World Cup referees announced

[Bada-Bing!]

http://www.planetrugby.co.uk/story/0,25883,3551_41841,00.html

The full list of referees with their union and number of tests in brackets is: Wayne Barnes (RFU, 57), George Clancy (IRFU, 38), JP Doyle (RFU, 12), Jérôme Garcès (FFR, 22), Pascal Gauzere (FFR, 17), Glen Jackson (NZR, 10), Craig Joubert (SARU, 55), John Lacey (IRFU, 13), Nigel Owens (WRU, 60), Jaco Peyper (SARU, 20), Romain Poite (FFR, 39) and Chris Pollock (NZR, 18).

In addition, the full list of assistant referees with their union and number of tests as AR in brackets is: Federico Anselmi (UAR, five), Stuart Berry (SARU, 15), Mike Fraser (NZR, 10), Angus Gardner (ARU, two), Leighton Hodges (WRU, 19), Marius Mitrea (FIR, 13), Mathieu Raynal (FFR, nine).

The television match officials for the six-week tournament are: George Ayoub (ARU, 33), Graham Hughes (RFU, 60) Ben Skeen (NZR, 11) and Shaun Veldsman (SARU, 50).

The selection was made after a comprehensive review of refereeing performances by the World Rugby Match Official Selection Committee.

Chairman of the selection panel John Jeffrey said: "I want to congratulate all 12 referees, the seven ARs and four TMOs, who through very hard work and determination, have made it onto the panel for this year's Rugby World Cup.

"Since Rugby World Cup 2011, we have been focused on developing a strong panel that can preside over the 48 matches at this year's tournament. The fact that seven of the referee panel were involved in the 2011 tournament points to the big-match experience that they hold. Indeed, between the 12 of them, they have refereed no fewer than 361 internationals.

The men other than the players and coaches who will decide who will lift the William Webb Ellis trophy on October 31.

 

[Shaggy]

http://www.planetrugby.co.uk/story/0,25883,3551_41841,00.html



The men other than the players and coaches who will decide who will lift the William Webb Ellis trophy on October 31.

I didn't realise the match officials were being announced today ... I was just starting to speculate in the Super Rugby forum who might be involved.

No doubt, these selections will be applauded by some, but I'm sure some of the selections will have their detractors as well (I wonder which ones will have their own FB page built to have them removed, by the end of the tournament)

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Glen Jackson....may God have mercy on us all.

Realistically it's the usual bunch - all good referees with their own styles, no real issues from me.

 

[iINDOMINUSxx]

Glen Jackson....may God have mercy on us all.

Realistically it's the usual bunch - all good referees with their own styles, no real issues from me.

Just aslong as he doesn't ref another Scotland match then we might actually win a game for once.

 

[ncurd]

Just aslong as he doesn't ref another Scotland match then we might actually win a game for once.

Oh look a flying pig!

 

[smartcooky]

Glen Jackson....may God have mercy on us all.

Realistically it's the usual bunch - all good referees with their own styles, no real issues from me.

Glen Jackson is a bloody good referee.

I have more concerns about Pascal Gauzere and Jérôme Garcès, both of whom I considered to be unpredictable loose cannons

 

[goodNumber10]

heheh! for some reason I find referees being considered "Loose Canons", incredibly funny.

I wish Walshy was still reffing, i liked him.

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Hahaha! You poor ****ers should be worried about Messers Clancy and Lacey! One decides which team he'd like to win before the game and tries his best to make it happen, the other is about as useful as a one legged man at an arse kicking competition!

 

[Shaggy]

Just a thought ... we expect (or hope) the officials to go into these matches unbiased and fair, but we don't seem to have a problem with having a bias against a particular referee(s).

Like the players, referees make mistakes, and have bad games, but we are probably more forgiving of the players mistakes, and hope they learn from them, and apply what they've learnt in games to come.

... maybe we could cut the refs the same slack?

 

[psychic duck]

Glen Jackson....may God have mercy on us all.

Realistically it's the usual bunch - all good referees with their own styles, no real issues from me.

How the hell is George Clancy a good referee? How he has got himself at the elite level so long is beyond me. One of the worst in the Pro12, which is quite some achievement given the general malaise of standards in the league. Gauzere is another who has looked out of his depth in the past.

