School for Referees
Alan Zondagh has reopened his Rugby Performance Centre (RPC) with better facilities than ever and including a school for referees under the guidance of Freek Burger.
Many of the world’s top referees began refereeing while they were at school – referees such as Jonathan Kaplan, Craig Joubert, Steve Walsh and Wayne Barnes. Some of South Africa’s promising referees started at school – Stuart Berry and Chris Healey.
Freek Burger is an outstanding coach of referees. Ask Andre Watson how much Burger, who at one stage was South Africa’s moist capped international referee despite the limited opportunities of his time, how much Burger helped him in his career and specifically in his preparation to referee big matches, including two World Cup Finals.
Burger is still involved in the refereeing set up in South Africa in assessing and coaching top referees.
Zondagh’s RPC, which had been making great progress in developing promising, ambitious rugby players during the first two years of its existence, was a casualty this year of the Fidentia collapse for they were the main sponsors but the enterprising coach has moved to the lovely Riebeeck Valley with his own facility at Riebeeck West.
The RPC provides an intense, disciplined, scientific, professional environment for the development of a rugby player.
A new feature of the RPC in 2008 will be the opening of Freek Burger Referees Academy.
The Referees Academy, which will be unique in South Africa, will offer
* Professional coaching of referees
* Study of laws and law examination
* Practical sessions with players – “know the mechanics of the game”
* Video analysis of television matches – coaching reports
* Goal setting – planning
* Positional play – practical
* Game planning
* Referee matches and report back
* Touch judging and television referees
* Preparing students for Level 1
* Fitness assessment – three times per year
* Referees psychology
* Sports diet programme
* One-on-one meetings with Freek Burger
The Referees Academy will provide not only for aspirant referees but will also have courses for established referees which gives the aspirants a chance to mix with those well on their way. Andre Watson, South Africa’s referee boss who succeeded Burger in the post, has already agreed to the involvement of his provincial referees.
The Referees Academy will last for 10 months of the year.
Inquiries can be made to Alan Zondagh at rugby@zondagh.com. There is a website: www.az-rugby.com
