Referees revealed for 2020 World Rugby 7s Series

• Team of 25 match officials from 15 nations selected
• Former Canada Women’s international Julianne Zussman set to make world series officiating debut
• Women’s season commences in Glendale, Colorado on 5-6 October
• Men’s season kicks off in Dubai, UAE on 5-7 December

A team of 25 match officials from 15 nations has been announced for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 which commences in Glendale, Colorado on 5-6 October. The mens series has ten rounds, with the women’s series increasing to eight rounds for the first time.

The 2020 season will culminate with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games which will see rugby sevens make its second appearance on the Olympic Games programme following its successful introduction at Rio 2016.

The men’s series kicks off in Dubai on 5-7 December 2019, with six of those events being combined with women’s tournaments. For the first time in some time, there’ll be no South African male referees with Rasta Rasivhenge now focussing on the fifteen-a-side game. Ashleigh Murray will represent SA on the women’s circuit. The men’s panel features eleven familiar names who have all featured over the last three seasons with the addition of Uruguay’s Francisco Gonzalez who officiated in the Americas Rugby Championship earlier this year.

Zussman turns gamekeeper

Former Canada Women’s international, Julianne Zussman, joins the women’s series panel this season and will make her match officiating world series debut in the opening tournament in Glendale, Colorado on 5-6 October.

Zussman represented her country in both fifteens and sevens formats of the game, earning 44 test caps and featuring in three Rugby World Cups throughout her playing career.

Zussman joins an experienced panel of referees on the women’s series who have impressed on the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series over a number of seasons.

World Rugby Match Officials Selection Committee Chairman Anthony Buchanan commented, “The standard of officiating across the entire HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series continues to increase year-on-year which is extremely encouraging as we enter a pivotal season for rugby sevens.

“We have a very experienced unit of referees who have a wealth of experience officiating on the world series, which this year features more women’s events than ever before, before the season culminates with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“We would like to congratulate Julianne Zussman from Canada who has been selected for her first HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series; the selection committee is delighted with the quality of match officials available for selection for the men’s and women’s series panels and looks forward to another successful season of rugby sevens.”

Women’s Sevens Series Panel:

• Sara Cox (England)
• Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
• Emily Hsieh (USA)
• Lauren Jenner (New Zealand)
• Adam Jones (Wales)
• Sakurako Kawasaki (Japan)
• Tyler Miller (Australia)
• Ashleigh Murray (South Africa)
• Joy Neville (Ireland)
• Amy Perrett (Australia)
• Madeline Putz (Australia)
• Tevita Rokoverneni (Fiji)
• Julianne Zussman (Canada)

Men’s Sevens Series Panel:

• James Doleman (New Zealand)
• Paulo Duarte (Portugal)
• Craig Evans (Wales)
• Francisco Gonzalez (Uruguay)
• Sam Grove White (Scotland)
• Richard Haughton (England)
• Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
• Damon Murphy (Australia)
• Matt Rodden (Hong Kong)
• Jeremy Rozier (France)
• Damian Schneider (Argentina)
• Jordan Way (Australia)

Referees by competition

Glendale, USA – Women’s – 5-6 Oct 2019

Adam Jones (Wales)
Amy Perrett (Australia)
Emily Hsieh (USA)
Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Madeline Putz (Australia)
Sara Cox (England)
Julianne Zussmann (Canada)

Dubai – 5-7 Dec 2019

Men’s
Jordan Way (Australia)
Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
Matt Rodden (Hong Kong)
Richard Haughton (England)
James Doleman (New Zealand)
Damon Murphy (Australia)
Francisco Gonzalez (Uruguay)
Nehuén Gabriel Jauri Rivero (Argentina)

Women’s
Amy Perrett (Australia)
Ashleigh Murray (South Africa)
Joy Neville (Ireland)
Lauren Jenner (New Zealand)
Sakurako Kawasaki (Japan)
Sara Cox (England)
Julianne Zussmann (Canada)

