Marius van der Westhuizen to ref Currie Cup final, Veldsman calls it a day

JOHANNESBURG – Marius van der Westhuizen will officiate his first Currie Cup final at the Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

The final will also mark a big day for the experienced Television Match Official (TMO), 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 Under-21 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, while Ben Crouse and Griffin Colby have been appointed to assist Mente.

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.

Shaun Veldsman will hang up his whistle after 20 years. Photo: Jason Japtha on facebook

“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.

“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.

“It is fitting that he retires from the game in SA’s premier domestic competition, where he served in both those roles.”

The weekend's referee appointments: