Steve Walsh (rugby)
Encyclopedia
Steve Walsh is a professional rugby union
referee from New Zealand
.
Walsh's rugby
playing career ended at age 13, due to a spinal injury resulting from a birth deformity and he began refereeing at the age of 16.
In the 2003 Rugby World Cup
he was suspended for three days for inappropriate behaviour towards the England rugby team
, after an altercation with England fitness coach Dave Reddin. He missed one match and then went on to referee the quarter final between Australia v Scotland
. He was suspended for four months in 2005 during the Lions
tour of New Zealand for verbally abusing Irish winger Shane Horgan
, after a disputed decision.
In 2007 he refereed some notable matches, including: the 2007 Super 14 Final, the first international rugby match at Croke Park
in Ireland
, and refereed four matches including the South Africa – Argentina
semi final in the 2007 Rugby World Cup
.
On Wednesday 18 March 2009, it was announced that Walsh would lose his job after a third strike on his record. Wayne Barnes
took over from Walsh as referee of the grand slam deciding match in Cardiff on the 21st.
In 2010, Walsh moved to Bondi
and began refereeing club rugby in Sydney
. His first game on Australian soil was Newington College
1st XV v St Patrick's 1st XV at Johnson Field, Newington College, Stanmore.
He has since progressed to first grade and refereed the Shute Shield
semi-final between Sydney University and Eastwood. He narrowly missed out on being appointed to the Grand Final, which was refereed by Stuart Dickinson
. It was recently announced that he has been included in the reserve panel of referees for the 2010 Super 14
competition, now representing Australia
. He was reappointed to the IRB Elite panel, the highest level, in 2010. He was the referee for the Scotland
v Italy
match at Murrayfield Stadium
in the 2011 Six Nations Championship
in March 2011. Walsh has been appointed to the Rugby World Cup 2011 and will referee at least four games in New Zealand, representing the Australian 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 from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Walsh's rugby
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...
playing career ended at age 13, due to a spinal injury resulting from a birth deformity and he began refereeing at the age of 16.
In the 2003 Rugby World Cup
2003 Rugby World Cup
The 2003 Rugby World Cup was the fifth Rugby World Cup and was won by England. Originally planned to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, all games were shifted to Australia following a contractual dispute over ground signage rights between the New Zealand Rugby Football Union and Rugby World...
he was suspended for three days for inappropriate behaviour towards the England rugby team
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, after an altercation with England fitness coach Dave Reddin. He missed one match and then went on to referee the quarter final between Australia v Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
. He was suspended for four months in 2005 during the Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
tour of New Zealand for verbally abusing Irish winger Shane Horgan
Shane Horgan
Shane Patrick Horgan born 18 July 1978 in Bellewstown, County Meath is a rugby union player who plays wing or centre for Leinster and Ireland. He is tall. While he was young he played for Boyne RFC. He also played Gaelic football at Minor level with Meath.Horgan joined Lansdowne on leaving...
, after a disputed decision.
In 2007 he refereed some notable matches, including: the 2007 Super 14 Final, the first international rugby match at Croke Park
Croke Park
Croke Park in Dublin is the principal stadium and headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association , Ireland's biggest sporting organisation...
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and refereed four matches including the South Africa – Argentina
Argentina national rugby union team
The Argentina national rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, represents Argentina in international rugby union matches. The team, which plays in sky blue and white jerseys, is organised by the Argentine Rugby Union .Argentina played its first international rugby match in 1910 against a touring British...
semi final in 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,...
.
On Wednesday 18 March 2009, it was announced that Walsh would lose his job after a third strike on his record. 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...
took over from Walsh as referee of the grand slam deciding match in Cardiff on the 21st.
In 2010, Walsh moved to Bondi
Bondi
Bondi could refer to:-Places in Australia:* Bondi Beach, New South Wales, a beach and suburb in Sydney, Australia* Bondi Junction, New South Wales, a suburb and commercial centre in Sydney, Australia* Bondi, New South Wales, a suburb in Sydney, Australia...
and began refereeing club rugby in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. His first game on Australian soil was Newington College
Newington College
Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
1st XV v St Patrick's 1st XV at Johnson Field, Newington College, Stanmore.
He has since progressed to first grade and refereed the Shute Shield
Shute Shield
The Shute Shield is a rugby union competition in Sydney, New South Wales. It is the premier grade rugby trophy in NSW rugby. The Shute Shield is awarded at the end of the Sydney Club Rugby season to the team that wins the Grand Final...
semi-final between Sydney University and Eastwood. He narrowly missed out on being appointed to the Grand Final, which was refereed by Stuart Dickinson
Stuart Dickinson
Stuart Dickinson is a former Australian rugby referee. He made his international refereeing debut in 1997 in a Rugby World Cup qualifier between Tahiti and Papua New Guinea....
. It was recently announced that he has been included in the reserve panel of referees for the 2010 Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
competition, now representing Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He was reappointed to the IRB Elite panel, the highest level, in 2010. He was the referee for the Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
v Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
match at Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
in the 2011 Six Nations Championship
2011 Six Nations Championship
The 2011 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2011 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 12th series of the Six Nations Championship. The annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship was contested by England, France, Ireland, Italy,...
in March 2011. Walsh has been appointed to the Rugby World Cup 2011 and will referee at least four games in New Zealand, representing the Australian Rugby Union
Australian Rugby Union
The Australian Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Australia. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory...
.