Congratulations Angus Gardner

Angus Gardner: Breaking the Super Rugby referees record and his double week of celebration

Thu, May 23, 2024, 8:46 AM
Nathan Williamson

Angus Gardner will become the most capped referee in Super Rugby history as the Australian breaks the record set by South African Jaco Peyper.

Gardner will officiate his 115th game at the Super Rugby level when the ACT Brumbies take on the Melbourne Rebels.

The 39-year-old has been a staple of Rugby around the world since his Super debut in 2012, one of few current referees to have officiated at three World Cups.

He was awarded the 2018 World Rugby Referee of the Year award, going on to referee the 2023 World Cup semi-final between England and South Africa.

“Refereeing is one of those things that you do because you love so it’s a really nice milestone that’s crept up,” he said.

“As much as anything, it’s just been an awesome journey. It’s interesting because when I did my 100th not so long ago, I said referring is as much about the people that helped you get there so I think whenever you achieve a milestone in refereeing it’s great to acknowledge the people that have helped you get there.

“I’d certainly like to acknowledge Jaco (Peyper), who’s been a great servant of Rugby for many years and his records are a testament to the person he is and the referee he was.”

Gardner was quick to credit those around him for getting to the record, most notably mentor John McCarthy.

“‘Mac’ has been with me from the first game with the Reds-Rebels in 2012 all the way and even when I started off refereeing, he’s been with me all the way on that development pathway," he said.

“I think when you’re with a person like that for so long, your relationship becomes much more of a life coaching relationship and that’s what’s incredibly special about what we have is he knows me like the back of his hand.

“The stuff we talk about and deal with is much more related to the mindset and how I am as I’m heading into games as opposed to the more technical side of the performance.

“To have someone that you can just ring up and bare your soul to is pretty amazing.”

Gardner took up refereeing in 1999 at the age of fifteen and the nerves haven't subsided since his Super Rugby game between the Queensland Reds and Melbourne Rebels in Brisbane 13 years later.

It comes part and parcel with the pursuit of the perfect game a referee will always chase but never achieve in everyone's eyes.

“I think that’s a good sign, maybe when the nerves aren’t there it’s probably a sign," Gardner said.

“I think the exception changes as well because when you start your career, you’re on this incredible journey and wave but as you become an established experienced referee, the expectation to perform at a high-level week in, week out is incredibly impotent and consistently so that’s really what I’ve tried to achieve and set myself towards being the best referee I can be every week.

“Hopefully one day I have the perfect game.”

As a result of some record inaccuracy, Gardner has had a fortnight of celebrations, initially believing he'd broken the record last week in Fiji before further games were found for Peyper as part of the short-lived Super Rugby unlocked.

"Our refs don’t get enough recognition for what they do in our game and he’s done a lot to take the game forward," Reds co-captain Liam Wright said after the game.

The slight delay allows Gardner, who brought up his 100th last April in Sydney, to celebrate the milestone with his loved ones and truly soak in what it meant to him.

“The Dura kindly presented me with a jersey embroidered with the records on it so it’s actually a pretty funny story when they came to present it, I had to say it’s actually next week," he said and smiled.

“It’s nice when some of your milestones are within Australia and family and friends can come down. My 100th was at Allianz and we had heaps of people coming out for that one and the family is coming down so it’s really nice in that sense.

“It’s a double week of celebrations which is rare.”