intouch
with South African Referees
Rugby goes ‘inside’
Rugby – and refereeing – are taking off in Northern Cape prisons.
In this issue...
‘Interestingly, it was the arrival of a number
of inmates from the Eastern and Western
Cape, where rugby has a strong following,
that caused a mindshift because these guys
did not want to play soccer,’ says Kat. ‘Our
aim is to get a team from these prisoners to
play in the local club league.’
With the cooperation of Correctional
Services, an inhouse Rugby Day
was organised at the new Kimberley
Prison. Coaching development officer
Alvero Baardman assisted with coaching
and Kat presented an entry-level refereeing
course to six aspirant referees – all
passed with flying colours. In addition to
the theoretical and practical side of things,
the learner referees also undertook the
bleep test – a not-too-shabby 10,4 was
achieved by one!
The view
from the
grandstand
pg 8
A true
multi-tasker
Paddy’s Patch
W
hile inmates in many prisons
around South Africa play rugby,
it wasn’t until Griekwas amateur
rugby manager Zingi Hela, together
with referee manager Kat Swanepoel,
approached the Northern Cape Correctional
Services Department that it became more
formalised in the province’s brand-new
Kimberley Prison.
pg 9
SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY REFEREE SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY REFEREES’ ASSOCIATION
www.sareferees.co.za
Kat Swanepoel hands over kit to aspiring
referees from the new Kimberley Prison.
‘Playing conditions were less than ideal
but we’ve approached the authorities and
moves are already underway to ensure a
safer environment. The enthusiasm for
the game and desire to referee was really
encouraging; in fact, there was one person
who has real potential to progress up the
refereeing ranks. Now, wouldn’t that be a
good-news story?’ says Kat.
Griekwas Rugby Union handed over kit,
whistles and Law Books and will continue
to support the initiative. Importantly, all
referee candidates and coaches completed
the BokSmart programme.
Craig Joubert
Edition 3, 2010
SA Referee
Panels for
2011
pg 10
www.sareferees.co.za
1
Chairperson’s report
The South African Rugby Referees’ Association
can be justifiably proud of the service
rendered by its members at all levels of the
game throughout the country this past season.
One benchmark to measure performance is
the number of representatives we have on
the various IRB panels, and I’m very proud
to say this has grown to 14. In addition
to the four referees, two television match
officials, two performance reviewers and the
selector, Christie du Preez was appointed
to the AR panel (Cobus retains his place),
Roslyn Fortuin is part of the IRB Women’s
Development Squad, and Jason Jaftha and
Stuart Berry will be part of the IRB World
Series. Well done to each of them.
On the local front, we released the names
of those on our various Panels in November
– they appear on page 10. As always, there
will be a couple of people who will feel
aggrieved but I believe the promotions and
demotions are a fair reflection of reality.
The selection and grading subcommittee
has gone to great lengths to ensure their
decisions are based on fact after analysing
a huge amount of information, including
fitness tests, match reviewer reports,
coaching reports and examination marks.
It’s our intention in 2011 to review the
Panels during the season to reward those
who’ve made progress and ensure that we
can provide the best available referees at
all times.
The decision to introduce a Contenders
Squad in 2005 has paid off handsomely.
It is proving to be a valuable place for
up-and-coming referees to gain additional
experience and for those struggling on the
Provincial Panel to have an opportunity
to pick up their game again. In addition,
the introduction of an Academy Squad
is working well to identify and groom
candidates for higher honours.
While refereeing at Test level probably
remains the goal of most referees, there are
numerous other career options available
to someone willing to serve the game. I
encourage those who feel their refereeing
path is restricted to consider other avenues,
such as becoming an assistant referee or a
television match official.
2
www.sareferees.co.za Executives from SARRA have begun the
process of visiting each provincial referee
society and I’ve been impressed with what
I’ve seen so far. The societies are where the
grassroots work is done and it’s up to each
and every one of them to do their utmost
to develop match officials. SARRA can
assist but it’s in schools and clubs where
the hard work must be done to recruit and
train aspiring referees. Exchanges between
provinces is an ideal way for referees and
match officials to gain experience without it
having to cost a lot of money.
We’re making progress on the recruitment
front but it’s still too slow. The National
Referee Recruitment Campaign has made
strides this year with more than 450
potential referees making contact with the
hotline, email or SMS. This is a step in
the right direction but we’re planning to
increase this number in 2011. Our goal
remains to reach around 8 000 trained and
registered referees in South Africa.
We continue to make progress on the
communication front. The dedicated
website is a treasure trove of information
and is diligently updated. In addition to
ongoing news stories of relevance to anyone
interested in refereeing, there’s access to
clips highlighting specific elements of
Law and a host of other interesting
material. Why not make the website
your home page when accessing the
internet – that way you’ll be sure to keep
abreast of the latest news from around
the world. This newsletter – In-touch –
continues to be well received. Copies are
sent to all major rugby-playing unions
across the globe and it’s a great way for
provincial societies to showcase their
activities. A .pdf version is also available for
download from the website.
The SARRA office in Johannesburg has
taken on additional personnel to cope with
the increased administrative load. Special
thanks go to Dana Eitzen and Lettie Coetzee
for their hard work.
Our working relationship with SA Rugby
continues to be excellent. From the
president Oregan Hoskins through the
executive and to every level within the
organisation, we’re treated with respect
and professionalism. On behalf of SARRA I
extend our sincere gratitude for that.
There are many, many people who deserve
SARRA’s thanks and recognition for all
their hard work and effort – much of it
voluntary – and to them I extend our
appreciation. The business of refereeing is
about involvement and commitment and
I’m proud to say that we have hundreds of
individuals making a valuable contribution
across the country.
I’d like to make special mention of and
thanks to André Watson and his close-knit
team. Not only are they highly competent
at what they do but they’re extremely
professional in the way they go about it.
We’re privileged to have the calibre of
people like André playing such a hands-on
role in refereeing matters in this country.
The new year is around the corner. The
season will be off to a running start with
the inaugural Super 15 tournament and
highly popular Varsity Cup competitions in
February. Those referees on the Panel will
have their work cut out for them straight
away, and they need to use the months
ahead to prepare for the challenges that
lie in wait. For the rest of us, enjoy the
break and I hope you return re-energised
and even more enthusiastic for the 2011
season and the IRB Rugby World Cup in
September.
Regards
Steve Meintjes
NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY REFEREES’ ASSOCIATION
Mayende makes his mark
Sindile Mayende of the
KwaZulu-Natal Referees’
Society was rewarded
with the whistle for the
Club Champs final after
consistent displays during
his stint at the tournament.
S
indile Mayende, one of the top 10
referees in South Africa, delivered
consistent performances en route
to the final of the South African National
Club Championships between Maties
and College Rovers. It was played in
entertaining fashion, with Rovers dashing
the Stellenbosch students’ dream of a
treble of titles with a 24-15 win.
The 27-year-old Sharks development
officer has risen rapidly through the
refereeing ranks since taking up the
whistle in 2004. ‘I realised that I was
never going to become a Springbok
player, so I decided to give refereeing
a go,’ Mayende explains. ‘I’ve been
surprised by my progress over the past
few years and I will continue to work hard.
NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY REFEREES’ ASSOCIATION
My goal is to referee at Test level and the
World Cup.’
Mayende pointed to Law application
at scrum time as being the trickiest
component to police at South Africa’s
premier club rugby competition. ‘I had to
put in extra effort on scrums because you
often get big packs from clubs who are up
against smaller, more mobile packs such
as the university teams,’ he says. ‘So it
requires a good understanding of the Laws
applicable to scrums. But I worked very
hard before the tournament and it was a
privilege for me to referee the final.’
www.sareferees.co.za
3
What’s on my mind?
By André Watson
I can already hear the shouts of victory from
the one camp! But what about negative
play, for example, if the coach instructs his
second-best flanker to go onto the field and
late-tackle the opposition star flyhalf and
‘write him off’? The referee will order him off
but we’ll then send our best flanker on and
have a better chance of winning the game
as their star number 10 will be off the field
due to injury.
Clearly this is not the objective of
maintaining the 15-vs-15 status. In order to
stop this, it’s proposed to severely punish
the player sent off to discourage both
players and coaches from being party to
this type of behaviour.
Those supporting the retention of the
current system would argue that one should
not point fingers at only the referees but
that the players and coaches are equally,
in fact, more responsible for what happens
on the field. Referees are human and will
miss infringements but players also make
mistakes.
One of the management tools available to
referees is the yellow card, but it’s a subject
that continues to cause debate, with two
schools of thought prevailing.
Those against its use claim that:
• the team with a player in the sin bin
concedes an average of 10 points
during that period,
• the outcome of the game is changed
when a player is sent to the bin, and
• referees play cards and, like a card
game, they make a lottery of the game.
Proponents maintain that:
• if a player plays dirty or negatively
affects the game, he needs to be
44
www.sareferees.co.za •
yellow-carded, and
players transgress the Laws, not the
referee – the latter simply has to apply
the Law.
SANZAR, the body governing both
Super Rugby and the Tri-Nations
competitions, is considering proposals
that will see 15 players from each team
on the park at all times. This will mean
that should a player be sent off by the
referee, the player will be replaced from
the bench in order to ensure equality
in numbers. (The 15-vs-15 system will
be trialled in the 2011 Varsity Cup
competition – more details closer to
the time.)
It’s clear that both camps’ viewpoints
have merit. I probably won’t change your
particular viewpoint but I do want to talk
to the family of match officials of which
I continue to be a proud member. The
referee should:
• protect the ethos of the game, as
it is bigger than any coach, player,
administrator, referee or supporter;
• ensure a fair contest, never an equal
one, as the players determine the
latter; and
• apply the Laws according to the game
in front of you, not the Law book.
We’ve had almost the same number of
yellow cards this year compared to last
year, yet some of the cards issued this
season created confusion, anxiety and even
anger. In my opinion, some were ridiculous.
My view is shared by the chairman of WP
Referees’ Society, Dan de Villiers, a top
Currie Cup referee in the ’90s. I quote part
of an article he circulated to his Society:
‘Don’t get me wrong: foul or dangerous play
must not be tolerated and those players
intent on ruining the game as a sport must
NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY REFEREES’ ASSOCIATION
be removed from the field and dealt
with through the correct channels. But
I’m concerned that some referees use
the yellow card to control players instead
of brushing up on their peoplemanagement skills.
‘What it comes down to is communication.
Within the Laws, it’s our job as referees to
keep everyone on the field playing within
the bounds of a fair contest. The action of
removing one player from the field is severe
and in many instances can swing the game
completely to the advantage of the nonoffending team. This is fine if the sanction
is warranted; let’s just ensure we’ve done
our part before the card is used.’
•
•
•
I could not put it better, Dan – well said, my
friend and colleague!
•
So, what can we do about this?
•
While understanding and accepting that the
man with the whistle – and his assistants
on the side – will make errors from time
to time, we all need to keep in mind the
following regarding the issue of cards:
• Do not enforce, rather adjudicate.
• Do not issue a card when you feel you
•
need to take control – you probably
have already lost it.
Do not take player infringements
personally – if they don’t listen, they
need to feel the pain.
Do not issue a card for repeated
infringements too quickly. It’s part of
the game that players will infringe.
They don’t always infringe in order to
spoil, but in desperation to defend,
for example. Simply penalise the
infringement.
Do not be scared or hesitant to remove
from the field players who’re guilty of
foul and dangerous play. The game
doesn’t need this and no-one will
blame a referee who’s hard on foul and
dangerous play.