Cape Town -13 -15 Dec 2019

Men’s
Jordan Way (Australia)
Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
Matt Rodden (Hong Kong)
Richard Haughton (England)
James Doleman (New Zealand)
Damon Murphy (Australia)
Francisco Gonzalez (Uruguay)
Nehuén Gabriel Jauri Rivero (Argentina)

Women’s
Amy Perrett (Australia)
Ashleigh Murray (South Africa)
Joy Neville (Ireland)
Lauren Jenner (New Zealand)
Sakurako Kawasaki (Japan)
Sara Cox (England)
Julianne Zussmann (Canada)

Hamilton – New Zealand – 25-26 Jan 2020

Men’s
Damian Schneider (Argentina)
Paulo Duarte (Portugal)
Jordan Way (Australia)
Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
Jeremy Rozier (France)
Craig Evans (Wales)
James Doleman (New Zealand)
Damon Murphy (Australia)
Francisco Gonzalez (Uruguay)

Women’s
Adam Jones (Wales)
Amy Perrett (Australia)
Emily Hsieh (USA)
Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Tevita Rokovereni (Fiji)
Tyler Miller (Australia)

Sydney, Australia 1-2 Feb 2020

Men’s
Damian Schneider (Argentina)
Paulo Duarte (Portugal)
Jordan Way (Australia)
Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
Jeremy Rozier (France)
Craig Evans (Wales)
James Doleman (New Zealand)
Damon Murphy (Australia)
Francisco Gonzalez (Uruguay)

Women’s
Adam Jones (Wales)
Amy Perrett (Australia)
Emily Hsieh (USA)
Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Tevita Rokovereni (Fiji)
Tyler Miller (Australia)

Los Angeles, 29 Feb- 1 Mar 2020

Men’s
Jeremy Rozier (France)
Matt Rodden (Hong Kong)
Richard Haughton (England)
Craig Evans (Wales)
Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Damian Schneider (Argentina)
Paulo Duarte (Portugal)
Damon Murphy (Australia)

Vancouver, Canada 7-8 Mar 2020

Men’s
Jeremy Rozier (France)
Matt Rodden (Hong Kong)
Richard Haughton (England)
Craig Evans (Wales)
Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Damian Schneider (Argentina)
Paulo Duarte (Portugal)
Damon Murphy (Australia)

Hong Kong, 3-5 Apr 2020

Men’s
Matt Rodden (Hong Kong)
James Doleman (New Zealand)
Francisco Gonzalez (Uruguay)
Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
Jeremy Rozier (France)
Damon Murphy (Australia)
Paulo Duarte (Portugal)
Jordan Way (Australia)
Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Richard Haughton (England)

Women’s
Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Joy Neville (Ireland)
Madeline Putz (Australia)
Sakurako Kawasaki (Japan)
Sara Cox (England)
Tevita Rokovereni (Fiji)
Amy Perrett (Australia)
Singapore – Men’s

Singapore, 11-12 Apr 2020

Men’s
Matt Rodden (Hong Kong)
James Doleman (New Zealand)
Francisco Gonzalez (Uruguay)
Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
Jeremy Rozier (France)
Damon Murphy (Australia)
Paulo Duarte (Portugal)
Jordan Way (Australia)
Sam Grove-White (Scotland)

Langford – 2-3 May 2020

Women’s
Amy Perrett (Australia)
Ashleigh Murray (South Africa)
Emily Hsieh (USA)
Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Joy Neville (Ireland)
Tevita Rokovereni (Fiji)

London – 24-25 May 2020

Men’s
James Doleman (New Zealand)
Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
Jeremy Rozier (France)
Richard Haughton (England)
Craig Evans (Wales)
Paulo Duarte (Portugal)
Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Damian Schneider (Argentina)

Paris, France – 30- 31 May 2020

Men’s
James Doleman (New Zealand)
Richard Kelly (New Zealand)
Jeremy Rozier (France)
Richard Haughton (England)
Craig Evans (Wales)
Paulo Duarte (Portugal)
Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Damian Schneider (Argentina)

Women’s
Adam Jones (Wales)
Ashleigh Murray (South Africa)
Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Joy Neville (Ireland)
Madeline Putz (Australia)
Sara Cox (England)