John Whyte was born in 1933 in Glasgow, Scotland. He started playing rugby in school at age 10 and continued after school with the Paisley Rugby Football Club until he immigrated to Canada in 1957. In1967 John moved to Winnipeg and commenced his involvement with rugby in the Province of Manitoba.
For well over 25 years, John Whyte was an ever-present and notable fixture on the local rugby scene who organized the referees and referred at all levels of the sport in Manitoba. Dedicated to his craft and the sport, John attended many referee training courses outside of Manitoba and then undertook to both organize and run similar courses for the benefit of other rugby referees in the province. The phrase “John Whyte will organize the referees" became the commonplace phrase used in rugby in Manitoba for league games, tournaments such as the Wasp 7's,Manipogo and of course SNAFU; in addition to many visiting team tours to the province. John took great relish and time in the early days to explain, and we dare say expand upon, the laws of the game to many new comers to the sport who had never seen, know nor cared there was an International Rugby Board (IRB) law book in existence to govern play. John was instrumental in organizing the Manitoba Association of Rugby Referees (MARR) in the early1980's, served as its President and a representative on the Manitoba Rugby Union Board from 1986 to1988. As he withdrew from active refereeing, John took to coaching at Balmoral High School from 1994 to 1996, and as Secretary of Rugby Manitoba in 1998 and 1999.
John, through years of endeavour, was instrumental in building the foundation for rugby referees and the sport of rugby we know today in the province of Manitoba, his contributions worthy as an Honoured Member to the Manitoba Rugby Hall of Fame as a Pioneer.
For well over 25 years, John Whyte was an ever-present and notable fixture on the local rugby scene who organized the referees and referred at all levels of the sport in Manitoba. Dedicated to his craft and the sport, John attended many referee training courses outside of Manitoba and then undertook to both organize and run similar courses for the benefit of other rugby referees in the province. The phrase “John Whyte will organize the referees" became the commonplace phrase used in rugby in Manitoba for league games, tournaments such as the Wasp 7's,Manipogo and of course SNAFU; in addition to many visiting team tours to the province. John took great relish and time in the early days to explain, and we dare say expand upon, the laws of the game to many new comers to the sport who had never seen, know nor cared there was an International Rugby Board (IRB) law book in existence to govern play. John was instrumental in organizing the Manitoba Association of Rugby Referees (MARR) in the early1980's, served as its President and a representative on the Manitoba Rugby Union Board from 1986 to1988. As he withdrew from active refereeing, John took to coaching at Balmoral High School from 1994 to 1996, and as Secretary of Rugby Manitoba in 1998 and 1999.
John, through years of endeavour, was instrumental in building the foundation for rugby referees and the sport of rugby we know today in the province of Manitoba, his contributions worthy as an Honoured Member to the Manitoba Rugby Hall of Fame as a Pioneer.
Passed 2016