Kiwi ref off to World Cup
Referee Matt Conger has been waiting for a ticket to the football World Cup for years.
And now the Kiwi whistleblower has finally had it confirmed - he’’ ll be going to the World Cup in Russia next year.
The Palmerston North man was given the word a week ago that he was on the list of the last 36 and one of two Oceania officials. The other is Norbert Hauata of Tahiti.
The US-born Conger went to the Rio Olympics last year and two
under-20 World Cups, in New Zealand in 2015 and in South Korea this year, but the senior World Cup has always been his dream.
‘‘I started refereeing when I was
15,’’ Conger said. ‘‘It’s pushing 20 odd years. It’s certainly has been a long journey, but as they say now the hard work really starts.
‘‘It’s about making sure we prove everything to the absolute maximum, that we can be prepared going into next summer.’’
The whole squad of 36 was in Abu Dhabi this week at a Fifa Conference where they would find out their exact roles, whether they will be an official referee or a support referee.
Conger said he was confident he and his referee team, which consists of assistant referees Tevita Makasini of Tonga and Kiwi Simon Lount, would be in a good position to be selected. Because the All Whites didn’t qualify for the World Cup, Conger said all the pool games are wide open for a New Zealand referring team to do.