Contents Introduction and Disclaimer 1. Legend, Beliefs and Conjecture 2. Aspen 3. Kit Through the Years 4. Stories, Memories and Other Fibs

Introduction and Disclaimer This project started when Stu Geiger suggested in early Spring 2017 I write a history of the Referee Society. I procrastinated for a month or so before sending a letter to the former and current chairmen. They, in turn, put off writing down their memoirs for another two months. With gentle reminders and a bit of public shaming responses started to roll in. I could not have done this without input from others. When you read this you will realize it is an incomplete history. There are many holes. While the sequence is fairly accurate dates are mostly missing, due in part to fading memories, in part to the way years of rugby tend to melt one into another. If I had a nickel for each time I heard, “It’s all a blur…”. That said it is still a fluid, growing document. I am particularly interested in more stories, true or imagined. Any submissions will be considered as additions to this history. Many of the photos herein have the author as a main subject, not because I am an arrogant bastard (wait, I’m a ref, right?) but because they come from my own personal collection. I would be glad to include tasteful photos from the albums of others. I thank Stu for planting the seed; this has been fun. YIR Joe Zevin

Chapter One Legend, Beliefs and Conjecture THE of rugby is steeped in legend. A generally accepted legend is that William Webb Ellis

WHO WITH A FINE DISREGARD FOR THE RULES OF AS PLAYED IN HIS TIME FIRST TOOK THE BALL IN HIS ARMS AND RAN WITH IT THUS ORIGINATING THE DISTINCTIVE FEATURE OF THE RUGBY GAME A.D. 1823

This must be true. These words have been etched in stone a wall near the athletic fields at Rugby School,

In those days it was the players, all students, who determined the laws and

The Author at Rugby School 2002 mode of play. According to The Rugby History Society the laws could, and did, change each time the lads gathered for a game. Further documentation shows that other schools each had their own version of football. It wasn’t until 1845 that Rugby School published the first set of written laws to govern the game. It is a safe assumption that there were those who felt this sullied the purity of the sport. Adding an on-field referee was a further violation.

In 1863 the Football Association tried to standardize the laws throughout England. At a series of meetings various laws were discussed. It was decided that hacking, or kicking the ball carrier in the shins, was to be done away with. A member of the Blackheath club felt that hacking was an essential element of football and that eliminating it would “do away with all the courage and pluck from the game.” He went on to say he would be bound to ”bring over a lot of Frenchmen who would beat you with a week’s practice.” No doubt this threat stiffened English upper lips, leading them to codify the laws, settling once and for all how the game should be played. On 26 January 1871 representatives of 20 schools and clubs met at the Pall Mall restaurant in London for this purpose. There should have been 21 clubs, but the Wasps, “in true rugby fashion turned up at the wrong pub, on the wrong day.”

Since then there have been periodic, substantive changes to Law. Most recent amendments have been in the interest of making the game faster, more attractive to paying and television audiences. Others have been instituted to make things easier for the referee. Then there are those law changes intended to stifle the underdog nations’ use of creative tactics.

So the sport continued to grow and became a global pastime. Rugby weathered many challenges such as the schism in 1895 when an upstart group of mercenaries decided they wanted to get paid to play. This group reduced the number of players on the pitch by two and have suffered the unlucky consequences ever since. Another break happened when the fraternity boys at Rutgers and Princeton found they were too fat, too slow and too lazy to keep pace with the continuous nature of rugby. They slowed the game down by guaranteeing possession of the ball, stopping play just because of a tackle and opened the line of scrummage. The field was cluttered with a cross-hatching of lines. Players were clad in armor plating. These Ivy League fellows put their money behind the new code, invented television to better market their herky-jerky game and forced the American populous to eat onion rings and drink soda pop.

