Former England captain Phil de Glanville referees final warm up game

There can’t be many sports where you turn up to play and find that the game is being refereed by a former England captain, but that is exactly what happened at College Way on Saturday afternoon when Bridgwater and Albion hosted a Winscombe/Cheddar XV.

The referee for the match was none other than Phil de Glanville who played more than 200 times for Bath and captained them to a league and cup double in 1996. Between 1992-99 he played for England on 38 occasions and captained the team in 1996-7.

So how was a former England captain refereeing at Bridgwater & Albion?

“I finished my time on the RFU board and felt that I wanted to keep involved with rugby, so decided to take up refereeing, which I’d always wanted to do and I started about four years ago and I’m really enjoying it.

“I do think that every coach should actually referee a game where the responsibility is entirely on you because it teaches so much about what the referee sees, what their line of vision is, and what they’re looking for.

‘Generally my experience has been fantastic and I’ve been to a whole load of clubs, mostly in that Bath area. There is a great sense of community at rugby clubs and I can sense that here at Bridgwater and Albion. Everyone looks after each other and it’s great to hear thee singing in the changing room after a good win- it’s lovely to hear and that connection with me is huge, and all part of the rugby community.

“I still get a little bit nervous before I go out to referee a game because there are so many things to think about, so it’s really challenging mentally as well as physically. The more tired you get the harder it is to think, so you’ve got to be fit and be close to the ball and around the play as much as you can.”

When he was playing De Glanville was nicknamed Hollywood, but out on the oitch now he is referred ti as Sir.

“I’m not used to being called Sir. It’s quite a strange thing and everyone is very respectful, like both teams today which I was surprised about.”

With that the 57 year old former England captain was off to the dining room to enjoy a meal with the teams and join in with the camaraderie that is all part and parcel of the rugby family

Phil de Glanville is pictured alongside Mike Berry- Mr Bridgwater and Albion, who has just retired as club president after 27 years

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