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Overview
This week on the With You! Rugby Podcast, the President of the United States Rugby Foundation, Brian Vizard, spoke with former rugby player turned referee, previous chair of the Laws Subcommittee, past recipient of the Denis Shanagher award, and 2023 US Rugby Hall of Fame inductee Peter Watson. Growing up in the Boston area, Watson was first introduced to the sport of ice hockey. A sport that Watson would carry with him all the way through college alongside classic sports such as sandlot football, baseball, and more. During his freshman year of college, attending MIT, Watson was introduced to the sport of Rugby and fell in love. Learn more about Peter Watson's rugby career, his life after the sport, and more in this episode of With You! Rugby Podcast.
Show Notes
1:15 Tell us about where you grew up in the sport you played as a kid
2:23 Yeah yeah for Peter how'd you get involved with the sport of rugby? How'd you get introduced to it?
3:37 when one thinks of MIT, they don't think of it as a rugby powerhouse. I know you had some great teams in the 70s. Tell us about your playing time there.
4:39 Okay, but from MIT, you went to Charles River Rugby Football Club, he played from 78 to 87. Was there a highlight or two from your time with Charles River?
6:00 How did you go from player to referee?
9:12 You were the chair of the Lost Subcommittee for USA rugby for nearly 20 years. What did that role entail? And what were some of the advancements that were made while you were chair?
13:17 You're also a referee coach tell us about how that came about and what it means to be a referee coach.
16:58 What else on the referee front have you been involved with? Or is it coaching the evaluation? I mean, is that gonna be too long of an answer or what?
18:39 You're recognized by the referesian Laws Commit As the recipient of the Dennis Shanaher Award, tell us about that award and what winning it meant to you.
20:20 Refereeing is one of those thankless jobs in rugby, it's just due. What words of wisdom might you have for those thinking about picking up the whistle Or for those that already have the whistle in hand, but the mayor, maybe I haven't second thoughts.
21:57 Of all your memories and rugby be it as a player or a referee, is there one that stands above the rest?
23:17 Of all the matches you refereed? Is there one that stands out and why?
24:48 Okay, that's fair enough. looking back on your rugby, career, Peter, what are you most proud of?
26:05 what does it mean to do mean to you to be selected for the United States Rugby Hall of Fame?
Wrap Up
In this episode of the With You! Rugby Podcast, we heard from Peter Watson about his experience refereeing rugby, his time with MIT, the highs of his career and his lows. Come support Peter and the rest of the 2023 Hall of Fame Inductees this September 16, 2023.
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