New Zealand Referees honoured
Two of New Zealand’s best known international referees have been honoured in the Queen’s Birthday honours – Tom Doocey and Keith Lawrence.
Tom Doocey of Christchurch was the first New Zealander to referee a Five Nations match. He has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM). He refereed and over 90 first class and international games, including three Tests, until his retirement in 1990, after which he became involved in administration. He was the first New Zealand to referee in the Five Nations. That was in 1983 before which his only Test had been in 1976
Keith Lawrence, who refereed 13 Tests between 1985 and 1991, including refereeing at the World Cups of 1987 and 1991, has been award an Officer of the Order (ONZM). His career as a referee and administrator has spanned more than 40 years and he was recently prominent as the manager of New Zealand’s referees. He is the father of Bryce Lawrence, also an international referee.
They are not the first referees who have had high honours in their own countries for their refereeing.
In 2005 Paddy O’Brien, New Zealand referee and presently the boss of the IRB’s referees, was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in recognition of services to rugby as a referee.
Under the old system of honours made in Britain, Bob Francis who refereed seven Tests between 1984 and 1986 and is currently an IRB assessor, was made OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his services to refereeing and the community.
Jim Fleming of Scotland was made Member of the British Empire (MBE) and Derek Bevan of Wales, referee of the 10991 World Cup Final and on his retirement the most capped international referee was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Several French referees have been made Légion d’Honneur, not necessarily only for their contribution to rugby. Bernard Marie, the first Frenchman to referee in the Five Nations when he refereed England vs Ireland in 1966, was awarded his by Jacques Chirac the president of France.
Cyril Rutherford was born in Sussex and educated at Epsom College. He was twice in the team that won the French Championship, playing for Racing in 1900 and 1902. A businessman in the wool trade, he then became a referee, refereeing the 1905 Final and the match between England and France in 1908. He actually played cricket for France. He was at one stage the secretary of the French Rugby Federation and received a Légion d’Honneur. He died in Paris in 1951.
Alan Henry Muhr, whose nickname was Le Sioux, was born in Philadelphia, USA. He served with the American troops in World War II as part of the Red Cross when he was 60, was captured and died in a concentration camp in 1944. He was a Commander of the Légion d’Honneur.
Gilbert Brutus fought in World War I and was a member of the French resistance in World War II and tortured to death by the Nazis.
Others: Jean de Witt was a Frenchman of Dutch descent, Octave Lery, a vet and Jacques Müntz.
The most recent to receive the Légion d’Honneur are Gilbert Chevrier and René Hourquet, the schoolmaster from Orange who refereed Test matches in the 1980s and 1990s. He refereed 18 Tests and refereed at the first two Rugby World Cups – in 1987 and 1991. Hourquet has been highly placed in rugby administration since then.
In South Africa Steve Strydom, who refereed seven Tests between 1979 and 1986, including two Five Nations matches, and André Watson, who refereed two World Cup Finals amongst many other great matches and achievements, were both honoured by President Mbeki when he was the president of South Africa.
