VALE - DENNIS SPAGARINO

[tiger_one]

From NSW RL Referees Association f/b page:


It is with great sadness that the news has been received that our esteemed Life Member and former Chairman Dennis Spagarino has passed away.
Graded # 689 from Western Suburbs Dennis rose through the ranks and became a highly successful first grade referee before retiring and taking on the role of Referees Coach with the NSWRL where his advanced management and communication skills assisted so many of today’s current referees in their development.
Dennis was also awarded Life Membership of the NSWRL and Western Suburbs Referees Association. He was a highly respected and long serving Chairman of the NSWRLRA.
To his wife Karen and daughters Debra and Joanne the members of the NSWRLRA are united in thought, prayer and love for you and your family with the loss of Dennis being felt deeply by so many.
His many close friends and colleagues will miss his giant presence, humour, advice and genuine care of others.

 

[Cobarcats]

Gee another one falls. Respect and condolences to family and friends

 

[happy_tiger]

Have to respect anyone who was taken up the whistle to guide our great game

RIP Dennis Condolences to all his family and friends

 

[innsaneink]

Dennis Spagarino | December 30, 1959 - December 5, 2022
2 of 103Attribution: Fairfax Archives
Dennis Spagarino | December 30, 1959 - December 5, 2022
- By The Mole

The refereeing world is in mourning following the death of popular former whistle-blower Dennis Spagarino on Monday.

Spagarino only handled 22 games in the 1980s but was a giant in the refereeing game.

He coached junior referees for decades, was a video referee and became Chairman of the NSW Referees Association.

Spagarino, aged just 62, was a life member of both the Referees Association and NSW Rugby League.

When former Prime Minister John Howard brought in the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 to celebrate the new millennium, Spagarino was among the first recipients.

He developed motor neurone disease in recent years and eventually died due to complications from the illness.

Spagarino's family hailed from Italy but he was born in North Sydney.

"He was as Aussie as they come but loved his Italian heritage," former Referees boss and grand final referee Michael Stone told Wide World of Sports.

"When he realised how serious his illness was, he went back to Italy to say goodbye to his relatives, which was nice.

"Funnily enough back in his early refereeing days, then ARL boss Kevin Humphreys appointed him to handle a Schoolboy Test between England and Australia - declaring "he is a neutral ref" and we often joked with him about that.

"But you could not have found a nicer bloke and I never found anyone, anywhere anytime to say a bad word about him."

Spagarino is survived by his wife Karen and daughters Debrah and Joanne. He had four grandchildren.

 

[Buttface]

I met him a few times when he was a ref I was a kid. He always treated me with respect and kindness. He was a good bloke to me. RIP Mr Spagarino.

 

[Todd Packer]

There's a story that him and Mick Stone the ex NRL ref were kicked out of a pub for singing "We are the boys from Western Suburbs" too loudly and too many times.

 

[Buttface]

There's a story that him and Mick Stone the ex NRL ref were kicked out of a pub for singing "We are the boys from Western Suburbs" too loudly and too many times.

That sounds about right. Stayed with Mrs Stone once while mum was at work and pop went out drinking with them two. Mum had to come and pick me up after work coz pop was still out with em.