Helen applying common sense to the laws of the game

When it comes to the rugby pitch, Ashbourne resident Helen O'Reilly is one of those women who certainly deserves the title of 'she who must be obeyed.' The Dublin woman who has lived in Ashbourne for 12 years retired from playing rugby in 2009, but unlike many of her contemporaries she didn't hang up her boots. Instead she turned to refereeing and now she's a rare sight in the rugby fields of Ireland - a woman occupying a role normally filled by a man. The 36-year-old Civil Servant has heard of "one or two" female referees who are moving through the system and could be taking charge of games shortly, although she has yet to meet them. The only other woman referee she knows, Dubliner Aoife McCarthy, has stepped down she believes leaving O'Reilly occupying a unique position in Leinster rugby. So far O'Reilly, who has no children, has taken charge of women's games at AIL Div 1 level, men's Leinster League J1 and J3 encounter as well as top-ranking college matches. As someone who loved playing the game - she turned out as a centre for Ashbourne and later St Mary's in the AIL - O'Reilly was reluctant to walk away and leave it all behind when the rigours of playing became too demanding. She says she loved the physicality of the game and one of the best parts of being a referee is that she can take part in a match "without being sore the next day." When she did retire from playing she looked on the refereeing as an opportunity to "stay on the pitch." Encouraged to join the ranks of whistlers by other referees such as Ashbourne RFC's Kevin Beggs and Declan Mahon she enthusiastically set about studying the rules in detail. The regulations surrounding the setting of scrums has caused plenty of debate and controversy in recent seasons; O'Reilly is crystal clear about her role. Safety "As a referee the biggest issue we have with the scrum is the safety of the players. If needs be you may have to re-set a scrum a couple of times which may not be nice for the viewer or spectator, it may not be pretty. For the referee the focus is on the safety of the players." One of the surprising features that O'Reilly has discovered about life as a match official is that she needs to be as fit, if not fitter, than she was as a player. When she was just one of 15 members of her team she could afford to be involved in every second or third phase of play. As a referee she needs to be close to every breakdown, every ruck, maul and move so that she can keep tabs on what's going on. "Physically you have to stay very fit and mentally you have to stay sharp to make a decision when you get there," she adds. Another lesson she has absorbed is the importance of setting out her stall early in the game and impressing on the players that she's in charge. O'Reilly says that she hasn't come across much back-chat from the players. Whenever she does she's determined to stamp it out. It helps that in rugby there is a deep-rooted deference to the match official. It's part of the ethos of the game. "Fortunately in rugby the discipline is there and you're there to manage it and maintain it. "I don't know whether I would be so eager to referee Gaelic or soccer games, but definitely I like the respect that is there in rugby for the referee, I think that's of huge benefit especially when you are starting off." For her its vital for a referee to remain calm, particulary when all around her players are losing their heads as can happen in the white heat of a tense struggle. The match official at all times must remain detached from any mayhem and cooly appraise the situation before making decisions. That was something she took on board very early on. It has stood her in good stead. She has also found it's better to work with people rather than just try and control a situation, that diplomacy works better than dictating to the players. It's a real skill she feels and mastering it will ultimately make life easer for her. "I suppose if you can get a player who wants to do something it's better than have to make them do something. If you can have a chat with them and try and make them more aware of a situation. Sometimes players work with that better. "Sometimes I go to take charge of a man's game and there's no doubt because I'm a female they are taken aback, but if the players see that you know the laws they will respect you." It is clear that O'Reilly is dedicated to refereeing and she intends to go as far as possible in that role. "Fortunately with the Leinster Branch the pathways are there to progress as far as you want and they'll give you the opportunity. "It's great to have people around such as Kevin (Beggs) or Sean Gallagher, who is involved with Navan, who you can ask and bounce ideas off," she added. O'Reilly is determined to progress as far as she can in a world dominated by men. She's alredy come a long way in a short space of time. The players better not forget that on the rugby pitch what she says goes.