Referee’s shield debut
The referee for tomorrow’s Ranfurly Shield challenge is Geoff Smith, of Hawke’s Bay, and it will be his first shield game, as well as his first appearance on Lancaster Park.
Mr Smith is not among the country’s better-known referees, and the Canterbury coach, Alex Wyllie, expressed some concern when he learnt that a referee he had never heard of
would be controlling tomorrow’s game. “I would have thought that only referees with a lot of experience in top rugby would be appointed to shield games,” said Mr Wyllie, who was in hot water with the Canterbury union this week for talking to referees at half-time about their alleged shortcomings. “He may turn out to be a very good referee. I am
certainly not prejudging him,” said Mr Wyllie. Although not particularly well known, Mr Smith is hardly a novice. He has been the No. 1 Hawke’s Bay referee for some years and has controlled a number of first division matches in the North Island.
Last year he received his first major appointment, the British Lions match against North Auckland.
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Press, 5 October 1984, Page 36
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182Referee’s shield debut Press, 5 October 1984, Page 36
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