Local youngster Dylen November refereed his first Currie Cup game when officiating the round 5 encounter between Western Province and the Griffons in Cape Town earlier this month, which further cemented his rise within officiating ranks as he continues to live his dream.
“It was an incredibly special experience, and I was as focused as I could possibly be,” he told DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette in an interview last week.
“There’s definitely more pressure than reffing students, and I was grateful for the opportunity to gain the experience and grow in this role.”
The 26-year-old from Strand, who last featured almost four years ago in the newspaper (“Reffing a calling for Dylen”, DistrictMail, 19 December 2019), has grown in leaps and bounds since then, as well as overcoming an injury, and he has kept his head steadily focused on his career path and goals.
It was back then that he was appointed to the South African Rugby Union’s (Saru) refereeing panel for the 2020 Varsity Shield Challenge, which ultimately saw a limited competition due to Covid, but a strong will kept Dylen motivated, as he worked hard to stay fit and stay in tune with the game.
In 2021, November officiated at the Varsity Cup and sustained an injury halfway through the tournament, which again tested his resolve and commitment.
“I tried to remain positive, reassess my goals and ensure I worked hard to regain fitness as I wanted to make the most of my opportunities. At times it was difficult, but ultimately it was all worth it because when I came back everything just got more intense.”
He was referring to 2022 when he again officiated the Varsity Cup including the final and several other tournaments, such as the interschools between Paarl Boys and Paarl Gym as well as first-division Currie Cup matches.
“I wanted to grow and take opportunities, and it all came quickly. It’s also exciting to move around the country and explore different provinces, meeting new people and, most importantly, fine-tuning my rugby knowledge and continuously working on improving my game.”
November is now in his third year of study towards a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, in his pursuit of another passion – teaching. He is also a teaching assistant at Panorama Primary School in Plattekloof. “One of my main ambitions in life has been to motivate children and steer their future in a successful and beneficial direction. I love working with kids, and if I can make a positive difference in one child’s life I will regard that as the achievement of a lifetime.”
Asked about how he maintains a positive outlook despite various challenges on the field, such as abuse from spectators, November hastily replies there will always be obstacles, but as an individual one has to decide how badly one wants something and how hard one is willing to work for it.
“I almost quit refereeing due to abuse, but I’ve learnt to tune it out and focus on the game. It’s all about having a string mindset and just focussing on my goal.”
November concluded saying that his long-term goal is to ultimately referee at international level, and although it might look like a far off goal, his immediate focus was to make most of every single opportunity that comes his way.
