A FORMER Huddersfield Giants star has been arrested on suspicion of a child sex offence.
Ex-South African international Jamie Bloem has been quizzed by police.
He has now been released on bail after he was questioned on suspicion of sexual activity with a child.
The 41-year-old has been living in Calderdale and gaining a reputation as a rugby league referee.
Bloem was tipped to break into the Super League next season as a referee having enjoyed a top-flight career as a full back, wing and second row.
Bloem – who played for the Giants around 10 years ago – had also played with Halifax, Doncaster and Castleford.
He played for Widnes Vikings in the season 1997/1998, scoring 23 tries in 38 appearances.
Bloem played several times for the South Africa national rugby league team, including captaining them during the 2000 World Cup.
He has also played twice for the Scotland national rugby league team through his mother’s nationality.
Bloem also had spells with local rugby union sides Halifax and Hipperholme-based Old Brodleians, whom he took to their first promotion in 75 years.
He moved to Old Rishworthians as player/coach for the 2007/08 season. Bloem was top point scorer for the club that year, breaking the club record with 375 points in the season.
He now runs his own landscaping business and until recently was player-coach for amateur club Stainland Stags who play in The Pennine League.
He has shot up the refereeing ladder over the past few years.
When he qualified as a referee he said: “I don’t do things by halves. I want to referee at the best level. Refereeing is like Marmite. You either like it or you don’t.”
In April this year he took charge of the James Joseph Conlan Supplementary Cup final between Newsome Panthers A and Underbank Rangers A at Emley FC’s Welfare Ground.
Bloem is also well known for his expert Super League summarising on Radio Leeds.
A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “A 41-year-old Halifax man has been arrested on suspicion of sexual activity with a child in connection with an ongoing child protection investigation.
“He has been bailed pending further inquiries.”
