Wednesday’s Rugby News – 21/12/22

G’day folks! A quick update to let you know that the referees for the Guinness Six Nations and u20 Six Nations have been released by World Rugby overnight. Furthermore, the world’s first representative body for international high performance match officials was launched today.

APPOINTMENTS FOR u20 SIX NATIONS

Congratulations to Australia’s own Reuben Keane who has earned his debut games at the u20 Six Nations in early 2023. He has the Italy v France game followed by the Scotland v Wales match a week later. Full appointments are below:

Wales v Ireland Parc Eirias, Colwyn Bay Friday, 3 February, 2023	Referee: Luc Ramos (FFR) Assistant Referee 1: Ben Blain (SRU) Assistant Referee 2: Benoit Rousselet (FFR) TMO: Thomas Charabas (FFR)
England v Scotland The Stoop, Twickenham Friday, 3 February, 2023	Referee: Angus Mabey (NZR) Assistant Referee 1: Ben Breakspear (WRU) Assistant Referee 2: Federico Vedovelli (FIR) TMO: Sean Brickell (WRU)
Italy v France Stadio Monigo, Treviso Friday, 3 February, 2023	Referee: Reuben Keane (RA) Assistant Referee 1: Eoghan Cross (IRFU) Assistant Referee 2: Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU) TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
Ireland v France Musgrave Park, Cork Friday, 10 February, 2023	Referee: Angus Mabey (NZR) Assistant Referee 1: Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU) Assistant Referee 2: Ben Blain (SRU) TMO: Claire Hodnett (RFU)
Scotland v Wales Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow Friday, 10 February, 2023	Referee: Reuben Keane (RA) Assistant Referee 1: Eoghan Cross (IRFU) Assistant Referee 2: Federico Vedovelli (FIR) TMO: Thomas Charabas (FFR)
England v Italy Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester Friday, 10 February, 2023	Referee: Ben Breakspear (WRU) Assistant Referee 1: Luc Ramos (FFR) Assistant Referee 2: Benoit Rousselet (FFR) TMO: Sean Brickell (WRU)
Italy v Ireland Stadio Monigo, Treviso Friday, 24 February, 2023	Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU) Assistant Referee 1: Sam Grove-White (SRU) Assistant Referee 2: Ben Breakspear (WRU) TMO: Ben Blain (SRU)
Wales v England Parc Eirias, Colwyn Bay Friday, 24 February, 2023	Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU) Assistant Referee 1: Chris Busby (IRFU) Assistant Referee 2: Peter Martin (IRFU) TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU)
France v Scotland Stade Armandie, Agen Friday, 24 February, 2023	Referee: Federico Vedovelli (FIR) Assistant Referee 1: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR) Assistant Referee 2: Filippo Russo (FIR) TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
Italy v Wales Stadio Monigo, Treviso Friday, 10 March, 2023	Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU) Assistant Referee 1: Adam Leal (RFU) Assistant Referee 2: Morné Ferreira (SARU) TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
England v France The Recreation Ground, Bath Friday, 10 March, 2023	Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU) Assistant Referee 1: Sam Grove-White (SRU) Assistant Referee 2: Adriaan Jacobson (SARU) TMO: Ben Blain (SRU)
Scotland v Ireland Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow Friday, 10 March, 2023	Referee: Takehito Namekawa (JRFU) Assistant Referee 1:  Damian Schneider (UAR) Assistant Referee 2: Ben Breakspear (WRU) TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Scotland v Italy Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow Sunday, 19 March, 2023	Referee: Morné Ferreira (SARU) Assistant Referee 1: Eoghan Cross (IRFU) Assistant Referee 2: Takehito Namekawa (JRFU) TMO: Claire Hodnett (RFU)
Ireland v England Musgrave Park, Cork Sunday, 19 March, 2023	Referee: Adriaan Jacobs (SARU) Assistant Referee 1: Hollie Davidson (SRU) Assistant Referee 2: Luc Ramos (FFR) TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
France v Wales Stade Charles Mathon, Oyonnax Sunday, 19 March, 2023	Referee: Damian Schneider (UAR) Assistant Referee 1: Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU) Assistant Referee 2: Filippo Russo (FIR) TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)

