Previous Referee of the Month

Morné Ferreira

 

Q: What is your Age?
A: 28

Q: What is your Favourite Food?
A: Chicken schnitzel

Q: Your Favourite country?
A: Ireland

Q: What is your Refereeing History?
A: Started in 2013.
Academy Squad: 2015 – 2019
SA Rugby 7’s Panel: 2016 – Present
SA Rugby National Panel: 2019 – Present
SA Rugby High-Performance Squad: 2021 – Present
World Rugby 7’s Series Panel: 2021 – Present

Q: What are your Career Highlights?
A: Dubai International Invitational 7’s Final 2017 & 2018
Safari 7’s Final 2018
HSBC World Series 7’s Debut: Dubai 2021
Commonwealth Games 2022
World Cup 7’s 2022
Craven Week 2019
u18 International Series 2019: France vs Wales
u20 International Series 2021: Georgia vs Argentina &
Junior Springboks vs Georgia
Varsity Cup Final 2021: UCT-Ikeys vs UP-Tuks
Currie Cup Premier Debut 2021: Cheetahs vs Western Province
International Debut 2021: Namibia vs Kenya
Currie Cup Premier Semifinal 2022: Cheetahs VS Pumas

Q: When did your Refereeing career start?
A: 2013

Q: How long have you been involved in refereeing?
A: 9 years

Q: Why did you choose to become a referee?
A: I still wanted to contribute to the game as I was too small to make it as a player. What better way to serve the game than with the whistle.

Q: What quote do you live by?
A: Champions are willing to do what they hate in order to get what they love

Q: What advice can you give for new Referees?
A: Be a student of the game and never stop learning. Always serve the game and grab every opportunity that comes your way. Enjoy every moment and make lots of friends

Q: Something that people don’t know about you?
A: I have a Masters degree in Neuro & Exercise Physiology

Q: Number of matches officiated?
A: 7’s: 3 × World Rugby 7’s Series Tournaments (20 Games),
Commonwealth Games (6 Games)
15’s: 2 x Internationals, 8x Currie Cup Premier, 6 × Currie
Cup 15 Division

Q: How was the Commonwealth games experience for you and what did you learn ?
A: Being involved in a multiple sport event like the Commonwealth Games is truly special. Being only one of 8 referees selected to referee at a tournament hosted only once every 4 year is a massive honour and something I would cherish for the rest of my life.

Q: What does refereeing mean for you?
A: Refereeing comes with a lot of challenges, as we all know, but it is these challenges that help you develop skills that you would not have otherwise. Because of this refereeing also comes with a lot of positives. It stimulates you and helps you grow as a person and on top of that you have the ability to be part of something special and play your part in some of the best games. You get to
travel the world, see amazing places, and meet friends all around the world. Being a refereeing shapes who I am as a person.

Q: Who is a hero or mentor for you?
A: My Father and Brother

Previous Referee of the Month

Stephan Geldenhuys

 

Q: What is your Age?
A: 38

Q: What is your Favourite Food?
A: My moms homemade food or anything chicken.

Q: Your Favourite country?
A: Namibia was nice but want to visit Europe.

Q: What is your Refereeing History?
A: In my 16th year of refereeing (12 with SA
Rugby) On the SA Rugby National Panel from Dec
2013.

Q: What are your Career Highlights?
A: 2022 was amazing for me thus far. My very 1st Currie Cup Premier game and also refereeing the Currie Cup 1st Division Final. Also my 100th Carlton Cup Club game was something I will always remember.

Q: When did your Refereeing career start?
A: 2006 in the WP

Q: How long have you been involved in refereeing?
A: 16th Year

Q: Why did you choose to become a referee?
A: Well the old story, got injured to many times got into coaching and was actually forced to referee because of a referee shortage. All began there.

Q: What quote do you live by?
A: I have 2. When refereeing: “Be number 31″
In my personal life: ” Dis nie hoe jy begin nie dit is hoe jy eindig wat saak maak

Q: What advice can you give for new Referees?
A: If you work hard and be patient in what you do, somewhere you will be rewarded in ways you couldn’t have imagined. Be patient and put the miles in, you won’t regret it.”

Q: Something that people don’t know about you?
A: I am addicted to Lip Ice.

Q: Number of matches officiated?
A: It will be close to 1000 now.

Q: How was the URC experience for you and what did you learn?
A: URC was a great experience to work with the overseas referees and to get into games with the UK teams that we are not used to. Their style of play and how they see the game. Every game there is something to learn from.

Q: What does refereeing mean for you?
A: Its part of my lifestyle, almost everything I
plan is around rugby and refereeing. It is such a big part of my life that I think someday I will struggle for a long time without it. Even at this stage where referees are so much in the spotlight I still enjoy to referee a game in the
best seat of the house. Refereeing have taught me so much about my personality and what I needed to change. You need to be strong mentally and you have to stand up for yourself in uncomfortable situations and that
made me a stronger person and a stronger leader.

Q: Who is a hero or mentor for you?
A: I have no heros but Jonathan Kaplan would
be one and I have the privilage to know him and to have worked with him. Also Jaco Peyper is a somebody I really look up to. Mentor will be without a doubt Tappe Henning.

Previous Referee of the Month

Chris Smit

 

Q: What is your Age?
A: 24

Q: What is your Favourite Food?
A: Pizza

Q: Your Favourite country?
A: Ireland.

Q: What is your Refereeing History?
A: Refereeing for 8 years spent 5 years at the Valke now 3 at the Bulls

Q: What are your Career Highlights?
A: Been invited to referee at the Dubai Sevens tournament twice in 2017 and 2019. Refereed Presidents Cup Final in 2022

Q: When did your Refereeing career start?
A: 2014

Q: How long have you been involved in refereeing?
A: 8 Years

Q: Why did you choose to become a referee?
A: I was told that I was not good enough to play the game and was told I would never make it to the top as a player so I took up the whistle and now trying my best to get to the top in Refereeing.

Q: What quote do you live by?
A: Why do we Fall? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up

Q: What advice can you give for new Referees?
A: Be a servant to the game you are not here to be the centre of attention always be willing to serve the game of rugby to the best of your abilities.

Q: Something that people don’t know about you?
A: I’m a world champion in Martial Arts

Q: Number of matches officiated?
A: Over 700

Q: What was your refereeing highlight in the year 2022 and why?
A: Being selected to referee the President’s 1st Team cup final and then Being chosen the following week to referee the Carlton 3rd Team Semi – Final and be part of the Final as AR 1.

Q: What does refereeing mean for you?
A: Refereeing is my life and is my passion I love it with all my heart and I’ve loved it since I started in 2014 because I love Rugby and being an important part to the game makes it all the better.

Q: Who is a hero or mentor for you?
A: Hero is Jonathan Kaplan and Nigel Owens, my mentor is Stephan Geldenhuys, Johann Alberts and Lihan Pretorius