News

Perenara appointed to international match officials panel

Published by IRL
18 Dec 2020

Henry Perenara is the latest referee to have his nomination for the Elite International Referee Panel accepted by the IRL.

Perenara, a former NRL player, joined the NRL Cadet Programme, aimed at providing a pathway for ex-players to become referees, in 2007 and made his NRL debut in 2011. Since then he has officiated regularly in the NRL and was one of the squad of referees who refereed the weekly rounds as a single referee during 2020.

Although his refereeing career has been entirely in the NRL, Perenara was born and raised in New Zealand and his nomination for the Elite Panel has come from the New Zealand Rugby League who have also nominated other officials for a place on the International Referee Panels that will be decided on in the New Year.

Stuart Cummings, International Rugby Leagues Match Officials Manager welcomed New Zealand’s nomination of Perenara. He said “ I have worked with Henry before in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup and other International tournaments and he will add a great deal to the current panel members. It is fantastic that New Zealand has a representative on this panel and hopefully it will enable others to follow. New Zealand referees have played an important role in the International game and it is important they play a role in its future”.

Perenara, on receiving the news of his appointment said, “I am looking forward to stepping onto the international stage of our great game.  Being involved at the highest level of our sport is something that I cherish, and I will be honoured and privileged to do so once again.”

The IRL has introduced a squad system as part of its Match Officials programme in 2020. Referees can be nominated for 1 of 3 squads by their National Associations and the IRL will then decide if they should be appointed to the Elite International Panel, where members will referee the top tier of games, the International panel, where members will referee games below the top tier, or the Emerging Panel, where members from emerging nations will be appointed to referee games between emerging nations

 

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