Eventually Rugby found its way to . Legend has it that the first game was played in 1965 between Colorado School of Mines and the University of Colorado. Jeddidiah Erasmus Aloicious Rich, better known as “Bob”, was asked to referee the match because he was the only person in the state with an English accent. As he told the story Bob said, “It was either that or play stand-off.” Bob went on to referee for many years then became the first referee in the state. He thrice donated sets of royal blue track suits to the Society. His hobby of rebuilding antique cars gave the Society its first sponsor: Rich’s Restored Racers. Things went along ruckingly until 1967. One Terry Fleener, a member of the Barbarians and President of the Eastern Rockies RFU, traveled to the Roaring Fork Valley and decided that Aspen would be a good place to hold an end-of-year rugby tournament. In 1970 James Russell, moved to Denver, joined the Barbos and joined his team and made the trip up the mountain for the 4th Aspen Ruggerfest. Having played rugby in , thus knowing more about the sport than anyone else in Pitkin County, he complained bitterly about the quality of refereeing. Jim tells the story of how the following summer, playing in the July 4th Aspen vs. Barbarian fixture, he bashed into a ruck only to hear Aspen’s regular referee, Reverend Tim Walker, blow his whistle, penalizing the excitable Mr. Russell. With the finest of decorum and deference to the referee Jim asked, “What for?” “Dangerous Play, running into the ruck,” quoth RevTim. “What?”, asked an incredulous Jim. “What should I have done?” The reply has stuck with Jim ever since, “You should run up, stop, and lean.”

Jim returned to Denver, sought out Mr. Fleener and suggested ERRFU form a referee society. As has become standard punishment for such behavior, Mr. Russell was told to become a referee himself. Jim

Jim Russell cir. 1980 not only took up the challenge, but elected himself society chairman as well.

Jim called up the handful of gentlemen who were brave enough to referee rugby in those days. He hosted a meeting to set some standards for the 1972 season. Among the things agreed upon was the name of ERRFU Referee Society, a need for consistency of on-field interpretation, and a desire to meet once a month as an excuse to have a pint or two. In a misguided attempt to brand the referees as pure and honorable, they decided to wear an all white kit. The Colorado Department of Wildlife rams logo was poached and ERRFU Referee Society lettering was added. The Union passed a resolution that no team could have uniforms with more than 40% white so as not to conflict with the referee kit. This ordinance was ignored by several clubs.

As the only member of the executive committee Jim took on the duties of scheduling referees for the upcoming weekend. The need for reassignments often arose when there were conflicts or a certain referee couldn’t , or wouldn’t, work a particular game. Mr. Russell took it all in stride. Since rugby was a low priority for the parks departments and Saturdays were full of other activities, games were mostly played on Sundays. In those days rugby was a staunchly amateur sport. No one was allowed to accept money for playing or refereeing the game. Even the top international players did not receive payment for their time and effort. Local referees were no exception. However, it was acceptable for a referee to receive a small stipend to cover expenses. $5, was handed to the ref by the home team. This amount was doubled due to the increase in gas prices after the 1973 OPEC embargo. All too often a ref had to beg for his stipend from a disgruntled losing host team. The Society started sending bills to each club at the end of a season to save both parties the embarrassment. This led to the creation of the post of Treasurer. While it is not clear who first held the position it is known that Alan Osur, a referee affiliated with Air Force Academy RFC, managed the financial health of the Society for many years.

Jim also managed to get the Union to establish and adhere to a master schedule. His impetus was to make it easier to assign referees. The Union agreed to the plan. Then, as now, the best laid plans are only as good as fortune allows. Having enough referees to cover all the games in a day was, and still is, not always possible. Most referees had to run two games, A-side and B-side, back to back. Thanks to the dedication of the referees very few games went off without a referee.

Another arrangement was made with the growing mountain league. $10 would not cover the cost of gas a referee would burn to get to Aspen, Breckinridge, Steamboat Springs or Vail. A free night in a mountain town made for a far more attractive proposal. Most of the mountain teams had a member in the condo-rental business and could provide lodging at no cost to their club.

