After more than seven years of blowing the whistle in premier rugby, Wells will bring up his 100th game when Green Island hosts Alhambra-Union at Miller Park this afternoon.
The 40-year-old school teacher took up refereeing at junior level when injury forced him to retire from playing in 2006.
The former front rower had "ballooned out" to 120kg and he hoped refereeing would help him shed some weight.
These days he is match-fit at 90kg but is always aware he is one injury away from his career coming to a sudden halt. That knowledge helped him cherish every single game.
But if you thought nerves were reserved for the players alone, well, you would be wrong.
"I have a healthy dose of nerves before every game, especially if it is a shield game or something," he said.
"I've never done any semis or any finals but I'm really happy because I've been against some pretty good referees.
"We've had some great guys come up and do those games and I've been more than happy to support them do that."
Wells played most of his club rugby in Canterbury and South Canterbury but spent his past two seasons playing for Southern in the premier 2 grade.
Wells controlled his first senior game in 2011. There have been many highlights in the intervening years. But he recalled showing up to Watson Park three or four years ago only to find the field "under water".
Harbour was hosting Dunedin and the decision was made to shift the game to Moller Park in Ravensbourne.
"With 15 minutes to go to kick off we just jumped in the car and went down there. We started half an hour late and finished under the lights from cars."
Another memorable moment came when he was refereeing former All Black Brad Thorn when he fronted for Taieri one weekend. He described the robust lock as a gentleman and "a trooper for rugby".
Wells plans to ease back on the whistle after this weekend to help provide pathways for others.
"We are fortunate with the premier referees this year that we've got two or three guys knocking on the door.
"They are young guys who are going to push on, like the Jono Bredins and Stu Currans. Those guys are the future for us."
While Wells might make fewer appearances on the field, he is still keen to remain part of the game. He has been involved in sideline management for provincial, Super Rugby and tests and would like to do more of that in the future.
But this weekend is about celebrating reaching 100 games. His wife, Beth, and children James (7) and Molly (4) will be there to see a wonderful servant put in another shift for the rugby community.