SOUTH AFRICA’S JACO Peyper has announced his retirement as a referee.
Peyper oversaw 67 Test matches, the last of which came at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Some of his highest-profile matches included two World Cup quarter-finals, the first test of the 2017 Lions Tour of New Zealand, and the 2023 Champions Cup final, in which La Rochelle pipped Leinster.
Peyper sent Freddie Steward off in the final round of last year’s Six Nations, in a game Ireland went on to win and secure a fourth-ever Grand Slam. He also had the whistle in the contentious Aviva Stadium meeting between Ireland and New Zealand in 2016, in which Peyper was widely accused of being too lenient on several bruising challenges.
Across his career, Peyper also worked with broadcasters to deepen their understanding of refereeing and the laws of the game.
“I literally grew up next to the rugby field as my dad was a coach, and later on I played and coached the game before I took up the opportunity to go into refereeing,” said Peyper.
“There are always tough times at high end refereeing, but since making my first-class debut 17 years ago, rugby has only been good to me.
“It’s been a great journey, I have made many wonderful friends and I’ve been fortunate enough to visit many fantastic places around the world.
“All things considered, now is perhaps the best time to step away from active refereeing to spend more time with my lovely wife and two beautiful daughters, as well as my growing business interests.”
Peyper says he wants to remain in rugby in another capacity, but his decision to retire comes despite the fact he was selected to take charge of Italy’s clash with Scotland in the Six Nations on 9 March.
