NZ facing official injury crisis

Top referees in New Zealand sidelined

In a peculiar quirk of fate, New Zealand's three top referees are all injured and out of action for this weekend!

Steve Walsh (back), Paul Honiss (calf) and Kelvin Deaker (knee) are all ruled out from the on-field roles for which they were scheduled.

Hawke's Bay's Chris Pollock replaces Honiss as referee for Sunday's first division match between Auckland and Southland at Eden Park.

Manawatu's Chris Rooney replaces Deaker in Tauranga for Sunday's match between Bay of Plenty and Taranaki.

In the second division, Wellington's Brent Murray replaces Walsh for Saturday's Manawatu/Hawke's Bay clash in Palmerston North.