Notable among the referees in this early bunch were Rex Bull and Bill Astle (Mines), Jeff Aldred (Boulder), Al Osur (AFA) and Tony Mason (RAF at AFA), Larry Gaddis (C Springs), Cliff Shutt (Highlanders), Tony Keesar (Queen City), Joel Diemer (CSU), John Pollard (British Army stationed at Ft Carson), Nancy Briley, (Barbarians). Later were added Jerry Van Valkenberg (Mile Hi), Brad Zeig (QC), Scott Miller (Mines), Herc Koranski (QC). We had exchanges, usually for tournaments, with Texas, Heart of America (KC), Utah, St Louis, and later Nor Cal and So Cal.

In addition to leading the formation and administration of the ERRFU Referee Society Mr. Russell went on to great things. He rose to the “A” Panel, the highest level of domestic refereeing and qualified to referee international matches. He served on the Rules and Laws committee, steering the interpretation and application of law. Jim is now an international Performance Reviewer as well as being a highly respected member of disciplinary committees at the local, national and international levels. The Society owes a great debt to Mr. Russell for his years of service and guidance.

AFTER about a decade of running the show, Jim stepped down and Bill Astle took the chair. Mr. Astle laid down the first written bylaws for the Society which set up an executive committee of Chairman, Match Secretary, Treasurer and

Jim Russell Aspen 2010 Training Coordinator. Fees to the clubs were raised to $25 per match. Referees were asked to claim only their expenses so the Society could build up its resources and be able to afford to send local refs to other parts of the nation.

Not having enough competent refs continued to pose problems. Mr. Astle instituted a policy intended to solve the issue. Each club was to post a $25 bond to guarantee they would provide a full-time referee. Most clubs felt it was easier to pay the fine than to subject one of their friends to the infamy of going to the Dark Side. The bond was raised to $50, then $100 with no better result.

Yet, somehow, referees were recruited and trained. Games were covered. With the help of Alan Osur and his AFA connection Several English and Welsh referees were brought in. While their main focus was to improve rugby at the Academy, they gave their time to improving the skills and abilities of the local refs.

ERRFU RS became an instrumental force in the establishment national system of referees. Identification of refs with potential, getting them games in front of evaluators and promoting them to territorial and national status seems to have come from the vision of the Society’s early leaders.

During Mr. Astle’s tenure the idea of pairing a senior ref with a novice was started. This proved to be an effective method of getting new refs experience and on-the–spot advice that could be applied in the second half of a match. Often this method required teams to be liberal with subs in the B-side match, an arrangement that did not follow the strict two subs per match limit proscribed by Law.

Exchanges with other local societies became a good way for ERRFU referees to get themselves high level games in front of territorial and national evaluators, thus furthering their careers. The exchange that has generated the most rewards is with the Southwest Group in England. Originally a Western Territorial exchange organized by Jeremy Turner, a Cornishman living in Houston, it soon became evident that only ERRFU referees had what it took to brave two weeks of English hospitality. Also, with Tom Coburn and Charlie Haupt going the first year (2001) and Joe Zevin the second (joined by Davey Ardrey of St Louis) in 2002, not to mention that all the hosting was done locally, the exchange became a wholly ERRFU affair. Lifelong friendships have been forged on these adventures. Many of the Devonian and Cornish tourists have scallywagged Aspen years after their official tours.

FOLLOWING Bill Astle, Chairmen included Martin Brown, a Kiwi transplant and Abbott Greenleaf who had found his way west from upstate New York. Martin is still in the Denver area practicing law. Abbott returned East, never to be heard of again. Somewhere in there a Jerry Van Valkenberg took over and ran the show for a few years IN THE early 1990’s Charlie Haupt was elected chairman, a position he held for some twenty years. When asked about the success of the Society Charlie most graciously thanked his predecessors for leaving a well organized, well run group. He cites financial stability as a cornerstone for making things easy. Charlie, recognizing one of the major barriers to recruiting referees is that they feel a loss of their club connections, stated that his most memorable accomplishment was to turn the Society from a “gaggle of referees” into a club in its own right. During Charlie’s years the Society hosted a summer barbeque and a winter social event each year. True friendships were forged and flourished. Loyalty to, and identity as a member of the Referee Society, became an attraction to many who were nearing the end of their playing careers.

