Michael Hester

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Michael Hester (born 2 May 1972 in Sydney, Australia) is a former football referee from New Zealand. He held a FIFA international refereeing licence and officiated at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, including the Greece vs. South Korea match on 12 June 2010. He became a New Zealand Football Championship (NZFC) certified referee in 2004 and earned FIFA international status in January 2007. He also refereed at the 2008 Summer Olympics, in Oceania qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup, and the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria. He was shortlisted for the 2010 World Cup and was among the final 30 referees chosen for the tournament. Hester ended his refereeing career after the 2011 New Zealand winter season to focus on his career as a Royal New Zealand Navy officer. Outside football, he has worked as a naval officer in Auckland and he played rugby union and football before turning to officiating.