Referees around the Worlf, K-Z
Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:58
This gives brief biographical details of some of the top referees in the world.
Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)
Full name: Jonathan Isaac Kaplan
Born: Durban on 7 November 1966.
Education: Carmel College, King David's, University of Cape Town, University of South Africa
Occupation: professional referee, formerly a businessman
Marital Status: Unmarried
Date of starting: 1984
Provincial Honours: 1993
First Test: 1996, Zimbabwe vs Namibia
Godwin Karuga (Kenya)
Name: Godwin Moses Kamau Karuga
Date of Birth: 19 June 1972
Educated : University of Leicester (UK) MBA
Unmarried
Occupation : Insurance Executive
Playing : Impala Club, Kenya, front row.
Started refereeing : 1999
Society : Kenya Rugby Referee's Society( KRRS)
First test : 2004 Tanzania vs. Burundi
Number of Test: 4
Exchange : Golden Lions Referees Society (
South Africa 2005).
Highlights:
National Panel since 2001.
Many sevens tournaments including the International Safari Sevens in Nairobi Kenya, 2002 to 2005.
Mosi Sevens in Zambia and World cup 7's qualifier 2004.
Singapore Sevens 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2005.
Kilimanjaro Sevens in Tanzania 2002.
Dubai Sevens 2004.
World Championship Under-19 Qualifier in 2004.
World Cup 2007 Qualifier in Zambia ( Zambia vs Botswana) ,
Uganda League cup final, 2001.
Confederation of African Rugby(CAR) Super 16 in Arusha Tanzania 2005,
Zimbabwe cup final 2005.
Referee of the year 2004.
Michael Katzenellenbogen (South Africa)
Full Name: Michael Labe Katzenellenbogen
Born: Newlands, Cape Town, 22 December 1968
Schools: Lochnerhof Primary, Paarl Boys' High
University: Stellenbosch (BSc (Human Physiology) (1989), BSc (Physiotherapy) (1993)
Occupation: Physiotherapist
Family: Married to Linda. They have five children, including twins Tatum and Thomas
Started refereeing: 1988
Societies: Western Province, Eastern Free State, Natal
First Tests: Namibia vs Madagascar, 2002
Status: Retired
Al Klemp (USA)
Full name: Alan William Klemp
Birth: Chicago, Illinois, 24 August 1958
Family: Wife and three children
Occupation: Contractor
Playing career: 13 years (College Illinois State- Club Chicago Blaze)
Started refereeing: 1992
Referees’ Society: Chicago, Midwest, USA
Why he started refereeing: After 13 years of telling the Ref what to call, I felt I had a good foundation to referee!
First Test (year and match): 2000 Canada vs Tonga
Number of tests: 13 (up to the end of 2004)
Status: Retired from international refereeing
Bruce Kuklinski (Canada)
Full name: Bruce Kuklinski
Birth: 6 February
1965 in Inglewood, New Zealand
Occupation: Physical Education teacher
Playing career: Massey University, National Teachers' Colleges, Oroua RFC, Palmerston North High School Old Boys, Manawatu and Taranaki age-group teams, British Columbia Under-23, Vancouver Island Senior Tide, University of Victoria Vikings
Coached: St Michael's University School, British Columbia Under-19
Started refereeing: 1991
Referees' Society: British Columbia Rugby Referees' Society, Vancouver Island Rugby Referees' Society
International panel: 1995
First Test: 1999: USA vs Tonga in the Pacific Rim Tournament
Highlights: Many Sevens tournaments including the 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Punte Del Este, the IRB World Sevens Series in Dubai in 1999, the Hong Kong Sevens in 2001, the IRB Sevens Series in Shanghai in 2001, the IRB World Sevens in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and London in 2002, and the Commonwealth Games in 2002; Under-19 World Championship in 2000; first
Super Powers Cup match, between the USA and Japan.
