You will probably See a familiar face prowling the touchlines of the Singapore Sevens this weekend.

Sharp eyed UAE Rugby fans tuning in to the Singapore 7s over the weekend may have noticed a familiar face prowling the touchlines of the National Stadium.

UAERF official Jaco de Wit has been making his debut as an Assistant Referee on the World 7s circuit and dropped us a line to share his experiences of the tournament.

“Officiating the Singapore 7s is a lot faster compared to the local game, you don’t get time to switch off. It should help me in future to make instant decisions more accurately but also I’ve learned that staying calm when making big decisions is just as important as (any big decision) has to be clear and obvious.”

Jaco moved over to the UAE last summer from his native South Africa and has been refereeing for nearly a decade. He grew up in the town of Prince Albert in the Western Cape and was already refereeing seriously by his late teens. For anyone thinking that a career of an international referee might be for them Jaco stresses the importance of collaboration and enjoyment.

Jaco pictured second from right here at Singapore 7s 2018

“Always listen to advice. Be open to new ideas. Get a good support system that you can trust. Most importantly, you must enjoy the whole process.”

Congratulations Jaco for representing UAE Rugby referees on the global stage!