Referees for U20 World Championship
World Rugby has named a team of nine referees at the tournament – Andrew Brace (Ireland), Thomas Charabas (France), Graham Cooper (Australia), Craig Evans (Wales), Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa), Craig Maxwell-Keys (England), Elia Rizzo (Italy), Juan Sylvestre (Argentina) and Paul Williams (New Zealand).
For 26-year-old Rizzo, who has refereed a FIRA-AER Test, this will be his second Championship as a referee for he refereed in the one in Italy in 2015. Sylvestre, who has also refereed Top 14 Rugby in France, has also refereed Tests and was also at the same Under-20 Championship last year.
The European referees are fresh from refereeing in the Under-20 Six Nations – Brace, Charabas, Evans. Maxwell-Keys and Rizzo, while Brace, Charabas, Rizzo and Maxwell-Keys have refereed in Europe's Challenge Cup.. The five Europeans seem to have had more international experience and exposure.
Paul Williams of Taranaki, a former player and the first professional referee from Taranki, refereed his very first Super Rugby match this year when the Hurricanes played the Force in Palmerston North.
Graham Cooper and Cwengile Jadezweni and the least experienced of the nine. Cooper, a 26-year-old former player is from Western Australia. Cwengile Jadezweni, a 29-year-old former Stellenbosch University student, has refereed Currie Cup rugby and came onto South Africa's elite panel this year, an athletic referee with a calm manner.
World Rugby's referee manager, Joël Jutge said of refereeing at the Under-20 Championship: “The Under 20 Championship is a crucial platform for referees to take the next step up.
“With the level of competition increasing year on year, the tournament is an important part of our process to develop referees. They are aided by referee selectors and coaches, and the feedback they receive will benefit them for years to come. Hopefully, they will go on to flourish at the elite level of the game.
"We are now seeing the majority of Under-20 Championship referees move up to the elite level and I have no doubt that this quality group of match officials can do the same."
Photo: Elia Rizzo
