Jonathan Kaplan has always known that he wanted to be a rugby referee. The South African reportedly announced as much to his head teacher, and provincial referee Mike Kessel, while still at primary school.
That dream became a reality in 1984 when, at the age of 17 and still a student at King David Linksfield High School in Johannesburg, Kaplan took his first tentative steps as a referee with the Transvaal Referees Society.
Kaplan, who turns 37 on the eve of the knockout phase of Rugby World Cup 2003, went on to make his Test debut on May 4 1996 in Namibia’s 19-18 defeat of Zimbabwe in Harare.
A touch judge at Rugby World Cup 1999, Kaplan controlled the first ever Six Nations match between Italy and Scotland in February 2000 as well as the Grand Slam decider between Ireland and England at Lansdowne Road earlier this year.
Kaplan, whose brothers Gary and David both played first division rugby in South Africa, also took charge of the second Test between Australia and the British and Irish Lions in Melbourne in 2001.
He holds a bachelor of social sciences degree, having majored in economics and psychology, and a postgraduate degree in marketing management.