Rasta becomes a Test referee
He is in the line that stretches back to John Griffin in 1891.
It may come as a surprise that it is only his first Test, for he is one of the best-known referees in the world because of his refereeing in so many parts of the world on the Sevens circuit on which he has refereed 16 finals. But he is only 30 and this last while has been a time of great achievement for him.
In October he became the youngest referee to referee the Currie Cup Final. In November he refereed two matches in France, one in Pro D2 and one in the Top 14. This year he became a Super Rugby referee for the first time and will referee his first Test and then will go off as one of five South African referees to referee at the Olympic Game, the first time that Sevens rugby will feature at the Olympics.
It is a golden time for Fhatuwani Rasivhenge, whom the whole world calls Rasta, born in Kempton Park on 3 January 1986, home languages Venda and English, schooled at Jeppe High School for Boys, where he was a flyhalf and then a scrumhalf, and then at the University of the Witwatersrand. Before he started refereeing he played rugby at Wits – scrumhalf for the Under-19 B.
In 2007 Rasivhenge joined the Golden Lions Referees' Society and immediately progressed. In his fourth year of refereeing he was on the National Panel, the second tier of provincial referees in South Africa. From there he graduated to the Elite Panel, and obviously Rugby World will be interested in him.
As was the case with Craig Joubert, Rasivhenge has made his name on the sevens circuit, starting in 2011. He is a particularly athletic referee and outgoing by nature.
All South African referees and many abroad will want to congratulate Rasivhenge on his first Test appointment and express the hope that he enjoy. He is certainly excited.
