Jono Bredin had a busy time of it in the weekend. Bredin (31) controlled his first game of premier club rugby on Saturday when he handled the match between Zingari-Richmond and Alhambra-Union at North Ground in Dunedin.
Then, less than 24 hours later, he was in Nelson umpiring the netball match between the Tactix and the Magic at Trafalgar Stadium in the ANZ Championship.
Bredin had been an internationally qualified netball umpire for many years but made the decision last year to have a crack at refereeing rugby.
So far, he was really enjoying the new code.
"Until now I've been doing Prem II and Colts games so this was a bit of a step up. But I found the players were really responsive,'' he said.
"There is a lot of crossover from the two sports - a lot about game management and the managing of the players.''
Bredin said he had been doing his homework and was reviewing each rugby game he did.
"Obviously, in the premier [rugby] competition they are playing under new law interpretations which relate to the breakdown so everyone is still learning. But every week I'm having a good hard look at what I can do better.''
He said his fitness was holding up well, although netball was more about short, sharp bursts while rugby had longer runs.
He finished his game on Saturday, which included him handing out a yellow card for a high tackle, and then flew north to Nelson on Sunday morning for the game in the afternoon.
It was not a hassle to officiate two games in two different sports in two days.
"... I have been around long enough now in netball that I know what I have to do.
"The build-up to rugby is a little bit more intense.''
He paid tribute to Otago Rugby Referees Association chairman Chris Hart and former chairman Jim Thomson for their help, and everyone was chipping in.
He was surprised to get the call to do a premier club match so early in his career. It was a goal but something he thought would take a while. He wanted to go as far as possible in rugby.
As for what sport was harder to officiate, he said they were different.
"Rugby has more rules. At this stage I think it is a bit harder for me to see the idiosyncrasies of the game. But, like netball, I think it is about what you do not call which is the big thing. It is the same in any sport, really.''
Bredin, who had umpired at world championships and Commonwealth Games, will be umpiring a netball game in Hamilton this Saturday between the Magic and the Mystics so will not be able to referee rugby.
He used different whistles for the two sports.
Netball whistles were in a grip around the fingers while rugby whistles were not fixed around the fingers so tightly.
"They both sound the same. But the first day of rugby the guys said, 'You're not turning up with a netball whistle'.''
