As the Rugby World Cup kicks off this week, our guest post contributors took a look around the wider rugby world (League & Union) to see what the biggest matches out there are. What do you think? Do you think there’s any missing?
There is nothing better for a referee than to be appointed to cover a high-profile match. It is the highest honour in the profession and something every referee works towards. Often the referees are rewarded for a great season or tournament of officiating. The good news is that there are many high profile matches around the world. Here are six of the biggest matches to referee both internationally and domestically.
Rugby World Cup Final
The World Cup is rugby union’s showpiece, and refereeing any match is already a big honour. But officiating the final is no doubt the ultimate appointment. This year’s World Cup starts in Japan on Friday, with the final to be contested in November. The panel of referees for the World Cup is already known, with referees chosen from six nations. Wales’ Nigel Owens (who refereed the 2015 final between New Zealand and Australia) and England’s Wayne Barnes are the seniors, as both are back for their fourth Rugby World Cup. Joining them will be France’s Romain Poite, Jerome Garces, Pascal Gauzere, and Mathieu Raynal; South Africa’s Jaco Peyper; Australia’s Angus Gardner and Nic Berry; New Zealand’s Ben O’Keeffe and Paul Williams; and England’s Luke Pearce. They’re being supported by a panel of seven assistant referees and four television match officials. One of the 12 referees will get the ultimate honour of overseeing the World Cup final in the not too distant future, joining a list of refereeing greats, including England’s Ed Morrison (pictured above).
Rugby League World Cup
The Rugby League World Cup is to rugby league what the Rugby World Cup is to rugby union. In 2017, Australia’s Gerard Sutton got the privilege of refereeing the Rugby League World Cup final between England and Australia. It was quite a match, too, as Australia edged out England 6-0 in the closest final in years. It was tense all throughout, and was largely free of controversy thanks to Sutton’s officiating. The next Rugby League World Cup will be in 2021.
Bledisloe Cup
Australia and New Zealand have a longstanding rugby union rivalry. This rivalry is played out in the ultra-competitive Bledisloe Cup. It started way back in the 1930s, and has been held annually ever since — either as a two-match series or a three-match tournament. These matches, naturally, are some of the biggest to referee. That’s due to the Bledisloe Cup’s rich tradition, and the two nations’ passion for rugby union. This year, South Africa’s Jaco Peyper got the call to referee the Bledisloe Cup decider, which New Zealand won, 36-0.
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is one of England’s top rugby league tournaments. The BBC’s primer on why to watch the final explains how it is “one of sport’s oldest and most prestigious knockout competitions.” This alone makes the Challenge Cup a big deal for any referee. This year’s final was the 118th edition. bwin Rugby’s preview of this years’ Challenge Cup notes how Warrington Wolves and St Helens were this year’s finalists. They were the Super League’s two top teams, with St Helens 16 points clear of Warrington. But despite being the underdogs, Wolves beat St Helens 18-4 in a final watched by over 60,000 fans. For this match, Robert Hicks again got the nod, a year after refereeing last year’s Challenge Cup. It was well deserved, as Hicks is one of the sport’s best referees. He did a great job, and wasn’t even fazed by a death threat sent from a Warrington fan 10 days prior to the final. He even met with the fan in person afterwards.
National Rugby League Grand Final
The National Rugby League (NRL) Grand Final is a major sporting event in Australia. It is such big a deal, in fact, that it always draws large crowds, including over 100,00 fans in the 1999 Grand Final. Last year over 80,000 spectators watched the Sydney Roosters win the 2018 NRL Grand Final, denying the Melbourne Storm a second straight title. The match memorably featured the Roosters’ captain, Cooper Cronk, playing with a broken shoulder blade. It also saw the aforementioned Sutton refereeing yet another high profile match.
Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final
The Premiership‘s final is the biggest match in English domestic rugby and is the top match for any English referee. Held at Twickenham every year, it is one of the most-watched matches in English (and global) domestic rugby. Last season, Wayne Barnes refereed his ninth final, which saw Saracens overturn an 11-point deficit to beat Exeter 37-34.
So there’s a run-down of the top six, our guest writing team came up with. Have we missed out on a huge match where you are? Maybe some of the big schools matches in South Africa? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
Not as big a match as those listed, but, for a young referee on his way up, his first local derby in places such as the South Wales Valleys, the Borders in Scotland, or indeed anywhere in the world of rugby where local rivalries are intense, is going to be a tough match.
Promising refereeing careers have withered and died in the heat of such games.