Status: Retired from international refereeing
Steve Lander (England)
Full name: Steve John Lander
Born: 11 November 1955
Educated: Hipperholme Grammar School, Halifax, King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford and Chester College
Family: Married to Pippa. They have a son and a daughter.
Occupation: Professional referee, formerly a PE master
Playing experience: Flyhalf/centre for Oxford & Swindon
Started refereeing: 1983
First Society: Oxfordshire Society. In 1985 he moved to the Liverpool Society.
First test: 1995
Status: Retired from international refereeing
Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Born: 23 December 1970
Province: Bay of Plenty
Occupation: Schoolmaster turned professional referee
Educated: Otumotai College (Tauranga), Waikato University
Played: 1st five-eighth for school 1st XV
and university Colts
Started refereeing: 1994 "because I wanted to stay involved in rugby and I have a family background in refereeing".
First class debut: 1997
Status: IRB's merit panel of referees
Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Full name: Steven Mark Lawrence
Born: Standerton, 16 June 1965
Educated: Highbury, Beechwood High School, Witwatersrand Technikon
Family: Married
Occupation: Optician
Started refereeing: 1990
Society: Mpumalanga Referees’ Society
First league in 1993
Provincial Rugby: 1995
First Test: 2000, Italy vs Fiji
James Leckie (Australia)
Full name: James Thomas Leckie
Born: Sydney, 27 November 1975
Education: Trinity Grammar School, Sydney University
Occupation: schoolmaster
Family: wife Anna
Started refereeing: 1994 at school, 1995 at clubs
Society: New South Wales Referees' Association
Highlights:
Under-19 World Championship in Durban in 2005, IRB's Under-21 World, IRB Sevens circuit, Super 14 Championship, Final of the Commonwealth Games, Final of the Hong Kong Sevens
First Test: Hong Kong vs Korea
IRB status: IRB's merit panel of referees (2006)
Alan Lewis (Ireland)
Full name: Alan Lewis
Born: County Cork, 1 June 1964
Occupation: managing director of an insurance brokerage
Family: Married to Sharon with two daughters - Robyn and Gaby
Started refereeing: 1987
Referees’ Society: Leinster Association
First Test: 1998, Argentina vs France
Status: IRB's merit panel of referees
Kevin McCaskin (USA)
Full name: Kevin Craig McCaslin
Born: 14 June 1964
Occupation: Contractor (Desert Modulars, Inc.)
Family: married to Kathy (14 years). They have two daughters, Emma (9) and Brawley (8)
Lives: Tucson, Arizona
Played: Flank for the University
of Arizona from 1982
Started refereeing: 1995
Society: Arizona, Southern California, USA
Highlights: Appointed to Southern California Territorial Panel 1997, USA Developmental Panel 1999, USA Panel 2002.
Dave McHugh (Ireland)
Full name: David Thomas Michael McHugh
Born: Limerick, 21 December 1955
Education: St Munchin’s
Occupation: Professional Referee
Started Refereeing: 1981
First test: 1994, Romania vs Wales
IRB Status: retired from international rugby, 2004
Franck Maciello (France)
Full name: Franck Maciello
Born: 15 January 1968
Occupation: Manager of a business
Started refereeing:
Society: Côte d'Azur
First Test:
Sean Mallon (Holland)
Full name: Sean Mallon
Born: Lisburn, Northern Ireland, 1964
Family: married to Marlies with four children
Playing career: Portadown (Ulster) and
Castricum in Holland.
