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Veteran referee Steve Walsh has retired from officiating the game after almost two decades of refereeing at the top level.
43-year-old Walsh refereed in four Rugby World Cups, after making his debut in Super Rugby in 1997. His Test debut was in 1998, and has since officiated in 60 Test matches, and is the third most capped international referee.
Walsh said he had lived out his dreams and aspirations for rugby, but had business interests to pursue that would take him away from the game.
“I have lived my dream and I am truly grateful for every experience that I have had in Rugby. It’s been an incredible journey.
“I would be doing all of the key stakeholders in the game – from officials to the players to the fans – an injustice if I was unable to 100 per cent channel my energies and devote my full attention towards refereeing Super Rugby and Test Matches. I would not want my new focus to impact the integrity of the competitions in which I am involved.
“I will be forever indebted to Australian Rugby for including me so openly following a difficult period for me personally. I would also like to acknowledge my time with New Zealand Rugby. Their decision to end my contract in 2009 was challenging, but was ultimately the best thing has ever happened in my life. It made me confront who I was and how I carried myself.”
Bill Pulver congratulated Walsh on a long career in the game, the end of which was based in Australia.
“On behalf of everyone at the ARU, I would like to wish Steve all the best in his future endeavours. His departure is a big loss to Australian Rugby and the game globally, but we fully respect Steve’s decision to pursue his own personal dreams and wish him well. In making this significant decision, Steve has displayed a strong level of integrity and respect for the game.
“Steve has been a terrific ambassador for Australian Rugby – whether it be at Six Nations games on the other side of the world, in the spotlight officiating World Cup games or refereeing Super Rugby fixtures – living the core values of our sport day in, day out and inspiring the next generation of match officials in this country.
“We now look forward to continuing to support the development of our next tier of match officials to reach and hopefully exceed the levels attained by Steve through his career.”
World Rugby High Performance Match Officials Manager Joel Jutge thanked Walsh for his contribution to the game.
“On behalf of World Rugby I would like to thank him for the contribution he has made to our great game and wish him well as he looks forward to another challenge in the business world.”
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.