Jamie Bloem

Jamie Bloem (born 26 May 1971) is a former dual code rugby player and rugby league referee. He currently coaches amateur rugby league side Elland ARLFC. He played representative rugby league for South Africa and Scotland. At club level for Cape Town Coasters (South Africa), Castleford Tigers,^[3][4][5] Oldham, Doncaster,^[6] Widnes Vikings,^[7]Halifax Panthers, Huddersfield Giants and player-coach for Stainland Stags ARLFC, as a fullback, wing, centre, scrum-half, second-row, or loose forward.

Jamie Bloem

Personal information
Born	(1971-05-26) 26 May 1971 (age 52) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Playing information
Rugby union
Position	Wing, Centre, Fullback
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P Union Milnerton RFC (Cape Town) Western Province 1999 Racing 92 2002–04 Halifax RUFC 36 13 2 8 90 Total 36 13 2 8 90
Rugby league
Position	Fullback, Wing, Centre, Scrum-half, Second-row, Loose forward
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1992 Castleford Tigers 1 1 0 0 4 1993 Oldham 12 2 0 0 8 1993–94 Doncaster 44 17 4 0 76 1997–98 Widnes Vikings 39 23 38 3 171 1998–02 Halifax Panthers 108 31 105 2 336 2003 Huddersfield Giants 22 3 11 0 34 2004–05 Halifax Panthers 51 10 159 1 359 Total 277 87 317 6 988 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1992–00 South Africa 14 0 15 1 31 2004 Scotland 2 0 2 0 4
Source: ^[1]^[2]

In rugby union he played for Western Province at representative level, and at club level for Union Milnerton RFC (Cape Town), Racing Métro 92, Halifax RUFC and player-coach for Thornensians RUFC, Old Brodleians RUFC, Old Rishworthians RUFC, and Halifax Vandals RUFC.^[1][8][9]

Rugby league

Club career

Bloem initially played his club rugby league for the Cape Town Coasters in South Africa,^[10] he also played in France and has travelled extensively as a player, he became player-coach at Stainland Stags ARLFC (Halifax, West Yorkshire) during the Pennine League 2010–11 season.

Drugs ban

In November 1994, Bloem was the first rugby league player to test positive for performance enhancing anabolic steroid nandrolone, he was banned for two years.^[11][12]

Representative career

Bloem was the captain of South Africa (RL) during the 2000 World Cup,^[9][13] he was eligible for Scotland (RL) through his mother's nationality.^[8]

Rugby union

Bloem has also had spells with rugby union sides; Halifax RUFC, Thornensians RUFC (Thorne, Doncaster), and Old Brodleians RUFC (Hipperholme, Halifax, West Yorkshire), whom he took to their first promotion in 75 years, he transferred to Old Rishworthians RUFC (Rishworth, Halifax, West Yorkshire) as player-coach for the 2007–08 season, he was the top point scorer for Old Rishworthians in 2007–08, breaking the club record with 375 points in the season, he became player-coach at Halifax Vandals RUFC at the start of the 2013–2014 season.

Later years

Bloem became a BBC radio rugby league sports summariser,^[14] and a rugby league referee and controlled the Nordic Cup match between Norway and Sweden at Partille Ground (Spartacus Rugby Club), Gothenburg on Saturday 30 October 2010.^[15][16][17]

Personal life

Bloem was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia to Scottish and South African parents, his twin sister died at the age of six weeks. He was brought up in apartheid-torn South Africa on a military base where his father was stationed. Bloems father died in action when he was 15.

After retiring from rugby Bloem set up a landscape gardening business in Halifax, West Yorkshire.^[18]

Bloem was wrongly accused of having sex with a minor, the charge was found to be completely without foundation.^[19][20][21]

References

1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
2. Hardcastle, Andrew (2012). In Full Bloem: Jamie Bloem - Rugby Footballer. London League Publications. ISBN 978-1903659656.
3. David Smart & Andrew Howard (1 July 2000) "Images of Sport - Castleford Rugby League - A Twentieth Century History". The History Press Ltd. ISBN 978-0752418957
4. . 31 December 2014. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
5. . 31 December 2014. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
6. . robterrace.com. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 24 February 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
7. "Rugby League: Widnes sign South African Jamie Bloem". independent.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
8. "official.sportnetwork.net". official.sportnetwork.net. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
9. "South Africa Shown Up By Tonga". independent.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
10. "Reports 2003 at sportinglife.com". sportinglife.com. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
11. Mottram, David R. (1996). Drugs in sport. E. & F.N. Spon. ISBN 0-419-18890-8.
12. "Rugby League - League To Step Up Drug Testing". independent.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
13. "World Cup 2000 - Group 2". bbc.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
14. "BBC radio rugby league sports summariser". bbc.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.^{[permanent dead link]}
15. . rleague.com. 28 October 2010. Archived from the original on 15 November 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
16. . rlef.eu.com. 28 October 2010. Archived from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
17. "Referee Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
18. "Bloem Close To Crossing Divide". sportinglife.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
19. "Former Halifax Rugby League star Jamie Bloem speaks of hell after being accused of child sex offence". halifaxcourier.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
20. "Hard-hitting Bloem paid a heavy price for playing the game he loved". halifaxcourier.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
21. "Innocent former Huddersfield Giants star Jamie Bloem speaks about the nightmare allegation of child sex offence". examiner.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.

External links