Do not always nail the retaliator harder
than the instigator. Why not penalise
both equally?
Do not be a bean counter and keep
score of the number of infringements.
It will colour your water and, in
fact, paint a picture in your mind
that is inaccurate. It might just be
desperation, which is as much part
of the game as missing a short putt is
part of golf.
Do not get involved in debates on the
NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY REFEREES’ ASSOCIATION
•
•
•
•
•
•
field of play.
Use downtime to communicate with
teams – use the captain – when a
negative tendency develops. (Note
that I say ‘tendency’ and not a one-off
incident.)
Do manage and communicate to an
offender when he’s foolish.
Do distinguish between blatant intent
to spoil (deliberate infringement) and
over-eagerness.
Do ask yourself whether the game of
the day actually deserves the card or
not.
Do distinguish between a blatant
infringement for negative play and a
technical infringement.
Do realise that the players and
spectators are looking to see a contest,
and don’t spoil this contest unless the
infringement leaves you no option.
I know it’s not easy, but like the
application of advantage, I believe
the excellent refereeing performance
separates itself from the average
performance when the referee and not
the cards manage the game.
Happy reffing!
www.sareferees.co.za
5
Tapping in to talent
Tappe Henning spent the
week at the Club Champs in
Stellenbosch, where he kept a
watchful eye on a number of
the country’s young referees.
ational Referees’ Coach Tappe
Henning, along with SWD’s Hulet
Billet, were the two designated
referee coaches at the recent South African
National Club Championships, which
often serves as a breeding ground for
refereeing talent. Tappe is also one of the
men tasked with grading and appointing
referees at national and global level with the
International Rugby Board (IRB).
Tappe, currently one of the IRB’s
selectors and a dynamic presenter at
referees’ courses, plays an essential role
in performance evaluation – a complex
process involving a number of individuals.
The man-in-the middle first needs to
evaluate his own performance, then the
match reviewer comes into play, before the
coach implements discussion around onfield issues. Clear communication therefore
plays an imperative role, according to the
seasoned official. ‘The roles of the coach
and the match reviewer go hand-in-hand,’
he told In-touch. ‘We work very closely
with the match reviewer when we look at
the performance of referees but it is a very
intricate process.’
After spending more than two decades as
a top-flight official, Tappe has considerable
first-hand experience with the whistle and
is able to deliver meticulous feedback and
analysis as a referee coach. He joined the
Northern Transvaal Referees’ Society in
1986 and went on to referee 250 firstclass matches, including 53 Super rugby
matches and a Currie Cup Final. He
was also in charge of 14 Tests between
1995 and 2004.
Nine referees were on show at the Club
Champs and the individual-specific
feedback and mentoring is of utmost
importance. ‘It is a very individualistic
approach. We have to look at each referee
as a separate case. It’s not just a blanket
evaluation,’ Tappe stressed. ‘It is often very
difficult to identify the referees’ tendencies
as well as meeting them individually to
discuss the performances. There’s no
set recipe but I’ve learnt that gaining the
N
Hi-tech help for refs
The International Rugby Board is
revolutionising the way international
referees physically prepare for the
demands of the modern Test arena by
using the latest GPS technology.
that require improvement, promoting
consistency and also managing the
welfare of the athlete to ensure that they
physically prepare in the most effective
way possible.’
The modern referee is an athlete, says
Paddy O’Brien, the IRB’s referee manager.
‘Players across all positions are becoming
fitter and the ball is in play longer than
ever before, and it’s important we ensure
that the world’s top referees have access
to a conditioning support structure that
allows them to achieve optimal individual
standards both on match days and also
in training sessions.’ This is important for,
among other things, referees to be able to
make clear decisions without being affected
by fatigue, as matches can swing on the
smallest of margins.
The GPS technology devices are housed
within a vest worn over the shoulders and
record invaluable data including heart rate,
distance covered, speed of movement,
body load (work rate) and field position.
