Doug Stamper named as referee for Super Rugby final

It's news that will not comfort Crusaders supporters, who are hoping their side can overturn the odds to win at Ellis Park on Sunday morning.

Old mate Doug made several key decisions which went the Lions' way in their semifinal victory over the Hurricanes, and many will see his appointment in officiating the Johannesburg-based team two weeks in a row as odd.

Strangely, there is no role for Australian Angus Gardner who has had a consistently excellent season with the whistle. Many believed he was primed for the major role at Ellis Park as he didn't have the whistle in either of the semifinals.

In a statement, Sanzaar chief executive Andy Marinos clearly had recent comments about the need for neutral officials in mind when he said: "The selection criteria for all match official appointments for the last two years follows a clear tournament policy - as agreed by the Sanzaar Executive Committee and the tournament's stakeholders - that such appointments be merit-based.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission