By Steve Tervet
A well-known Kent rugby referee is determined to win his battle with cancer and get back out amongst the pack on the county’s playing fields.
Rugby has served Nick Buttle well over the years – his playing days extended beyond his 50th birthday and he has refereed from junior to international level.
However, having been diagnosed with leukaemia in May, Buttle has had to step back from the sport he loves, knowing only a suitable donor can provide him with the stem cell transplant he needs to beat the cancer.
On December 10, Maidstone RFC will welcome anyone aged 18 to 40 to the club, as the Anthony Nolan Trust, responsible for finding hundreds of successful matches every year, look to add to their bone marrow register.
While the chances of finding a match for Bearsted-based Buttle are slim, the possibility is there and he remains focused on a return to the rugby field, where he has enjoyed some of his finest moments.
Starting his playing career as a schoolboy in Lancashire, Buttle, 56, went on to spend nine years at Rochdale RFC before heading south to play for Cranleigh and Hastings & Bexhill. While he never made it to the top of the game as a player, a handful of games for Saudi side Al Khobar were to pave the way for several high-profile officiating appearances when Buttle was selected as touch judge for the 2002 Dubai Sevens tournament.
He said: “It was a real honour to be involved at that level – I ran touch for Ireland v Wales and Australia v Argentina, which was when I was at my fittest.
“The next year I took charge of the British Army versus South Sea Islanders in the secondary tournament. It was great, I loved it and I refereed really well.
“I had a really good season in 2007/08, I was upgraded having been assessed and I felt great going into the new season. However, I reffed a couple of games at the start of 2008/09 and I felt awful, I couldn’t get around the park and it was really frustrating. I took some time away from the sport to get myself fit but I couldn’t do it.”
What Buttle first believed to be a simple lack of fitness was explained when his leukaemia was eventually diagnosed, and he soon embarked on a programme of chemotherapy which left him weak and confined to a hospital bed.
There was disappointing news when Buttle’s brother flew over from Australia only to be told he, too, was incompatible for a transplant. However, the Anthony Nolan Trust have access to registers worldwide and Buttle remains optimistic something positive will come from the situation.
He said: “The event at Maidstone is really to raise awareness and we may just find the right person to donate. The odds are stacked against it, but even if it’s not right for me, it may be for someone else.
“Rugby is a huge part of my life, I’ve been watching the internationals on Sky while I haven’t been able to get out and about and I definitely want to get out there and referee again.”
Maidstone RFC are encouraging people to visit The Mote ground on Willow Way between 5pm and 9pm on December 10 to join the donor register by providing a saliva sample.
POSTED: 29/11/2009 08:00:00
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