Whitehouse hangs up the whistle
Nigel Whitehouse, who is currently on the International Rugby Board’s merit panel of 21 referees, has decided to retire from refereeing.
The decision comes as a surprise in this World Cup year.
Whitehouse refereed his first Test in 2000 and has refereed 19 Tests altogether. On Saturday he was one of the touch judges for the Six Nations match between Ireland and England at Croke park, an historic occasion. The last test he refereed was New Zealand vs Argentina in June 2006. His last appointment will be as television match official when England play France.
Whitehouse said: “I have nothing but happy memories to take away from my time as an international referee. The friendships that I have formed will last with me forever and I would especially like to thank those who have supported me throughout my career; the hard-working Welsh Rugby Union medical team, my fellow referees and assessors and of course my family. It will be strange departing the scene, but the time is right to concentrate wholly on my professional career as a serving Police Officer.
“I would certainly encourage any young rugby player who is perhaps not going to make it at the highest level of the Game to consider refereeing and enjoy the friendship and perhaps the camaraderie of being involved with such a great band of people like those involved in refereeing.”
He is to continue his career as a police inspector.
Paddy O’Brien, the IRB’s referee manager, said: “Nigel has been a senior IRB referee for the past four years and his retirement will certainly leave a hole in terms of experience within the Elite panel.
“Nigel has always been an outstanding performer and I have always admired his ability to bounce back from injury. On several occasions Nigel has been called up as a last-minute replacement to referee in major internationals and has performed excellently on every occasion. He was the ultimate team player and his retirement is indeed a loss to the international panel. The IRB would like to thank him for his excellent service.”
One of his lucky breaks was to be moved up from touch judge to referee the match between England and Ireland at Twickenham when Joel Jutge had to withdraw.
His unlucky break happened in December 2002 when he went to Moscow to referee a World Cup qualifier between Russia and Spain. It was a chapter of accidents. First their morning flight was cancelled because of the weather but they got and Aeroflot flight late at night. Then the match was cancelled after their long, icy journey to the ground. Then he slipped and fell on an icy Moscow street and broke his leg, which meant an ambulance ride, a hospital visit and then the long uncomfortable journey home.
Nigel Ceri Whitehouse was born in 1962. A policeman in the traffic division, he played scrumhalf for South Wales Police, Welsh Police and British Police. He started refereeing in 1998 and in 1998 refereed his first Test – Belgium vs Holland.
Nigel is married to Paula and they have two children.
