Kaplan tops SA refs panels

Joubert at No.3

The South African referees' management with the assessors have just announced their panels for 2006. Jonathan Kaplan is, unsurprisingly, in top spot. Some of the younger referees who have performed well during 2005 have earned promotion.

Mark Lawrence the other referee on the IRB's top panel is second on the list. This has meant that Tappe Henning, who has recently retired from test refereeing and so is no longer on the IRB panel, has dropped down to fifth place while two young referees who came onto IRB panels for the first time this year have moved above him - Craig Joubert and Marius Jonker.

Henning will continue to referee Super 14 and Currie Cup matches this year but it will be his last, the end of a grand career. Others who have been given notice that it is their last year are Michael Cupido, Louis Mzomba and Eugene Daniels.

Some have been told that they have just 2006 to improve or their careers will also end - Johan Greeff, Johann Meuwesen, Cobus Wessels, Fakumile Yamile and Andries Selemela.

Chris du Preez is at No.12 on the panel. At the recent IRB tournaments in Dubai and George his refereeing was outstanding, and he refereed the final of the George tournament.

Of the referees on the panels, the following have Test experience - Kaplan, Lawrence, Joubert, Jonker, Henning, Jerome Fortuin, Willie Roos, Johann Meuwesen, Eugene Daniels and Shaun Veldsman.

Some of the referees on the contenders' panel have been earmarked for fast-tracking - Handré de Jongh, Norman Drake, Wilbur Kraak, Mlungiseli Mdashe, Jacques Nel, Grant Riddles, Joey Salmans, Dudley Stuurman, Ockie van Zyl and Hendrik Vosloo.

There is an additional panel - of candidates for the Contenders Panel.

In all there are 66 referees on panels - 12 on the National Panel, 25 on the Provincial Panel, 24 on the Contenders panel and five on the Candidates Panel.

Three are SARU referees, i.e. the full-time referees. Western Province have most referees on the panels 13, followed by Golden Lions (9), Eastern Province (8), KwaZulu Natal (6), Boland (5), Blue Bulls and Leopards (4 each), Free State and South Western Districts (3 each), Pumas and Falcons (2 each), and Griffons, Border and Griquas (1 each)

Referees who were on panels at the end of 2004 and are no longer on panels are: Michael Katzenellenbogen, Alistair van Wyk, André Watson, Noel Frans, Craig Strachan, Luvuyo Matsha, Jamiel :Panday and Steve Stolk.

National Panel (In merit order)

1 Jonathan Kaplan (SARU)
2 Mark Lawrence (SARU)
3 Craig Joubert (KwaZulu Natal)
4 Marius Jonker (KwaZulu Natal)
5 Tappe Henning (SARU)
6 JC Fortuin (Western Province)
7 Linston Manuels (Boland)
8 Willie Roos (Golden Lions)
9 Shaun Veldsman (Boland)
10 Deon van Blommestein (Western Province)
11 Phillip Bosch (Eastern Province)
12 Chris du Preez (Eastern Province)

Provincial Panel (in alphabetical order)

Jerome America (Western Province), Peet Badenhorst (Golden Lions), Roderick Barry (Western Province), Stuart Berry (KwaZulu Natal), Michael Cupido (Golden Lions), Mandla Dakuse (Border), Eugene Daniels (Western Province), Phillip de Bruin (Golden Lions), Johan Greeff (Blue Bulls), Chris Healy (KwaZulu Natal), Matt Kemp (Western Province), Pro Legoethe (Golden Lions), Gareth Lloyd-Jones (Western Province), Sindile Mayende (KwaZulu Natal), Johann Meuwesen (Eastern Province), Mtheleni Msileni (Eastern Province), Louis Mzomba (Western Province), Jaco Peyper (Free State), Charlton Pick (Boland), Andries Selemela (Leopards), Gert Stander (Leopards), Lourens van der Merwe (Free State), François Veldsman (Boland), Cobus Wessels (Blue Bulls), Fakumile Yamile (Eastern Province)

Contenders Squad

Alwyn Brink (Western Province), Gerrie Coetzee (Free State), Handré de Jongh (Western Province), Norman Drake (South Western Districts), Pieter Janse van Rensburg (Golden Lions), Chris Jones (Blue Bulls), Tiaan Jonker (Golden Lions), Corné Korff (Eastern Province), Wilbur Kraak (Leopards), Jimmy Kruger (Blue Bulls), Lappies Labuschagne (Golden Lions), Johan Lourens (Western Province), Mlungiseli Mdashe (Eastern Province), Jonathan Mouers (Eastern Province), Jacques Nel (Griffons), Meiring Oosthuizen (Leopards), Grant Riddles (South Western Districts), George Roper (Blue Bulls), Reuben Rossouw (KwaZulu Natal), Joey Salmans (Western Province), Dudley Stuurman (Western Province), Sieg van Staden (Falcons), Ockie van Zyl (Pumas), Hendrik Vosloo (Boland)

Candidates for Contenders Squad:

Jaco Breyl (Pumas), Gerrit Marais (Griquas), Vakalisa Kongobe (Falcons), Cecil Seketi (Golden Lions), Jason Jaftha (South Western Districts)