New Australian Referees Head Coach
The 34-year-old Chapman had a strong playing career in Australian rugby. He toured with the Wallabies without getting a cap, but captained Australian Schools when he was at Brisbane Grammar and played for Australia A and the Barbarians. He had a long (2005-2014) Super Rugby career, playing for the Reds of Queensland (2005-07), the Brumbies of Canberra (2008-11) and the Waratahs of New South Wales (2013-14). He also played for the Red Hurricanes in Japan. He played anywhere behind the front row.
Australia's referee boss is Scott Young of Brisbane, a former Test referee. Chapman will assist with the coaching Australia's high-performance referees.
Young said of the appointment: “We’re really looking forward to having Mitch in this new role as he’s very passionate about ensuring our team are at their best on the international and domestic stage.
“Mitch brings an in-depth knowledge of the game having played Super Rugby for 10 years and understands the modern players’ thinking around rugby’s laws.
“Having been a referee selector this year, Mitch is enthusiastic and offers a fresh set of thinking to help our referee team achieve our goals of excellence.”
Chapman said: “I’m really looking forward to this exciting new challenge and it’s great to be involved with the game again at the elite level.
“Referees are a crucial part of the game and I am eager to be joining the team as we prepare for the upcoming Super Rugby season.”
From Rugby Australia
