Nathan Turnbull: 2025 Squash Referee of the Year

Nathan Turnbull could never have imagined that a plan by him and a mate to get free tickets to the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne would have evolved into a professional refereeing career spanning two decades. 

Last month at the Squash Australia Open Gala Dinner in Brisbane, Turnbull was named the Referee of the Year. 

Humbled to receive this honour, Turnbull said it is always nice to have your hard work and achievements acknowledged.

“It is really nice to be recognised for your work over the last 12 months, and for a long period of time in refereeing,” he said. “It feels great." 

It has been a busy 12 months for the Aussie referee, attending a number of domestic and international events including the Australian Junior Championships, the 2024 and 2025 Squash Australian Open, the World Tour Finals in Seattle and the World Teams Championship in Hong Kong. 

Throughout his career, squash has taken Turnbull all over the world, including Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas and Asia. 

However, to have such a fulfilling and prolonged international refereeing career was never Turnbull's intention. 

“I literally started out in 2004 and it was solely for the purpose of getting free tickets to the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne,” he said. “I thought what a great way to go to the Commonwealth Games and just watch some good squash.”

At the time, Turnbull was a touring squash professional and said from that point on, he was always roped in to officiate. 

“One time when I was in Canberra, Chris Sinclair and John Small dragged me over and asked, ‘I know you are not here to ref but do you mind doing the quarter-final of the Australian Open?’” he said. 

“I literally bought tickets, I was sitting there in the back getting ready to have a beer, and they are like ‘can you put your referee shirt on and do a match for us?’

“It wasn’t something I really wanted to do at the time, but I’m happy I did it because since then I went on to be a WSO referee and I have now been all around the world.” 

Turnbull believes that with squash added to the LA 2028 Olympics and the potential of inclusion at Brisbane 2032, it is an exciting time to be part of the sport. 

“Looking towards LA, it is just excitement-plus for all our young and current players,” he said. “I think there are probably 10 or 15 PSA players that I know of, who are looking to extend their careers because of LA.”

The now-veteran referee encourages anyone who may be considering becoming a referee to seize the opportunity with both hands. 

“It is well worth it and you ‘almost’ get paid to have a holiday!” he jokes.  

“You definitely don’t make money from referring, but when someone pays for you to have a trip to Asia, just so you can referee a couple of matches of squash, it doesn’t sound all that bad.”