Parkes touch football referee Beau Newell is part of a strong Australian contingent who will officiate at the 2015 Touch World Cup in Coffs Harbour.
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Starting next Wednesday, the World Cup will feature 25 nations competing in over 800 games of touch football across nine divisions.
It is the eighth running of the event, the third on Australian soil, with the host nation the only ever winner.
For Beau it will be his second World Cup after he officiated in Scotland four years ago.
Originally from Wallsend, Newcastle, Beau moved to Parkes two years ago with work commitments.
The 28 year old started officiating at the age of eight and started his representative journey refereeing in Junior State Cups from 10 years old.
By the time he was 14, Beau was refereeing at Senior State Cups and well on his way to where he is now.
Beau has been refereeing at Parkes Touch Association for two years now and is also the regional director of referees for Hunter and Western NSW Touch Football.
He has also worked with a few clubs in getting them involved in the Good Sports program.
Beau is looking forward to heading to Coffs Harbour on Monday.
“I am very excited to be going to another World Cup,” Beau said.
“I have 15 international caps from the last World Cup in Scotland and hopefully I can return with another 15 or so from Coffs Harbour.
“I really enjoy doing international matches.
“Obviously they are the pinnacle of the sport, but also the challenges which come with them.
“I will likely officiate in three or four 40 minute games each day.
“Sometimes you can be refereeing a match where neither side speaks English.
“It’s fantastic,” he said.
Beau was part of a training squad which was selected 12 months after the last World Cup.
Referees in the squad had to meet a strict criteria before the final squad was announced 15 months before the next World Cup.
The criteria included the referees officiating at national, local, regional and state tournaments.
The official squad has had training camps and fitness regimes in preparation for the Coffs Harbour event.
“I already have an eye on going to Malaysia for the next World Cup in four more years,” Beau said.
“Even though I have more than 20 years experience refereeing, I am still reasonably young and think my body will still be up to it.
“It is not only fitness though.
“You have to dedicate a lot of time and finances to make it.
“Like all the players, we have to pay our own way,” he said.
