Olympics will be ‘career highlight’ for refs Evans and Jones

Four arduous years of preparation towards last year’s Olympics were put in jeopardy for the world’s top athletes in March when the Covid-19 pandemic sweeping the world ensured the world’s biggest sporting jamboree was put on hold.

Earlier this month, and with less than 100 days to the rescheduled Games, World Rugby confirmed their referee appointments and the Welsh duo breathed a huge sigh of relief when their names were revealed.

“To be honest when it was actually postponed I thought ‘jeez I’m not going to finish off where I wanted to’ because from my point of view I was looking at the Olympics as being where I would finish sevens before fully focusing on 15s,” said Evans.

“Everybody was building for four years towards the Olympics and with the state of covid you knew another wave was coming so it was a case of if it was on again I would dig my heals in and do what I can do to go but if it was called off again because of covid then that is something I can’t control – I’m just grateful at the moment but even though it has been announced I’m still a bit sceptical on what will happen but still quietly confident.”

Powys-based Jones added the Olympics were the pinnacle of years of hard graft and an opportunity both men are desperate to be part of.

“We’ve worked hard for it and when the Olympics was cancelled it was obviously disappointing but we kind of knew it was coming, it was just when it was going to be announced. We haven’t really missed anything because there has been no sevens – our last tournament was a long, long time ago – now the officials have been announced there is a bit more momentum going forward and fingers crossed it does happen,” he said.

When it comes to taking part at the Olympic Games, Evans and Jones say no stone has been left unturned en route to reaching their dream of completing their sevens refereeing career in Tokyo.

Evans said: “I’ve done the Commonwealth Games and Sevens World Cup, the XVs game doesn’t go to the Olympics, the sevens does so if there is an opportunity in any capacity you have got to do what you can to get there and that is exactly what my focus has been.”

Jones has refereed on the World Series Sevens circuit since 2016 and echoes Evans sentiments.

“We are going there as match officials and not many get that opportunity to go to the Olympics so to say that you have been there as a referee is something people can never take away from you so it’s an opportunity you can’t wait for.

“Athletics was my big focus as a junior growing up. I always loved the athletics and seeing people like Usain Bolt running in London is a memory that will never go away and to think that the Olympics is nine years on and I’m going to be there refereeing like Usain was in 2012 – it’s crazy when you think of it like that.”

Both have no doubt refereeing at the Olympics will be the highlight of their careers to date.

“I can’t predict what the Olympics will be like but I think they will be a bit different in Tokyo,” predicted Evans. “With all the covid restraints we can’t go and visit the wonderful city of Tokyo and Japan, basically it will be airport, hotel, pitch and back to Heathrow unfortunately. But if someone offered me to go to the Olympics and just do that rather than not go, then it’s still a no brainer.”

In unison, Jones added: “I think we are really lucky to go to some amazing places people can only dream about going to,” added Jones.

“I have been to Japan three times with the sevens before – it’s just an unreal place and so completely different to anywhere else we go to. To experience an Olympics in Japan, as Craig said, yes it is going to be different but it’s still going to have a buzz around it, I’m 100 per cent sure. I think it will definitely be the highlight of my career to date when we do get there and referee.”

Jones became just the fifth full-time referee within WRU ranks after signing a 12-month contract with the union early last year. He followed in the footsteps of Nigel Owens, Dan Jones, Ben Whitehouse and Evans after excelling in the Welsh Premiership where he was voted the top referee for three consecutive years between 2017-19.

The Premiership may be chalk and cheese compared to the global World Sevens series, but Jones wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Don’t get me wrong, the Premiership is where you learn your craft – I’ve had five or six years in the Premiership, it can be very, very difficult but I think that is what makes you stronger as a referee. You have got to do the hard yards there first and then when you go to these places you feel so grateful,” he explained.

“You have got to have that experience and referee through the levels before you get there and the Welsh Premiership has been great for young referees and for players. I’ve had five really good years through there now and I’ve really enjoyed it. There are some tough places to go in the Premiership, tougher than a lot of places around the world.

“I remember doing Ebbw Vale vs Pontypridd on a cold January Friday night and the score was 9-6 or something similar, and you just think what am I doing here but you then come off the pitch and you think that actually wasn’t a bad game and then you fly to Canada the next week and you think this is a completely different lifestyle but at the end of the day it is still rugby and the Welsh Premiership is definitely really a good place for talent to come through.”

Evans chimed in, adding: “I miss the Premiership to be honest. There are so many different teams and players – we haven’t seen them for nearly a year. There’s a good craic with the coaches as well, Jason Hyatt to name one, a good bloke and it will be good to go back and do your Aberavon’s, Cardiff’s and Llanelli’s. Some of them boys and teams will have their first bit or rugby since god knows when. We’ve been lucky enough to still be able to referee but it will be good to go back and ref the Premiership.”

Evans’ career also continued on an upward spiral during the Guinness Six Nations, where he made his bow as an assistant referee.

“It was pretty awesome,” he admits, “to get two games in the Six Nations was something I didn’t expect to get. It was really nice to work with different referees from different countries to see how they prepare for games. It was a good experience and I just hope I did enough to make sure it won’t be my last.”

Players have often spoken of the difficulty of switching between the two versions of the game, so is it the same for referees?

“It’s totally different,” responds Evans. “The laws are exactly the same of course but how you apply them is different. Normally in sevens, its two clean passes and advantage is over to keep the game going. Your running lines as a referee to get to the next breakdown or next phase of play is totally different. I can say hand on heart, the experience I have in four or five years in the sevens has made me a much better 15s ref.”

Evans and Jones, along with Whitehouse and Dan Jones will now have to pick up the baton as Nigel Owens steps down from the limelight. He has been hailed as the best referee the game has seen for a number of years, and his protégés are have nothing but praise for him.

“He’s gone from the best ref to an average farmer – actually he’s probably a very good farmer,” laughs Evans, before adding, “I owe a lot to that bloke, I’ve known Nigel for years, regardless whether he is reffing the Premiership, international or on the other side of the world he is always on the other end of the phone to talk through things or help me. Going forward he is going to be my coach and I’ve done a lot of work with him over the past few months in that transition period. To learn off someone like him, I ask the question back: Can you get better? Probably not.”

“Craig hits the nail on the head there,” confirms Jones. “There will never be another Nigel Owens. He’s been great to us over the last few years. Craig and I ran touch for him in the England v Georgia match, the game before his 100th Test – that’s just something that will stick with me as well. It’s not often you get to work with the world’s best – to do that in a Test match environment is something people can only dream to do.”

Jones went back to Powys County Council when covid struck to continue his sport and development role and pays tribute to his employers who have enabled him to reach his Olympic goal.

“From February 2020 I was going on a secondment for a year preparing for the Olympics so I was going to leave Powys and work for the WRU but then Covid hit the Olympics so I went back to Powys County Council to work. My boss Elin Wozencraft has been fantastic with me and the team around me have supported me all the way. I know from June 1^st I go back full time for a year with the WRU so I’m just really looking forward to it and Powys County Council can’t be thanked enough for how they have supported me.”

With the countdown now on for the Olympics, Evans and Jones are both aiming to finish their sevens careers at the pinnacle of the sport – fingers crossed covid doesn’t intervene again to deny them their just reward.