THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE WHISTLE

During the 2004 NTL's, they will eat 13kg of bananas and 5 boxes of lollies per day.

They will drink 30 litres of water per timeslot and 200 tea bags worth of tea.

They will use 18 bags of ice per day, and they are some of the fittest athletes that touch has to offer.

Whether you love them or you hate them, nobody can deny that referees are an integral part of any touch tournament.

For the past 20 tournaments, Alan Williams has been the Assistant Manager of the referees, a position which requires him to work alongside Referees Manager, Mike Harris and attend to the needs of the referees during the tournament.

Although his job is a tough one, Alan comes back to his referees simply because he loves doing his job.

"I just love being here, the referees really appreciate what you do for them. I can't referee myself anymore so it's great to just come here and help out, just as others did for me when I was a referee", he says.

During tournaments such as NTL, referees are divided into teams, a tactic which many referees believe contributes to the strong friendships and sense of comraderie established amongst them.

"You wouldn't believe the friends I've made through refereeing at national level," says NTL 2004 Referee Richard "Tickets" Lawry. "It's all about mateship and watching the younger referees move up through the ranks."

Fellow referee Colin "Casper" Farlow also highlights how friendships drive most of the referees to come back each year. "The friendships we make during NTL are unbelievable!"

This sense of mateship can be shown through their "Elders" system. Team members, who are Level six referees and identified as "Elders" can make younger referees, known as "assistants", make donations and do tasks.

Examples could be wearing a crazy wig for making mistakes, such as not taking all equipment to games or knocking a player over.

The donations collected during the tournament are given to a charity decided by the players.

This activity is just another example of team building exercises that the referees take part in.

Sadly, one of Australia's and also the World's, best referees will end his national career at this years 2004 NTL's.

Rick Borg has been the top referee in Australia for 13 years, and the Number 1 in the world for the past nine years.

His teammates and also officials describe Rick as a legend of the game, an unassuming leader who helps to guide the younger referees.

So, whenever you're about to question a referee, take a moment to remember what fine athletes they are, and like the players are here to do their best...and have a bit of fun at the same time!

Lisa Plummer