Referee profiles J - L

Carl Joergensen (Denmark)

Full name: Carl Joergensen
Born: Chester, England, 25 November 1959
Family: Married to Gitte with three daughters, Maria, Maja and Megan
Occupation: Technician
Playing career: 1970-1987
Started refereeing: 1987
Society: Danish Referee Society.
Number of referees in society: 35

Marius Jonker (South Africa)

Full name: Marius Jonker
Born: Kimberley on 19 June 1969
Occupation: Loss Control Manager for Bell Equipment in Richards Bay.
Family: Married to Belinda with a son Rynhardt of 6 and daughter Brenda of 13 months.
Playing career: Played first division rugby for Maritzburg Police (Pietermaritzburg),North Coast Rhinos (Empangeni) and Richards Bay Rugby Clubs as a flyhalf.
Started refereeing: 2000
Referees' Society: Zululand Referees' Society, a sub-society of KwaZulu Natal Referees' Society.
Highlights: IRB's Under-19 World Cup in 2004, IRB's Under-21 World Cup in 2005, Super 14, Currie Cup, Ireland vs Australia, the last Test at the old Lansdowne Road
First Test: Fiji vs Italy in 2006
Status: IRB's merit panel of referees

Craig Joubert (South Africa)

Full name: Craig Paul Joubert
Born: Durban, 8 November 1977
Educated: Maritzburg College, University of Natal - B.Com; B.Com Honours (Business Finance)
Occupation: Banker become a professional referee
Marital status: Married to Charmaine
Date of starting: 1994. He played rugby as a flyhalf or fullback at Junior School and represented Natal at the Under-13 Craven Week. He started refereeing at Maritzburg College, as did Test referee Ian Rogers before him.
His late father, Des Joubert, was a provincial referee. "He taught me that refereeing is mostly about people management and served as an inspirational example in this respect."
Society: Natal Referees' Society
First Test: 2003: Namibia vs Uganda in Windhoek
Sevens: "Sevens have afforded me many great opportunities in rugby."
He has been on the IRB's Sevens circuit since 2001. He refereed finals in Brisbane (2002), George (2002, 2003 & 2005), Wellington (2004 & 2005), Los Angeles (2004 & 2005), Hong Kong (2004), Bordeaux (2004). In 2005 he refereed the final of the Sevens World Cup in Hong Kong.
First Super 12 match: 2005 - Waratahs vs Chiefs
Motto: Winners have a program. Losers have an excuse.

Joël Jutge (France)

Name: Joël Jutge
Born: Lavaur, 5 April 1966
Playing career: Scrumhalf for Colomiers, then Cahors
Society: Comité Midi Pyrenees
Occupation: Technician E.D.F.
First Test: 2000, Italy vs Romania

Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa)

Full name: Jonathan Isaac Kaplan
Born: Durban on 7 November 1966.
Education: Carmel College, King David's, University of Cape Town, University of South Africa
Occupation: professional referee, formerly a businessman
Marital Status: Unmarried
Date of starting: 1984
Provincial Honours: 1993
First Test: 1996, Zimbabwe vs Namibia

Godwin Karuga (Kenya)

Name: Godwin Moses Kamau Karuga
Date of Birth: 19 June 1972
Educated : University of Leicester (UK) MBA
Unmarried
Occupation : Insurance Executive
Playing : Impala Club, Kenya, front row.
Started refereeing : 1999
Society : Kenya Rugby Referee's Society( KRRS)
First test : 2004 Tanzania vs. Burundi
Number of Test: 4
Exchange : Golden Lions Referees Society ( South Africa 2005).
Highlights:
National Panel since 2001.
Many sevens tournaments including the International Safari Sevens in Nairobi Kenya, 2002 to 2005.
Mosi Sevens in Zambia and World cup 7's qualifier 2004.
Singapore Sevens 2002, 2003, 2004 & 2005.
Kilimanjaro Sevens in Tanzania 2002.
Dubai Sevens 2004.
World Championship Under-19 Qualifier in 2004.
World Cup 2007 Qualifier in Zambia ( Zambia vs Botswana) ,
Uganda League cup final, 2001.
Confederation of African Rugby(CAR) Super 16 in Arusha Tanzania 2005, 
Zimbabwe cup final 2005.
Referee of the year 2004.

