Some famous Arthurs are King Arthur, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Arthur Ashe, and Arthur Lydiard. Perhaps a little less famous at the moment is Tauranga’s Arthur Rickard.

Arthur Rickard, “Little Ref” as he’s been dubbed, is making a big noise and a big impression with the Acme Thunderer, a rugby referee’s whistle, on junior football fields around Tauranga this winter.

“Kids are stoked when they get a kid referee.” And they always have the same question. “How old are you?” He delights in telling them he is only 13 — and they chuckle and titter. A kid whistling kids. And he’s just a few months inside the threshold to be an official rugby referee.

The Tauranga Boys’ College Year 9 student refereed the 2024 Tai Mitchell rugby tournament held recently. He was the youngest referee there by a runaway intercept try, by five years. He controlled “loads of game” and was thrilled. “I suppose it showed there was belief and trust, and I was capable.”

He’s right — he was noticed at the highest level. “Arthur has the potential to become a well-known figure in the game,” says BOP Rugby Referees Club boss Jackson Reuben Swinton.

‘Little Ref’

Seems he already has that recognition. “At Tai Mitchell, people would come up to me and go: ‘Oh, Little Ref, Little Ref’,” says Arthur. He quite liked that. “Now Little Ref’s my title. Everyone thinks it’s cool.”

As the moniker suggests, Little Ref is not a big bloke — at 1.54m and 46kg. It’s probably why his Greerton coach moved Arthur, the rugby player when not a rugby ref, from loosie to halfback.

“As a flanker, I enjoyed tackling, rucks, stealing the ball. But as a halfback I touch the ball a lot more.” And that ability to call and direct play from the base of the scrum is also applied to controlling 30 players as a ref.

Try! A ref with youth and style. Photo: John Borren.

A whistle has its upsides.

“You don’t get tackled or smashed.” And it has downsides because, as is the nature of contact sport, players will “try it on”. Arthur’s already had a taste. “… a couple of tough, close, important games where I made a call and people didn’t agree.”

He has his own mechanism for dealing with dissent. “I just tune out from people shouting at me. It’s quite easy when you are out there. Just tune out.”

It never gets too personal, but there might be an intimidating coach who confronts Little Ref after the game. “They hold on with the handshake, ask what that last call was about.” It can be a bit scary. And so this 13-year-old needs to be assertive, like his vice-like handshake, and have a good rapport with players and captains on the field.

Consulting ‘the bible’

And resilience, according to Dad Ben Rickard. “Because you get pushback, you have to develop mental toughness.” He was the catalyst for Arthur becoming a ref. “I didn’t want to coach so I became a ref.”

Arthur watched on, thought it was cool, got the bug and started blowing the whistle himself.

It has added an extra fun dynamic to this father-son rugger relationship. When the boys are out in the car, they’ll use their bible, The Rules of Rugby, to test each other’s knowledge of the game. Perhaps 7c of the tackle law: What must a player do when tackled with the ball?

Wimpish whistling won’t work

“He gets plenty wrong,” says the younger Rickard. “He gets more right than I do,” admits elder Rickard. And it has affected their TV viewing. “We used to watch the rugby, now we watch the referee. We see the game differently.”

Sometimes the humble tool of trade, the Acme Thunderer whistle, almost becomes an instrument in the brass section. Because refs practise blowing. “We do. The sound has to be right — firm and authoritative.”

Ben demonstrates a sad little broken trill. That wouldn’t work. Players need to know who’s in control, so wimpish whistling wouldn’t work.

‘Little Ref’ with one of his great All Black heroes, Damien McKenzie. Photo: supplied.

“Young refs cut their teeth on rippa non-contact boys and girls rugby, allowing them to build knowledge and confidence,” says Jackson. They also attend education forums where they’re mentored by experienced referees. “Several of our referees have gone on to represent at national and international level,” says Jackson.

Then there’s a pitch for more refs. Ex-players perhaps, but anyone 13-plus. “Great fun, kids love it, it’s cool,” says Arthur. “And you make a bit of pocket money. Lovely!” Are you interested?

Email: jackson@boprugby.co.nz