Bray gets top SANZAR job
Lyndon Bray, the former Test referee and currently New Zealand’s refereeing boss, has been appointed to the new role of game manager of the newly-established SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia Rugby) organisation based in Sydney. Bray is thrilled at the appointment.
Of his appointment, Bray said: “It is an absolute privilege and thrill to pioneer this new role for SANZAR – I’m really excited!
“I am going to really miss the ‘direct team contact’ that I have in New Zealand with the High Performance Referee team, but I have such an opportunity strategically to help us build an even better relationship at Super Rugby and hopefully also at Test level, with team coaches and public/media.
“My real aim is to ensure the SANZAR referees are a real ‘team’ of referees.”
And moving from Wellington Sydney? “I’m happy to live in Sydney (I have before and loved it).”
When Bray stopped active refereeing, in September 2008, New Zealand immediately inspanned him to look after the top referees in the country with the title High Performance Referee Manager. That was in 2008. In April this year he will move from Wellington to Sydney to take up his new post.
Bray will be responsible for all of the in-game technical elements of SANZAR competitions – including overseeing game trends, match officials and direct liaison with coaches.
In his career as a referee, Bray refereed seven Tests, his first in 2001 between Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, his last in 2008 between South Africa and Australia in Durban. He refereed his first provincial match in 1990 and went on to referee 119 first-class matches – including 23 Super Rugby Matches and 38 matches in New Zealand’s top provincial competition.
SANZAR CEO Greg Peters said Bray was identified as the right person for this specialist role from a recruitment process which attracted applications from around the world.
Peters said: “Lyndon has made a successful transition from officiating on the field to a game management role and he has already been overseeing much of this activity in his capacity as SANZAR Referee Manager under the NZRU’s management of SANZAR activity over the past year, prior to the establishment of the new organisation.
“As SANZAR enters this new era, I am confident Lyndon will be able to continue the development of our game on the field following the progress made in 2010; and continue the tradition of innovation and excitement in our competitions.”
In an statement, sent via SANZAR, Bray said: “What really excites me about this role is the opportunity to have an influence and impact not only on the refereeing of the game, but the way in which we in SANZAR like to see the game played.
“The chance to work with the top coaches in our game throughout SANZAR was a major factor in my decision and I am confident that my existing relationship with South African, Australian and New Zealand referees and managers will allow me to work closely with our match officials across the SANZAR boundaries.”
