Jaco Peyper to referee Super Rugby Final

David Skippers

Referee Jaco Peyper during the Guinness Six Nations match at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Saturday February 23, 2019. See PA story RUGBYU Wales. Photo credit should read: Paul Harding/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: Editorial use only, No commercial use without prior permission

South Africa’s Jaco Peyper has been appointed as the referee for Saturday’s Super Rugby Final between the Crusaders and Jaguares in Christchurch.

The assistant referees for the showdown are New Zealand’s Mike Fraser and Paul Williams, with another New Zealander Ben Skeen appointed as the television match official.

Peyper started refereeing in 2001 at age 20 and made his first class debut in 2007. His career pathway started in the Currie Cup and he progressed through Sevens Rugby and World Rugby U20s, to Super Rugby and on to Test level appointments.

He is the longest serving referee on the Super Rugby refereeing team. In Round 8 this year he took charge of his 100th Super Rugby match and now has 105 matches behind him. This puts him third on the all-time Super Rugby referee list behind Jonathan Kaplan [107] and Steve Walsh [110].

He has refereed two previous Super Rugby Finals: the 2015 final between Hurricanes and Highlanders and the 2017 final between the Lions and Crusaders. He has become one of the senior Test referees in world rugby having refereed 46 Test matches and will officiate in the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Crusaders v Jaguares @ Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch

Date: Saturday, July 6
Kick-off: 19:35 local, 08:35 BST, 07:35 GMT)
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Mike Fraser (New Zealand), Paul Williams (New Zealand)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)