APPOINTMENTS FOR SIX NATIONS

Wales v Ireland Principality Stadium, Cardiff Saturday, 4 February, 2023	Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU) Assistant Referee 1: Angus Gardner (RA) Assistant Referee 2: Luke Pearce (RFU) TMO: Tom Foley (RFU)
England v Scotland Twickenham Stadium, London Saturday, 4 February, 2023	Referee: Paul Williams (NZR) Assistant Referee 1: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR) Assistant Referee 2: James Doleman (NZR) TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZR)
Italy v France Stadio Olimpico, Rome Sunday, 5 February, 2023	Referee: Matthew Carley (RFU) Assistant Referee 1: Nic Berry (RA) Assistant Referee 2: Jordan Way (RA) TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Ireland v France Aviva Stadium, Dublin Saturday, 11 February, 2023	Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU) Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU) Assistant Referee 2: Jordan Way (RA) TMO: Brendon Pickerill (NZR)
Scotland v Wales BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh Saturday, 11 February, 2023	Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU) Assistant Referee 1: Frank Murphy (IRFU) Assistant Referee 2: Chris Busby (IRFU) TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)
England v Italy Twickenham Stadium, London Sunday, 12 February, 2023	Referee: James Doleman (NZR) Assistant Referee 1: Mathieu Raynal (FFR) Assistant Referee 2: Tual Trainini (FFR) TMO: Eric Gauzins (FFR)
Italy v Ireland Stadio Olimpico, Rome Saturday, 25 February, 2023	Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU) Assistant Referee 1: Wayne Barnes (RFU) Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (WRU) TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)
Wales v England Principality Stadium, Cardiff Saturday, 25 February, 2023	Referee: Mathieu Raynal (FFR) Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU) Assistant Referee 2: Pierre Brousset (FFR) TMO: Brian MacNeice (IRFU)
France v Scotland Stade de France, Paris Sunday, 26 February, 2023	Referee: Nika Amashukeli (GRU) Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU) Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR) TMO: Ben Whitehouse (WRU)
Italy v Wales Stadio Olimpico, Rome Satuday, 11 March, 2023	Referee: Damon Murphy (RA) Assistant Referee 1: Karl Dickson (RFU) Assistant Referee 2: Chris Busby (IRFU) TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU)
England v France Twickenham Stadium, London Saturday, 11 March, 2023	Referee: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR) Assistant Referee 1: Jaco Peyper (SARU) Assistant Referee 2: Andrea Piardi (FIR) TMO: Brett Cronan (RA)
Scotland v Ireland BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh Sunday, 12 March, 2023	Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU) Assistant Referee 1: Wayne Barnes (RFU) Assistant Referee 2: Christophe Ridley (FFR) TMO: Stuart Terheege (RFU)
Scotland v Italy BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh Saturday, 18 March, 2023	Referee: Angus Gardner (RA) Assistant Referee 1: Matthew Carley (RFU) Assistant Referee 2: Craig Evans (WRU) TMO: Brett Cronan
France v Wales Stade de France, Paris Saturday, 18 March, 2023	Referee: Nic Berry (RA) Assistant Referee 1: Andrew Brace (IRFU) Assistant Referee 2: Christophe Ridley (FFR) TMO: Joy Neville (IRFU)
Ireland v England Aviva Stadium, Dublin Saturday, 18 March, 2023	Referee: Jaco Peyper (SARU) Assistant Referee 1: Ben O’Keeffe (NZR) Assistant Referee 2: Pierre Brousset (FFR) TMO: Marius Jonker (SARU)

A few things to note with this series of referee appointments:

