South African referee Jaco Peyper will control the Super Rugby final between the Lions and Crusaders in Johannesburg this weekend.
Peyper has been handed the whistle despite his South African nationality with governing body SANZAAR rewarding his performance across the season in keeping with its "merit-based policy".
Australian Angus Gardner had been regarded as a strong candidate to take charge of the final given his neutrality and the fact that his performances across the regular season had been held in high regard. But SANZAAR has instead entrusted Peyper with the responsibility, which will have the added pressure of a sold-out Ellis Park.
"SANZAAR congratulates Jaco Peyper and all the match officials selected to this year's final," SANZAAR chief executive Andy Marinos said. "The match official selection is never easy as we have a very dedicated group of officials who week in, week out, perform very professionally and to very high standards.
"The selection criteria for all match official appointments for the last two years follows a clear tournament policy - as agreed by the SANZAAR Executive Committee and the tournament's stakeholders - that such appointments be merit-based.
"This policy is written into the tournament protocols and appointments are made according to this policy on a weekly basis and is also the policy used for the finals last year as well as this year.
"This merit-based policy was reflected with the appointment last year of New Zealand referee Glen Jackson to referee the Hurricanes versus Lions final in Wellington. SANZAAR stands behind the policy and believes the best referees should be available to officiate the best matches."
Peyper, and his all-South African team of officials, had come in for criticism following weekend's semifinal between the Lions and Hurricanes. The New Zealand Herald, in particular, had been scathing of Peyper's decision to sin-bin Beauden Barrett, while the actions of assistant Rasta Rasivhenge and Television Match Official Marius Jonker, in awarding tries also came in for criticism.