The frost was thick on the ground and the sun did not come up for a good while.
But that did not stop Mark Walton getting out and doing what he has done for the past 27 years.
Walton got out his refereeing uniform, picked up his whistle and officiated an under-13 club game.
Walton, at 71, must be one of the country's oldest referees but he still believes he has something to offer the sport.
"I still enjoy it and like to be involved, contributing to the game,'' he said.
"I'd be no good just standing around. I'm not much of a spectator. It has been such a big part of my life for so long. I think having that bit of apprehension before the game is a good thing to have.''
Walton arrived in Dunedin - to work at the medical school - from England in 1975 and played socially when he arrived.
"I was never a good player but I enjoyed playing. I had done a bit of reffing in England. When I got fed up with the team I was on - I had a better chance of having a good game as a referee than I did as a player.''
He played a bit down the grades for social teams and also Alhambra and Ravensbourne sides when he arrived in New Zealand but was drawn to referring in the late 1980s.
He had always officiated down the grades and said the game had changed during those years.
"The players are the same as the referees. You don't see the big pukus out there any more. It is a much better game, much faster and the skill level is much higher. In the old days, you used to have one or two really skilful players in a team. Every team now has really good players right through the team.
"In an under-14 game they use every square centimetre of the paddock. So you have to be fit. I do a bit of running, some swimming.''
Walton, who is not married, said there was much emphasis on spectator behaviour these days.
"Generally spectators and coaches are very good. They will ask you about your judgements and I always try to give an honest answer. You have 30 boys at the end of a game coming up to shake your hand.
"About 15 years ago I got a fair bit of flak and I was not sure I was going to keep doing it. But two parents came up to me and said they were really grateful for what I had done and for penalising their team. That sort of stuff keeps you going.''
He said junior games got good support with plenty of people watching.
Referring was not an easy job, he said.
"As far as I'm concerned it is a most difficult game to referee. You've got different levels of skill, different levels of knowledge, different levels of fitness, which all makes for an unpredictable game.''
He tried to keep the game flowing as much as possible - "you could blow the whistle every second''.
And when is he going to put the whistle down?
"I'm probably getting to the end of it now but they still keep giving me games.''
