TONY SWASH
When and how did you get into rugby?.
I played rugby for the first time at Fairfield Grammar School from
the age of 11, and for the first couple of seasons, we were cannon
fodder to most of the Bristol schools, but we gradually improved
and became a real power in schools rugby by the time we reached
what was then called the 5th/6th forms. When I reached the age of
15, I followed a trail of older pupils from the school up to Bristol
Saracens RFC, and started playing for the U-17 XV with a whole
gag of schoolmates in the squad. Great times, and several of that
side are still active at the club 50 years on......
At the age of 51, having played what must have certainly have
been close to 1,000 matches in total over those 36 years at Saras,
and having had the honour of being 1st XV captain at the club for 3
seasons in the late 70's, I played my penultimate fixture, before
formally retiring. I say 'penultimate', because a great Saracens
friend of mine, Bob Bakewell, sadly died almost 4 years ago, and I
foolishly played in a competitive commemorative match for him up
in Bedfordshire at my then age of 62. With every impact I suffered
in that match, I truly thought that my entire rib cage was exiting my
body from any / all of my bodily orifices! Never again!
Soon after retiring, I bumped into Geoff Warren, who tried to
convince me to take up the whistle, which at first seemed just
about the furthest thing from my mind......I had never been
referees greatest ally on the field of play(!), but I decided to give it
a go, and that was a great decision. I have thoroughly enjoyed the
last 14 seasons, and hope this and many more seasons are still to
follow out in the middle.
You have just been appointed as Induction Officer for the Society.
What does your role entail?
I wrote to the Society at the end of last season, suggesting that our
poor new referee retention rate could be related to the lack of a
formal induction process, often leaving raw recruits from the
outset to virtually face the increasingly challenging world as a
referee all alone. The Society invited me to draft a document
detailing a proposed new role and its' course contents, and being a
realist, I felt that I knew where this was heading......! Steve
Leyshon, our new Chairman, invited me to take on this role, and
despite my concerns that a younger guy might be better capable of
relating to the younger generations, I took the post and would like
to develop the template into a mature role over the next couple of
years, before handing it over to a younger candidate, inevitably
allowing me to find other rugby administrative challenges for
myself within our great game. Over a couple of full evenings, all
new referees will be taken through all of the elements of
preparation, knowledge, fitness, performance, conduct, attire,
attitude etc, all being part of what is expected of all of our
members, each of whom will be representing this great Society of
ours.
You are also Secretary of the Bristol Combination. What are your
duties for this? Do you enjoy doing it?
After completing 25 years in my role of Hon. Secretary at Bristol
Saracens RFC, I felt that I needed a change and a rest. The very
next day after I exited that role, Sandy Mitchell called and asked if I
would take the same role at Bristol & District Combination. I
squirmed for a while, but Sandy, if nothing more, is very persistent!
I offered to do it for a maximum of 5 years, and I am now enjoying
my 8th year as Hon. Sec.. The Bristol area is a rugby giant (I have
been told on more than one occasion, that this is the densest area
of rugby union clubs literally anywhere in the world, although I
can't substantiate that claim), but we straddle two RFU CB's,
Gloucestershire & Somerset. Historically, and particularly preleagues, many of the clubs from either county enjoyed traditional
fixtures against each other, and the primary roles of the
Combination include being a link from our two CB's out to all of our
member clubs, running annual Bristol area club competitions,
and being a source of information, both at monthly meetings and
all periods in between, on all aspects of the game for our member
clubs. There are almost 50 clubs in membership, and the Bristol
Junior Combination is a thriving, though separately administered,
part of the Bristol Combination. There are exciting developments at
the Lockleaze ground where the Combination have owned around
16 acres of land for many decades, with a multi-sports facility
including all-weather pitches and pavilion planned for the imminent
future. Member clubs Ashley Down OB's and Bishopston, both
long term tenants at Lockleaze, will have their
club interests fully safeguarded during and beyond the
development phase that have just started these past weeks,
and both clubs will enjoy use of various parts of the superb new
facilities.
You also organise the dinner for the Combination every two years
for more than 400 people. It is a big event! Can you tell us more
about this and how long does the preparation take?
I have organised 3 Combination dinners before this years dinner,
which will again be at The Portway Centre, on Friday November
13th. Main speaker this year will be the great British & Irish Lions
forward, Doddie Weir, who excelled on the famous 1997 Lions tour
to South Africa. Our MC will be the one and only David Kurk,
and the Bristol Combination Management Committee have kindly
agreed that any excess monies from this year's dinner can entirely
be given to our loyal member mate Chris Brockett and his family,
following Chris's tragic and sudden life-changing illness earlier this
year. I certainly hope to better the 2013 dinner attendance of 380+,
and just know that the Society will do it's utmost to ensure a
bumper attendance of its' own members at the Dinner, both for a
great evening out, and to display a massive show of support to the
Brockett family. I hope that every Combination club takes at least
one table at the Dinner, and all catering, marquee, brewery and
Portway Centre plans are firmly in place, and table bookings are
rolling in from our member clubs.
If you were running World Rugby which law would you
change/amend or add and why?
Just about all of the changes that the IRB, and then World Rugby
introduced over these past 10 years or so, have benefited the
game in terms of its safety, spectator enjoyment, and allowing a
fair contest, and I think we are now very much in the right place in
terms of laws..........that is probably why this year there are only a
few safety points for players and referees to focus on, rather than
further law changes. I would make one minor change, to have
'time-off' from the moment a team score a try or signal for a
penalty kick at goal, and only have it back on when the teams are
ready to resume play. I hate seeing so much of an 80 minute
window wasted by Jonny Wilkinson ''wannabe's''.........
What do you do for living when you are not on a rugby field? 
Over many years in industry, I have been part-owner and M.D. of
three companies, two of which were in manufacturing and one in
service industry, and I retired from full-time employment at the end
of June 2014. I was invited by my last company's Board to set up a
new division for them from July 1st 2014, and I signed a 2-year
initial contract, working predominantly from home, this new
corporation being exclusive distributors for the U.K. and Republic
of Ireland markets of a Dutch company's major welding and
fabrication machinery and equipment.
QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS:
Who is your favourite club to visit in the Combination and why?
Impossible to select just one, but Hornets, Thornbury and
Frampton Cotterell are the clubs that have earned my
greatest respect, partly because of their mutual commitment to
junior rugby, but even more so, because all three clubs seem to
have such a strong contingent of members who are prepared to
give a significant 'pound of flesh' to their respective clubs.
Which country produces the best rugby players?
The clue is in the question.......'produces'' players has to be New
Zealand. Some countries have players blessed with more natural
talent, but none produce like New Zealand'.
If you had a choice in which country would you like to play rugby?
Andrew Meikle , way back in 2006, assessed me and claimed in
my report that I 'lacked a sprint'. I told him that I didn't have a sprint
when I was 26, and so how could I expect to have one at 56....??!!
Given that stigma, I would like to play in Argentina, where they still
stick the ball up their jumper and roll mauls for much of the 80
minutes. Also the beef and the Malbec wines would keep me very
happy!
Which is your favourite rugby team in the World?
Without doubt, Bristol Saracens RFC, always the first result I have
to know each Saturday evening.
Who’s going to win the forthcoming Rugby World Cup? 
Australia