While NorCal may dispute the claim, many felt that ERRFU RS was the BEST referee society in the nation. Supporting this claim are the following facts: During Charlie’s tenure ERRFU had more National/A panel referees than any other locality (Jim Russell, Scott Miller, Bob Woerner, Tom Coburn, Charlie Haupt, Tim Luscombe, Marc Nelson, Brian Zapp) and a number of Territorial/B Panel refs (Brad Zeig, Larry Johnson, Geraint

Beynon, Dan Hattrup, Joe Zevin, Martin Brown, to name Charlie and Karlee 1997 a few). This put ERRFU referees in the middle, or on the touchline, of countless national playoff and championship matches at all levels. Our people were tapped to referee Super League matches and many of the old Major League Matches. Some will say that this over-representation is due to Denver being a cheap flight to anywhere. Rubbish. Our referees were (are) just plain better. Mile-high fitness doesn’t hurt…….

The ERRFU area was, and is, home to several IRB Educators able to recruit and train the next generation of rugby referees. ERRFU also had a strong crop of referee coaches to turn those recruits into competent referees. Several of our members also served on national and territorial boards, Charlie and Jim served on the Rules and Laws Committee, Dan Hattrup is an international citing commissioner furthering the influence of the Society.

ERRFU RS registered as a not-for-profit organization with the state of Colorado adding legitimacy to both the Society and to Colorado rugby in general. Monthly meetings and semi-annual clinics kept the membership up to date on the latest law and interpretation changes handed down by the International Rugby Board. When the IRB instituted a more defined and organized educational system, ERRFU RS was ready with Charlie an early member of the community of educators. A system that allowed club coaches to give feedback to the Society was begun (revised?) under Charlie’s tenure. This had only sporadic success as many clubs and their coaches had an adversarial relationship with referees. This was taken as a sign that the Society had to make some internal changes to alleviate the us-versus-them perception. Charlie started sending out senior referees to club and school training sessions to better explain law and application. This was well-received and is now an ongoing practice. On the internal side senior referees were paired with one or more juniors in a mentor – protégé arrangement to try and bring the youngsters up to their individual potential. This plan also had mixed results that has grown and faded over the years. Currently this program is on the upswing; it has become accepted practice that the protégé initiate contact, thus placing the onus on the individual to take the lead in his/her own success.

During the twenty years as Society Chairman, Charlie faced a malady that affects even the stoutest of us. Life got in the way of rugby. He took a back seat for a few years and was ably replaced by Larry Johnson. The major development during Mr. Johnson’s term was to institute a system of compensating referees for their referee services. More than just paying expenses, the Society, in line with the new professional status of rugby around the world, offered payment for refereeing, assistant refereeing and the writing of a coaching report or evaluation. Several referees remained true to the amateur ethic and plowed their stipend back into the Society, but in a growing percentage, others accepted the small amount graciously. We all realize that none of us is a truly professional referee, but the money does come in handy when one’s fridge is bereft of beer. Larry also spent time as Society Referee Development Officer, a post tasked with getting active referees to realize their individual potential.

In 1994 ERRFU RS hosted the first National Conference on the game. With Jim Russell as the chief organizer referees from around the country came to hear some of the best in the world share their views on how to better referee the game of rugby. Group discussions led towards a standardization of how the game was to be refereed. Schmoozing and libations were also an important factor . Once again the leadership and vision of the Society’s people gave rise to similar practices from coast to coast. Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco and other cities each took their turn hosting the bi-annual Conference, expanding the scope to include coaches. 2004 again saw Denver as host. This time the planning committee was led by Bob Lesnansky and was a huge affair with over 200 referees, coaches and administrators in attendance. This proved to be the last conference hosted by a specific locality as USA Rugby, seeing an opportunity to wield influence and make some money, took over the event. They have been quite successful in the production of their version, but it all started in Denver.

WHILE Spring and Autumn are the meat and potatoes for Society members Front Range team used to make three or four trips to the 1Larry Johnson, Joe Zevin, Bob Lesnansky, hills each summer. Two tournaments are still important events Vail Ski Town tournament each summer. The Cow Pie Classic has been going since the mid 1970’s in Steamboat. Ski Town rotates among the various sites which now includes Glenwood Springs.

