Rugby players from Monmouth School for Boys were recently visited by a former pupil and top referee.
The U18s met Wayne Barnes at the Rosslyn Park HSBC National Schools 7s tournament last week.
The Old Monmothian holds the record for the most Aviva Premiership matches officiated and has also taken charge in three World Cups. He left Monmouth to study law at the University of East Anglia, which he continues to do alongside his officiating.
Paul Morris, assistant rugby coach at Monmouth, said: “Wayne is a very down to earth man and he took time to introduce himself and speak to all of the Monmouth boys individually. I’ve known him for a long time.
“I was teaching at the school when Wayne joined the sixth form at Monmouth and our paths crossed again when he refereed matches I was playing in and, after that, coaching in. We have quite a few mutual friends and he returns to Lydney Rugby Club at least once a year for his annual fund-raising game for charity.”
The team, coached by former Wales and British and Irish Lions star John Bevan, won four of their five group matches in the National Sevens Vase, although they later exited the tournament after a defeat to Cheltenham College. This was followed by victory over Bishop Wordworth’s School in the Bowl competition and a defeat to St Paul’s School.