Glen Jackson, for many years a top flyhalf in New Zealand and England, has hung up his boots, picked up his boots and is at a training camp for New Zealand's professional referees in Motueka as they prepare for New Zealand's provincial compositions.

Jackson of the educated boot played for  Bay of Plenty, Chiefs, New Zealand Maori and the New Zealand Barbarians before moving to England in 2004 where he played for Saracens. In 2007 he was  elected the Professional Rugby Players’ Association Player of the Year in the Premiership and his club's Player of the Year.

Jackson has been refereeing for some time, starting when playing for the Chiefs seven years ago  and he kept it up while playing in England. He has completed his English national referee exams and is a member of the Hertfordshire Referees' Society.

The New Zealand Rugby Union announced in July last year that Jackson would return to New Zealand to take up the whistle as the next phase of his professional rugby career.

Lyndon Bray, New Zealand's refereeing boss, said Jackson’s experience as a professional player would add depth and provide a new dimension to New Zealand’s professional pool of rugby referees.

It is rare for a top player to become a referee, let alone a top referee as referees more and more start young. An obvious exception is Alain Rolland of Ireland who played for Ireland, the man who refereed the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final.