AROUND 2008 a real boon to the referees and rugby in Colorado in general landed in Glendale, a city completely surrounded by Denver. This small municipality managed to create the only publicly owned rugby specific stadium in the USA. Infinity Park is a destination for top level games both domestic and international. Top matches require top referees and ERRFU has provided both referees and referee support. Mid-grade matches provide an opportunity for local refs to hone their skills on the big stage. Refereeing in the stadium is a thrill; the video production of a match is an invaluable

The Author, Tom Lyons (Washington DC) Geraint "Taffy" Beynon Division II Men's Club learning tool. A favorite Championship Match 2008 incident in the Stadium came in the first year of stadium operation. We were all enamored with the scene: The crowds, the changing rooms, the videotaping, the concessions, the Try Club and the Jumbotron at the south end of the pitch. This author was AR for Taffy Beynon. In the first half I was on the north touchline. A kick found touch in the south east corner. As I jogged to position for the line out I glanced up at the big screen and what did I see? Taffy trotting along, admiring himself on the Jumbotron.

TOM COBURN is the current Chairman. Tom’s style of leadership reflects his style of refereeing. When a match would get heated Tom would find the appropriate moment, call the captains over and whisper. If they persisted in being hot and upset, Tom would back away and speak even more quietly until the person he was addressing made extra effort to hear what was being said. Nice tactic. Serving under Tom as Vice President of Operations is Mark Huff, a very capable and diplomatic man whose charge is to oversee the day-to-day functions of the Society. Dan “Gilligan” Hattrup serves as RDO. Dan is a man of vast rugby knowledge. His vision of how to improve referees and his ability to communicate that vision is exemplary. Steve Gore is the current Treasurer, running the finances deftly, efficiently and electronically. Steve recently was promoted to the “B” Panel, and is on the national radar for higher level matches. Stu Geiger has served as Match secretary for a number of years. This is possibly the highest stress position in the Society as the Clubs, schools and the Union are constantly changing their schedules at the last minute. The constant lack of referees available at any given match day often falls short of the needs. Stu has been known to schedule himself for four different Tom Coburn lays it down during one of several Aspen matches at Glendale and put in 320 minutes of rugby in vs. Barbarian Finals one day just to cover the games. Stu still complains about his fitness, but he does claim four meal and drink tickets. Newly minted national panel / elite referees during this period are Derek Summers and Kurt Weaver. These two have raised the bar of national and international refereeing even higher with both being assigned a number of international matches. Both have been in the middle for several international tests.

In 2016 the renamed Rocky Mountain Rugby Referee Society covered over 450 events. Tournaments, league matches and friendlies for Men, women, collegiate men and women, high school boys and girls. Youth rugby is growing exponentially and there is a fine crop of youngsters, many of whom play at the HS level, running those games. RMRR always sends one or two senior refs to guide these newbies.

RMRR generated now has a budget of over $100,000 each year. A referee can make between $60 and $100 per match depending on the level. A day at a tournament ranges from $90 to $150 in extra money in the ref’s pocket. Expenses such as mileage are paid above and beyond the match stipend. Payments are usually made electronically, alleviating the need for paper checks. With that much revenue RMRR has registered as a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization. OTHER major events on the RMRR calendar are the Rocky Mountain Challenge, Denver Sevens and RugbyTown Sevens. The RMC is a U-19 – U-17 select side tournament. Teams from the Western half of the nation come to play against the best from other states. The two-bracket format allows not only for national selectors see young ruggers vie to make it to the next level, but also a grand opportunity to advance our own referees. It is another feather in the exchange cap worn by RMRR. Denver Sevens is a massive, 50 year old tournament that has national qualifying, open, social, collegiate, and high school brackets. The one day event is a chance for our refs to have a bit of fun while getting in a week’s worth of sprint training. RugbyTown is hosted by Glendale. It is part of a circuit just one step below the international scene. Teams from around the world put on a show a dazzling speed, dexterity and skill. Local referees get to work with some of the best sevens officials in the nation. Bob Woerner at RMC the one year it was in Boulder

