Eastern Counties Rugby Union

for the last two games of the World Cup.
Roy Marfleet is the timekeeper at Saturday’s final, and Andy Watson the fourth official at Friday’s Bronze medal match.

Essex referee Marfleet, who lives in Sible Hedingham, has been selected as official timekeeper for the final between Australia and holders New Zealand. Marfleet, a former president of Suffolk Referees Society, and a former Mersea Island official, has been refereeing for 25 years, and has been performing timekeeping duties throughout the tournament.
“It’s great to be involved. You can’t do much better than this,” said Marfleet, who works as a civil engineer in Braintree, and will be at Twickenham three hours before the 4pm kick-off. “We have a security briefing, check the timing equipment, the referee’s briefing, and then warm up.

“We are in the changing rooms before and after the game and get to meet the players. I met Richie McCaw at an earlier game and got a couple of signed shirts.”
On Saturday, from his seat above the tunnel, he will advise the referee when the clock needs to be stopped, when the man in the middle fails to do so.

“You are miked up and talking to the referee all the time. You are also linked to the television and the stadium clock. But the referee has final control of time.”
Marfleet, who played at Rayleigh and Chelmsford, and enjoys refereeing as a hobby, also works for Premiership Rugby on a match basis.

Norfolk referee Watson is the fourth official at the Bronze play-off match between Argentina and South Africa at Twickenham.
Watson, who is based at RAF Marham, said: “It’s a great honour to be appointed. It’s nice to be appointed to the Bronze match.”
Watson, originally from Glasgow, and a long-time member of the Norfolk Referees’ Society, took up refereeing in 1986 following an injury sustained while playing for RAF Cosford.
“I lost a kidney and had to stop playing,” he said, “but I missed the game so much I decided to take up refereeing.”
That has, in recent seasons, meant regular work with Premiership Rugby, plus occasionally being part of the team of officials for matches in Europe.
Watson enjoys the excellent training facilities at RAF Marham, which help him to keep the high levels of fitness demanded of officials.

He is looking forward to the Bronze match, but has other duties the night before when he will be one of the officials at the final of the International Rugby Defence competition, between the British Army and Fiji at The Stoop.

Thanks to Ken Watkins for the article