Pollock's 200 Up

This milestone match for the 43-year-old will be between the Hurricanes and the Blues In Wellington. Pollock becomes the fifth New Zealand referee to reach 200 first class matches. The others are Paddy O'Brien (221), Paul Honiss (220), Steve Walsh (2010) and Bryce Lawrence (201).

He started refereeing in 1997 and in his outstanding career Pollock refereed 22 Tests, including a British & Irish Lions Test, Rugby Championship matches and Six Nations Matches, announcing his retirement from international refereeing at the end of the 2015 Rugby World Cup. He also refereed the final of the IRB's Under-21 World Championship in Durban in 2006, the year in which he refereed his first Super Rugby match. In 2013 he was New Zealand's Referee of the Year.

He would have refereed many more matches had he not been forced to lay off when a form of arthritis attacked his hips.

Chris Pollock was born in Taranaki, studied physical education at Otago University, began teaching and then refereeing up in Hawke's Bay.

He is one of the world's best known referee, a popular referee who performed his duties with a firm hand in a soft glove.

All referees will congratulate him.