Never was there a fairer mediator on the field or whistle-blower (in the rugby sense) than golden oldies rugby referee, Kobus Smit.
The 65-year-old North Riding resident was the national referee coordinator at the recent Golden Oldies Nationals tournament.
There, in Goodwood, Cape Town, Smit oversaw the officiating for SA Rugby’s biggest event for players over the age of 34.
“Everybody said good things about the class of the referees and that is what I wanted to hear,” he said.
“There were no complaints against the referees. The referees did their best and we looked after the 38 teams. We wanted the guys to get there healthy and go home healthy.”
He said making new friendships was the highlight for him over the two days of the tournament. Many of these new friendships were with new referees put under Smit’s care.
Smit has been a referee at golden oldies rugby tournaments for the last 33 years, after a successful career playing for the Limpopo Blue Bulls (then called the Far North Rugby Union) and coaching Phalaborwa Rugby Club.
Watching the Rugby World Cup games on TV, Smit thought the standard of refereeing there was excellent.
“The referee can’t make a mistake really there because millions of people are watching and people are giving feedback to the referees, telling them what mistakes they are making.”
He said in the world cup, and in rugby in general, a team cannot blame the referee for losing a game.
A referee also has officials who provide feedback and constructive criticism to them about their decisions after matches.
“A good referee needs to participate in the game, communicate with the players and captain, know the rules and be unbiased to any side.”
Smit will again oversee the refereeing of the Golden Oldies Nationals in Bloemfontein in September next year.
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