Michael Katzenellenbogen (South Africa)

Full Name: Michael Labe Katzenellenbogen
Born: Newlands, Cape Town, 22 December 1968
Schools: Lochnerhof Primary, Paarl Boys' High
University: Stellenbosch (BSc (Human Physiology) (1989), BSc (Physiotherapy) (1993)
Occupation: Physiotherapist
Family: Married to Linda. They have five children, including twins Tatum and Thomas
Started refereeing: 1988
Societies: Western Province, Eastern Free State, Natal
First Tests: Namibia vs Madagascar, 2002
Status: Retired

Al Klemp (USA)

Full name: Alan William Klemp
Birth: Chicago, Illinois, 24 August 1958
Family:  Wife and three children
Occupation: Contractor
Playing career: 13 years (College Illinois State- Club Chicago Blaze)
Started refereeing: 1992
Referees’ Society: Chicago, Midwest, USA
Why he started refereeing:  After 13 years of telling the Ref what to call, I felt I had a good foundation to referee!
First Test (year and match): 2000 Canada vs Tonga
Number of tests: 13 (up to the end of 2004)

Bruce Kuklinski (Canada)
 
Full name: Bruce Kuklinski
Birth: 6 February 1965 in Inglewood, New Zealand
Occupation: Physical Education teacher
Playing career: Massey University, National Teachers' Colleges, Oroua RFC, Palmerston North High School Old Boys, Manawatu and Taranaki age-group teams, British Columbia Under-23, Vancouver Island Senior Tide, University of Victoria Vikings
Coached: St Michael's University School, British Columbia Under-19
Started refereeing: 1991
Referees' Society: British Columbia Rugby Referees' Society, Vancouver Island Rugby Referees' Society
International panel: 1995
First Test: 1999: USA vs Tonga in the Pacific Rim Tournament
Highlights: Many Sevens tournaments including the 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Punte Del Este, the IRB World Sevens Series in Dubai in 1999, the Hong Kong Sevens in 2001, the IRB Sevens Series in Shanghai in 2001, the IRB World Sevens in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and London in 2002, and the Commonwealth Games in 2002; Under-19 World Championship in 2000; first Super Powers Cup match, between the USA and Japan.

Steve Lander (England)

Full name: Steve John Lander
Born: 11 November 1955
Educated: Hipperholme Grammar School, Halifax, King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford and Chester College
Family: Married to Pippa.  They have a son and a daughter.
Occupation: Professional referee, formerly a PE master
Playing experience: Flyhalf/centre for Oxford & Swindon
Started refereeing: 1983
First Society: Oxfordshire Society. In 1985 he moved to the Liverpool Society.
First test: 1995
Status: Retired from international refereeing

Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)

Born: 23 December 1970
Province: Bay of Plenty
Occupation: Schoolmaster turned professional referee
Educated: Otumotai College (Tauranga), Waikato University
Played: 1st five-eighth for school 1st XV and university Colts
Started refereeing: 1994 "because I wanted to stay involved in rugby and I have a family background in refereeing".
First class debut: 1997
Status: IRB's merit panel of referees

Mark Lawrence (South Africa)

Full name: Steven Mark Lawrence
Born: Standerton, 16 June 1965
Educated: Highbury, Beechwood High School, Witwatersrand Technikon
Family: Married
Occupation: Optician
Started refereeing: 1990
Society: Mpumalanga Referees’ Society
First league in 1993
Provincial Rugby: 1995
First Test: 2000, Italy vs Fiji

James Leckie (Australia)

Full name: James Thomas Leckie
Born: Sydney, 27 November 1975
Education: Trinity Grammar School, Sydney University
Occupation: schoolmaster
Family: wife Anna
Started refereeing: 1994 at school, 1995 at clubs
Society: New South Wales Referees' Association
Highlights: Under-19 World Championship in Durban in 2005, IRB's Under-21 World, IRB Sevens circuit, Super 14 Championship,  Final of the Commonwealth Games, Final of the Hong Kong Sevens
First Test: Hong Kong vs Korea
IRB status: IRB's merit panel of referees (2006)

Alan Lewis (Ireland)

Full name: Alan Lewis
Born: County Cork, 1 June 1964
Occupation: managing director of an insurance brokerage
Family: Married to Sharon with two daughters - Robyn and Gaby
Started refereeing: 1987
Referees’ Society: Leinster Association
First Test: 1998, Argentina vs France
Status: IRB's merit panel of referees