Leading New Zealand rugby sevens referee Richard Kelly has called time on his on-field career less than a few months out from the Tokyo Olympics.

Kelly, who officiated at the last Olympic Games in Rio, has pinpointed family as the primary reason to call it quits.

After a 12 year involvement in the New Zealand high performance squad and seven years on the World Rugby Sevens circuit, Kelly says he can no longer afford the time away with his wife expecting their second child.

“It was a really hard choice to make,” he said. “We have been working on a four year cycle building up to the Olympics but the way the world is, with Covid, I’ve simply got to put my family first.”

The 38-year-old has also had a distinguished career in the 15-man game, having controlled 147 first class matches, including 58 Mitre 10 games and four Ranfurly Shield clashes.

But it’s the sevens game where he really excelled.

Some of his highlights include being in charge of the semifinal at the Rio Olympics while he was also in the middle at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco.

“The commitment and time needed to carry on was simply too much for me at the moment,” he said.

That time away included between 150 and 180 nights away from home while he was on the world circuit.

He walks away citing the friendships he made within the game as the most enjoyable element.

“On the sevens world series, we were always a group of 10 referees so we were like a team amongst ourselves,” he said.

After first picking up a whistle in 2006 following a rugby injury, Kelly soon developed a love of refereeing and the opportunities that developed.

“I would never had reached the level I did as a referee if I was a player. I highly recommend it and would encourage anyone who is thinking about it to give it a go,” he added.

“The same work ethic goes into being a top referee as it is being a top player and it is really rewarding.”

Article added: Wednesday 10 March 2021