Dan's the man from Hawke's Bay, to ref an NPC final

Hawke's Bay referee Dan Waenga, who will referee the Waikato-Canterbury Bunnings NPC championship final, pictured in a Hawke's Bay club match in 2019. Photo / NZME

Hawke's Bay rugby referee and former Hawke's Bay Magpies midfield back Dan Waenga has been appointed to control one of the two Bunnings NPC rugby finals this weekend.

The appointments comes after a semifinals and Heartland Rugby finals week in which four out of the seven matches were controlled by Hawke's Bay referees.

Nick Hogan refereed Friday's Championship division semifinal between Manawatu and Otago in Palmerston North, and Waenga refereed the Premier semifinal between Waikato and Canterbury in Hamilton on Saturday.

The focus on Sunday turned to the amateur level where Stu Catley refereed the Lochore Cup match between Whanganui and North Otago in Whanganui while Tipene Cottrell was in charge of the first Bill Osborne Taonga match, between Poverty Bay and Mid-Canterbury, in Gisborne.

Earlier this year Waenga was an assistant referee (touch judge) in a match between Tonga and Samoa.

The 36-year-old Waenga, a 2005 New Zealand Under 21 representative who played 51 first-class matches in 2006-2013, including two in Super Rugby for the Chiefs and 24 NPC matches for Hawke's Bay, as well as more than 30 during three years in France, will control Saturday's Championship final between Taranaki and Otago in Inglewood.

Cottrell will be one of the touch judges, while Hogan will be a touch judge in the Premiership final between Waikato and Tasman.

Pandemic alert levels ruled Auckland and Waikato referees out and resulted in a late change to the appointments, but Hawke's Bay Rugby Referees Association secretary and Hawke's Bay Rugby Union referee manager Keith Groube said those appointed had made it on their own skills and reputations.

"It shows you don't have to come from the main centres," he said.