New panels for South Africa

Three panels and contenders

SA Rugby has placed its top referees in three panels and has, for the first time, drawn up a 'Contenders' Squad' for referees.

There are 20 in the A Panel, 10 in the B Panel and nine in the C Panel. The Contenders' Squad is still being formed.

In the top group are referees on the IRB Merit panels - Tappe Henning, Jonathan Kaplan, Mark Lawrence and Shaun Veldsman.

Also there is André Watson who announced his retirement from international rugby earlier this year.

In the A Panel, apart from those mentioned, Johann Meuwesen, Craig Joubert, Willie Roos, Eugene Daniels, Louis Mzomba and Michael Katzenellenbogen have refereed Tests.

Michael Katzenellenbogen, Craig Joubert, Cobus Wessels and Deon van Blommestein are all sons of Currie Cup referees of the past.

The referees in the Contenders' Squad are not panel referees but will be given chances at national weeks and in age-group matches. It will consist of referees who have been dropped from panels to give them a chance to recuperate and referees nominated either by the SA Rugby referees' committee or by their provinces and who fulfil certain minimum requirements.

James Sherriff, Jonathan Mouers and Johan Steyn have been given a chance to recover form on the Contenders' Squad.

The referees are, with their provinces in brackets even though Kaplan, Henning, Lawrence and Watson are professional referees and belong to SARFU:

A Panel

Jerome America (Western Province)
Stuart Berry (Natal)
Phillip Bosch (Eastern Province)
Eugene Daniels (Western Province)
Chris du Preez (Eastern Province)
JC Fortuin (Western Province)
Tappe Henning (Blue Bulls)
Marius Jonker (Natal)
Craig Joubert (Natal)
Jonathan Kaplan (Boland)
Michael Katzenellenbogen (Natal)
Mark Lawrence (Mpumalanga)
Linston Manuels (Boland)
Johann Meuwesen (Eastern Province)
Willie Roos (Golden Lions)
Paul van Blommestein (Western Province)
Alistair van Wyk (Natal)
Shaun Veldsman (Boland)
André Watson (Falcons)
Cobus Wessels (Blue Bulls)

B Panel

Roderick Barry (Western Province)
Michael Cupido (Golden Lions)
Phillip de Bruin (Golden Lions)
Noel Frans (Eagles)
Johan Greeff (Blue Bulls)
Mandla Dakuse (Border)
Gareth Lloyd-Jones (Western Province)
Louis Mzomba (Western Province)
Craig Strachan (Natal)
Lourens van der Merwe (Free State)

C Panel

Christopher Healy (Natal)
Crow Legoete (Golden Lions)
Jamile Panday (Boland)
Jaco Peyper (Free State)
Charlton Pick (Boland)
Andries Selemela (Leopards)
Steve Stolk (Blue Bulls)
François Veldsman (Boland)
James Yamile (Eastern Province)