A referee who admits to learning all he knows from his time in Dunedin is rocketing up the officiating ranks.
James Doleman (25) was named yesterday as part of the new referees squad for the forthcoming World Sevens series circuit.
Doleman spent five years in Dunedin learning his craft and has made a rapid rise since he left the city.
He was now based in Auckland, a teacher at Rosmini College on the North Shore.
He has made his debut at Mitre 10 Cup level this year and is set to referee the match between Northland and Southland in Invercargill tomorrow.
Doleman said his selection in the sevens squad was a huge thrill and something he had not set his eyes on.
He had refereed at national sevens tournaments and regional tournaments and run the line at the Wellington Sevens tournament.
Like players, referees found the two games — sevens and 15s — completely different, he said.
"The game is so much quicker and faster, and the decision making is quicker. With 15s there is more of an emphasis on game management."
"There is more scrutiny on the decisions in 15s, while in sevens it is more about making quick decisions and then getting on with the game."
Doleman said he is enjoying refereeing in the Mitre 10 Cup and was looking forward to controlling the game in Invercargill.
His path to refereeing was not logical and almost did not happen.
He lived overseas growing up, schooled mainly in Asia, and his father, who was a referee, encouraged him to pick up the whistle.
"I was playing in high school and I was picked to go to a tournament in Hong Kong at the same time as the Hong Kong Sevens. But I broke my collar bone.
"Dad said I should go along and have a go at refereeing. I gave it a go and hated it. I was awful at it.
"But I just stuck at it and kept going and still kept playing. Then Nick Briant saw me at a 10s tournament in the Bay of Plenty and reckoned I had a future in it."
Doleman spent five years in Dunedin, getting a physical education degree and one year at a post graduate course for teaching.
He ended as the number one referee in Dunedin.
"Everything I know is from what I learned down in Dunedin."
He said referees education officer Jim Thomson had been a huge help.
The ultimate goal for Doleman was to be a professional referee but his feet were on the ground.
"I’d love to be a professional ref. Who wouldn’t? But there is only a select group who can get into that sort of field. I’m just going to take it as the next game. And that is Northland against Southland on Saturday."
