Bredin looking to build on promising start

Jono Bredin.
Jono Bredin.
New Zealand's No1-ranked netball umpire Jono Bredin is moving up the pecking order as a rugby referee.

Bredin took up the whistle in the winter game this season to try something different and to see where it would take him.

The 31-year-old accountant is still involved with netball and will umpire during the quad series involving New Zealand, Australia, England and South Africa which gets under way this weekend.

But Bredin has made rapid progress in the oval-ball code and has been appointed to the assistant referees panel for the national provincial championship.

''I've got the bug now and I always wanted to make a fist of it,'' Bredin said.

''As far as a first year goes, I was really happy with the start I made and where I've got to so far.

''The feedback was that I improved from one game to the next and they were reasonably comfortable with where I'm at. My challenge now is to build on that.''

Bredin officiated in five premier games this season and was awarded the premier 2 final.

Adapting to refereeing was not without its challenges but, with each passing game, Bredin said he felt ''more comfortable on the paddock''.

''But every game is different and you have to stay on your toes and be aware of what is happening in front of you.

''The biggest challenge for me was getting the running lines right so I didn't find myself at the bottom of a ruck or getting bowled over.

''It is not dissimilar to what I'm used to in terms of why you are standing in a certain spot. It is just that game sense which is improving from one game to the next.''

Physically, rugby presented some new demands as well. Bredin worked ''really hard'' on his fitness before the season got under way and felt it was ''up to scratch'' but he wants to ''push the boundaries a wee bit further''.

''Being on grass in all weathers is a bit different from being on a nice sprung wooden court.

As for those Dunedin winters, Bredin said he was not bothered by bad weather at all.

''When you are out there you don't really notice whether it is pouring down with rain or if it is freezing cold. You keep moving as best as you can and wear a few more layers.''

Bredin's progress in rugby could spell the eventual end of his netball career. While he plans to continue officiating both sports for now, he said there were ''just too many unknowns with netball and the new competition next year'' to say whether he would stay involved at the top level.

''We haven't had any advice from an umpiring point of view to say what that [the New Zealand elite tournament] will look and feel like.

''I'm fully committed to rugby, as I have been with netball, this year. What next year holds is yet to be decided.''

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