Cape Town – He never got a proper chance to prove himself as a Super Rugby player, but now former Stormers wing Egon Seconds will become a key part of the competition.
The 36-year-old Seconds has been appointed to the refereeing panel for the 2017 Super Rugby season after just four years on the Western Province refereeing scene.
It has been a remarkable rise through the ranks for Seconds, who earned 11 Stormers caps – 10 in 2003, and another in 2007.
But despite being a prolific try-scorer for Western Province in Currie Cup rugby – he is still 10th on the all-time list with 52 touchdowns – Seconds was bizarrely overlooked for the Stormers in Super Rugby for most of his career.
He was able to perform on the international stage with the Springbok Sevens team, playing in eight World Series tournaments, while he was part of the side that claimed a bronze medal in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
Having last played provincial rugby for Griquas in 2009, Seconds was selected to the WP Rugby Referees panel in 2013, and hasn’t looked back.
He officiated in WP club rugby initially before working his way through the provincial age-groups and the Community Cup, and made his Currie Cup refereeing debut last year.
He was appointed to the national panel last year and was recently included in the seven-man SA Rugby premier panel for 2017.
Now Seconds will become the first South African professional player to become a Super Rugby referee, following in the footsteps of the likes of Glen Jackson, Nic Berry and Jamie Nutbrown.
Jaco Peyper is the most experienced SA official on the 19-man Super Rugby list, with the other locals being Seconds, Quinton Immelman, Rasta Rasivhenge, Marius van der Westhuizen and Jaco van Heerden.
“The team is a nice blend of Test and Super Rugby experience and emerging talent and is very settled as we head into another season,” Sanzaar Game Manager Lyndon Bray said on Monday.
“The experience in the team comes from Jaco Peyper and Glen Jackson, who have refereed over 50 Super Rugby matches each, while we also have a group around the 30 mark including Angus Gardner, Nick Briant and Mike Fraser.
“All of the referees also recently attended a Super Rugby referee camp in Sydney and are well prepared for kickoff later this month.”
The first Super Rugby match takes place on Thursday, February 23 when the Rebels host the Blues in Melbourne.
2017 Super Rugby referee panel
Federico Anselmi (Argentina), Nic Berry (Australia), Nick Briant (New Zealand), Mike Fraser (NZ), Angus Gardner (Australia), Rohan Hoffmann (Australia), Will Houston (Australia), Quinton Immelman (South Africa), Glen Jackson (NZ), Shuhei Kubo (Japan), Jamie Nutbrown (NZ), Ben O’Keeffe (NZ), Jaco Peyper (SA), Brendon Pickerill (NZ), Rasta Rasivhenge (SA), Egon Seconds (SA), Marius van der Westhuizen (SA), Jaco van Heerden (SA), Paul Williams (NZ).
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