Refs exchange for conistency
This weekend all seven of France’s Top 14 matches will be refereed by referees from the other Six Nations countries, not France. This, the brainchild of France’s new referees’ boss, Didier Mene, is an attempt to get help in the promotions consistency of refereeing from country to country on the eve of the European Rugby Cup’s competitions.
The Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup start next weekend.
Mene, a former Test referee, says: “We always did exchanges with the other European countries. The new idea this year is to do them on the same week end and the week before beginning of the European cups.
“It will allow our clubs and players to meet foreign refs just before the beginning of a different competition; we hope it will help them to understand what will happen the week after!”
There is a quid pro quo in this: “Of course, French refs will travel to the UK, Ireland and Italy for the same number of games, but not necessarily on the same weekend. (Only two will travel for the next weekend.)”
The two are Jérôme Graces, who will referee the Magners League match at Aviva Stadium between Leinster and Munster, and Romain Poite who will referee the match in England’s Premiership between Saracens and Leicester Tigers.
It is not only in Europe that this is happening. Australia has limited opportunities for referees outside of Super rugby matches and so Australian referees have been refereeing in provincial competitions in New Zealand and South Africa, apparently without reciprocal arrangements.
It is in particular the tackle law that needs standardising since the IRB’s March directives.
France’s Top 14, Round Nine referees:
Toulon vs Castres
Referee: Andrew Small (England)
Perpignan vs La Rochelle
Referee: Carlo Damasco (Italy)
Toulouse vs Racing Metro 92
Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon (Ireland)
Bayonne vs Biarritz
Referee: George Clancy (Ireland)
Bourgoin vs Brive
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Stade Français vs Montpellier
Referee: Peter Allan (Scotland)
Clermont vs Castres
Referee: James Jones (Wales)
