CAMP ATTERBURY JOINT MANEUVER TRAINING CENTER, Ind., - Heavy breathing, pounding hearts and screams of pride and anguish could be heard as 30 elite warriors, literally, servicemembers from across the nation bash, kick and shove toward victory.
One man stands calmly in the center of it all, the referee.
1st Lt. David Bryant, battle captain for the Mobilization Operation Center at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind., was selected to be one of the few referees to judge the USA Rugby Military Club Championship at Fort Benning, Ga., April 29 and 30.
As 20 teams competed in this relentless two-day battle for title of the nation's finest military rugby team, it was the referee's duty to insure the laws of rugby football were enforced.
Bryant is an international referee ranked top 30 out of about 30,000 referees in the nation, said Ray Davis, tournament chairman.
"I chose Dave because he is an excellent referee," said Davis who help select the referees. "His military training has made him a much better referee because he has become more disciplined and has a greater attention to detail. I feel if he continues he will end up making the USA Rugby National Panel Referees."
Bryant said his father influenced him to play rugby when he was six. He played throughout high school and graduated on to play for Indiana University.
"I think a lot of my [referee] skill comes from playing so much," he said. "I have been playing my entire life, and it made a big difference because the level I played at all around the world."
He said he took the referee course when he was 20 to perfect his skill and too fully engulf him in the knowledge of the game. Six years later he took the level-two referee course.
"I took the level-two referee course when I was 26 and found out I was the youngest level two in the country," he said.
Upon realizing this he started to form new goals. He wanted to be on the USA Rugby National Panel Referees, the top referees in the nation.
Bryant said, being in the Army has its advantages. Military life requires him to stay in shape as does refereeing rugby because he constantly has to keep up with the ball.
"The biggest difference between rugby and other sports is that the referee has to be tethered to the ball," said Bryant. "We have to be there on top of every tackle and every try or score."
Peter Sheedy, a referee from London who refereed with Bryant said, Bryant has all the attributes of a top class referee.
"We have this thing; better referees tend to see things go slowly and other referees get frantic, all nervous and rushed," Sheedy said. "To referees like Dave, everything is nice and slow, like in the "Matrix" when Keanu Reeves suddenly becomes Neo and everything slows down. That is what it is like when you are a good referee."
Bryant is passionate about rugby and his love for the game can be seen on the field.
"Rugby is hands down the best team sport there is," Bryant said. "Everyone is on offence and everyone is on defense. All types of people can play the game and it is also the second most played team sport in the world. The tradition, the camaraderie, I mean it is second to none, literally."
Blood, sweat and tears stained the rugby football field as one man judged the brutality and gracefulness of the rugby championship from the center of the field. Fort Benning won the USA Rugby Military Club Championship.
Although this game has come to end, this referee's passion drives him on, refereeing games around the world.