Started refereeing: 1994
First Test: -
Peter Marshall (Australia)
Name: Peter Leslie Marshall
Born: Sydney, 28 July 1955
School: Balgowlah Boys' High School
Occupation: Professional referee
Family: Married to Chris with two children, Rochelle and Nathan
Playing career: Manly RFC 1st XV
Started refereeing: 1986
Referees' Society: New South Wales Referees' Association
First Test: 1993: Fiji vs Tonga
IRB Status: retired from international rugby, 2004
Jean-Pierre Matheu (France)
Full name: Jean-Pierre Matheu
Born: 19 July 1967
Occupation: Managing director
Started refereeing:
Society: Armagnac-Bigorre
First Test:
Johnny Meersman (Belgium)
Full name: Johan Meersman
Born: Antwerp, 1960
Family: Married to Kaat, one daughter Charlotte
Occupation: Customs
offer
Played: 2 Tests for Belgium in the front row
Started refereeing: 1992
First test: 1997 Czech Republic vs Andorra in World Cup qualifier
Didier Mené (France)
Full name: Didier Mené
Born: 30 March 1964
Occupation: Chemical engineer
Started refereeing: -
Society: Comité de Provence
1st test: 1994
Status: Retired from international refereeing
Craig Morgan (Austria)
Full name: Craig Morgan
Born: Isle of Man, 1967
Occupation: CRM (Customer Relationship Management) consultant
Started refereeing: 1992
First Test: 2002, Belgium vs Croatia
Chris Mwamba (Zambia)
Full name: Mofu Christopher Mwamba
Born: 10 May, 1965
Educated: Kansenshi High School, Northern Technical College
Occupation: Civil/Structural Engineering Design Draughtsman
Family: Married to Florence. They have two children -
Kabwe-Mutale (daughter) 6 years old and a son Bwembya-Madalitso (4months old).
Player: School and club
Started refereeing: 1995
First test: 5 October 2002, Kenya vs Uganda at RFUEA (East African RFU ground) in Nairobi, Kenya
His last test was on 11 September 2004 - Zimbabwe vs Uganda in Harare.
He has attended Level 1 and Level 2 courses in South Africa and has refereed Sevens matches.
In 2002 he was voted Referee of the year in Zambia
Louis Mzomba (South Africa)
Full name: Louis Mzomba
Born: Cape Town, 30 September 1966
Educated: Vuyani Primary, Oscar Mpetha HS and the Good Hope College of Education
Occupation: Schoolmaster
Playing career: scrumhalf for the Leopards
Started refereeing: 1996
Society: Western Province Referees' Society
First Test: 2001, Swaziland and Madagascar
Status: Retired from international refereeing
Matt Oakley (Singapore)
Full name: Matthew Edward Oakley, MVO, MBE
Born: 19 July 1965
Single
Occupation: Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service
Playing career: Northampton Old Scouts Colts (England): 1983-84, H M Diplomatic Service (England): 1984-85, Spartans RFC (Athens, Greece): 1985-88, Jeddah RFC (Saudi Arabia): 1988-90 (Captain), Riyadh RFC (Saudi Arabia): 1990-92, Hampstead RFC (England): 1992-96 (incl. 2nd XV captain and Chairman)
Started refereeing: 1996 with Western Province Referees' Society in South Africa
Memberhip: Singapore Referees.
First test: Sri Lanka vs China (Rugby World Cup Qualifier), 2002
Why he started: When I moved to South Africa in 1996 (age 31) I felt that I had reached the level of my playing potential (junior club rugby), but that I had the ability and commitment to make it to international level as a referee, if I started refereeing then. Being able to join an excellent society such as WP, with the opportunities
that would provide, made this an easy decision.
Highlights: 1. Refereeing my country (England) in the opening game of the Singapore round of the IRB 7s in April 2002, followed by South Africa (my adopted second home) vs Fiji later in the competition;
2. Running onto the pitch as an official at the 2001 Dubai 7s and then the 2002 Hong Kong 7s. An ambition realised since I first went as a fan in 1990.
3. Finally, of course, my first full IRB test match in Colombo, Sri Lanka in April 2002.
Peter Öberg (Sweden)
Full name: Peter Sven Karl Öberg
Birth: 12 November 1956 in Stockholm
Family: Father of three children, two girls 14 and 12 years old and one boy 9 years old.
