It’s a big weekend for referees all over the world with a set of finals, Olympic 7s qualifiers and the start of the u20s World Championships. Ben O’Keeffe (pictured top left) has his third Super Rugby Final where the Crusaders play the Chiefs. Dan Jones will referee the Premier 15s Final in England where Exeter Women travel to Queensholm (great PR from the league!) to play Gloucester-Hartpury, and in South Africa, JD Jadezweni will oversee the Currie Cup Final where the Cheetahs play the Pumas.
In Paarl and Stellenbosch, the World u20s Championships kick off. Hollie Davidson (top right) referees at the Danie Craven Stadium to kick things off there as she referees France v Japan. A day of firsts there – Hollie becomes the first female to referee at the men’s u20s and it’ll be the first international match with the off-field foul play review process in play. As well as Hollie, Takehito Namekawa, Ben Breakspear, Eoghan Cross, Luc Ramos and Anthony Woodthorpe will also be in refereeing action. The Olympics 7s qualifiers are for Europe this weekend, so a high-force team of refs are in Krakow to referee the men’s and women’s events. There’s also a Women’s PAC4 match next Thursday where Aus play NZ – Aimee Barrett-Theron is refereeing that one.
In the US, the regular MLR league finished last week with San Diego and the New England Free Jacks finishing top of the western and eastern conferences and qualifying for the conference finals. This week, England’s Joe James and Argentina’s Federico Anselmi (bottom left) will referee the eliminator matches to determine the other conference finalists. Either New York or DC will play the Free Jacks, and either Seattle or Houston will go on to play San Diego. The respective Conference winner, will play for the MLR Championship title on 8 July.
Enjoy your weekend!
Keith
2023 World u20 Championship – Round 1
France v Japan
Referee: Hollie Davidson (SRU)
ARs: Angus Mabey (NZR) & Dylen November (SARU)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
Australia v Fiji
Referee: Takehito Namekawa (JRFU)
ARs: Damian Schneider (UAR) & Phumzile Mbewu (SARU)
TMO: Ian Tempest (RFU)
South Africa v Georgia
Referee: Ben Breakspear (WRU)
ARs: Angus Mabey (NZR) & Dylen November (SARU)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (FIR)
Argentina v Italy
Referee: Eoghan Cross (IRFU)
ARs: Reuben Keane (RA) & Christopher Allison (SARU)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
England v Ireland
Referee: Luc Ramos (FFR)
ARs: Morne Ferreira (SARU) & Griffin Colby (SARU)
TMO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)
Wales v New Zealand
Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe (RFU)
ARs: Reuben Keane (RA) & Christopher Allison (SARU)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (SARU)
2023 Women’s Pacific 4 Series
Australia v New Zealand (Thurs 29th, Brisbane)
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (SA)
ARs: Amber McLachlan (Aus) & Natarsha Ganley (NZ)
TMO: Cholm Johnson (Aus)
European Games – Women’s 7s Olympic Qualifier (Krakow, Poland)
Finlay BROWN (SCO), Doriane DOMENJO (FRA), Eki FANLO (ESP), Lauren JENNER (ITA), Maria LATOS (GER), George SELWOOD (ENG)
European Games – Men’s 7s Olympic Qualifier (Krakow, Poland)
Sulkhan CHIKLADZE (GEO), Paulo DUARTE (POR), Gianluca GNECCHI (ITA), Adam LEAL (ENG), Peter MARTIN (IRL), Jeremy ROZIER (FRA)
Super Rugby Pacific – Final
Chiefs v Crusaders (in Waikato, Hamilton)
Referee: Ben O’Keeffe
ARs: Angus Gardner & Nic Berry
TMO: Brendon Pickerill
Allianz Premier 15s Final
Gloucester-Hartpury Women’s RFC v Exeter Chiefs Women’s
Referee: Dan Jones
ARs: Alex Thomas & Charlie Gayther
TMO: Andrew Jackson
South Africa – Currie Cup Finals
First Division: Boland Kavaliers v Valke
Referee: Paul Mente
