Softball Australia - Australian Sports Commission

19 Male World Championships in Whitehorse, Canada,
in 2008. Debbie Grove and Di Waller accompanied the
Australian Team to the 2008 Canada Cup. Leigh Evans
(Vic), Damien McCauley (SA), Scott Rindfleish and Darren
Sibraa umpired the Men’s World Championship Qualifier in
Auckland in April 2008.
Wayne Saunders, from New Zealand, was appointed to
the position of Oceania Region Umpire in Chief in 2007.
Wayne has displayed a keenness to have as unified
approach as possible across all Oceania countries.
Andrew Rindfleish and Scott Rindfleish conducted a clinic
for Papua New Guinea umpires in Port Moresby in March
2008. Formal clinic work was followed by on diamond
assessment at the PNG National Championships.
Our successful umpires at national levels of accreditation
in 2008 were, for Level 6 – Dave Roberts (South Australia),
Helen Strauss (Queensland) and Howard Watt (NSW);
28 Softball Australia
and for Level 5 – Richard Barrow (Victoria), Matt Blake
(Queensland), Mark Gallagher (ACT), Leanne Gearside
(New South Wales) and Peter Walsh (Queensland).
January 2008 saw the passing of long term ISF Director
of Umpires, Merle Butler. Merle was a friend to Australian
softball umpiring and a close friend to many individual
Australian umpires. He is and will be missed by many.
Andrew Rindfleish
National Umpire-in-Chief