Refs for NZ Provincial Finals
Jonathon White of Auckland has been appointed to referee his first Final of New Zealand’s provincial championship, now called the ITM Cup when Canterbury host Waikato. It is also the first time these two teams have met in a Final.
Ten referees have refereed a New Zealand Final, but then this is just the 19th.
Dave Bishop refereed the first NPC final, the first two in fact. Paddy O’Brien refereed most finals in his career – four. Between Bishop and O’Brien it means that Southland have had by far the most referees to referee NPC/ANC/ITM finals. Add Bishop’s old classmate Colin Hawke and South Island has certainly dominated. Even Paul Honiss spent time on South Island and Lyndon Bray was born and educated in Dunedin. And then Jonathon White, schooled in Wellington and resident in Auckland, read medicine at Dunedin’s Otago University on his way to becoming a cardiologist..
At 33, Steve Walsh was the youngest referee to referee a final. Now White, who turned 30 in June, becomes the youngest, emulating Craig Joubert who became last month the youngest referee to referee a Currie Cup Final.
All of the referees who have refereed finals have refereed Test matches – many more Test matches than finals!
Referees for the NPC First Division finals
1992: Waikato vs Otago: Dave Bishop (Southland)
1993: Auckland vs Otago: Dave Bishop (Southland)
1994: Auckland vs North Harbour: Colin Hawke (South Canterbury)
1995: Auckland vs Otago: Colin Hawke (South Canterbury)
1996: Auckland vs Counties Manukau: Paddy O’Brien (Southland)
1997: Canterbury vs Counties Manukau: Colin Hawke (South Canterbury)
1998: Otago vs Waikato: Paddy O’Brien (Southland)
1999: Auckland vs Wellington: Kelvin Deaker (Hawke’s Bay)
2000: Wellington vs Canterbury: Paul Honiss (Waikato)
2001: Canterbury vs Otago: Paul Honiss (Waikato)
2002: Auckland vs Waikato: Paddy O’Brien (Southland)
2003: Auckland vs Wellington: Lyndon Bray (Wellington)
2004: Canterbury vs Wellington: Paddy O’Brien (Southland)
2005: Auckland vs Otago: Steve Walsh (North Harbour)
2006: Waikato vs Wellington: Bryce Lawrence (Bay of Plenty)
2007: Auckland vs Wellington: Chris Pollock (Hawke’s Bay)
2008: Wellington vs Canterbury: Bryce Lawrence (Bay of Plenty)
2009: Canterbury vs Wellington: Vinny Munro (Canterbury)
2010: Canterbury vs Waikato: Jonathon white (Auckland)
The match officials for the 2010 ITM Cup Final
Canterbury vs Waikato
Referee: Jonathon White
Assistant referees: Glen Jackson, Kane McBride
Television match official: Nick Briant
