Elias Owen on Super 8, Interchange in Auckland, and Refereeing on the Rise (Ep 11)

This week on the Bay of Plenty Referee Podcast, we’re joined by Elias Owen, one of our emerging Bay of Plenty referees who has had a big few weeks, including refereeing his first Super 8 match during the school day, earning Whistler of the Week, and being promoted to Panel 4 in our latest mid-season promotions.Elias takes us through how he got into refereeing, what the Super 8 appointment was like, and a brilliant yarn from his recent Auckland interchange weekend, including rugby, referees, Eden Park, and a few stories that probably belonged off-air but made it on anyway.We also recap the weekend’s rugby around the Bay:- close Colts and Premier contests,- a draw between Greerton and Mount,- Elias’ game at Taneatua,- and the latest on discipline from around the grounds.On the education front, we revisit the Scrum Management Pillar, setting standards in the front-row chat, using clear escalation, and understanding what a good scrum picture actually looks like.We also cover this week’s referee and rugby news:- World Rugby’s new 2026–31 strategic plan- Daniel Lienert-Brown’s four-week suspensionWhistler of the Week goes to Malakai Liuaki after a huge few days of stepping up in Eastern Bay rugby.News article links:World Rugby Strategic Plan:https://www.world.rugby/organisation/strategic-planDaniel Lienert-Brown suspension:https://super.rugby/superrugby/news/lienert-brown-handed-four-week-suspension/Hosts: Sam Fellows, Sean Curragh, Jamie BellGuest: Elias Owen