New Zealand Rugby released its national squads for the coming season last week and Otago has some representation.
Otago referees had been going through something of a drought in getting an official on to the national scene in the past few years, though that was not through a lack of effort.
Many of the top referees in the province had started their careers while in Dunedin as students and only reached the provincial and Super Rugby stage after graduating and leaving the city.
Ben O'Keeffe is an example of that. He was a medical student in the city and rose up the Otago ranks but it was not until he moved away after finishing his studies in the south that he made an impact further up the chain.
He is now one of seven professional referees employed by the New Zealand Rugby Union.
The national referees squad includes James Doleman, who starts as the Otago Rugby Football Union referee education officer next month.
He has been refereeing on the world sevens circuit and made his debut at provincial level in 2016 and will be an asset to the Otago refereeing ranks when he begins his job.
Doleman went to the University of Otago and his refereeing career took some significant strides while in the South. He moved to Auckland upon graduation, working as a teacher, but is returning to the South.
North Otago's Nick Webster has again been named in the national squad in what will be his third year in the squad. Webster, a former North Otago inside back, took up the whistle after ending his playing career.
In the wider training group, Otago has two representatives in Stu Curran and Jono Bredin.
Curran has been rising up the ranks over the past couple of years and officiated at the national under-19 tournament last year.
Bredin has made a real rise since taking up the whistle at the start of the 2016 season. He is also a leading netball umpire, having officiated many international matches.
He has impressed with his game management and fitness.
These two referees will officiate games in representative B programmes and will also look to be part of the refereeing pool a the national under-19 tournament.
Other features of the squads are the inclusion of two women in the national squad, Natarsha Ganley of North Harbour and Rebecca Mahoney, of Wairarapa Bush.
