Hale began his involvement with rugby league as a player with the North Shore club.
[1] Great Britain felt hard done by Hale's refereeing in Papua New Guinea and in the 1992 Ashes series against Australia.
Arguably the biggest game Hale refereed internationally was when he was chosen to referee the 1992 Rugby League World Cup final at London's famous Wembley Stadium between Great Britain and eventual winners Australia with the game played in front of a then international rugby league record attendance of 73,631.
Previously he had been one of the touch judges in the 1988 Rugby League World Cup final won by Australia over New Zealand in front of a New Zealand record rugby league attendance of 47,363 at Eden Park in Auckland.
[8] His last international test was following the 1995 World Cup when he refereed the Final of the Emerging Nations Tournament between Ireland and the Cook Islands.