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The Bald Ref
The Referee Standing Up to Abuse and Why Men Need to Talk
Guest: Johnny Cartwright — rugby referee, primary school teacher, Loose Heads ambassador
Episode Description
Johnny Cartwright is a primary school teacher, a dad, and a rugby referee operating at RFU National League level in the Manchester area. He is also the Manchester Referee Society Chair of Training and Development and a proud Loose Heads ambassador — an organisation that champions respecting the game and men's mental health beyond rugby.
Known in the rugby world as the Bald Ref, Johnny has built a social media presence around calling out the abuse referees face on the pitch — not from the comfort of the touchline, but from the middle of it. In this conversation he talks about the incidents that shaped him: the under-15s coach who tried to get his home address after a game, the time nobody on the touchline spoke up to defend him and the silence that changed the way he operates, and the paradox of being reported for calling out abuse while the abuser walked away.
He also talks about Waffle Wednesdays — a weekly voice note routine he built with two close friends to keep the lines of communication open between men who don't always find it easy to say how they're actually doing. And about Loose Heads, the world record attempts, and the goal of putting a mental health ambassador in every rugby club in the world.
This is a conversation about standing up, speaking out, and the small habits that keep men connected.
Timestamps
01:28 Torque Ten — Quickfire Questions with Johnny
02:42 Johnny Welcome to Talk
02:49 Entry Into Refereeing — From Coaching to the Whistle
03:39 The First Match — Nerves and a Ladies Game at a Familiar Club
05:44 Women’s vs Men’s Rugby — The Difference in Spirit
06:37 The First Time He Was Really Abused — An Under-15s County Cup Game
08:40 The Coach Who Pointed, Made Accusations, and Tried to Get His Home Address
10:20 Insinuations About Him as a Teacher — Where It Crossed a Line
11:30 Nobody Said Anything — The Silence That Changed Him
13:00 Becoming an Active Bystander — The Man Who Doesn’t Walk Past
14:30 Why He Started Posting About It — The Bald Ref on Social Media
16:00 The Paradox — Reported for Calling Out Abuse, the Abuser Walked Away
18:00 What the RFU Is Doing — and Where the Gaps Are
19:30 Respect the Ref — What Good Looks Like on a Touchline
20:45 Waffle Wednesdays — Where It Came From
21:38 How It Works — Voice Note, Two Close Friends, Every Week
22:00 Why a Voice Note Rather Than a Phone Call
23:13 The Beauty of Considered Rather Than Reactive Feedback
24:25 What Happens When He Misses a Wednesday
25:40 Men and Platitudes — Why We Don’t Say What We Mean
27:00 LooseHeadz — What It Is and What It’s Trying to Do
29:00 A Mental Health Ambassador in Every Rugby Club in the World
30:30 The Personal Loss Behind Why He Does This
32:00 Teaching Primary School Children vs Refereeing Adults
34:00 Parents at Kids’ Rugby — The Grandma and the Forward Pass
40:53 The Guinness World Record Attempt — Longest Game of Sevens Rugby
42:09 Dom’s Closing Reflection
You can find Jonny at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-cartwright-7401712b?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios
https://www.instagram.com/the_bald_ref?igsi=cjNoZXFjZXkyd20w&utm_source=qr
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Original music composed and used with permission from Alex Tilley
Video Editing for Socials assistance provided by Lily O'Connor
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