John Percival (rugby league)

John Percival was a New Zealand rugby league referee. An international referee, in 1995 Percival was one of the New Zealand Rugby League's inaugural inductions into the "Legends of League".

John Percival
Refereeing information
Years Competition Apps
1968–1975 World Cup 9
1964–1980 Other Internationals 18
Source: RLP

Domestic career

Percival was from the Point Chevalier Pirates club and played for the 1947 Schoolboy Kiwi side.[1]

He took up refereeing in 1956 and controlled matches in the Auckland Rugby League competition. By 1960 he was receiving provincial appointments.[1] He earned a reputation for being a dominant and "eagle-eyed" referee.[2]

Percival is credited with innovating the penalty for backchat as he regularly used to march teams for the offence before it was added to the official rulebook.[1]

The Auckland Rugby League's Referee of the Year award is named the "John Percival Memorial Premiership Referee of the Year" in recognition of Percival's service to the game.[3]

International career

His first Test match was in 1964 when the French toured New Zealand. Percival controlled 27 internationals between 1964 and 1980, the most for a New Zealand official. This included nine matches in the 1968 and 1975 World Cups. In 1995 Percival was one of the inaugural inductees onto the NZRL's Legends of League.[4] He is an Auckland Rugby League Immortal.[5]

Later years

Percival was involved on the board of the Auckland Warriors in 1995 while they were owned by the Auckland Rugby League.

References
  1. Lion Red 1988 Rugby League Annual, New Zealand Rugby Football League, 1988. p.81
  2. "Graham Lowe: Sonny and Bill". The New Zealand Herald. 1 October 2004. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  3. November 2009 Newsletter Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine Auckland Rugby League
  4. Legends of League New Zealand Rugby League
  5. Stacey Jones, Auckland Rugby League Immortal Archived 2011-07-24 at the Wayback Machine est1995.co.nz, 21 September 2003
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