Rugby referee and reformed “bad boy” Steve Walsh

Very seldom, before, during or after a rugby match does the spotlight not fall on the referee. Supporters of the losing team will in all probability at some stage lay the blame on the man with the whistle, it’s human nature, and not even the winning side’s supporters agree with all the decisions made during most matches. It’s the nature of the beast and referees know full well that this is one of the pitfalls of their chosen profession.

Seldom however has controversy followed a referee as it has for Steve Walsh.

Here is a man who has risen to the top of his profession, only to fall all the way back to the bottom and through sheer determination has reclaimed his spot back at the top of the pile.

If a poll were to be taken between female viewers, whether they religiously follow rugby or not, odds are that Walsh will rate as their favorite referee. His grasp of the laws will not even be a consideration though, he is what can be considered a “bad boy” and in a profession encapsulated by well mannered smiling and friendly good guys, Walsh is the antithesis thereof. Women, as a rule, are attracted to bad boys as they see it as a challenge to try and change the person into something else. Here is a professional referee who battled with the bottle, sports a tattoo, received suspensions and verbally abused a player. Is Steve Walsh really a bad boy? Let’s take a brief look at the man and his history.

Steve Reid Walsh was born on the 28th March 1972 in Cambridge , New Zealand. He played junior provincial rugby, but at the age of 13 after suffering a spinal injury, further scans revealed that he was born with a defect and that he only had two-and-a-half vertebrae in his neck.

At the age of 16 he took up refereeing and became the youngest official to make his NPC debut. In 1998 he became a full time referee.

He made his test debut in Buenos Aires in the test between Argentina and France on the 13th of June 1998, becoming the youngest referee to take charge of a test match.

He made his World Cup debut as a touch judge during the 1999 World Cup that was held in England and Wales.

One could be excused for thinking that Walsh was sitting on top of the world in his chosen profession, but a series of events transpired that ended up with him being fired by the New Zealand Rugby Union. Unfortunately for Walsh his penchant for pressing the self destruct button caught up with him.

In baseball parlance a batter gets three strikes, and similarly, Walsh used up his three strikes and was told “strike three, you’re out of here”

Strike one occurred during the 2003 Rugby World Cup held in Australia. England were playing Samoa and the infamous “16 player” fiasco occurred. Walsh, acting as the 4th official, got involved with the England fitness coach Dave Reddin. After an investigation, Walsh was suspended for inappropriate behavior. The official statement that followed read as follows:

“Following an incident involving the fourth official, Mr Steve Walsh, and a member of the England management team at the conclusion of the England versus Samoa match on Sunday 26 October, an investigation has taken place today.”

“Mr Walsh has subsequently been suspended for inappropriate behaviour during an exchange with a member of the England management team.”

“He is suspended from 14:00 Friday 31 October 2003 until 09:00 on Monday 3 November.

Walsh received his second strike during the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand in 2005. While running the touch during the tourist’s match against Taranaki, Walsh ruled a knock on against winger Shane Horgan. Horgan disputed the call and what happened next was unheard of in the modern era. Horgan, returning to his position, told Walsh that he had kicked the ball, not knocked it on. Whereupon Walsh unleashed a volley of invective at Horgan.

Walsh was subsequently suspended for four months for his actions.

However, it was during December 2008 that Walsh took his last swing and heard the dreaded “strike three” call.

During a referee conference held in Australia, Walsh went on an all night drinking binge and arrived the following morning still drunk and worse for wear. He was immediately sent home from the conference and in 2009 was subsequently fired by the New Zealand Rugby Union. Walsh himself had the following to say about the incident: “I did something that was completely unacceptable, and pretty much drunk through the night and arrived at the conference for a 9 o’clock start and was definitely under the influence of alcohol,” said Walsh.

“I was asked to leave, which I did, and pretty much as a consequence of that and me owning up to my mistakes, the rugby union weren’t prepared to give me another chance. The upshot is I’m finished refereeing in New Zealand.”

Walsh admitted he had been “struggling” with a number of things in his personal life over the last couple of years.

However, as in baseball, a batter who has struck out, can get another innings to go and redeem himself. Walsh’ redemption at the batter’s mound started with a bunt when he moved to Bondi in Australia during 2009. He started from scratchand refereed school and club matches.

In 2010 he was included in the reserve panel for the Super 14 tournament and later that year he hit his home run when he was once again appointed by the IRB to their elite panel of referees. Walsh had redeemed himself and was once again one of the top referees in the world.

Walsh was forthright about his failing during an interview during 2011. The last time Steve Walsh had a drink was April 2009, and he drank to black out, as usual. It was a pattern that began when he was a 13-year-old drinking for the first time and ended after the New Zealand Rugby Union sacked him for a run of misdemeanours in 2009.

“I was definitely a binge drinker. Right from the first time I got drunk, I drank to black out, and if I didn’t drink to black out, I didn’t think I’d had a good night. I used alcohol because I felt uncomfortable with who I was.”

On a weeknight in the midst of a South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby refereeing conference in Sydney, he went out and drank until daylight. He says he arrived at the conference the next morning “worse for wear”. His boss asked him to leave the conference and began a formal complaint process, which led to disciplinary employment measures.

“That wasn’t an isolated incident. I always said, and truly believe, that I gave them [the New Zealand Rugby Union] the ammo,” Walsh said.

He now feels more comfortable in Sydney, the scene of his career-altering night out, than he does back home in New Zealand. He says Sydney has given him “a fresh start”.

“I don’t really see myself going back to New Zealand. Never say never [but]… I feel freer over here, rightly or wrongly. When you’re in Australia or in Sydney, rugby is the fourth code and fourth sport, and I just don’t feel the eyes on me, so you can get on with being yourself.

“I’ve made some big life changes and I’ve never been happier… I never thought I could have fun without alcohol.”

He attends a fellowship that supports people with drinking problems and says he now places a greater value on life.

Bars and clubs no longer appeal so he doesn’t go to them often.

“If you sit in a barber’s chair long enough, you’re gonna end up with a haircut. I don’t feel nervous around alcohol and people drinking… I just prefer going to cafés.”

“I would like to think I will never drink again. I know I feel better about myself today than I have in the past, but I still realise I’m an alcoholic and I do delude myself sometimes and think about the few occasions I was a ‘good drunk’ instead of the fact that, most of the time, I used to wake up feeling shame because of my actions the night before. It truly is one day at a time for me, because to look too far into the future is very challenging.”

Walsh says he had a lot of fun drinking, and he doesn’t want to appear to be preaching to people who don’t have a problem with it, but he does think New Zealand society has a troubling attitude towards alcohol.

“I’m not here to say all drinking is bad, but I do look at New Zealand society, especially when I travel through Europe. Most New Zealanders drink to get drunk – and we get aggressive. We’re a little immature.”

Walsh’s alcohol abuse led to depression, which ultimately affected the relationship he was in at the time. He would drink after every game he refereed, as a “release”, and he and his partner would have another big night mid-week.

“I had a good time, but was it destructive? Yeah. I couldn’t continue with that lifestyle.”

Except for all the disciplinary issues associated with Walsh, there is one other feature about him that stands out and also shows that he is “different” from all the other referees out there. The tattoo on the inside of his left arm. “He who controls himself controls the game” are the words inscribed.

“He who controls himself
controls the game”

Never was an inscription more apt for a person as those words are for Walsh.