Jaco's First Test

Remarkably, perhaps uniquely, he will referee his second Test a week later, also between neighbours, this time between Namibia and Zimbabwe in Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek

For him all of this is part of the process of fulfilling a dream.

Van Heerden caught the rugby bug early on. He played flyhalf for Waterkloof 1st XV at school and then for Tukkies Under-21 when he started at university, but he soon realised that his rugby and his studies were not a good mix, and so, in the second year of his LLB, he stopped playing, seeking to carry on his rugby through refereeing.

In 2003 Van Heerden joined the Blue Bulls Referees' Society and his progress has been steady, gaining great momentum in 2015 when he was promoted to the Elite Referees Panel and became a Super Rugby referee.

This year, with 13 Premier Division Currie Cup matches and 12 Super Rugby matches behind him, the upward curve continued and he was excellent in the demanding match between the South Africa A team and the England Saxons and now he is off on a two-Test trip.

His wife Tanita will not be going with him as there is a five-month baby at home.

Asked about his view of the coming Tests, Van Heerden said: "Dreams are coming true. This is  a true step in the direction of my bigger dream of Tier 1 Test rugby."

Oh, and the legal studies did not suffer. He has been an advocate for eight years.