Donal Courtney is a relative newcomer to the international scene with the Irishman having only refereed his first Test on September 7 2002 with Uruguay’s 34-23 defeat of Chile in a Rugby World Cup qualifier in Montevideo.
The 39 year old turned to refereeing in 1992 after suffering a broken collarbone while playing on the wing for the Monkstown club in Dublin and, having coached at Under 19 level for a few years, was asked to officiate at a Sunday junior fixture.
In only his second season as a referee Courtney stepped into the breach again when, while watching a senior club game, a call went out for an official over the tannoy following an injury to the original referee.
The Irishman, who appeared as a touch judge and television match official during the 2003 Six Nations Championship, took control of the Parker Pen Shield final between Caerphilly and Castres on May 25.
A member of the Leinster Branch of Referees, he is also a chartered accountant by profession and the Chief Financial Officer with GMAC Commercial Bank Plc.
Educated at Christian Brothers College Monkstown Park and Trinity College Dublin, Courtney is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.