Kerry Fitzgerald
{{Short description|Australian rugby union referee}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use Australian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox rugby biography
| image =
| image_size =
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| birth_name = Kerry Victor Joseph
| birth_date = 1948
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1991|12|18|1948|02|12|df=yes}}
| death_place =
| height =
| weight =
| refereeyears1 = 1987, 1991
| refereeyears2 = 1984-1991
| refereecomps1 = Rugby World Cup
| refereecomps2 = Test Matches
| refereeapps1 = 4, 3
| refereeapps2 = 26
}}Kerry Victor Joseph Fitzgerald (c. 1948 – 18 December 1991) was an Australian rugby union referee best known for officiating in the 1987 Rugby World Cup Final, the first ever Rugby World Cup final.
Refereeing career
Fitzgerald took up refereeing in 1977. In 1984 he made his international debut in the unofficial test between the All Blacks and Fiji in Suva.{{cite web|url=http://www.sareferees.co.za/news/ref_news/2811704.htm |title=Joubert joins exclusive club |publisher=SA Rugby Referees |date=20 October 2011 |accessdate=27 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027023613/http://www.sareferees.co.za/news/ref_news/2811704.htm |archivedate=27 October 2011 }}
For the first Rugby World Cup in 1987 he was one of two Australian referees selected, the other being Bob Fordham. Fitzgerald refereed pool matches between the England and the United States and Ireland verses Wales. In the semi-final between New Zealand and Wales, The Welsh player Huw Richards was elbowed in the head by Gary Whetton, who he then punched before being knocked out by Buck Shelford. After Richards regained consciousness, Fitzgerald issued him the first red card of the tournament.{{cite web |url=http://www.espnscrum.com/timeline/rugby/player/10063.html |title=HUW RICHARDS Wales |website=www.ESPNscrum.com |publisher=ESPN |access-date=September 1, 2023}} Fitzgerald, went on to referee the World Cup Final.
In his career Fitzgerald refereed 26 tests, including the semi-final between England and Scotland in the 1991 Rugby World Cup, just 6 weeks before his death.{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zZVUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=R5ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=1988,1533773 | title=Fitzgerald dies | work=New Straits Times | date=19 December 1991| accessdate=27 October 2011}}
Death
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Rugby World Cup Final referees}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzgerald, Kerry}}
Category:Australian rugby union referees
Category:Rugby World Cup referees
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