Young referee goes to Paris
Jaco van Heerden, a young referee who has made great strides this year, is overjoyed at the news that he is to head for France on Thursday to referee two club matches, the first South African referee to referee such matches.
The matches involve four of France's oldest and most famous clubs.
This weekend Van Heerden goes down to Béziers to referee the match at Stade de la Méditérranée between Béziers and Biarritz. The match is in Pro D2 (the second division of professional clubs in France – something like the Currie Cup 1st Division).
Béziers was founded in 1911 and till recently was a Top 14 club who have been the French champions on 11 occasions.
Biarritz a wonderful Basque holiday city on the Atlantic coast, was founded in 1913 and has won the French championship three times. But its centenary celebrations were spoilt last year when it did not do well, enduing in relegation from the Top 14 at the end of the season.
In the Pro D2 there are no TMOs. Instead there are goal judges at each end to help the referee, which will be a novelty for Van Heerden.
Van Heerden's second match will be a Top 14 Paris derby between Racing and Stade Français, two wealthy clubs that are not at all fond of each other.
The very first final of the French championship, in 1892, was between Racing and Stade Français, which Racing won 4-3. The referee for that match, played in the Bois de Boulogne, was Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games. In that match each side scored a try and kicked a conversion but Racing gained an extra point for being held in in-goal.
The next year Stade Français beat Racing 7-3. On that occasion the referee was a New Zealander, Thomas Ryan.
Racing was founded in 1885 and acquired a rugby section in 1890, They have won the championship five times. In 2001 they amalgamated with US Métro and are now Racing-Métro.
Stade Français is older than Racing, founded as it was in 1883 by English-speaking students. It has won the championship 12 times.
The match will be played at Stade Jean-Bouin, the smartly refurbished Stade Français home ground, though in the past such a match has been played at Stade de France.
Van Heerden leaves his Pretoria home on Thursday 2 October and leaves Paris for his Pretoria home on Sunday, 12 October.
It's not springtime in Paris now but it is still one of the most glamorous cities in the world.
No wonder lawyer Jaco van Heerden is excited.
In fact it has been an exciting year for him. At the start of the season he was promoted to South Africa's Elite Panel, making the 30-year-old one of the top ten referees in South Africa. Then he refereed the Final of the Vodacom Cup in Kimberley and now has refereed four Currie Cup matches – the Golden Lions vs the Blue Bulls, Griquas vs Free State, the Golden Lions vs the Pumas and the Pumas vs Western Province.
There is more to come.
The opportunity was organised by André Watson, South Africa's refereeing boss and Didier Mene, France's refereeing boss. There will be reciprocity and a French referee will be coming to South Africa for next year's Currie Cup.
