Former rugby referee honoured with legendary blazer
The blazer with tags represents all the clubs he has refereed for and is a symbol of excellence and honour.
Former Golden Lion’s Club referee was recently awarded with the legendary blazer symbolising all the clubs he’s refereed for.
The Roodepoort Record spoke to Andrè Nel on October 13 about his rugby journey.
Born in 1940 in Gqeberha (formerly known as Port Elizabeth), André spent almost his life there, before he discovered his passion for the sport and started as a referee for the Eastern Province.
“I had a passion since a young age, joined the Golden Oldies and travelled the Western Province and East London for the yearly championships,” he said.
The 83-year-old said that he started refereeing at the age of 30 and this award is the first award of its kind.
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André’s journey lasted for more than 20 years on the field and while his passion was relentless, he worked for the post office before transferring to the West Rand, where he would then be exposed to more rugby clubs who adored his unbiased approach to the game.
“I just found my roots here and never looked back. I could have worked anywhere but chose to referee here,” he said.
He was a senior referee for Rand Leases at some point, as well as for some high school rugby clubs.
“I was busy every Saturday, but never complained, however I had my eyes fixed on more than just school and club rugby,” he chuckled.
When asked about his stance on the 2023 Rugby World Cup, he chuckled confidently and said that if he had to put his money somewhere, it would be on South Africa.
