Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

World Rugby refereeing rethink: Head coaches and talent ID roles

Referee Brendon Pickerill looks on ahead of the round 14 Super Rugby Pacific match between Highlanders and Queensland Reds at Forsyth Barr Stadium, on May 26, 2023, in Dunedin, New Zealand. (Photo by Joe Allison/Getty Images)

World Rugby has announced a new strategy aimed at transforming the landscape of rugby union match officiating worldwide.

ADVERTISEMENT

Following the approval of a new global calendar and the expansion of the Rugby World Cups, this initiative introduces a structured approach to enhance the quality of officiating across the sport.

While the men’s Emirates World Rugby High Performance Match Officials structure will continue under the leadership of Elite Men’s Match Officials Manager Joël Jutge, two new head coaches are being added.

Video Spacer

Robbie Fleck on this year’s “disappointing” Six Nations | RPTV

Former Springbok centre and Stormers coach Robbie Fleck says Ireland don’t have quality opposition in this year’s disappointing Six Nations. Watch the full show on RugbyPass TV

Watch now

Video Spacer

Robbie Fleck on this year’s “disappointing” Six Nations | RPTV

Former Springbok centre and Stormers coach Robbie Fleck says Ireland don’t have quality opposition in this year’s disappointing Six Nations. Watch the full show on RugbyPass TV

Watch now

Brendon Pickerill will take over as Elite Men’s 15s Match Officials head coach, while Joy Neville will take up the equivalent role as Elite Women’s 15s Match Officials head coach.

Phil Davies, serving as the director of rugby, oversees an expanded match officials management group that now includes a new talent identification manager, the aforementioned match official head coaches for men’s and women’s 15s, a women’s pathway manager, and support for officials from emerging nations.

The selection group for this structure will be chaired by World Rugby Executive Board member Brett Robinson, including independent selectors Dave McHugh and Mitch Chapman, along with Jutge, Pickerill, and Davies.

The women’s structure mirrors this approach, led by Elite Women’s Match Officials manager Alhambra Nievas and newly appointed Elite Women’s 15s Match Officials head coach Neville. Su Carty chairs the selection group, which also includes Andrew Macpherson and Wayne Erikson, alongside Nievas, Neville, and Davies.

ADVERTISEMENT

For sevens, the Elite Sevens Manager Paddy O’Brien is supported by High Performance Sevens Coach Craig Joubert, with John Lacey appointed as Talent Identification Manager for both men’s and women’s 15s.

The strategy also allows for specialist coaching support in areas such as scrum, lineout, performance, and mental well-being, involving experts like Alex Corbisiero and Richie Gray.

World Rugby say that an emphasis is placed on equality within the elite officiating structures for both men and women, ensuring a unified and integrated operation that promotes officials based on merit alone.

To support these objectives, the men’s and women’s officiating selection groups will be organized with independent chairs and selectors from both the northern and southern hemispheres, alongside the respective World Rugby referee managers.

ADVERTISEMENT

This strategy is set to be implemented across all major elite club competitions, adopting a data-driven performance management approach to ensure consistency in officiating standards, regardless of the competition’s location. The aim is to achieve clarity and uniformity across all competitions.

World Rugby Director of Rugby Phil Davies said: “Rugby is a sport built on collaboration and communication, and it is imperative that we have a truly unified, clear and consistent approach across match officiating regardless of country or competition. This is important for officials, players, coaches and fans.  

“This new strategy is an evolution, not revolution, but it does for the first time set us up for success, bringing all stakeholders – unions, coaches and players on to the same page regarding on-field focus, while implementing the foundation structures that will support match officials coming through the system and at the top as we accelerate into a new era for the sport.” 

Related

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

O
OJohn 1 hour ago
Will overseas selection make the difference for British and Irish Lions?

The trouble with appointing a coach from one state that is not the Tahs, is that the p.... at the Tahs will start weedling away immediately on ways to undermine the non Tah coach.


It's what the private school toffs do. They have a born to rule mentality, even tho they are complete failures. That is why they will only tolerate Tah coaches or weak kiwis they know they can control. A kiwi on a million Australian dollars a year will do anything the largest franchise in Australia tells him to do. He's only here for the money.


That's why Ewen McKenzie was the ideal candidate, even tho Hooper and Beale still set out straight away to undermine him to get Cheika installed but the next best alternative is to have a group of coaches from some of the franchises, except the Tahs, (not the Western Force with kiwi Cron - who is hopeless), to keep the Tahs in their place. The Wallabies must also not have more than 3 Tah players in the squad. Otherwise they will start scheming again under instruction from the NSW administration. The Tahs have spent the last 20 years undermining the Wallabies to get more players than they deserved in the squad. Their NSW egos are more important to them than the Wallabies.


I can't see why a triumverate of Super Rugy coaches can't coach the Wallabies too. I could include MacKellar in there as well but he has shown himself to select on favoritism rather than ability based on the ridiculous number of sub standard Brumbies who got a game under Rennie. He's not much of a Queenslander but the Tahs will stab in the back in a flash too eventually.

74 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ Top 100: The unluckiest players not to make the list Top 100: The unluckiest players not to make the list
Search