Chapter B Aspen

Aspen 2000

THROUGHOUT these years the Aspen Ruggerfest was, and remains to this day, the highlight of the year. At first referees were left to fend for themselves as far as lodging and food was concerned. John Pollard of the British Army spotted the Prospector at the downhill end of Wagner Park. At the time the Prospector was an old-fashioned inn, not the modern condo we know today. John got a room on the second floor and offered it as referee headquarters and a warming hut during cold weather. Remember that Ruggerfest used to be held in mid-October to coincide with Oktoberfest, a great excuse to drink beer. Unfortunately Aspen after the Autumnal equinox can dish up some severe weather. Sometime in the late 1970’s wiser heads prevailed and moved the tournament up a week at a time until it came to rest on the third week of September.

It has been said that many tourists come to Aspen in the hopes of catching a glimpse of a movie star or other luminary that frequent the former silver mining town. During Ruggerfest it is the celebrities who come out to see us. One year, from the deck of a $zillion house on Smuggler Mountain across the valley a certain leader of a certain nation looked through the telescope, focused on Wagner Park and said, “That looks like rugby!” A few minutes later Nelson Mandela was walking the touchline shaking hands with spectators and players.

After Mr. Pollard returned to the UK the Society continued to use the room until a change of ownership brought on a scrape-off and rebuild of the Prospector. In addition, the little spruce tree in the corner of the in-goal grew to massive proportions, blocking the view from all but one balcony. Mourning the loss of their refuge, Bill Astle walked out of the Prospector and looked uphill, towards the mountain, towards the heavens. Lo and behold he caught sight of the Mountain Chalet, A Swiss style lodge across the street from the uphill end of Wagner. He approached the owner, Ralph Melville who overcame his fears of letting a bunch of ruggers stay in his quaint establishment and has hosted the Society for many years. Ralph used the money he made from us, and the Gentlemen of Aspen RFC, to add rooms, floors and entire wings to the hotel. He passed on operative management to his son, Craig who runs the hotel to this day. Two upper-floor apartments serve as referee HQ, the pool, exercise room and hot tub are used extensively. Breakfast is filling and free. We borrow one of the meeting rooms for our annual banquet and Kangaroo Court where hearsay is the highest form of evidence. Defending oneself can be considered contempt. Court is full of stories that are unfit for publication in such a proper, refined history as this, so we will leave them in Aspen. Suffice it to say that for many years Rick Carlson served as Marsupial Magistrate. He carried a four foot long gavel and doled out harsh and grievous punishments to the accused. Since Mr. Carlson passed away, in 2005, the Society has gained possession of the gavel and all subsequent Magistrates have had their names inscribed next to his on a brass plaque wrapped around the gavel head. Each year attendees have been presented with a commerative jersey. For many years it was a polo shirt with the Aspen logo and the year. Each year’s polo was a different color. Referees could be proud to wear those shirts at events other than the Ruggerfest or even among a civilian population. Very classy. For a few years we had a betting pool trying to guess the color of the year. This practice faded when it became obvious that the winner was expected to buy the first round at the bar with his winnings. Since it is Aspen, the winner often turned into a loser at the bar. Twice the Aspen club, wanting to save a few dollars, provided the jerseys for us. Both Referee Crew 2016 times they gave us shirts that were of hideous color and questionable quality. Recently the jerseys have been someone’s idea of funny. This year, Aspen Ruggerfest’s 50th, we hope to get a jersey with a touch of class. Champagne rugby, after all.

Three times Aspen Ruggerfest has seen weddings. Bob Lesnansky and his bride Vicki held a self-solemnization ceremony on Wagner Park. The more creative of us had fun with that phrase. Bob Woerner took Shannon as his wife at the Little Nell, a five-star hotel at the base of Aspen Mountain. Steve and Leslie Glentzer, perennial scallywags from Kansas City, had a small gathering on the banks of the Roaring Fork River. Well planned lads; your anniversary

Woerners' Wedding. Aloha shirts or neckties? Joe Zevin, Rick Carlson, Bob destination is set for the rest of Lesnansky, Jim Russell your lives!

