Q: André, you've been in the job since 2004. How are you finding it. 

AW: It's challenging, rewarding and frustrating. We are dealing with really good men - the sort of man you would be happy for your daughter to bring home, prospective sons-in-law. 

It's frustrating at times when things do not move at the pace that one would like. Then South Africa has its unique challenges which are both exciting and frustrating.

 Q: How would you evaluate the standard of South Africa's top referees? 

AW: It's good. It's high, and yet I do not believe that we have yet reached our full potential, not in a country with such a great rugby culture.  There is still a lot of talent for us to tap into. 

That said, I am chuffed by the IRB's acknowledgement of our referees and by their performance in the Super 14 in 2006. But there is still room for improvement. 

Q: How does the future look? 

AW: Great. I have just been to a camp with the national panel of referees and all but three are under 40 years of age. They all have good years left. Craig Joubert is in his twenties and referees like Willie Roos, Phillip Bosch, Marius Jonker, Gareth Lloyd-Jones and Pro Legoete have a lot left in them. 

Then we had a camp with the 20 provincial referees. Again there was an abundance of talent.

 We certainly will be all right for referees in the short and medium terms.

 Q: What do you hope for from this website? 

AW: The overriding reason for having the website is transparency. I want everybody to be able to see the appointments, the gradings and the happenings. I also want them to see the controversial decisions which we will approach with honesty. Where the referee was wrong, we will put our hands up. Where he was right, we will have the chance to give explanations. 

We want the outsider to see that the referees are not a clandestine organisation, not some sort of protected clique and not a bunch of weirdos. They are ordinary people who pout in a big effort to do a difficult job well.

I want anybody who wants to know about refereeing in South Africa to have a place where he can click, follow the instructions and find the answer. 

We have an obligation to educate and an obligation to promote our referees. In doing that we do rugby a favour.