After each match the data is downloaded
into a web-based performance-analysis
system and managed by Matt Blair, the
IRB’s referee conditioning specialist. This
data is then made available to the referees
and their conditioning coaches, and from
this, training programmes can be adjusted
to optimise physical performance and
promote consistency across the panel.
‘Global Positioning Satellite technology
allows us to truly monitor physical
performance during a match and also
within the training environment,’ says
O’Brien. ‘It’s very specific and the most
accurate way to manage a referee’s
physical performance, identifying areas
A Game Summary Report is made available
to referees once they have completed nine
games. This report can then be used for the
referee to adjust his current conditioning
programme as well as manage his on-field
positioning skills. In addition, and individual
referee can benchmark himself against his
6
www.sareferees.co.za referees’ confidence is most important and
makes things a lot easier.’
Tappe was pleased with the performance
of all the officials at the Club Champs
but singled out KwaZulu-Natal’s Sindile
Mayende for his notable display during
the tournament.
He was also forthcoming with advice for
budding officials wishing to take their
game to the next level: ‘The most important
aspect for any referee is consistency. The
outcomes or results must be consistent in
all areas. They also need to be accurate
and deliver clear calls.’
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‘The IRB, in collaboration with its member
unions, has constantly raised the bar in
terms of the fitness levels that need to
be achieved by referees at the very top
level,’ says O’Brien. ‘In addition to GPS
technology, the IRB Panel is subjected to
year-round monitoring and assessment,
with physical performance an important
criterion in the selection process to ensure
the highest possible standards.
‘We are confident that the processes we
have put in place working with our member
unions mean that we have a panel of
referees who are in the best physical shape
for the demands of modern Test rugby.’
NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY REFEREES’ ASSOCIATION
Heritage Tournaments give
Academy Squad a run
Identifying and nurturing
emerging talent is an
important part of the referee
recruitment campaign, and
veteran referees Eugene
Daniels and Louis Mzomba
drive this process through
the Academy Squad.
E
vents such as the Easter Festivals,
Heritage Tournaments and other
school competitions are used to bring
members of the Academy Squad together
for intense scrutiny and coaching. This year
16 members of the Squad were in action at
the Heritage Tournaments – eight each at
Alice and Mthatha respectively.
‘Often we find that referees with potential
slip through the normal selection channels
and so the establishment of an Academy
Squad has created a safety net to catch
those who may have missed out,’ says
Eugene Daniels. ‘And it must be working
because one of our earlier members, Rasta
Rasivhenge, has subsequently gone on to
the Provincial Panel.’
are good enough to be there. Interestingly,
we were able to sign up an additional 18
people at the Alice tournament who were
keen to become referees in the future.’
Of the 16 Academy referees, eight have
been nominated for consideration on the
2011 Contenders’ Panel. These candidates
will be subjected to additional testing
and evaluation in the new year and, if
successful, will be appointed to some of the
Easter Tournament games in April.
‘This is not a numbers game,’ Eugene
explains. ‘We are committed to developing
and producing quality match officials who
are on the various Panels because they
NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY REFEREES’ ASSOCIATION
www.sareferees.co.za
7
The view from the grandstand
A number of up-andcoming whistlemen
were on display at the
recent Club Champs,
where an integral part
of the process used to
gauge the competency
of these refs is the
role of the match
reviewer.
A
tournament such as the
South African National Club
Championships is often used
as a platform for referees’
development, and at this year’s event in
Stellenbosch in September various support
structures were again in place to ensure
accurate and constructive referee appraisal.
Dennis Immelman (who relinquished his
role as chairman of the Western Province
Referees’ Society in 2010 to concentrate
on his role at national and international
level), along with Banks Yantolo and Arrie
Schoonwinkel, were the match reviewers
at the week-long tournament, providing an
important link between the coaches and
the men in the middle.
The modern-day role of the match reviewer
is not dissimilar to that of the former
performance reviewer. However, these days
the match reviewer takes on a more positive
approach when analysing refs. ‘This system
initially started as a performance review
but that was more about what mistakes the
referee made,’ Immelman told In-touch.
