S14: Kaplan for the Final

The referees for the semifinals and the Final of the Super 14 competition have been announced by SANZAR, easier to do now that referees are appointed on merit regardless of their residence.

Jonathan Kaplan has been appointed to referee the Final, with Stuart Dickinson and Bryce Lawrence to do the semifinals.

What teams are playing and where the matches are no longer criteria, but it means that Dickinson will referee the semifinal in Australasia and Lawrence the semifinal in either New Zealand or South Africa.

Kaplan will referee the Final regardless of teams or venue.

Assistant referees and television match officials will be local appointments.

André Watson, Manager of Referees at the South African Rugby Union, said: “These appointments were done on merit and irrespective of the nationality of the referee or the teams involved in the play-offs.

“A decision on the assistant referees will be taken as soon as the permutations are known and will be announced on Monday.”