Kiwi Jon Corson has long been one of the world’s most respected Wheelchair rugby officials. Now, his teenage son Hunter is following in his footsteps and has already tasted officiating on the international stage.
Aged just 17, Hunter has refereed several international matches, including Australia versus USA – two of the Para sport’s powerhouse nations. Now, there is a tantalising possibility that father and son could both feature together as officials at the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games.
“That would be pretty cool,” says Hunter. “I still need to obtain my international refereeing licence to be refereeing at a Paralympic Games or World Championships, but a goal of mine would be to referee at Brisbane 2032.”
Jon adds: “I’m not looking beyond Brisbane 2032, but I would be very proud to be alongside Hunter and work together in some capacity.”
Jon was first introduced to Wheelchair rugby as a spectator at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. His wife, Dr Cherie Harris, the current president of New Zealand Wheelchair Rugby, was working on a PhD on disability sport at the time, and the pair were quickly captivated by the high-octane Para sport.
“We went to that first session of Wheelchair rugby and were so caught up in the excitement, the contact and the competitiveness, that we changed our plans to watch other Para sports at Sydney 2000. We attended every Wheelchair rugby session.”
After relocating from the UK to Brisbane shortly after Sydney 2000, Jon and Cherie began volunteering for Sporting Wheelies, a leading provider of sport and recreation opportunities for disabled people.
It wasn’t long before Jon was asked if he would be interested in refereeing Wheelchair rugby. He jumped at the opportunity and, within 12 months, had officiated his first international fixture.
Jon made his Paralympic debut as a Games Commissioner and reserve referee at Beijing 2008. He went on to serve as a Games Commissioner at London 2012 and Rio 2016, Head Official at Tokyo 2020, and Assistant Head Official at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Now based in the Bombay Hills and serving as a member of the World Wheelchair Rugby Technical Working Group, Jon remains deeply immersed in the Para sport.
And now, the next generation of the Corson family is following the same path.
Exposed to Para sport from a young age, some of Hunter’s earliest memories are of sitting on the bench at Wheelchair rugby tournaments. At just 11, he started refereeing.
“I had the audacity to say I was bored at one of the tournaments when one of the officials gave me a whistle to help her officiate.”
Hunter quickly discovered that he enjoyed the close-up view of the game and being part of a welcoming community.
Aged 12, he officiated at his first national league round, before making his national championship refereeing debut as a 13-year-old.
Given how young he was when he started, what challenges did he face?
“I’d been around for so long that everyone knew who I was, which helped,” Hunter says. “It was a very welcoming environment. The biggest challenge was learning the rules and getting my head around the different aspects of the game, but that was also something I enjoyed.”
Hunter’s rise through the officiating ranks has been rapid.
Last year, he officiated at a World Challenge event in Australia, making his international refereeing debut in the Netherlands versus Canada match.
Earlier this year, the Year 13 student at St Paul’s Collegiate School in Hamilton returned for the latest World Challenge event in Adelaide, where he officiated the encounter between Australia and USA – a dress rehearsal for their meeting in the World Wheelchair Rugby Championships final in August.
With two officials on court at any one time, Hunter is fortunate to have plenty of experience to draw upon. And through his father Jon, he has had perhaps the ultimate mentor close at hand.
“Dad has been a good person to have in my corner,” says Hunter. “He knows the game inside out and it has been useful to feed off his knowledge.”
Interestingly, Jon says that when Hunter first started refereeing, he deliberately took a hands-off approach to his son’s officiating journey.
“I made the call to be a father to Hunter rather than be the person telling him how to referee,” explains Jon. “Any feedback he received from officiating at tournaments or training sessions, I would talk to him more as a father to a son, rather than saying, ‘This is what you need to do.’
“Having said that, I’m very proud of how he has taken to the role. I get feedback from all around the world about how well he is doing. He is very relaxed and confident on the court. I can’t ask for anything more as a parent.”
Hunter believes listening and being receptive to feedback are among the most important qualities of a good referee. Jon agrees, but stresses another fundamental principle.
“All referees need to remember they are there for the game, not for themselves,” he says. “Refs are there to make the game the best it can be for both spectators and the players.”
Hunter may not be the final member of the Corson family to take up the whistle.
His younger siblings, Honour, 15, and Finn, 13, have also entered the world of Wheelchair rugby refereeing, with Honour making her officiating debut at the recent New Zealand Wheelchair Rugby Championships in Dunedin.
So, why would Hunter encourage others to follow in his footsteps and pick up the whistle?
“It will mean stepping outside of your comfort zone, but the atmosphere is really good,” he says. “It is a very different world, but it allows you to meet lots of cool people and make a lot of lasting connections.”
