This weekend’s Cheshire Plate final will mark the last appearance of referee Joe Phelan as he hangs up his whistle immediately afterwards.

The match between Ramsey and Western Vikings takes place at Ballafletcher on Saturday afternoon, kicking off at 2.30pm.

Joe recently celebrated his 40th anniversary of being a referee and thinks it’s high time for a man of his age to take things a little easier.

He will of course continue to be involved with refereeing, appointing officials to games, assessing their performance and providing guidance and mentoring for new officials.

Isle of Man rugby owes Joe a debt of gratitude for his commitment over the years and recognises that without the commitment of the likes of him, the rugby scene would look very different indeed. Thank you sir.