Local referee named on Olympic Panel
Ben Crouse, a teacher at Hoërskool Waterkloof, is one of the five South African rugby referees appointed to act as umpires in Sevens Rugby at the Olympic Games later this year.
South African referees Craig Joubert, Rasta Rasivhenge, Marius van der Westhuizen, Ben Crouse and Aimee Barrett were named among an elite group of international referees selected to officiate at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in August, World Rugby announced on Monday.
Crouse, Joubert, Van der Westhuizen and Rasivhenge were named on the 12-member panel for the men’s tournament, from 9 to 11 August, while Rasivhenge will double up on the panel named for the women’s tournament alongside Barrett from 6 to 8 August at the Deodora Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
Crouse is a teacher at the Hoërskool Waterkloof and one of the most exciting young referees in South Africa.
With the 2016 Games marking 92 years since rugby featured at the Olympics, the tournament will mark a significant occasion in each of the five referees’ careers.
Olympic Games Men’s Referee Panel: Mike Adamson (Scotland), Federico Anselmi (Argentina), Nick Briant (New Zealand), Ben Crouse (South Africa), Craig Joubert (South Africa), Richard Kelly (New Zealand), Anthony Moyes (Australia), Matt O’Brien (Australia), Taku Otsuki (Japan), Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa), Alexandre Ruiz (France), Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa).
Olympic Games Women’s Referee Panel: Aimee Barrett (South Africa), Jess Beard (New Zealand), Beatrice Benvenutti (Italy), James Bolabiu (Fiji), Sara Cox (England), Sakurako Kawasaki (Japan), Rose La Breche (Canada), Gabriel Lee (Hong Kong), Alhambra Nievas (Spain), Amy Perrett (Australia), Alex Pratt (Scotland), Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa).
