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Currie Cup referees through the ages

Cape Town - Despite the trophy being awarded for the first time in 1889, the first Currie Cup final was only contested in 1939 between Western Province and Transvaal at Newlands.

READ: A history of Sharks v WP Currie Cup finals

READ: Roll of honour: Currie Cup winners

Prior to 1939, the winners were the team who finished top of the log.

According to Rugby365's doyen of the game, Paul Dobson, the referee back in 1939 was none other than former Springbok and WP legend, Boy Louw.

Ironically, Louw's brother and fellow-Springbok Fanie captained the Transvaal side on the day.

The match would be Louw's only final in charge.

Fast forward 78 years and on Saturday at Kings Park in Durban Jaco Peyper will have the whistle in the 2017 Currie Cup final between the Sharks and WP.

The match will be Peyper's third final as he joins Jimmy Smith-Belton and Gert Bezuidenhout in a tie for fifth-most Currie Cup final refereed.

Andre Watson remains out in front with seven finals to his name.

Kick-off is at 16:00.

Currie Cup final referees:

1939: Western Province vs Transvaal: Boy Louw (Western Province)
1946: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province: Carl Basson (Northern Transvaal)
1947: Western Province vs Transvaal: Albie Henkes (Western Province)
1950: Transvaal vs Western Province: Eddie Hofmeyr (Transvaal)
1952: Boland vs Transvaal: Chris Ackermann (Boland)
1954: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal: Ralph Burmeister (Western Province)
1956: Natal vs Northern Transvaal: Bowden Coombe (Natal)
1968: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal: Bertie Strasheim (Northern Transvaal)
1969: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province: Fonnie van der Vyver (Northern Transvaal)
1970: Griqualand West vs Northern Transvaal: Ben Calitz (Griqualand West)
1971: Transvaal vs Northern Transvaal: Gert Bezuidenhout (Transvaal)
1972: Eastern Transvaal vs Transvaal: Piet Robbertse (Eastern Transvaal)
1973: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal: Piet Robbertse (Eastern Transvaal)
1974: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal: Steve Strydom (Orange Free State)
1975: Orange Free State vs Northern Transvaal : Justus Moolman (Eastern Province)
1976: Orange Free State vs Western Province: Gert Bezuidenhout (Transvaal)
1977: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State: Jimmy Smith-Belton (Eastern Province)
1978: Orange Free State vs Northern Transvaal: Gert Bezuidenhout (Transvaal)
1979: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal: Steve Strydom (Orange Free State)
1980: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province: Steve Strydom (Orange Free State)
1981: Northern Transvaal vs Orange Free State: Johan Gouws (Eastern Transvaal)
1982: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal: Steve Strydom (Orange Free State)
1983: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province: Johan Gouws (Eastern Transvaal)
1984: Western Province vs Natal: Cassie Carstens (Northern Transvaal)
1985: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal: Steve Strydom (Orange Free State)
1986: Western Province vs Transvaal: Steve Strydom (Orange Free State)
1987: Transvaal vs Northern Transvaal: Freek Burger (Western Province)
1988: Northern Transvaal vs Western Province: Jimmy Smith-Belton (Eastern Province)
1989: Western Province vs Northern Transvaal: Jimmy Smith-Belton (Eastern Province)
1990: Northern Transvaal vs Natal: Freek Burger (Western Province)
1991: Northern Transvaal vs Transvaal: Freek Burger (Western Province)
1992: Transvaal vs Natal: Freek Burger (Western Province)
1993: Natal vs Transvaal: Freek Burger (Western Province)
1994: Orange Free State vs Transvaal: Stef Neethling (Boland)
1995: Natal vs Western Province: Tappe Henning (Northern Transvaal)
1996: Transvaal vs Natal: André Watson (Eastern Transvaal)
1997: Western Province vs Free State: André Watson (Gauteng Falcons)
1998: Blue Bulls vs Western Province: André Watson (Gauteng Falcons)
1999: Natal vs Lions: André Watson (Gauteng Falcons)
2000: Natal vs Western Province: André Watson (Falcons)
2001: Western Province vs Natal: André Watson (Falcons)
2002: Lions vs Blue Bulls: Jonathan Kaplan (Boland)
2003: Blue Bulls vs Sharks: Shaun Veldsman (Boland)
2004: Blue Bulls vs Free State Cheetahs: André Watson (Falcons)
2005: Blue Bulls vs Free State Cheetahs: Jonathan Kaplan (Boland)
2006: Blue Bulls vs Cheetahs: Jonathan Kaplan (Boland)
2007: Free State Cheetahs vs Golden Lions: Mark Lawrence (Mpumalanga)
2008: Sharks vs Blue Bulls: Jonathan Kaplan (Western Province)
2009: Blue Bulls vs Free State Cheetahs: Jonathan Kaplan (Western Province)
2010: Sharks vs Western Province: Craig Joubert (KwaZulu-Natal)
2011: Golden Lions vs Sharks: Mark Lawrence (Mpumalanga)
2012: Sharks vs Western Province: Jaco Peyper (Free State)
2013: Western Province vs Sharks: Jonathan Kaplan (Western Province)
2014: Western Province vs Golden Lions: Craig Joubert (KwaZulu-Natal)
2015: Golden Lions vs Western Province: Rasta Rasivhenge (Western Province)
2016: Free State Cheetahs vs Blue Bulls: Jaco Peyper (Free State)

Most Currie Cup finals in charge:

7 - André Watson
6 - Steve Strydom, Jonathan Kaplan
5 - Freek Burger
3 - Jimmy Smith-Belton, Gert Bezuidenhout, Jaco Peyper
2 - Piet Robbertse, Johan Gouws, Mark Lawrence, Craig Joubert
1 - Boy Louw, Carl Basson, Albie Henkes, Eddie Hofmeyr, Chris Ackermann, Ralph Burmeister, Bowden Coombe, Bertie Strasheim, Fonnie van der Vyver, Ben Calitz, Justus Moolman, Cassie Carstens, Stef Neethling, Tappe Henning, Shaun Veldsman, Rasta Rasivhenge

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