Referees in NPC Finals

Walsh Junior the youngest

Steve Walsh has been appointed to referee the 2005 NPC final between Auckland and Otago.

He is only the seventh referee to referee an NPC final but then this is just the 14th final.

Dave Bishop refereed the first NPC final, the first two in fact. Paddy O'Brien refereed most finals in his career – 4. Between Bishop and O'Brien it means that Southland have had by far the most referees to referee NPC 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.

At 33, Steve Walsh is the youngest referee to referee a final. The next youngest is Kelvin Deaker who was 34 when he refereed the final in 1999.

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)