On a sadder note ERRFU lost another of their number when Greg Carver Passed away some years back. Greg was a solid mid-grade referee and was well liked by all. He left a lovely wife and two young daughters. The following year his initials were on the sleeve of the polo shirts. An annual award in Greg’s name is given to the referee who most exhibits the qualities of service and dedication to the Society.

Aspen is also a mascot event. Each referee or member of the entourage is expected to carry, at all times, a token. The only regulation governing what is a mascot is that it has to have a face. If a referee is caught without a mascot on his or her person that referee owes all present a round of drinks. If one calls a mascot check and all present have theirs, that person will be expected t do a shot of the nastiest sludge the bar can provide. This author was once caught sans and had to down a shot of warm well gin with pickle juice. Sound advice is to plug your nose and get it over with.

Aspen has always been a draw to referees from around the world. Society Chairmen through the years have to field calls from out of state refs trying to blag their way up the mountain. Most get a polite refusal, but there are those who get the invite. As one would expect Aspen provides a great opportunity for exchanges of referees. Offer a sister Society the chance to send one of theirs to Aspen and local ref sent out is guaranteed a good match or two at the other end. Exchanges have been established with local societies throughout the nation. Running East to Mi Cajones! West, the Aspen weekend has hosted refs from New England, New York, Deep South, Chicago, Texas, Heart of America, New Mexico, Arizona, SoCal, NorCal and Pacific Northwest.

It has become tradition for a load of referees to take an extra day off work, head up to the hills on 2L to R Davey Ardrey, Joe Zevin, ??, ??, Richard Steggall (Devon), Tom Coburn, the Wednesday of Aspen and play a round of Larry Johnson, Rich Cortez, ?? at Lakota Canyon GC at some fancy course. The scores may not be too low, but it is always a great day.

Chapter 3 Kit Through the Years

Referee kit went through some changes during Charlie’s years as Chairman. The white jerseys, shorts and socks gave way to a gold jersey with black shorts and black socks with gold trim. Some had ERRFU navy blue shirts. All cotton fabric meant that, just like players, if it rained a referee was carrying extra weight. In the Early 2000s Bob Woerner, an A Panel referee held a high ranking job with Toyota. He finagled a deal with them to sponsor the society in the form of full kit. White shorts, emblazoned with the Rams’ head logo, purple socks made up the bottom half. The two jerseys that went to each referee, one long sleeve, one short, were of the new synthetic Toyota Kit at the Massacre material. A stylized scene of Colorado’s snowcapped Purple Mountains Majesty was sublimated under a blue sky. One of our vertically challenged members liked to wear his shorts pulled up high. The result was a row of white bumps barely showing above his waist band.

That kit lasted a few years before the Society, through increased fees to the clubs, found itself with coffers bulging. The decision was made to provide all active referees with new kit every year. We found another sponsor, though short lived, in Kudu, a South African company represented by Mike Dunafon who later became the driving force behind the building of Glendale’s Infinity Park. These jerseys were Royal blue with black highlights.

No matter which color the Society chose there was always at least one team that wore the same or a similar color. A referee has to stand out from the teams or he may get run over or, worse yet, have the ball passed to him (ex-flanker referees have the best running lines). The decision was made to provide all refs with a variety of colored jerseys so they would never be mistaken for a player. Kooga was found to have the best quality at the best price. Royal Blue, Gold, Kelly Green and Orange were chosen. Chris Ratay, a member in the real estate business made a donation in exchange for putting his logo on the back of the first two colors purchased. Red was added later, in a different pattern, when a new company, Tsunami, asked to use the Society to show off their product. The current kit includes two jerseys, sky blue and a vibrant pink.

