Referee Veldsman - small town to big time
Francois Veldsman has been appointed to referee the final of the Vodacom Cup between the Blue Bulls and the Free State at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Friday and then when the Bulls and the Cheetahs meet in the Super 14 the next day. It is his biggest appointment so far in an seven-year refereeing career.
It is a long way from Vredenburg up on the Cape's West Coast. Hy is 'n Weskusklong. He was born there on 5 March 1977 but grew up in Wellington where he went to school at Hugo Rust Primary and Hugenote High School. From there he went to Wellington Teachers' Training College and played rugby for the College.
Veldsman took a fairly common route to refereeing - schoolmaster, injured player. Many start refereeing at schools as a part of their extramural activities and many start after injury to stay in the game. Veldsman did both.
He was recovering from a knee injury and teaching at Worcester Primary when the school invited the newly appointed referees' manager at Boland, Ivan Pekeur to run a course at the school. At the end of the course Pekeur asked who would like to referee. Veldsman put up his hand.
The two have worked closely together ever since, Veldsman as referee, Pekeur as coach and mentor. Pekeur still is Veldsman's mentor though Neville Heilbron of SARU has now taken over the coaching. Veldsman is full of praise for both Pekeur and Heilbron and the part that they have played in his development and success.
Veldsman taught at Worcester Primary for six years and then moved to Paarl Gimnasium High. At that great school, celebrating its 150th birthday this year, he teaches Natural Sciences and coaches the Under-16 C and D. It is a great rugby school and as a result keen that Veldsman's refereeing career should blossom. Veldsman is full of praise for both the principal and staff that supports him every week.
Blossoming started in 2004 when Veldsman got onto the C Panel of South African referees, now called the Contenders Squad. In 2005 this started to bear fruit. He refereed at the Under-13 Craven Week and refereed the final. He went to the Under-18 Craven Week and refereed the final. He was back at the Under-13 Craven Week in Oudtshoorn in 2006 and again refereed the final but by then he was on the Provincial Panel, where he still is, placed third behind Jaco Peyper and Joey Salmans.
Other highlights? South African Schools vs South African Academy XV, first Currie Cup match - Pumas vs Eastern Province in Witbank in 2007 - and South Africa Under-20 vs France Under-20 in Saldanha in 2008.
Help along the way? Above all from Ivan Pekeur, Neville Heilbron and André Watson, but also from Cheryll Calder and Benita de Wit.
Cheryll, a former South African hockey captain, is an acknowledged expert on developing eye movements and coordination for sports people. She was part of the winning England team at the 2003 Rugby World Cup and part of the winning South African team at the 2007 World Cup. "She has helped me a lot."
Fitness plays a major role in Veldsman's refereeing. It includes going to gym twice a day four days a week and also working with Benita, a muscle alignment specialist in Stellenbosch who can help in the avoidance of injuries.
Role models? Especially Craig Joubert and Mark Lawrence for their presence on the field, their management style and their ways of communicating.
Ambitions? There is nothing small here. "I want to referee Tests and the Currie Cup Final and the Super 14 Final and the World Cup Final. With hard work and grace from my Saviour Jesus Christ all things are possible."
He certainly works hard. His Society is proud of him and he shows what is possible for a "country" referee.
Louis Francois Veldsman - called Francois because his grandfather and his uncle were Louis - is married to Anienie, who is also a teacher and supportive of her husband's pursuit of excellence.