Soccer: Games spot for Auckland ref

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Long-serving Auckland referee Derek Rugg was pinching himself yesterday after learning he had been handed a plum appointment to the Athens Olympic tournament.

Rugg, in his 29th season as a senior referee, will warm-up for the biggest challenge of his career by controlling the second of two internationals between Australia and Turkey at Melbourne's Telstra Dome this month.

Rugg, 41, will be accompanied by assistant referees (linesmen) Tony Maltetamat (Vanuatu) and Michael Mouauri (Cook Islands) as the Oceania Football Confederation appointees.

For Rugg, who spent about five years in the police but these days works as an insurance broker, the appointments come as he nears Fifa's mandatory retirement age of 45.

As he will still be under that cut-off age in 2006, he will be in line for a World Cup appointment in Germany.

An often-controversial referee, Rugg's previous highlight came at the 2000 Fifa World Club championships in Brazil.

"I had my biggest game there - the clash between the champion clubs sides of Saudi Arabia and Morocco. It was end-to-end and later voted the most entertaining game of the tournament."

Rugg has controlled three Chatham Cup and two National League finals in a career stretching back to 1976 when he first blew a whistle after playing his soccer at Lynndale.

These days, when he is not controlling soccer matches, he spends time at Rosedale Park watching 14-year-old daughter Sarah-Jane and 12-year-old son Bradlee playing hockey.