Former St.George Queensland Reds scrumhalf Nic Berry has been appointed as referee for this weekend’s clash between Ireland and Argentina.
Berry played 33 games for the Reds between 2004 and 2007 before retiring in 2012.
Since his playing days, Berry has progressed through the Queensland refereeing pathway, officiating matches in Queensland Premier Rugby, the National Rugby Championship and Super Rugby before his elevation to Test match Rugby.
This weekend will mark Berry’s first time in charge of a Tier 1 nation match.
National referee manager Scott Young said that Berry’s progress demonstrates the Queensland pathway for referees to reach the highest levels of the game.
“Our development pathways and programs are focused on developing referees as good people and good referees,” Young said.“
This appointment is a result of a team effort from all of our referees.
Young believes Berry’s rise to the top of the referee ranks comes down to his past professional experience.
“Nic has a very good understanding of the game.“His greatest strength is his ability to work with players and develop relationships with them, and his experience as a player at the highest level has helped Nic deal with pressure moments in games.”
