The ASB Otago Sports Awards continue with part three in the series. Today Adrian Seconi profiles the three finalists in the Tarn Group Official of the Year category.
James Doleman. Photo: ODT files
James Doleman (Rugby)
James Doleman has moved into the professional ranks and is moving up the pecking order.
The Otago referee has had an impressive 12 months behind the whistle.
The 29-year-old got his start as a referee when a broken collar bone ended his playing career. A year after his debut season in 2010, he was officiating in premier club games and made his debut at the Heartland Rugby level in 2014.
But Doleman arguably earned his stripes on the World Sevens circuit, where he has officiated in more than 100 games and was assigned the final at the Hong Kong tournament last year.
Doleman was selected to referee at the World Junior Championships in Argentina last year and really impressed. He was awarded the final between France and Australia.
His form saw him earn a role in the Mitre 10 Cup, where he officiated in seven games, including the semifinal between Tasman and Auckland and the Ranfurly Shield game between Canterbury and North Harbour.
Doleman went on to make his Super Rugby debut when he stood in the middle for the match between the Lions and the Rebels in Melbourne in March.
The Covid-19 pandemic has stalled his progress but Doleman is a referee on the rise.
Martin Glossop. Photo: ODT files
Martin Glossop (Hockey)
Not everyone receives a big pay cheque at the end of the game.
Most officials are volunteers and Martin Glossop is definitely in that category.
The hockey official has impeccable credentials to pick up a services-to-sport award at some stage. For the past 10 years, he has been the Otago Hockey Association’s umpires manager and has volunteered to help run hockey tournaments, often taking his annual leave and funding himself.
The 51-year-old has umpired more than 300 premier games and has made a huge contribution to the sport in Otago in various capacities during the past 25 years.
But even by his standards, the past 12 months have been busy. The highlight was working on the technical bench during the FIH Pro League international games.
He was the match director for the national under-21 tournament, the technical director for the national under-18 tournament and later on in the season he was the match director for the national senior tournament and the National Hockey League tournament.
Basically, he was the go-to guy at all the major national tournaments in New Zealand last year.
Chris Gaffaney (Cricket)
Former Otago opener Chris Gaffaney made a rapid transition from dashing right-hander to respected international umpire.
The 44-year-old stood in the middle for his international debut just three years after his playing career wound up and he climbed the ranks quickly.
He is a previous winner of the category and continues to flourish in a hellishly difficult job made all the more tricky by all those camera angles and replays, which put the viewer in a much better spot than the guy in the middle who actually has to make the decisions.
Mistakes can stay with you for a long time — just ask rugby referee Wayne Barnes about the 2007 World Cup.
And Gaffaney has made the odd mistake during the years. West Indies great Michael Holding slammed his performance during a World Cup game when he had two lbw calls against Chris Gayle overturned.
But Gaffaney gets a very high percentage of his calls right and he continues to be assigned big games, which is testament to his skill. He is also credited with being one of the first umpires to suspect Australia was tampering with the ball before the now infamous Sandpapergate.
