Joubert referees the Sharks
There are a few firsts for Craig Joubert next month when he referees the friendly in the desert – Cheetahs vs Sharks in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
For a start it will be the first match of this magnitude played in Abu Dhabi. It will be played in the smart 42-seater Al Jazira Stadium.
It will be the first time that Joubert, one of the world’s top referees, will referee a match involving the Sharks. After all they are based in Durban and Joubert lives in Durban, but then SANZAR has embarked on merit appointments for referees, regardless of domicile or nationality.
The match on 24 January 2009 is by way of a warm-up for the two sides. The Cheetahs play their first Super 14 match against the Lions on 13 February at Coca Cola Park, Johannesburg, which many will remember as Ellis Park, and the Sharks their first against the Stormers at Newlands on 14 February.
