Debney goes full time
England's 6th
Rob Debney has been named England's sixth full-time referee, a move welcomed by Ed Morrison.
Debney had an unusual introduction to his new job when he joined the RFU Performance Department’s Elite Referee unit. They sent him to Siberia and he would jump at the chance to return.
Leaving behind his career as a Chemistry and PE teacher, the 31-year-old has joined Chris White, Tony Spreadbury, Wayne Barnes, Roy Maybank and Dave Pearson as a full-time referee. His first task was to accept an invitation from the Russian Rugby Union to officiate in their first National Championship. The RFU’s elite referees have been invited to take charge of six games in all, in Moscow and Krasnoyarsk.
Debney started refereeing at the age of 17 whilst still at school when a neck injury put an end to his playing days as a loosehead prop. After gaining a place at Loughborough University he joined the Leicestershire Society of Rugby Union Referees in 1993 and also refereed for the Gloucester and District Society.
In 2000, aged 26, he was the second youngest member of the Panel of National Referees and his first international appointment was as touch judge for Tony Spreadbury in the Spain vs Russia Rugby World Cup qualifier in October 2002.
Since then Debney has refereed in the Under-21 World Cup in Oxford in July 2003, including the final between New Zealand and Australia. He has run touch in six Test matches, three IRB Sevens tournaments and 20 age-group internationals before travelling to Canada in June 2005 to take charge of the Canada vs USA match at the Churchill Cup in Edmonton.
The trip to Krasnoyarsk in Siberia to referee Krasny Yar vs VVA was “a fantastic experience” for Debney and a chance to brush up on his GCSE Russian.
Said Debney of his trip to the Siberian-Uzbekistan border: “I was very excited about the prospect of the game. Krasnoyarsk is a hotbed of Russian rugby with three of their top 12 teams based there. It was closed to foreigners until about 20 years ago and was formerly a military base. The match was played at a dedicated rugby stadium, with one huge concrete stand stretching the whole length of the pitch, with a crowd of 5-6,000 attending. I recognised many familiar faces from the Russian Sevens team.
“The game was fast and exciting, easily National One standard, with good passages of play and excellent handling. The tackling was fierce, and the rucking and mauling were of a high standard. There was a noisy atmosphere and the fact that the game was live on Russian TV added to the intensity.
“I envy my elite referee colleagues who'll be following me to Siberia to the Russian Championship. To be offered an understanding of the culture of the players you are refereeing is invaluable and I'd love to return.”
Debney is the second recent full-time elite referee appointment, as former barrister Wayne Barnes joined the unit in April.
Famous former Test Ed Morrison of the Elite Referees unit said: “we're confident Rob can go on to challenge for international honours over the next few years. With his and Wayne’s appointments we're seeing the next generation of referees emerging from Twickenham, to complement the experience of the likes of Chris White and Tony Spreadbury.
“The invitation by the Russian Rugby Union for our English referees to officiate in their new National Championship sends a clear message that our high standards are recognised throughout the international game.”
The RFU Performance Department has a 14-strong Elite Referee Unit Panel, with six full time: Wayne Barnes, Tim Beddow, Sean Davey, Rob Debney, Martin Fox, Roy Maybank, Dave Pearson, Dean Richards, Bruce Robertson, David Rose, Ashley Rowden, Andrew Small, Tony Spreadbury and Chris White.