Occupation: Facilities Manager
Playing career: 1973-1985
Started refereeing: 1985
Referees' Society: Stockholm Rugby Referees' Society
Why you started refereeing: Half way through my last game as a player I walked up
to the referee and gave him my boots and walked off the pitch. I promised myself that I would never play again as long as we had such bad referees in Sweden. For two weeks after the match I walked round like a bear with a sore head until my girlfriend said that I should go on a referees' course. So I did, and since then I have remained involved with rugby as a referee.
First Test: His first Test will be on 26 April when Latvia play Moldavia in Riga.
Highlights: When I refereed a team of international rugby stars from the British Isles, France and other countries against Stockholm Exiles RUFC during the club's silver jubilee celebrations.
Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand)
Full name: Patric Denis O'Brien
Born: Invercargill, 19 July 1959
Schools: Sacred Heart Primary School and Marist Brothers’ Secondary School in Invercargill.
Occupation: Joined the police force in 1978, became a detective in 1988 and left to
become a sports administrator and then a professional referee in 1994.
Family: Married to Carolyn They live in Invercargill with their two school-going children, Danielle and Hamish. The other two children are away (Kylie, who lives in Sydney, and Matthew, who is at Otago University – a scarfie)
Playing career: Southland Primary Schools, Southland U/18, Southland B, Southland 7s. He commenced senior club football as fullback at age 17 and played the next seven seasons on wing.
Started refereeing: 1984 with the Southland Referees’ Association
First Test: Fiji vs Wales in 1994
IRB Status: retired from international rugby
Stephen Ojambo (Uganda)
Full name: Stephen Paul Ojambo
Born: 11 April 1970 in Kampala, Uganda
Education: Makerere University, Kampala
Occupation: Revenue Officer
Married
Started refereeing: 1996
1st Division: 2001
First Test: Kenya vs Zimbabwe, 2003
Sevens: Safari International Sevens, Kilimanjaro International Sevens, Dubai Sevens
Raymond Oruo (Kenya)
Name: Raymond Oruo
Date of Birth: 17 January 1971
Married
Courses: IRB Level 1, Level 2, Level 2 Advanced, Touch Judge Level 1
Division 1: 2000
National panel: 2000
First Test: Kenya vs Zimbabwe, 2002
Administration: Vice-Chairman Kenya Rugby Referees' Society
Exchange: 2004: Golden Lions Referees' Society
Other:
Tusker International Safari Sevens 2000-04
2003: Mosi Sevens, Zambia
2004: Confederation of African Rugby Under-19 qualifiers in Nairobi
2004: Confederation of African Rugby Under-19 qualifiers in Harare
2005: IRB Under-19 World Championship (TJ)
Referee of the Year: 2000, 2002, 2003
Mircea Paraschivescu (Romania)
Full name: Mircea Paraschivescu
Birth: 4 May 1953 in Bucharest
Family: married
Occupation: construction
engineering
Playing career: Rapid Bucuresti, Poli Iasi, Sportul Studentesc (1972-1986), junior European champions in 1972
Started refereeing: 1985
Referees' Society: Romania
Why you started refereeing: I love rugby
First Test: 1992, France vs Italy in Tarbes
Jean-Pierre Pellaprat (France)
Full name: Jean-Pierre Pellaprat
Born: 16 December 1960
Occupation: Councillor
Started refereeing:
Society: Provence
First Test:
Romain Poite (France)
Full name: Romain Poite
Born:14 Seoptember 1975
Occupation: Policeman
Started refereeing:
Society: Midi-Pyrénées
First Test:
Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Full name: Chris Pollock
Born: Hawera on 9 November 1971
Education: New Plymouth Boys High, Otago University
Occupation: schoolmaster turned professional referee
Playing career:
Taranaki Under-18
Started refereeing: 1997
Society: Hawke's Bay Referees' Association
Highlights: Ranfurly Shield match, Super 12, Super 14, final of the IRB's Under-21 championship in 2006
First Test: Niue vs Tahiti in 2005
First IRB appointment: Hong Kongs vs Japan 2006
IRB status: Merit panel of referees
Iain Ramage (Scotland)
Full name: David Iain Ramage
Born: 15th October 1956
Family: Married; a son and a daughter
Playing career: Berwick RFC in the Borders District
Started refereeing: 1983
Member of Scottish Borders Referee Society
First test: Wales vs Australia, 1996
IRB Status: retired from international rugby
Jean-Luc Rebollal (France)
Fullname: Jean-Luc Rebollal
Born: 5 October 1967 at La Tour du Crieu, Ariége
Family: Married; two daughters
Occupation: textile employee
Started refereeing: 1993
Society: Midi
Pyrénées
Like many referees, he started after his rugby playing was stopped by injury.
