Jamie Bloem
Former Scotland & South Africa international rugby league footballer and referee
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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,[1][2][3] Oldham, Doncaster,[4] Widnes Vikings,[5]Halifax Panthers, Huddersfield Giants and player-coach for Stainland Stags ARLFC, as a fullback, wing, centre, scrum-half, second-row, or loose forward.[6][7]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Jamie Bloem | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 26 May 1971 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | University of Cape Town | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Landscaper | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby league career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Halfback, Second-row, Centre, Fullback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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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.[6][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]