New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has announced a 30-strong National Referee Squad for the 2020 season. The list features two new referees – the former Black Ferns Sevens player Tiana Ngawati (pic on left), and World Sevens referee, Emily Hsieh (pic right) who recently moved to New Zealand from the United States. She was recently appointed as NZRs new Women’s Referee Development Manager. Those two help bring the number of female referees on the squad to seven.
The National Squad features four match officials who are currently plying their trade in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series – Richard Kelly, James Doleman, Lauren Jenner and Emily Hsieh. Five referees – James Doleman, Dan Waenga, James Munro, Angus Mabey and Rebecca Mahoney – will features as ARs in the 2020 Super Rugby season.
The panel includes six full-time professional referees including Glen Jackson who missed out on 2019 RWC selection, and was thought to be considering his future as a full time referee. He is joined by current WR Elite referees, Paul Williams and Ben O’Keeffe, RWC AR Brendon Pickerill and 7s specialist James Doleman.
Congratulations to all those selected for the NZ National Panel
2020 New Zealand National Referee squad
Glen Jackson (Bay of Plenty) – Professional Referee
Mike Fraser (Wellington) – Professional Referee
Ben O’Keeffe (Wellington) – Professional Referee
Paul Williams (Taranaki) – Professional Referee
Brendon Pickerill (North Harbour) – Professional Referee
James Doleman (Otago) * – Professional Referee & World 7s
Dan Waenga (Hawke’s Bay) *
James Munro (Canterbury) *
Angus Mabey (Auckland) *
Rebecca Mahoney (Wairarapa Bush) *
Brittany Andrew (Manawatu)
Nick Briant (Bay of Plenty)
Richard Kelly (Taranaki) – World 7s
Cam Stone (Taranaki)
Tipene Cottrell (Hawke’s Bay)
Maggie Cogger-Orr (Auckland)
Lauren Jenner (Counties Manukau) – World 7s
Stu Curran (Manawatu)
Jono Bredin (Otago)
Marcus Playle (Auckland)
Chris Paul (South Canterbury)
Richard Gordon (Wellington)
Hugh Reed (Hawke’s Bay)
Mike Winter (Waikato)
Nick Hogan (Wellington)
George Haswell (Canterbury)
Dan Moore (Canterbury)
Larissa Collingwood (Waikato)
Emily Hsieh (Wellington) – World 7s
Tiana Ngawati (Bay of Plenty) – Sevens Referee specialist
Super Rugby Television Match Officials
Aaron Patterson (Waikato)
Glenn Newman (North Harbour)
Shane McDermott (Bay of Plenty)
Chris Hart (Otago)
National Coaches
Chris Pollock
Kane McBride
Colin Hawke
Brent Murray
Rob Parkes
Chris Morgan
Paul Honiss
National Selectors
Paul Honiss
Matt Peters
Nicky Inwood
Errol Brain
