New Zealand referee Peter O’Leary and countryman Jan-Hendrik Hintz both passed the stringent test at Auckland’s Mt Smart Stadium on Sunday while Hintz’ fellow assistant referee Ravinesh Kumar did likewise in his native Fiji on Saturday.
The tournament will take place in Japan from December 8 to 18 and the OFC trio will be joined by New Zealand club Auckland City, winners of the 2011 O-League, in representing Oceania.
One trio from each of FIFA’s five other confederations – AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and UEFA – have also been nominated, along with a local support trio from Japan.
The selected match officials will preside over eight games in the seven-team tournament, which will see the champions of each confederation and a host representative fight it out to become the best club side on the planet.
The latest appointment continues an impressive run of postings at international FIFA events for O’Leary.
The Whangarei-based school teacher took part in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia during July and August and was joined in South America by Kumar and Solomon Islander Jackson Namo.
O’Leary also made the cut for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa with assistants Brent Best (New Zealand) and Matthew Taro (Solomon Islands), during which he was called into action as a fourth official.
The upcoming involvement of O’Leary, Hintz and Kumar in Japan 2011 is the latest positive result of OFC’s Refereeing Assistance Programme (RAP).
The confederation places great importance on developing world-class referees and this has been strongly supported by FIFA through its funding of the programme.
Under the supervision of referee development officer Massimo Raveino, referee instructor Neil Poloso and fitness trainer Kader Touati, the programme is helping to create a more organised, professional approach to refereeing in the Pacific.

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