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After cross-code players, coaches and conditioners, the advent of the cross-code referee. Karl Kirkpatrick, who took charge of last years engage Super League Grand Final and was the 2005 referee of the year, is taking his whistle to rugby union.
Kirkpatrick, 42, who has 14 years experience at the highest level of league, was sounded out by the RFU before the 2006 Grand Final and has decided to take up the other codes renewed interest after the RFLs introduction this season of six full-time officials on 12-month contracts.
A business development manager with the Bank of Scotland, Kirkpatrick was reluctant to accept the RFLs offer to go full-time. Since then, he has been relegated to weekly rounds in the Northern Rail Cup and lost much of his enthusiasm, which he hopes to regain in a massive challenge presented by refereeing in the rival code, of which he has no experience.
Kirkpatrick dropped his bombshell during a BBC Radio Lancashire interview last night. He will start by officiating at schools and junior matches, with the specific intention of refereeing at the highest level in union. He has begun work on the rudiments of the game at the West Park club in St Helens. Among those advising him are Denis Betts, the former Great Britain league forward and Wigan Warriors coach who joined the coaching staff at Gloucester last year.
The league rulebook is dwarfed by its union equivalent and the lineout is only one of many minefields, but Kirkpatrick is confident that he can adapt. The RFU specifically admired his man-management skills in matches. Just like Jason Robinson, Andy Farrell and coaches crossing over, its a question of taking a structured path and, if possible, rising through the ranks. Its something thats never been done before and its got my adrenalin going, he said.
After refereeing about 1,000 amateur and professional league matches, Kirkpatrick has heard his last cry of gerremonside, ref. Apart from a feed to a union scrum nearly as crooked now as that in league, there is a world of difference. But in Kirkpatrick's case, have whistle will travel.
www.TheTimes.co.uk
Kirkpatrick, 42, who has 14 years experience at the highest level of league, was sounded out by the RFU before the 2006 Grand Final and has decided to take up the other codes renewed interest after the RFLs introduction this season of six full-time officials on 12-month contracts.
A business development manager with the Bank of Scotland, Kirkpatrick was reluctant to accept the RFLs offer to go full-time. Since then, he has been relegated to weekly rounds in the Northern Rail Cup and lost much of his enthusiasm, which he hopes to regain in a massive challenge presented by refereeing in the rival code, of which he has no experience.
Kirkpatrick dropped his bombshell during a BBC Radio Lancashire interview last night. He will start by officiating at schools and junior matches, with the specific intention of refereeing at the highest level in union. He has begun work on the rudiments of the game at the West Park club in St Helens. Among those advising him are Denis Betts, the former Great Britain league forward and Wigan Warriors coach who joined the coaching staff at Gloucester last year.
The league rulebook is dwarfed by its union equivalent and the lineout is only one of many minefields, but Kirkpatrick is confident that he can adapt. The RFU specifically admired his man-management skills in matches. Just like Jason Robinson, Andy Farrell and coaches crossing over, its a question of taking a structured path and, if possible, rising through the ranks. Its something thats never been done before and its got my adrenalin going, he said.
After refereeing about 1,000 amateur and professional league matches, Kirkpatrick has heard his last cry of gerremonside, ref. Apart from a feed to a union scrum nearly as crooked now as that in league, there is a world of difference. But in Kirkpatrick's case, have whistle will travel.
www.TheTimes.co.uk