8
www.sareferees.co.za ‘The best thing
about being a
referee is making
new friends,
learning new things
about the game
and seeing the
world if you are
fortunate enough.’
‘Now, we look at what contribution the
referee makes during the game.’
While referee coaches play an important
role in highlighting ongoing tendencies
or problems during tournaments, the
reviewer’s input is also significant in
accentuating competence. ‘We work
very closely with the coaches and the
referees and in this way we are able to
accurately assess levels of competence,’
Immelman explains.
The reviewer also plays a pivotal role in
streamlining the feedback and subsequent
assessment undertaken by the referee
coaches. The reviewer watches every
game closely and the various anomalies
are then relayed to the respective coaches,
who in turn address tendencies. ‘We look
at the overall performance of the referees
throughout a match and tournament.
In this way, we are then able to pinpoint
certain tendencies or see where a ref has
a particular problem or area in need of
attention,’ says Immelman.
While the use of technology could be a
helpful tool in aiding accurate appraisal and
facilitating the process of review, Immelman
stresses that it is not advisable to rely
solely on technology in order to assess
referees. ‘At the Club Champs we did not
have the luxury of a television while the
games were played. At least two of the
three match reviewers would be on duty for
each game. However, we can always use
the Fair Play system to confirm our findings
afterwards,’ he says.
While the retention of referees remains
a major concern in South African rugby,
the role of the reviewer has become a
critical element in the process to preserve
numbers and aid refereeing perfection.
NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY REFEREES’ ASSOCIATION
A true multi-tasker
She’s a project manager for a firm
of consulting engineers, and a busy
wife and mother of two, but Engela
Pretorius still finds time to chair the
Border Rugby Referees’ Society.
‘I’m passionate about all aspects of the
game,’ says Engela Pretorius, chair of
the Border Rugby Referees Society. This
enthusiasm initially showed when she
volunteered to coach rugby at her son’s
primary school in East London, which
quickly led to Engela wanting to know more
about the Laws of the game. She applied
for membership of the Border Rugby
Referees’ Society and reffed her first
game in the 2004 season, a women’s
club game.
Engela refereed for four years, and
assessed and coached referees for a further
two. She remained actively involved in the
Society, serving the committee as assistant
treasurer and secretary before being
nominated to the position of chairperson
early in October this year.
One of three women in the Society, Engela
is positive about women in rugby. ‘If you’re
competent, positive and show a love for the
game, you can achieve anything, whether
male or female,’ she says. The fact that she
referees wheelchair rugby underlines this
‘anyone can do it’ attitude.
She is also aware of issues such as violence
against referees and the importance of
ongoing referee recruitment.
Judging from the shirts this is a rugby-friendly household, from left daughter Sarie, Engela, husband Hennie and son Cassie.
This ambassador of the sport looks forward
to ‘creating a positive attitude between
referees, the game, players and spectators’
with the aim of improving the Society and
the structure of the 178 clubs within the
Border Union. She stresses that teamwork
and support from committee members and
referees are key.
‘With a love for the game, a positive attitude,
belief in yourself, support from friends and family
and a willingness to learn and train hard, you can
reach the goals you set for yourself’
Border
breaks
ground
In a first for South African
refereeing, Border selected a
woman to head up their executive
committee. Back, from left:
Marius Rathbone and Kobus
Oelefse. Front, from lleft:
Mandla Dakuse, Engela Pretorius
(chairperson) and Banks Yantolo.
NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY REFEREES’ ASSOCIATION
www.sareferees.co.za
9
SA Referee Panels for 2011
The Panels for 2011 have
been announced. SARRA have
indicated they will be reviewing the
appointments during the year and
there may be some fine-tuning done
in line with on-field performance.
National Panel
Stuart Berry
Jason Jaftha
(All Panels in alphabetical order.)
