Bill Harrigan

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Bill Harrigan
fullname = William James Harrigan
nickname = Sir, Bill


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position = Referee
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dateofbirth =
placeofbirth = Sydney, New South Wales
countryofbirth = Australia
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Bill Harrigan is an Australian Police officer, Sports consultant and most notably, a former rugby league referee. Unusually for a sports official, in his long career he (arguably somewhat self-promotinglyWho|date=August 2008) was accorded the same high profile as the players he refereed.cite web |title=Bill Harrigan (NRL)|url=http://www.sportnsw.com.au/epages/ecornerhosting.sf/en_AU/?ObjectPath=/Shops/sportnsw/Categories/Officials/%22Mentors/Interviews%22/%22Bill%20Harrigan%20(NRL)%22 |accessdate=2008-07-15 |publisher=http://www.sportnsw.com.au The NSW Sports Federation] An elite policeman off-fieldcite web |title=RefereeBillHarrigan|url=http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/conversations/stories/s1766903.htm?queensland |accessdate=2008-07-14 |publisher=http://www.abc.net.au Australian Broadcasting Corporation] , he is widely recognised as one of Australia's greatest ever sports umpires. cite web |title=RefereeBillHarrigan|url=http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/conversations/stories/s1766903.htm?queensland |accessdate=2008-07-14 |publisher=http://www.abc.net.au Australian Broadcasting Corporation] cite web |title=Mediaman.com.au - Harrigan|url=http://www.mediaman.com.au/profiles/harrigan.html |accessdate=2008-07-14 |publisher=http://www.mediaman.com.au mediaman.com.au] In his post-football career, he is currently an NRL "video referee".

Biography

William James "Bill" Harrigan was born in 1960 in the Western Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales)cite web |title=Mediaman.com.au - Harrigan|url=http://www.mediaman.com.au/profiles/harrigan.html |accessdate=2008-07-14 |publisher=http://www.mediaman.com.au mediaman.com.au] . While not particularly interested in academic studies as school student, he nevertheless represented his schools with distinction in every sport that he could.cite web |title=RefereeBillHarrigan|url=http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/conversations/stories/s1766903.htm?queensland |accessdate=2008-07-14 |publisher=http://www.abc.net.au Australian Broadcasting Corporation] Harrigan joined the NSW Police Force in 1979.cite web |title=RefereeBillHarrigan|url=http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/conversations/stories/s1766903.htm?queensland |accessdate=2008-07-14 |publisher=http://www.abc.net.au Australian Broadcasting Corporation] .

Rugby League career

He refereed his first game in 1977. In 1986 he refereed his first NRL match, between Cronulla and Western Suburbscite web |title=RefereeBillHarrigan|url=http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/conversations/stories/s1766903.htm?queensland |accessdate=2008-07-14 |publisher=http://www.abc.net.au Australian Broadcasting Corporation] .

Grand Final and State of Origin honours

Harrigan holds the following Australian rugby league refereeing recordscite web |title=Mediaman.com.au - Harrigan|url=http://www.mediaman.com.au/profiles/harrigan.html |accessdate=2008-07-14 |publisher=http://www.mediaman.com.au mediaman.com.au]
*393 first grade games,
*21 State of Origin games,
*25 Test matches, and
*10 Grand finals (1989-1991,1997-2003)

References

External links

* http://www.billharrigan.com.au/
* http://www.rl1908.com/Origin/results-origin.htm