Alain Rolland (Ireland)
Full name: Alain Colm Pierre Rolland
Born: Dublin, 22 August 1966
Occupation: mortgage broker
Family: married to Liz with two children - Mark and Clodagh
Playing career: Blackrock College, Leinster and 3 caps as a scrumhalf for Ireland 1990-95
Started refereeing: 1996
Society: Leinster Branch of Referees
First Test: 2001, Wales vs Romania
David Rosich (France)
Full name: David Rosich
Born: 19 March 1972
Occupation: Salesman
Started refereeing:
Society: Armagnac-Bigorre
First Test:
Jeremy Schauder (Israel)
Full name: Jeremy Schauder
Born: Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, South Africa on 21 May 1961
Family: He and wife Hanna have two children - Gali (8) and Noam (4)
Occupation: Supervisor at the
David Intercontinental Hotel in Tel Aviv
Played: Wing/centre: Muir College, South West Africa Forces, Villagers (Cape Town), Israel (1989-93)
Started refereeing: 1993
Society: Israel Rugby Referees' Union
First Test: Belgium vs Tunisia
Tony Spreadbury (England)
Full name: Anthony John Spreadbury
Born: Bath, 29 March 1962
Educated: Beechencliff School
Occupation: professional referee, formerly a paramedic for 17 years
Family: married to Philippa with two sons - Christopher and Robert
Society: Somerset Referees' Society
Status: Retired from international refereeing
Patrick Thomas (France)
Full name: Patrick Thomas
Born: 20 May 1957
Occupation: School teacher
Started refereeing:
Society: Drôme-Ardèche
First Test:
IRB Status: retired from international rugby
Tomáš Tuma (Czech Republic)
Full name: Tomáš Tuma
Born: Prague, 11 December 1977
Occupation: Customer services and supply representative for Johnson & Johnson
Playing career: Czech Republic Under-19
Started refereeing: 1992
Society: Sbor Rozhodcích Rugby CSRU
First championship match: 1995
First Test: 2000, Bulgaria vs Yugoslavia
Andy Turner (South Africa)
Full name: Daniël Andrew Turner
Born: Pretoria, Christmas Day 1963
Education: Hottentots Holland, Paarl Boys' High
Occupation: schoolmaster, then administration manager for Panorama Medi-Clinic in Cape Town.
Family: married to Ria with two children - Bianca and Hildegard
Started refereeing: 1989
Society: Western Province Referees' Society
First Test: 2000, Namibia vs Zimbabwe
IRB Status: retired from international rugby
Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
Full name:
Shaun Ivan Veldsman
Born: Worcester, 2 October 1966
Occupation: Schoolmaster
Started refereeing: 1997
Referees’ Society: Boland Referees’ Society
First Test: 20903, Madagascar vs Uganda
Highlights: In 2003 he became the 23rd referee to referee a Currie Cup final. His second test was between Argentina and Canada. He has refereed Super 12 rugby.
IRB Status: retired from international rugby
Felix Villegas (Spain)
Full name: Felix Villegas Casado
Born: Valladolid on 23 April 1969.
