Life members

Inaugural Life Member

Peter Taylor

Peter Taylor (known as “Sticks” across the Manly rugby community) refereed kids’ rugby on the northern beaches from the 1960s — more than 50 years. There is video evidence of Peter running touch in the 1971 Grand Final of the U10s. He started refereeing before that, but record-keeping is not a strong suit within the Manly rugby community — so the exact date is still a bit cloudy. Peter was around 20 when he started his refereeing career; he refereed his last season in 2019 at the age of 72.

Peter was a Fairlight local for a very long time until ill health saw him move into an aged-care residence in Normanhurst. He was often seen strolling up to the Fairlight shops on Sydney Rd to drop in to the cake shop for a pie — and maybe “a little something” to enjoy afterwards with a cup of tea.

When Peter first started refereeing, the appointment and training of referees was run by the Manly Rugby Referees Association. In 2004 Manly RRA merged into the Metropolitan North Zone RRA along with the Warringah and Gordon associations — the entity now known as Sydney North Rugby Referees, Inc.

On conferring Life Membership, SNRR President Chris Hedge said: “That makes Peter the very first Life Member of SNRR, and I can’t think of a better person who embodies the spirit of contributing to rugby and to their community.” Manly Junior Rugby Union had earlier conferred Life Membership on Peter as well.

Peter never drove a car, so he made his way to every match on foot or by public transport — real commitment. Of slight stature (hence “Sticks”) and softly spoken, he was widely regarded as the perfect referee for our very youngest players, those between 8 and 11. Congratulations Peter, and enjoy your retirement.

Life Member

Dennis Fardy

Dennis was born in 1945. He fell in love with rugby at Bathurst Teachers College in the early Sixties and played the game in the Army as a “nasho” (during compulsory national service), at the University of New England, and with the St George and Randwick clubs in what we now know as the Shute Shield. He finished his playing career at Newport Rugby Club in 1983 at the tender age of 38, and has been a passionate member of the Newport community ever since — well over 40 years.

Dennis first started refereeing for the Warringah Referees Association in 1982. After a year back playing at Newport, he joined Sydney RA in 1984, later moving to the NSWRRA. In the 1990s he rejoined Warringah RA and then became a founding member of the Metropolitan North Zone RA in 2004 when it first formed.

After the name changes that eventually produced Sydney North Rugby Referees, Dennis remains an active member to this day. In 2022 he refereed 18 matches for us — some 40 years of refereeing in total. Congratulations Dennis on becoming a Life Member of SNRR.

Life Member

Terry Wooldridge

Terry’s contribution to rugby has mainly been as a coach. His first coaching assignment was one of his sons’ U6 soccer teams (which he admits he knew very little about) — the first step in a long career coaching rugby and, later, rugby referees.

A Mona Vale local since 1970, much of Terry’s coaching has taken place on the Northern Beaches. He coached club players for Newport, schoolboys at St Augustine’s College, and every age of Warringah Juniors’ representative teams from U10 to U17 — with some real success.

In 1997 Terry retired from coaching and started refereeing, first with the Warringah RRA until 2003, then Subbies rugby with NSWRRA from 2004 to 2006. In 2007 he joined the Metropolitan North Zone RRA, refereeing as well as coaching. In 2008 he was appointed Head of Referee Coaching (HORC) — a role he held for eight years until 2015 — building a large group of coaches so every SN referee was coached regularly.

As HORC, Terry helped develop the referee grading-tier structure and was actively involved in the SSS Group Development Squads from 2011 to 2021, giving young referees in their final school years enhanced coaching. Over that period SNRR had 63 SSS participants, many going on to higher honours with NSWRRA and the ARU.

Across his career Terry has refereed roughly 300 games and coached some 200 referees. He remains an active Referee Coach and is held in the highest esteem by the referee fraternity and the wider rugby community. Congratulations Terry on becoming a Life Member of SNRR.

Life Member · September 2022

Ian Eastman

Ian may well be the longest continually serving rugby referee in Australia who was still actively refereeing in the 2020s — over sixty years of continual volunteer refereeing service, across junior, sub-district, Barker College, Knox Grammar and various public-schools competitions.

A former rugby player, coach and manager with the Lindfield Rugby Club in junior and senior competitions, Ian achieved over 260 senior sub-district games for the club along with many years as a junior player.

Ian has been a member of numerous associations as they evolved and merged — the Sydney RRA, NSW RRA, Gordon & Northern Districts RRA, Gordon RA, Metropolitan North RRA and, currently, Sydney North Rugby Referees. A former member of the NSWRRA Executive, he was awarded the Dick Webb Clubman of the Year for outstanding volunteer service, and in 2013 received a Fifty-Year Long Service Certificate from the Australian Rugby Union.

Ian is a NSW Justice of the Peace, appointed at 21 — the earliest age then possible. Congratulations Ian on being presented with Life Membership of Sydney North Rugby Referees (September 2022).

Life Member

Colin Mackenzie

Colin has been a rugby referee on Sydney’s north shore for many years. A full profile is coming soon.

Life Member · 2025

Chris Hedge

Chris was conferred Life Membership of SNRR in 2025 after many years of service to refereeing on Sydney’s north, including as President of the association. A full profile is coming soon.