The Society also provided members with kit bags, shoe bags and whistle bags. The first kitbags were the canvas tube with an end pocket for small items. The current bag is manufactured by Ogio and had several zippered compartments to keep all a referee’s gear and sundries in their place. Law books were distributed annually. Modern technology has put the Lawbook online, though there are still advantages of having a pocket-sized book for quick reference. Touch flags have also morphed over the years. Early flags consisted of an old jersey held by a guy with a beer in his other hand. Yellow flags with the ERRFU logo stenciled in came. Brad Zeig went out and bought two flags, a “B” and a “Z” in the pattern of naval signal flags. For many years we have been issuing the Colorado state flag with the ERRFU/ RMRR logo stenciled in the corner. The current flag is a stylized version mounted on drumsticks. Very nice.

ChapterDelta Stories and Other Fibs

ST. VALENTINE’S Day was created to sell roses and greeting cards to the hopelessly in love. The Gentlemen of the Blue Goose created a tournament for those with a hopeless Jones for rugby in February. Played at 9600 feet above sea level at a time when few are match fit, the Massacre is a hoot. The hosts borrow the ski area’s Sno-cats to pack down the pitches, making for a fast track in the morning. Orange Kool-Aid is used to mark the lines. Sunshine and the churning of running feet loosens the snow deeper and deeper as the day goes on. Players and referees can be truckin’ along just fine when suddenly they find themselves thigh deep in snow. With the rule in effect that a referee in charge of a match that ends in a common score has to buy a round for all other refs in attendance, poor Mike Blois had a debt of two rounds going into the women’s final. Tied at the end of regulation made it three. Two tied overtime periods brought the count to five before one team scored. One more round was tacked on for good measure. Good sport, Mike Blois.

3Massacre 2002 L to R Rick Carlson, Some New England Guy, Tim Luscombe, Chris Peck, Mike Blois, Joe Zevin

CHARLIE TELLS a story of a trip to Portland Oregon to referee at a World Masters Tournament. He was accompanied by Tom Coburn and Bob Woerner; a bit of firepower representing ERRF, wot? Charlie was assigned to referee a team from Russia, who claimed that none of them spoke English. Charlie had a dickens of a time getting them to understand his calls. Very difficult to manage a team that does not understand what the referee is trying to say. Post match Charlie swapped jerseys with one of the Russians who thanked Charlie for the trade and for a well called game, in perfect English, of course. Later, in the hotel lobby, Charlie, Tom and Bob were kidnapped to calls of “Referee Vodka, Vodka, referee.” They learned some songs in Russian and never made it to dinner.

THEN THERE is the legend of the Tits. One year ERRFU referees were asked to help cover a Division Two collegiate tournament in Chadron, a town in the panhandle of Nebraska. Rick Carlson was among those who made the drive. Being a bit of a self-appointed sine snob, at dinner Friday night Rick asked the waitress for a wine list. Hearing this question, absurd in Chadron and environs, the cook behind the counter said, “We have red and we have white. It comes in a box.” Not quite catching the culture and civic pride of Chadron, the next day saw Rick complain about the lack of chesty women in town. Some of the locals took exception to this, but not wanting to be known for accosting visiting referees, they went to the forest with a chain saw, found an appropriately shaped tree and fashioned a lovely, large set of knockers and presented it to Rick with , no doubt, a comment of self sodomization. Upon return to Denver, Rick’s companions told the story. At the next Aspen Court session Rick was told he had to carry the “trophy” for a full twelve months, bringing them to every referee function he attended, under pain of buying a round for all present. Being the good natured fellow he usually is, Rick complied.

The Tits then became a traveling trophy awarded to the referee who most grievously sticks his foot in his mouth, or at least that is the excuse for presenting them to whomever the committee chooses. Joe Zevin

Sporting wood at Stonehenge was scheduled for the England exchange the next year, 2002, so he unwittingly obliged, during a pre- match briefing, by telling a visiting Assistant Referee he wasn’t as

Cornwall pubs have nice tits important as the man with the whistle. There are photos of the Tits all over Southwest England. They came back with club neckties and autographs of famous English ruggers. The next year they were given to a very deserving fellow we call Flappy. He didn’t like the idea of carting 40 pounds of wood around so he left the sacred relic in the back of his truck. Exposed to the elements the Tits lost about half their weight and showed cracks from drying. Since then they have been passed from one fool to another, gaining decorative accoutrements along the way.