Cape Town — Marius van der Westhuizen will officiate his first Currie Cup final in Bloemfontein on Saturday in a match which will also mark a big day for the experienced Television Match Official, Shaun Veldsman , who is retiring from the game after an illustrious career spanning over 20 years.
Paul Mente has been appointed as the referee for the SA Rugby U21 Championship final, which will be hosted as a curtain-raiser to the Currie Cup final.
Van der Westhuizen will be assisted by AJ Jacobs and Egon Seconds in the Currie Cup final, while Ben Crouse and Griffin Colby have been appointed to assist Mente in the SA Rugby U21 Championship final.
The SA Rugby Women's Interprovincial final referees have also been appointed, with Maria Mabote taking charge of the A Section final and Bulela Qwane the B Section final, both of which will be hosted at City Park in Cape Town on Saturday.
Cwengile Jadezweni will be in charge of the Currie Cup promotion / relegation game in Nelspruit on Friday afternoon.
"I would like to congratulate all the match officials who have been appointed to officiate the four finals on Saturday," said SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux.
"These appointments were based on their consistency and efficiency throughout the season, which is a testament to their performances with the whistle.
"I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Shaun for his fantastic service as a referee and TMO over the last 20 years and to wish him well for his future endeavours.
"During his years as a referee he officiated three Tests, took charge of the 2003 Currie Cup final and held the whistle in two U19 World Championships, among other international tournaments.
"After hanging up his whistle as a referee, Shaun continued to give back to the game as a TMO, where he made his mark in the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups - handling the TMO duties in the 2015 World Cup final - the 2016 Six Nations and the 2018 Currie Cup final, among other international tournaments.
"It is fitting that he retires from the game in SA's premier domestic competition, where he served in both those roles.:
Referee appointments:
Currie Cup promotion / relegation match:
Pumas v Griffons
Venue : Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit
Date: Friday, 6 September
Kick-off : 17:00
Referee : Cwengile Jadezweni
Assistant referees : Stephan Geldenhuys and Jaco Pretorius
TMO : Johan Greeff
TV : SS1
Currie Cup final: Free State v Golden Lions
Venue : Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
Date: Saturday, 7 September
Kick-off : 17:00
Referee : Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant referees : AJ Jacobs and Egon Seconds
TMO : Shaun Veldsman
TV : SS1
SA Rugby U21 final: Blue Bulls v Western Province
Venue : Toyota Stadium, Bloemfontein
Date: Saturday, 7 September
Kick-off : 13:45
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Referee : Paul Mente
Assistant referees : Ben Crouse and Griffin Colby
TMO : Shaun Veldsman
TV : SS1
Women's Interprovincial finals (City Park Stadium, Cape Town):
A Section Final: Western Province v Border
Referee : Maria Mabote
Date: Saturday, 7 September
Kick-off : 15:00
B Section Final: Golden Lions v SWD
Referee : Bulela Qwane
Date: Saturday, 7 September
Kick-off : 13:00
- SA Rugby
Source: Sport24
