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Super finals' referees

It's the 22nd Super Rugby Final this weekend and, for the third time, Craig Joubert is the referee.

At one stage in Super Rugby referees did not referee in their own countries or in matches involving teams from their own countries. But then it came to pass that merit was the only criterion and the best performing referee would be appointed to the Final.

The first-ever Super Rugby Final was the Final of the Super 10 in 1993. Transvaal played Auckland in Johannesburg and the referee was Freek Burger of South Africa. After that (not because of that!) 'unattached' referees were used. That changed to 'merit appointments' in 2009 when Jonathan Kaplan of South Africa refereed the Final in South Africa between the South African Bulls and the New Zealand Chiefs. In 2011 Bryce Lawrence of New Zealand was the referee when one side was from Australia, the other from New Zealand. Since then the referees have been unattached.

The 22 Finals have been refereed by eleven referees.

At least because South African teams have so often been absent from Finals and the principle of appointing unattached referees applied, South Africans have refereed more Finals than referees from the other two countries – six of them for 12 matches.

New Zealand teams have been missing from five Finals. Their four referees have refereed six Finals. One of the Finals was when both Finalists were New Zealand teams and one when both Finalists were South African teams.

One referee is of hybrid nationality. Steve Walsh was a New Zealand referee when he refereed his first Final in 2007 but is an Australian referee when he refereed the 2012 Final.

Australian teams have been missing from eight Finals. Two Australians have refereed a Final, when the Finalists were from New Zealand and South Africa in 1996 and in 2012 .

André Watson has refereed most Finals, followed by Paddy O'Brien. Both of them have retired as have Freek Burger, Glen Wahlstrom, Wayne Erickson, Tappe Henning, Jonathan Kaplan, Mark Lawrence, and Bryce Lawrence. That means that the only referees to have refereed a Final and remain active are Steve Walsh and Craig Joubert

All the referees who have refereed Finals have been Test referees.

The referees, by number of appointments, have been:

5 – André Watson

3 – Paddy O'Brien, Jonathan Kaplan, Craig Joubert

2 – Steve Walsh

1 – Freek Burger, Glen Wahlstrom, Wayne Erickson, Tappe Henning, Mark Lawrence, Bryce Lawrence

Finals

Super 10

1993: Transvaal vs Queensland, 20-17 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Referee: Freek Burger (South Africa)

1994: Queensland vs Natal, 21-10 at Ballymore, Brisbane

Referee; Glen Wahlstrom (New Zealand)

1995: Queensland vs Transvaal, 30-16 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Referee: Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand)

Super 12

1996: Auckland vs Natal, 45-21 at Eden Park, Auckland

Referee: Wayne Erickson (Australia)

1997: Auckland Blues vs ACT Brumbies, 23-7 at Eden Park, Auckland

Referee: Tappe Henning (South Africa)

1998: Canterbury Crusaders vs Auckland Blues, 20-13 at Eden Park, Auckland

Referee: Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand)

1999: Canterbury Crusaders vs Otago Highlanders, 24-19 at Carisbrook, Dunedin

Referee: André Watson (South Africa)

2000: Crusaders vs Brumbies, 20-19 at Bruce Stadium, Canberra

Referee: André Watson (South Africa)

2001: Brumbies vs Sharks, 30-6 at Bruce Stadium, Canberra

Referee: Paddy O'Brien (New Zealand)

2002: Crusaders vs Brumbies, 31-13 at Jade Stadium, Christchurch

Referee: André Watson (South Africa)

2003: Blues vs Crusaders, 21-17 at Eden Park, Auckland

Referee: André Watson (South Africa)

2004: Brumbies vs Crusaders, 47-38 at Canberra Stadium

Referee: André Watson (South Africa)

2005: Crusaders vs Waratahs, 35-25 at Jade Stadium, Christchurch

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)

Super 14

2006: Crusaders vs Hurricanes, 19-12 at Jade Stadium, Christchurch

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)

2007: Sharks vs Bulls, 20-19 at Absa Stadium, Durban

Referee: Steve Walsh (New Zealand)

2008: Crusaders vs Waratahs, 20-12 at AMI Stadium, Christchurch

Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)

2009: Bulls vs Chiefs, 61-17 at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)

2010: Bulls vs Stormers, 24-17 at Orlando Stadium, Soweto

Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)

Super 15

2011: Reds vs Crusaders, 18-13 at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)

2012: Chiefs vs Sharks, 37-6 at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton

Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)

2013: Chiefs vs Brumbies, 27-22 at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton

Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)

2014: Waratahs vs Crusaders at ANZ Stadium, Sydney

Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)

 

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