Jonathan Kaplan, the world’s most capped Test referee, has been appointed to referee the 2009 Currie Cup Final. Marius Jonker and Mark Lawrence have been appointed to the Currie Cup seminal and Craig Joubert the First Division Final – all four amongst the very top referees in the world.
Only 24 referees have refereed Currie Cup Finals since 1939. It remains the most sought-after match in South Africa for players and referees, ranking higher than many, many Tests. Kaplan for example has refereed more than ten times as many Tests as Currie Cup Finals.
This will be Kaplan’s fifth Final, putting him third on the list of referees who have refereed most Finals. André Watson with seven heads the lost followed by Steve Strydom on six. Kaplan will now pull level with Freek Burger on five.
Jimmy Smith Belton is next on three, while Piet Robbertse, Gert Bezuidenhout and Johan Gouws each refereed two Finals. The other 16 did one each.
Kaplan referees his first Final in 2002 when the Golden Lions played the Blue Bulls. Now he will have refereed four of the last five. He did not referee the Final in 2007 when he stayed longer at the World Cup than some others did.
Kaplan is delighted at the appointment which affirms his position as the top referee in South Africa.
Marius Jonker, who comes from Richard’s Bay at the top of Zululand will, referee the first seminal, the one between the Sharks and the Cheetahs in Durban while Mark Lawrence, who refereed the 2007 Currie Cup Final, will referee the semifinal at Newlands when the Blue Bulls play Western Province.
For the second time Craig Joubert, who this year refereed two Bledisloe Cup matches will referee the First Division Final between the Pumas and South Western Districts.
@Ed_the_Lion – 80
Ed n mens kan ook net soveel vat, moeg van verloorspanne pick.
Daar op ou Kobus en Breytie se program bel omtrent die hele land in en pick die Cheetahs vir n wen. Bulle het nie eens soveel ouens wat in hul glo nie.
@JimT – Jim, the joys of retirement…you could double up as the Rugby Talk drama critic!!
@KingPaul – Moenie worry oor Wikus vir Saterdag nie. Dis nou nie asof hy teen die sterkste voorry in die land gaan skrum nie.
@carol – Hello Sexy Karlien. I am doing so well. It is a little sad to know that the best side is not playing in the semis, but otherwise it is good.
K9 and I are very happy. We knew that was going to happen but KP got mad when we mentioned it, so we decided to keep quite. 😉 How is our friendly Karlien today? :-*
90@K9-MonsterLeeu – haarkleurmiddels is glo gratis, deel van die pakket.
@grootblousmile – 89
Nou moet ek maar my lugmag helikopter trip Nuweland toe kanseleer?
@grootblousmile – 89 Now I’m impressed. Next it will be an invitation from the IRB. 🙂
@grootblousmile – 89 – Yayyy – Will Isigidi wear the official Rugby Talk Blazer and Tie in the press box? 😉
That is brilliant, hope he sharpens his pencil and takes notes!!
79@bdb hy is n yster in the making 110 kg en n lae gravitasie punt dan het hy skills ok.kort net n haircut
93@K9-MonsterLeeu – ek dink hulle is bekommerd omdat hul ‘impakspeler’, Pro (WP) Legoete nie ‘speel’ nie.
@Ed_the_Lion – Ed u r so right. The 4 semifinalists are sooo relieved that the Lions were screwed earlier this season by a ref conspiracy 😯
@K9-MonsterLeeu –
Praat van tanne, julle sal lat Earl vir daai ouens die Capie style moet aanleer waar almal se voortanne getrek word! Die WP ouens was lateraan sou bang vir hondsdolheid dat hulle glad nie meer wou tackle of skrum nie! Die dat Wikus elke keer maar ‘n penalty afgestaan het, hy was bang hulle byt hom!
@carol – 92 Comedy my speciality, LOL. Better be careful GBS may ban me. 🙂
@KingPaul – julle het eerste ons begin :poop: byt…..
99@smallies72 – dink hy dra daardie bossiekop in die plek van ‘n skrumpet.
@carol – 98 I heard the official RT dress code is Tie Dye shirt, shorts & flip flops. 🙂
Jan Oberholzer het mos ook n Bulls website…
Saterdag gaan ons Bulle te doen kry met die volgepakte Nuweland met hul partydige toeskouers,
met net die plaaslike Bul ondersteuners as die blou ondersteuners, want ons weet daar sal nie
veel kaartjies vir ons Pretoria Bul ondersteuners wees nie. Glo my hierdie skare kan erg raak en
ek onthou nog hoe Moaner van Heerden in die 1982 finaal, amper katswink gegooi is met ’n groot
Elgin appel, hoog van die pawiljoen af.
Julle moet asb jul vrugte skenk aan die armes en nie spelers daarmee gooi nie.
@JimT – watch a lot of Crime and Investigation channel….really enjoy it.
hallo ed hoe lyk dit
97@JimT – Yip, our invite was sent together with an invite to Simon from Voldy….
Our accreditations with all the Home Unions are going very smoothly indeed….
@Ed_the_Lion – 94 – That is quite a greeting, wow ….. :kissblow:
The Lions have surprised me this season by all accounts (as I have not seen hardly any Currie Cup Rugby). Things are good thanks, how was the basketball and whale watching?
102 @KingPaul – vra vir Bakkies, hy doen dit sommer gratis en hy ‘opereer’ sommer daar oppie veld.
101@K9-MonsterLeeu – I actually got e-mails from a few people saying how happy they are that the Lions will only win a trophy again in next years S14.
Ek het nou genoeg konstruktiewe sinvolle rugby bydraes gelewer, gaan nou uitrus vir more se bydraes.
Nag almal.
@JimT – 103 You can do English Speaking comedy as we would not understand the subtle nuances of Afrikaans humour, better leave that to GBS!! 😀
@Ed_the_Lion – Surely you mean 2014??
@ superbull ek dink die bulle gaan die wp verniel wp het nie antwoord vir vic bakkies danie en spies nie die backs praat ek nie eers oor nie
@smallies72 – Hello Smallies my maat. Ek hoop jou span wen die half khakis die naweek. Die Zulus moet hoes pappie.
@carol – Let me put it this way. Basketball was fun. It is inside and warm. You can relax with a beer while watching. Whale watching is as overrated as WP rugby. It sucked. Got sick, it was cold and windy, and I was pissed off the whole way.
@Ed_the_Lion –
Hoe het Snorre gesê
“vir 12 jaar sal julle huil!!”
@bdb – nag bdb. Groete vir die buurvrou.
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