Jaco Peyper is a former South African Rugby Union referee with a remarkable career.
He rose quickly through the ranks in South Africa, making his Super Rugby debut in 2008 while still in his 20s.
This early career milestone highlighted his talent and potential as a match official.
In 2011, Peyper’s skills were further recognized when he was appointed as an official for the prestigious 2011 IRB World Junior Championships in Italy.
File
- Full name: Jaco Peyper
- Stage name: Jaco Peyper
- Date of birth: May 13, 1980
- Age: 44 years old
- Place of birth: Bloemfontein, South Africa
- Nationality: South African
- Occupation: Former South African Rugby Union referee
- Height: Unknown
- Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Peyper
- Siblings: Unknown
- Spouse: Zenobia
- Children: 2
- Relationship: Married
- Net worth: 3 million USD
Early life and education
Jaco Peyper, famous referee of the South African rugby union, was born on May 13, 1980 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. He was born and raised by his parents, whose identities have not been publicly revealed and can be referred to as Mr. and Mrs. Peyper.
He may have grown up with his siblings, but their names are still unknown to the media. Peyper studied at the University of the Free State, where he began his refereeing career. His ethnic origin is South African and he follows Christianity as his religion.
Career
Jaco Peyper has had a distinguished career as a rugby union referee, rising through the ranks in South Africa to become one of the world’s leading match officials.
Peyper started refereeing at a young age while studying at the University of the Free State. He quickly progressed, taking charge of Currie Cup matches before being selected for international duty. Peyper made his Test debut in 2011, overseeing the match between Kenya and Zimbabwe.
In the years that followed, Peyper became a fixture in global refereeing circles, officiating many high-profile matches. He was selected as a referee at the 2015, 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups, in charge of the opening matches of the 2015 and 2023 tournaments.
In three World Cup appearances, Peyper officiated 14 matches. His 50th Test match was the memorable 2019 quarter-final between Wales and France, which was marred by controversy after France’s S+€bastien Vahaamahina was sent off for an elbow.
Peyper’s professionalism and command of the game earned him universal respect. He became the third highest capped umpire from South Africa, overseeing 67 test matches.
However, Peyper’s career was not without incident. In 2019, he was involved in an incident at the World Cup where he was photographed posing with Welsh fans with his elbow above the head of one of the fans. This led to him not being considered for the World Cup semi-finals.
On 19 January 2024, Jaco Peyper announced his retirement from refereeing, ending an illustrious career that saw him officiate the sport at the highest level for over a decade.
Social Media
- Instagram handle: @jacopeyper
Personal life
Jaco Peyper is a former South African rugby union referee who has been married to his wife, Zenobia, for several years. They have two daughters but their names have not been publicly revealed.
Net worth
Jaco Peyper, the famous South African rugby referee, is estimated to be worth about $3 million.
This considerable wealth was mainly accumulated through his successful career as a professional rugby referee and various endorsement deals and investment ventures.