Marius Jonker
Craig Joubert
Jonathan Kaplan
Mark Lawrence
Pro Legoete
Sindile Mayende
Jaco Peyper
Joey Salmans
Lourens Van der Merwe
10
www.sareferees.co.za NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY REFEREES’ ASSOCIATION
Provincial Panel
Burger Luke (BB) Varsity Shield
Crouse Ben (BB) Varsity Cup
De Bruin Gerrie (BB) Varsity Shield
Groenewald Francois (WP) Varsity Cup
Immelman Quinton (WP) Varsity Cup
Jam Lusanda (Border) Varsity Shield
Jonker Tiaan (Lions) Varsity Cup
Kemp Matt (WP) Varsity Cup
Mdashe Mlungiseli (Valke) Varsity Shield
November Dilbert (SWD) Varsity Cup
Rashivenga Rasta (Lions) Varsity Cup
Sehlako Archie (Natal) Varsity Cup
Van der Westhuizen Marius (WP) Varsity Shield
Veldsman Francois (Boland) Varsity Shield/ Res.
Varsity Cup
Contenders Squad
Geldenhuys Stephan
(BB) RESERVES TO PROV.
PANEL
Bonaparte Rodney
(EP)
Bosch Petri
(WP)
De Villiers Pieter
(Lions)
De Bruin Francois
(Griquas)
Gericke Hein
(WP)
Janse van Vuuren Pieter (FS)
Lekhanye Martin
(FS)
Mrulwa Sinethemba
(WP)*
Nel Eduan
(Lions)
Pretorius Francois
(WP)
Rametsi Oregopotse
(Leopards)*
Sambo Petros
(Lions)*
Slater Andrew
(WP)
Van der Hoven Ricus
(Pumas)
Van Heerden Jaco
(BB)
* Needs fast tracking coaching and attention
Women’s Panel
Claasen Eska
De Villiers Madel
Daniels Eugenia
Fortuin Roslyn
Jordaan Marlize
Ludick Sanet
Njani Sipokazi
Scholtz Ilana
Van der Heever Magda
(SWD)
(Lions)-Sabbatical
(WP)
(Boland)
(FS)
(Leopards)
(Border)
(Lions)
(Pumas)
Contender’s/Academy Squad – women
Daniell Renee
Duthie Melany
Oerson Henchalla
(BB)
(Boland)
(SWD)
Specialised National AR panel
Bosch Phillip
Breytenbach Stefan
Du Preez Christie
Greeff Johan
Manuels Linston
Rossouw Reuben
Van Zyl Marc
Wessels Cobus
Yamile Fumanekile
(EP)
(Pumas)
(EP)
- IRB Panel
(BB)
(Boland)
(Sharks)
(WP)
(SWD) - IRB Panel
(EP)
Regional AR Squad
Buitendach Attie
Haasbroek DeGoede
Van Staden Sieg
(BB)
(Griquas)
(Valke)
National TMO panel
Coetzee Gerrie
Fortuin JC
Meuwesen Johan
Veldsman Shaun
(FS)- Super 15
(WP)
(EP) - Super 15
(Boland)- Super 15
National Selectors
(*1 see notes at bottom of document)
Billett Hulet
Immelman Dennis
Mngqibisa Thuso
Roos Willie
Schoonwinkel Arrie
Swart Balie
Yantolo Banks
(SWD)
(WP)
(WP)
(in training)
(FS)
(SARU) – coaches/players representation
(Border)
National Women’s Selectors (*1)
De Villiers Eugene
Hendricks Keith
(Lions)
(Boland)
National Coaches (*2)
Greyvenstein Hendrik
Henning Tappe
Naude Theuns
Billett Hulet
(WP)
(SARU)
(SARU)
(SWD)
*1 The Match Review
and Selection system and
personnel are under review.
As soon as finality is reached,
proper communication will
be provided. Until such
National Match Reviewers (*1)
time, the status quo will be
maintained.