ARs: Ruhan Meiring & JD de Meyer
TMO: Archie Sehlako
Premier Division: Toyota Cheetahs v Airlink Pumas
Referee: Cwengile Jadezweni
ARs: AJ Jacobs & Stephan Geldenhuys
TMO: Egon Seconds
US MLR: Semi-final eliminators
Seattle Seawolves v Houston Sabercats
Referee: Joe James
ARs: Luke Rogan & Austin Reed
TMO: Nick Hannon
Rugby New York v Old Glory DC
Referee: Federico Anselmi
ARs: Chris Assmus & Cisco Lopez
TMO: Derek Summers
USA: PR Sevens – Minneapolis
Referees: Joey Swatzell, Jacob Gonzales & Haley Aguiar
South Africa: Women’s Premier Division:
Cell C Sharks Women v DHL Western Province
Referee: Sinesipho Foloti
Bulls Daisies v Border Ladies
Referee: Bulela Qwane
EP Queens v Mastercard Golden Lions Women
Referee: Lulutho Matomela
South Africa: Women’s First Division:
Free State Women v SWD Eagirls
Referee: Aneka Fick
Leopards Women v Pumas Women
Referee: Zoe Naude
Griffons Women v Valke Women
Referee: Giana Viljoen
Ireland v England, 49th minute Penalty Try to England go ahead 17-15, but no yellow card / player temporarily suspended. The Law states: must be cautioned AND…….
“A penalty try is awarded between the goal posts if foul play by the opposing team prevents a probable try from being scored, or scored in a more advantageous position. A player guilty of this must be cautioned and temporarily suspended or sent off. No conversion is attempted.”
Referee: Luc Ramos (FFR)
ARs: Morne Ferreira (SARU) & Griffin Colby (SARU)
TMO: Quinton Immelman (SARU)
Didn’t see it yet. Was it a front row/scrum collapse issue?
U20’s England on attack 1m out, IRE #6 Mangan kills the ruck, YC at 48:14, Penalty, so ENG opt for scrum drove that almost over the line, IRE #7 infringes, Penalty Try at 48:55. Note, No YC given for the penalty try.
So let’s be clear a Penalty Try with no further sanction.
The Law is specific. There is no option.
Ireland should if been down to 13 players.
All the Officials missed it.
3. A penalty try is awarded between the goal posts if foul play by the opposing team prevents a probable try from being scored, or scored in a more advantageous position. A player guilty of this must be cautioned and temporarily suspended or sent off.
Please let’s educate our officials in the laws of the game.
I’ve hunted out the clip now. The referee didn’t identify the Ireland 7, you did. In fact he said nothing at all after blowing the whistle. It was as scrum failure by the Ireland FR and prob some back row too. In most occasions like that, unless one clear culprit causes the initial collapse, referees do not pick a player for a sin bin as well as the PT. Anywhere else, the referee would have had a player to card as well.
1) The point is that the referee doesn’t know the law in full.
In an international world rugby tournament there are teams of officials who don’t know the rules.
2)I have to disagree as the Laws of the game are the laws
3. A penalty try is awarded between the goal posts if foul play by the opposing team prevents a probable try from being scored, or scored in a more advantageous position. A player guilty of this must be cautioned and temporarily suspended or sent off. No conversion is attempted.
3)So is there an option? I disagree. You could have 2 penalty tries in the same match 1 where there is a YC given, the 2nd no YC. How does that work?
If the referee can’t spot an offender then YC someone. I have seen the Captain given a YC.
4) What is strange is at World Rugby U20 website there is no record of the Penalty Try.
Unbelievable.
It states Try J Cusick 53min score 15-15 Conversion C. Slevin score 17-15.
100% disagree that the officials don’t know the law. I’ve explained the process behind those decisions. There is no law for YCing a captain in the way you suggest – now that is making law up