A few weeks ago, we brought you the Super Rugby referee squad for the 2019 season. Included in that was news of a formalised pod system that Lyndon Bray, Game Manager for Super Rugby, has brought in to help the referees work better together, even though they are geographically dispersed.
Bray explained that the “15 Super Rugby referees will be working closely in five pods of three, with each pod officiating together on as many of their games as is practical – working together as referee and assistant referees. This will inevitably help the efficiency of their teamwork and the way in which they can support each other, both on and off the field.”
Each pod has at least two from the same country with a third from another, and each has at least one more-experienced referee who will play a leadership group role (signified by the * on the below list). Some of those will be away on Six Nations duties in the early part of the season and Bray has already said that they will use referees and ARs as development opportunities where needed.
So who is in which referee pod?
POD A: Angus Gardner (Aus)*; Ben O’Keeffe (NZ)*; Damon Murphy (Aus)
POD B: Jaco Peyper (SA)*; Paul Williams (NZ); Egon Seconds (SA)
POD C: Glen Jackson (NZ)*; Nick Briant (NZ); Federico Anselmi (Arg)
POD D: Mike Fraser (NZ)*; Brendon Pickerill (NZ); Rasta Ravishenge (SA)
POD E: Nic Berry (Aus)*; Marius van der Westhuizen (SA); AJ Jacobs (SA)