Hamish Mexted are also getting their kits on and getting ready to run out with the players, but they're doing so to referee the games.

Tim Baker has the Hardham Cup final, which will be contested by the Wellington Axemen and Northern United. He is well equipped for the game as he has refereed, big games in his 11years of refereeing, like the national sevens tournament, and also refereeing top grade rugby in Tokyo.

When it comes to refing Tim said "he has the best seat in the house, I'm just there to blow the whistle when they stuff up.”

Tim was quite the rugby player himself, playing in his college’s 1st XV at halfback and first five- eighth, then says "I got too small for rugby so I decided to ref". He started blowing the pea in Dunedin and then transferred back to his home in wellington, to continue his success in refereeing.

Hamish Mexted who has been given the Jubilee Cup final, which will be played by Oriental-Rongitai and Tawa, says "there aren't any nerves yet, we'll see come game time, but I'm just looking at it as just another game"

The Jubilee final is a big honour for Hamish Mexted, he says "three years ago I would never of thought I would be refing the Jubilee final".
He's no stranger to the refing scene, having refereed for 11 years and been on an interchange to Japan and been refing the Jubilee cup all this season.

When asked if he keeps an extra eye in anything during the rugby game, Hamish says "everyone likes open rugby, so if I can just make sure the man is rolling away, keeping the offside line, it keeps the game open".

I asked both Tim and Hamish, if they could add/change a rule in rugby, what would it be? Hamish replied "Rugby is a confusing sport, it makes it what it is, if you want to play a simple sport, go play rugby league". Tim replied with "proper rucking, if the man is lying all over the ball you should be able to get him out of there... He won't do it again."

The first final of the day, the Colts Division 1 John E Kelly Cup final, will be refereed by Colin Te Pohe.

Good luck to all the teams and refs, and hope it's a good end to the club rugby season for 2013 in the Premier, Premier 2 and Colts grades.

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Finals Day refereeing appointments:

Colts Division 1 John E Kelly Memorial Cup

Old Boys University Green v Hutt Old Boys Marist Green, Hutt Rec 3, kick off 10.30am.
Referee Colin Te Pohe.
Assistant referees: Ray McMillan and Dennis Sharman

Hardham Cup Final

Northern United v Wellington Axemen, Hutt Rec 1, kick off 12.45pm
Referee: Tim Baker
Assistant referees: Christopher Graham and Geoffrey Willmott

Jubilee Cup final

?Tawa v Oriental Rongotai, Hutt Rec 1, kick off 3pm.
?Referee: Hamish Mexted
Assistant referees: Ben O'Keeffe and Richard Gordon