Occupation: English teacher
Family: married to Veronica with a daughter, Carla (born in 2006)
Playing career: loosehead for El Salvador in Valladolid.
Started refereeing: 1992
Society: Castilla & Leon Referees' Society.
First league: División de Honor, 1998
First Test: 2002, Switzerland vs Croatia
Steve Walsh (New Zealand)
Full name: Steve Reid
Walsh
Born: Cambridge, Waikato, 28 March 1972
Started refereeing: 1986
Society: North Harbour Referees' Association
First Test: 1998, Argentina vs France
André Watson (South Africa)
Full name: André Jacobus Watson
Born: Germiston, 24 April 1958
Education: Maria van Riebeeck Primary, Goudrif High School, Stellenbosch University, Wits University.
Occupation: Engineer, chief executive officer of the Gauteng Falcons RFU and now professional referee
Married: to Antionette. They have two daughters, Brenda and Colene.
Playing career: Transvaal Schools XV, Stellenbosch University
Referees' Society: Gauteng Falcons
Date of Joining: 1986
Provincial panel: 1993
First test: 1996, Australia vs Canada
IRB Status: retired from international rugby, 2004
Paul Weloba (Kenya)
Name: Paul Wanyonyi Weloba.
Date of Birth: 29 April 1973.
Profession: Teacher
Playing career: school and university 1987-97
Coaching career: 1997 onwards
Started refereeing: 1999
Division 1 referee: 2000
International panel referee: 2001
Courses: Kenya RFU Level 1 & 2, IRB Level 1 & 2
First international: Kenya vs Uganda Under-21
First Test: Kenya vs Uganda, 2001
Second Test: Burundi vs Tanzania, 2004
Other:
2002: IRB Sevens in Dubai (TJ)
2002: East Africa Inter-University Games
2004: IRB Under-19 World Championship (TJ)
2004: Tusker Safari Sevens
Chris White (England)
Full name: Christopher Robert White
Born: Cheltenham, 17 July 1963, one of identical twins
Occupation: Professional referee, formerly a schoolmaster
Family: Married to Lynne with three children - Deri, Rhiannon and Sian. His wife also played rugby.
Playing career: centre for Cheltenham, Cheltenham Saracens, Swansea University.
Started
refereeing: 1990
Society: Gloucester Referees' Society
First Test: 1998
Nigel Whitehouse (Wales)
Full name: Nigel Ceri Whitehouse
Born: 1962
Family: married to Paula with two children - children Ben and Alexandra
Occupation: Policeman (traffic division)
Playing career: scrumhalf for South Wales Police, Welsh Police and British Police
Started refereeing: 1989
First Test: 1998, Holland vs Belgium
Status: Retired from international refereeing
Nigel Williams (Wales)
Full name: Nigel Hugh Williams
Born: Neath, 8 January 1961
Occupation: Professional referee, formerly in sales & management
Family: Married with three children
Playing career: played for Wales Under-19 and for Neath
Started refereeing: September 1991
Society: West Society of WRU Referees
First Test: 2002, New Zealand vs Italy
Status: Retired from international
refereeing
Stefan Wucherpfennig (Germany)
Full name: Stefan Wucherpfennig
Born: Hanover, 31 May 1968
Playing career: Flyhalf and fullback for TSV Victoria Linden in Hanover.
Started refereeing: 1984
First Test: Luxembourg vs Israel
Scott Young (Australia)
Full name: Scott McGilvery Young
Born: Armidale, New South Wales, 4 July 1965
Education: Toowoomba Grammar School, University of Queensland majoring in Economics and Commerce
Occupation: Professional referee since 1997, formerly a project manager with AMP
Single
Started refereeing: 1987
Society: Queensland Referees’ Association
First Test: 1994, Japan v Chinese Taipei in Kula Lumpur
Status: Retired from international refereeing