• No referee has more than one game in the middle.
• There are 15 referees appointed; however, I suspect that there’ll only be 12 with a ticket to RWC2023 (same number as 2019). This is a last chance saloon for all referees as selection is never guaranteed, though some would be more likely than others based on previous appointments as well as those in this series. Personally, I’d read this as a battle between Doleman/Adamson/Murphy as the common denominator is Italy for them to referee. I could be wrong, of course.
• There are eight ‘AR only’ referees. My contention is that six of them have secured their seat to RWC2023 as they have two games – Way, Busby, Evans, Brousset, Piardi and Ridley. This would be consistent with previous Bills (seven in 2019). On top of this, at least one, if not both, of the two referees to miss a centre gig will be appointed as ‘reserve referee’ and be an AR.
• I can see nine TMOs appointed; however, my understanding is that there will be five taken to RWC 2023. This is one more than 2019, though the nationalities will be a bit more diverse than 2019, where there were two Poms, a Saffa and a Kiwi in the TMO box. Based on previous appointments and this series, I would be speculating that Cronan, MacNeice and Jonker would be ahead at present with Pickerill, Whitehouse (who was outstanding at WRWC), Joy Neville and Foley and Gauzins all in with a chance based on performance.

INTERNATIONAL RUGBY MATCH OFFICIALS

NB: This is the release from IRMO via World Rugby. Article here.

The world’s first representative body for international high performance match officials launched on Tuesday with the dual objective of supporting officials on and off the field and furthering their voice within World Rugby’s structures.

Established with the support of World Rugby to promote and protect the interests of match officials, International Rugby Match Officials (IRMO), will facilitate key interactions between the global governing body and match officials selected for men’s and women’s international 15s and sevens competitions, enhancing alignment and communication.

With leading match officials increasingly involved in World Rugby’s decision-making process to enhance safety and spectacle, IRMO will input into discussions and decisions in relation to future laws and protocols development and audience education, while providing a collective voice on tournament provisions and conditions that underpin a high-performance environment at the international level of the game.

Significantly, the body will also promote the development of officiating as an exciting career path and refereeing more generally, inspiring the next generation while championing the values that are at the heart of the sport’s culture of respect and togetherness that attracts new participants, officials and fans.

IRMO’s key objectives are:

• To act as a representative body for its members on World Rugby committees and in discussions around the laws of the game, relevant game-related protocols and high performance standards at tournaments for match officials
• To promote and support the physical and mental well-being of members
• To promote the development of high-performance match officials and inspire more young people to take up officiating
• To promote the values of the game that are central to the sport’s growth

IRMO’s members include record-breaker Wayne Barnes, the most-capped referee in test history with 101 matches, and Rugby World Cup 2021 and Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 final referee Hollie Davidson.

Barnes said: “Today’s launch represents an important development for the recognition and support of rugby match officials on the world stage. For the first time there will be a collective voice and support network for international referees and television match officials, championing matters of interest ranging from physical and mental well-being promotion to upholding the sport’s values and representing international match officials within World Rugby decision-making structures.”

Davidson said: “IRMO will play an important role in supporting and nurturing the current and next generation of international match officials, working with stakeholders such as World Rugby to provide the platform for our members to be the best they can be on the world stage, while providing inspiration for the next generation to take up the whistle.”

World Rugby Chief Executive, Alan Gilpin, welcomed the establishment of the body, stating: “Match officials are fundamental to the sport and their role is greater than the matches they officiate. They are ambassadors, champions of our values and increasingly contributing to the future shape of the sport through their game expertise. The establishment of IRMO importantly provides both a voice and a support mechanism for the world’s top match officials and will better formalise the interactions between them and World Rugby across a range of topics from law review, officiating performance and tournament provisions to commercial opportunities and mental well-being, all geared towards enabling them to be the best they can be on and off the field.”

IRMO will hold its first AGM in January prior to the start of the international window when the inaugural chair and board members will be elected.