Breytenbach Dries
Coetzer Gerrit
Hugo Jacques
Janse van Vuuren Theuns
Menze Lusanda
O’Connell Allan
Oelofse Pierre
NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY REFEREES’ ASSOCIATION
(Pumas)
(FS)
(EP)
(Lions)
(FS) (Natal)
(Lions)
*2 Others will be appointed
once the January meeting,
as well as consideration and
measuring of candidates, has
taken place.
www.sareferees.co.za
11
1
Craig honoured
It has been a heady year of success for IRB and SARU
referee Craig Joubert: not only did he referee the Super14
final – the last one – he also officiated
in the Currie Cup final and received
the Referee’s Achievement of the
Year Award at the gala dinner with the
Springboks in November.
Also picking up silverware was upand-coming referee Jason Jaftha.
Well done to two deserved servants of
the game.
these take place at the Cillie High School
while arrangements are in place to move
the Union’s activities to the fantastic new
Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Jacque Hugo has taken over as referee
manager, following the reassignment of
‘Oom’ Jap Claasen to more pressing duties
with the Union. Phillip Bosch is the new
training coordinator.
EP REF’S EXECUTIVE FOR 2011: Front (left to right) Jacques Hugo (Manager); Frans Muller (Chairman) ;
Laurie Marx (Services) Back (left to right) Archie Ndayi (Appointments); Phillip Bosch (Training); Chris du
Preez (Coaching); Jap Claasen (Finance and club affairs) ; Colin Tobias (Functions) Absent : Mninimzi
Plaatjie (Vice Chairman) and Neville Jonas (RDO and Development)
EP Referees’
Society year in
review
Recruitment, coaching and
education are high on the agenda
for the Eastern Province Referees’
Society for next year, following a
full 2010.
On and off the field, members the Eastern
Province Referees’ Society recorded
significant achievements during the year,
among them:
• Vice-chairman Mninimzi Plaatjie was
appointed vice-chair of SARRA
• Christie du Preez became an IRB
Assistant Referee
• Phillip Bosch and Fumanikile Yamile
were appointed Provincial ARs
• Rodney Bonaparte was selected for
the Contenders’ Panel
2
12
www.sareferees.co.za •
•
•
•
Johan Black is on the reserve
Contenders’ Panel
Riaan Gayi, Nontembeni Nonyolo,
Fernado Uithaler, Julius Whitebooi and
Singile Ngeze are on the Academy
Squad
Mtheleni Mselini and Rupert Jacobs
are on the Primary Schools’ Panel
Jacques Hugo is on the Provincial
Match Reviewers Panel.
With only around 70 active referees
available and around 100 games on a
weekly basis, recruitment is an area that
requires special attention in the new year.
The Society’s recruitment and development
efforts have been hampered by a lack of
resources but the increased profile of the
EP Kings and subsequent sponsorships
should assist in this regard in the future.
Algoa FM recently came on board with
sponsorship of clothing for school games.
Christie du Preez has taken the initiative to
re-start the regular coaching sessions and
The behaviour of spectators and club
officials remains an ongoing problem,
mainly because of a lack of knowledge of
the Laws of the Game, despite efforts to
educate the public through features in the
EP Kings’ match-day programme. Greater
efforts will be undertaken in the new
season.
Refereeing is alive and well in Eastern
Province thanks to the continued
involvement of its senior members. The
heightened profile of the EP Kings and
move to a new stadium are proving to be
the very injection of enthusiasm the region
needed. Here’s to a successful 2011.
Changing of the guard at the
Golden Lions
At the AGM of the Golden Lions
Rugby Referees’ Society, the following
members were elected into leadership
positions:
Chairman – Louis van Huyssteen
Committee members
Fred Darke
Chris Beale
Willie A Vos
Pieter de Villiers
George Raftopoulos
Colin McCourt
Craig Palmer
Randall Koetaan
NEWSLETTER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN RUGBY REFEREES’ ASSOCIATION