Plaudits for ‘dedicated’ Co Antrim referee ahead of maiden Guinness Pro14 game

Chris will be the man in the middle for the match between Dragons and Zebre at Rodney Parade in Newport on Friday evening (October 9).

IRFU National Referee Manager, David Wilkinson, has been working with Chris since he took up refereeing a decade ago.

In a statement issued to the Newtownabbey Times, Mr Wilkinson said: “We are delighted to see Chris has been appointed to his first Pro14 game, after taking up the whistle 10 years ago.

“Chris took up active refereeing with the Ulster Society of Rugby Football Referees in 2010 and showed tremendous potential from the outset.

“Chris progressed up through the IRFU Referee Pathway, from refereeing underage rugby to now being involved in High Performance games.

“This appointment is just rewards for all Chris’s hard work and dedication. Congratulations to Chris and we all wish him well this Friday night and for what will hopefully be a long successful refereeing career in professional rugby.”

Mr Busby is a former pupil at Ballyclare High School.

Congratulating him on his appointment, Principal of the Rashee Road school, Dr Rainey said: “Chris, and indeed the Busby family, have been great servants to school life here and in particular the sporting life of school.

“It has been wonderful to watch Chris progress as a person and as a highly respected rugby referee.

“His appointments at international level and now to his first Pro14 game indicate the esteem in which his ability is held in the professional game.

“At school he was very much a role model and a part of the senior pupil leadership team and the visibility of these refereeing appointments can but open the door for our pupils to look towards all the roles that can be undertaken in sport. Congratulations Chris, well done.”

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