 Joubert in 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Birth name | Craig Paul Joubert | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 8 November 1977 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Durban, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Maritzburg College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | University of Natal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Craig Paul Joubert (born 8 November 1977) is a South African professional rugby union referee and a Referee Talent Development Coach at World Rugby.
Joubert officiated in domestic first class matches in South Africa since 2003, in matches in the Vodacom Cup and Currie Cup competitions. He refereed on the World Rugby Sevens circuit in 2003–04. He has been included in the Super Rugby refereeing panel since 2005 and has also refereed international test matches since 2005, making his debut in a match between the United States and Wales.
Joubert took charge of Super Rugby finals in 2010, 2013 and 2014 and has officiated in Tri-Nations / Rugby Championship matches since 2009, refereeing matches between Australia and New Zealand in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013. In the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Joubert refereed four pool games, a quarter-final, a semi-final and the final. He refereed the deciding Six Nations match in 2012 and one of the British & Irish Lions games on their tour to Australia in 2013.
He took part in four pool games at the 2015 Rugby World Cup and the quarter-final match between Scotland and Australia. During that quarter-final, he was criticised for incorrectly awarding a penalty to Australia in the final minutes of the match and for rushing off the field at the end of the match.
He retired from refereeing 15-a-side matches at the end of 2016 to take up a role as a Referee Talent Development Coach at World Rugby.