 

[munstermuffin]

How the hell is George Clancy a good referee? How he has got himself at the elite level so long is beyond me. One of the worst in the Pro12, which is quite some achievement given the general malaise of standards in the league. Gauzere is another who has looked out of his depth in the past.

Look I never get him as I'm a Munster man. Fact is on pecking order in Europe he's effectively the 2nd best behind Owens in Europe. Just saying.
But no the Scottish and Hodges are a lot worst but that's not exactly saying standard is great

 

[Tony Manx]

Look I never get him as I'm a Munster man. Fact is on pecking order in Europe he's effectively the 2nd best behind Owens in Europe. Just saying.
But no the Scottish and Hodges are a lot worst but that's not exactly saying standard is great

2md worst maybe just ahead of Lacey!!! He is way behind Barnes, JP, even the two Frenchmen (who I happen to think let the game flow) so disliked by @smartcooky!!

I am all for giving the refs a fair crack of the whip but for every decent match I have seen either do, they have five or six where they are very poor.......are there no other Irish Refs out there? However, I would reiterate my view that the poor refs may influence a match but the best team on the day invariably wins by learning how to play the way any one ref interprets the "nitty gritty".

 

[psychic duck]

Look I never get him as I'm a Munster man. Fact is on pecking order in Europe he's effectively the 2nd best behind Owens in Europe. Just saying.
But no the Scottish and Hodges are a lot worst but that's not exactly saying standard is great

No way is he the second best in Europe. I'll feel sorry for whatever team gets their tournament wrecked by him this year. He better not be doing the one match I managed to get tickets to. Truly awful ref.

 

[goodNumber10]

Fact is on pecking order in Europe he's effectively the 2nd best behind Owens in Europe.

how do you figure that?

 

[munstermuffin]

No way is he the second best in Europe. I'll feel sorry for whatever team gets their tournament wrecked by him this year. He better not be doing the one match I managed to get tickets to. Truly awful ref.

I mean that as in look at games he's getting. I'm not saying it as in he is. Just the IRB have really put him up there and I've heard it touted he could get a Final or 3rd/4th place.

In my eyes Owens and I must say I'm a fan of JP Doyle.

@Tony Barnes has had his status hurt over the Ireland Wales stuff along with his previous errors. But as I said I'm not defending George Clancy as I see him less as he never refs us. Just from what I've heard he's being right up there in how he's being viewed.

 

[ncurd]

Owens must surely be top choice for final? Well respected by most people and Wales' only chance of making the final (seriously I'm kidding on the last part Welsh fans!)

 

[smartcooky]

2md worst maybe just ahead of Lacey!!! He is way behind Barnes, JP, even the two Frenchmen (who I happen to think let the game flow) so disliked by @smartcooky!!

I have no issue with their propensity to let the game flow, so long as it is not at the expense of allowing a free-for-all at the breakdown. My issue with them is the pulling the occasional random decision out of their arse instead of out of the Lawbook e.g. the Wales penalty try in the match against Fiji a couple of years back.

 

[Peat]

"Since Rugby World Cup 2011, we have been focused on developing a strong panel that can preside over the 48 matches at this year's tournament. The fact that seven of the referee panel were involved in the 2011 tournament points to the big-match experience that they hold. Indeed, between the 12 of them, they have refereed no fewer than 361 internationals."


... so, on average, 30 tests each. I think a side where most players had 30 tests each would be noted as somewhat unexperienced. Shame there's no real way to get them more experience that I can see.

 

[bw245]

Wayne Barnes... If he referees the final it will be a travesty. Don't rate Clancy but don't think he's the worst.

My favourites are Owens, Peyper and Joubert. Wish Rolland was still reffing, don't care what anyone says, he was excellent.

 

[munstermuffin]

"Since Rugby World Cup 2011, we have been focused on developing a strong panel that can preside over the 48 matches at this year's tournament. The fact that seven of the referee panel were involved in the 2011 tournament points to the big-match experience that they hold. Indeed, between the 12 of them, they have refereed no fewer than 361 internationals."


... so, on average, 30 tests each. I think a side where most players had 30 tests each would be noted as somewhat unexperienced. Shame there's no real way to get them more experience that I can see.

Yes but there's less chance for international games. For example look at 6Nations. Clancy and Owens did the line often too. The window is smaller as they need to fit some SH refs in and vice versa for rugby championship.