JK’s final whistle
12 Feb 2013
Jonny Kaplan will referee his 100th Super Rugby match in Bloemfontein. But the world’s most experienced Test referee won’t be around in 2014.
Kaplan confirmed he will retire at the end of 2013 at which time he will have refereed more than a 1000 matches at every level.
Kaplan steps down after 21 years in the game, officiating more International matches, Super Rugby matches and Currie Cup matches than any other referee.
Kaplan’s records:
· A world record 68 Test matches
· A record 99 Vodacom Super Rugby matches
· A record 150 Absa Currie Cup matches
· Attended four Rugby World Cup tournaments
· Five Absa Currie Cup finals
· Three Vodacom Super Rugby Finals
The above list is set to grow during the year, reaching his century of Super Rugby matches in the first full week of Super Rugby action in Bloemfontein where the Cheetahs host the Sharks.
Only a World Cup final eluded Kaplan, who would have been given the 2007 final in Paris had South Africa not been a finalist.
By Richard Ferguson
25 Comments
12 Feb 2013, 13:06 pm
Best news ever.
Thank you, goodbye, move overseas and stay there forever.
12 Feb 2013, 13:12 pm
Richard who?
12 Feb 2013, 13:12 pm
The best ref of his generation. Had the odd wobbly moment, but then who hasn’t.
12 Feb 2013, 13:14 pm
@skunk-2: I think it’s spelt Ferguson.
12 Feb 2013, 13:15 pm
Never heard him referred to as Johnny before. Very chummy.
12 Feb 2013, 13:30 pm
he was a decent ref i would say.
certainly nothing like some of the Kiwis who have graced the game.
12 Feb 2013, 14:39 pm
Great ref…..
I try not to get too worked up about refs….
But 2 absolutely terrify me, I just dont trust them at all……Craig Joubert …and Marius Jonker…..
ooooh vok They make me mal…..
12 Feb 2013, 15:15 pm
@grant10-7: Before RWC 2011 Final I had a lot of respect for Joubert (even though he punished my team/s sometimes).
But I lost ALL respect for the way he handled that final. It was just shockingly bad and destroyed what is supposed to be the pinnacle of the World Cup tournament.
12 Feb 2013, 15:17 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-6: Well said – as well as some of the Aussie refs, and of course, who can forget (or forgive):
- Alain Rolland – 3Ns 2010 in general
- Paul Honiss – telling Smittie to talk to his team, and then allowing O’Gara to score a try. JOKE
12 Feb 2013, 18:59 pm
@bokfan1-9:
absolutely, agreed.
12 Feb 2013, 19:43 pm
21 Years in the game?? I thought only women lie about their age.
12 Feb 2013, 21:05 pm
bokfan1
how wa Rolland at soccer city in 2012?
Bakkies
this thread is about Jonker and you still have.a go at kiwis? lmfao pathetic
Kaplan wasn’t too bad, but was just as complicit as Barnes in the 2007 WC
luckily he wasn’t the type of ref who only spoke Afrikaans.
still a SA cheat though
12 Feb 2013, 21:06 pm
eish
jonker should be Kaplan. was thinkin oif that other saffa cheat
13 Feb 2013, 01:00 am
Now this is unusual…saffas listing their worst refs!!!
Just list all of them thats how bad the boks are!!
JK was not that bad he did make me tear my hear out with some poor decisions but when it came to consistency he was right up there. He felt the game whereas the likes of Joubert and Dickinson are very technical and sometimes got in the way of the game.
A good ref feels the emotion of the game of the day and refs accordingly. I think Joubert in 2011 reffed very technically well but failed to read the heartbeat of the game. the final just lacked all the juices!!
13 Feb 2013, 01:48 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-6:
The way you talk about us kiwis in every thread makes me a bit uneasy.
I thought it was just some sort of disease that some people catch while in denial that their team is not as good as the kiwis but it seems to moved on from that to an addiction…. very sick indeed.
13 Feb 2013, 03:20 am
@wallabie.-14: tell that to the Waratahs..
what was it, one win in 15 games under Kaplan?
@Hurricane-15: cant help that one, I think its a touch of jealousy to be honest… I wonder if he reads as many SA news websites as he does NZ ones? he does seem fixated on our little islands, guess the constant manshaming piques his interest
:shrugs shoulders smiley:
13 Feb 2013, 03:23 am
hahaha listen to the Saffas and the “joubert conspiracy talk”
I sometimes think half these safwits dont watch the game at all…
there were numerous incidences where he could have penalised the French as well, but like the whole Barnes fiasco, the inferiority complex many Safwits feel because of their rugby teams inadequacy seems to manifest to watching the game with one eye open..
ABs world champions for at least another 2 years
suck on them lemons
SAs greatest export these days is the whine…
13 Feb 2013, 03:43 am
What are chances for Kaplan to get Waratahs a few times more just for a final laugh before they can breathe relieved?
13 Feb 2013, 07:11 am
@Hurricane-15:
@the curse-16:
morning boys.
13 Feb 2013, 07:28 am
@polaris-18: It’s not just the Tahs, the Wallabies record was abysmal under Kaplan. Seems he just didn’t like those boys.
13 Feb 2013, 12:35 pm
Oz will be very happy to see the back of Mr Kaplan.
13 Feb 2013, 13:01 pm
@jeest-20: Probbly because Wallabies have had a lot of Waratahs.
He does not seem to hate other provinces that much.
13 Feb 2013, 14:11 pm
I need Kaplan to ref the two derby matches between waratahs and brumbies.
13 Feb 2013, 19:33 pm
@wallabie.-23: Why?
14 Feb 2013, 21:26 pm
@BrumbiesBoy-24: Because Tahs will be screw*d for sure.
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