Marius Jonker
Encyclopedia
Marius Jonker is one of South Africa
's top rugby union
referee
s. He refereed at the 2007 Rugby World Cup
in France, and regularly takes charge of Super 14
and Currie Cup
matches.
, he joined the South African police force and played rugby as a fly-half for Pietermaritzburg Police. He also gained diplomas in Human Resources and Labour Relations. In September 1994, he moved to Richards Bay to take up employment with Bell Equipment, and played rugby for North Coast Rhinos of Empangeni in Zululand. He then played for Richards Bay, where he was the captain of the first XV and the club captain.
His refereeing career began by chance in 2000 when the referee failed to turn up for a local game in Richards Bay and Jonker took his place.
In 2004, Jonker refereed at the Under-19 World Championship, which was held in South Africa, and had charge of the final, between France and New Zealand. The following year he made his debut in the Super 12 and Currie Cup and also officiated at the Under-21 World Championship in Argentina, where he refereed a semi-final.
In August 2005, he made his international debut when he was in charge of a Rugby World Cup qualifying match between Uganda and Zimbabwe in Kampala. In June 2006 he refereed the Pacific Nations Cup
match between the Junior all Blacks and Samoa and the mid-year international
between Fiji and Italy. In November he was the referee for the Autumn International between Ireland and Australia, which was the last game to be played at the old Lansdowne Road
ground. In March 2007 he took charge of his first Six Nations
match, the Calcutta Cup
match between Scotland and England. A month later, despite having handled only seven internationals, Jonker was named as one of three 'debutants' (the others were Wayne Barnes
of England and Nigel Owens
of Wales) in the 12-man panel of referees for the pool stages of the 2007 Rugby World Cup; he refereed three games, including Scotland v New Zealand, and was one of the touch judges for the semi-final between England and France.
Jonker was placed third on merit in South Africa's 12-man panel of national referees in November 2008, behind Jonathan Kaplan
and Mark Lawrence
.. Together they and fourth-placed Craig Joubert
were included in a merit panel of nine referees chosen by SANZAR
to handle the majority of matches in the 2009 Super 14 regardless of nationality; he became the first South African to referee as a non-neutral in South Africa when he had charge of the first-round match between the Bulls and the Queensland Reds in Pretoria on 14 February 2009.
In addition to his refereeing activities, Jonker is Security Manager for the Bell Group. He and his wife, Belinda, have two children, Rynhardt and Brenda.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
's top rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
referee
Referee
A referee is the person of authority, in a variety of sports, who is responsible for presiding over the game from a neutral point of view and making on the fly decisions that enforce the rules of the sport...
s. He refereed at the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
in France, and regularly takes charge of Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
and Currie Cup
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
matches.
Career
Jonker began playing rugby at school. After matriculating at Hoerskool Gert Maritz in PietermaritzburgPietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
, he joined the South African police force and played rugby as a fly-half for Pietermaritzburg Police. He also gained diplomas in Human Resources and Labour Relations. In September 1994, he moved to Richards Bay to take up employment with Bell Equipment, and played rugby for North Coast Rhinos of Empangeni in Zululand. He then played for Richards Bay, where he was the captain of the first XV and the club captain.
His refereeing career began by chance in 2000 when the referee failed to turn up for a local game in Richards Bay and Jonker took his place.
In 2004, Jonker refereed at the Under-19 World Championship, which was held in South Africa, and had charge of the final, between France and New Zealand. The following year he made his debut in the Super 12 and Currie Cup and also officiated at the Under-21 World Championship in Argentina, where he refereed a semi-final.
In August 2005, he made his international debut when he was in charge of a Rugby World Cup qualifying match between Uganda and Zimbabwe in Kampala. In June 2006 he refereed the Pacific Nations Cup
2006 IRB Pacific 5 Nations
The 2006 IRB Pacific 5 Nations was the inaugural IRB Pacific 5 Nations rugby union competition held between five Pacific Rim sides; Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and the Junior All Blacks...
match between the Junior all Blacks and Samoa and the mid-year international
2006 mid-year rugby test series
During June of 2006, several rugby union test sides played fixtures that were mainly contested in southern nations. It acted as end of year tours of the Northern Hemisphere nations, and pre season matches for the Tri Nations Series and Pacific 5 Nations....
between Fiji and Italy. In November he was the referee for the Autumn International between Ireland and Australia, which was the last game to be played at the old Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
ground. In March 2007 he took charge of his first Six Nations
2007 Six Nations Championship
The 2007 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the eighth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 113th series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship...
match, the Calcutta Cup
Calcutta Cup
The Calcutta Cup is a rugby union trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Six Nations Championship match between England and Scotland. It is currently England's since the 2009 Six Nations Championship....
match between Scotland and England. A month later, despite having handled only seven internationals, Jonker was named as one of three 'debutants' (the others were Wayne Barnes
Wayne Barnes
Wayne Barnes is an English international rugby union referee. He was educated at Whitecross School in Lydney, where he was head boy, Monmouth School and at the University of East Anglia. He became a professional referee in April 2005, giving up a career in law to do so...
of England and Nigel Owens
Nigel Owens
Nigel Owens is a Welsh international rugby union referee. He is an international and Heineken Cup referee and was the only Welsh referee at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France....
of Wales) in the 12-man panel of referees for the pool stages of the 2007 Rugby World Cup; he refereed three games, including Scotland v New Zealand, and was one of the touch judges for the semi-final between England and France.
Jonker was placed third on merit in South Africa's 12-man panel of national referees in November 2008, behind Jonathan Kaplan
Jonathan Kaplan (rugby)
Jonathan Isaac Kaplan , is a full-time international rugby union referee and currently holds the record for the most international matches as referee.-Background:...
and Mark Lawrence
Mark Lawrence (rugby)
Mark Lawrence is an international rugby union referee, from the Republic of South Africa. He refereed his first international test match, in 2000, and was chosen to officiate at both the 2003 Rugby World Cup and 2007 Rugby World Cup acting as a touch judge and a TMO in both competitions...
.. Together they and fourth-placed Craig Joubert
Craig Joubert
Craig Paul Joubert is a South African professional rugby union referee. He has officiated at international level since 2003 with the 2011 Rugby World Cup Final being his most profile match.-Biography:...
were included in a merit panel of nine referees chosen by SANZAR
SANZAR
SANZAR is the body which operates Super Rugby and Tri Nations competitions in rugby union. It is a joint venture of the South African Rugby Union, the New Zealand Rugby Union and the Australian Rugby Union, formed in 1996.Created shortly after rugby's move to professionalism in 1995, SANZAR's two...
to handle the majority of matches in the 2009 Super 14 regardless of nationality; he became the first South African to referee as a non-neutral in South Africa when he had charge of the first-round match between the Bulls and the Queensland Reds in Pretoria on 14 February 2009.
In addition to his refereeing activities, Jonker is Security Manager for the Bell Group. He and his wife, Belinda, have two children, Rynhardt and Brenda.