The squad of 23 match officials that will take charge of 2024 Olympic Games Sevens in Paris from 24-30 July has been announced. The men go first at the Stade de France, even before the Opening Ceremony, with the women’s competition following from 28-30 July.
The squad features match officials from 16 countries – including the first referee from Germany to appear in an Olympic rugby sevens competition in Maria Latos. All six of World Rugby’s regional associations are represented in the panel.
Repeat Olympians
Five officials will attend their second Olympic Games in Paulo Duarte (Portugal), Francisco González (Uruguay), Tyler Miller (Australia), Tevita Rokovereni (Fiji) and Jordan Way (Australia). Duarte refereed in both the men’s and women’s competitions in Tokyo while Rokovereni officiated in the women’s event. Both have been selected for the men’s tournament in Paris.
Ano Kuwai (Japan) will create history as the first to both play and referee at a Games, having been part of the Sakura Sevens team at Rio 2016 when rugby sevens made its Olympic debut. Kuwai was the scorer of Japan’s first-ever Olympic try in their 26-10 pool defeat to hosts Brazil. Naturally, she’s very excited by the opportunity; “It was special to be in the Olympic Games as a player and now I cannot wait to go Paris as a referee!”
She is one of six females selected on the women’s panel, all of whom have refereed international rugby. The squad includes Maggie Cogger-Orr (New Zealand) and Kat Roche (USA) who took charge of matches in this year’s Women’s Six Nations and Tyler Miller, who made her test debut in the World Rugby Pacific Four Series last month.
Jérémy Rozier is the only Olympic home nation official, but is delighted to be making the team. “It is very special for me to be involved in an Olympic Games, it’s a dream for players and referees. I’m especially pleased as I had to miss Tokyo due to an ACL injury after being selected, so coming back from this disappointment, training hard to be fit and take this chance to be in Paris. It will be an amazing tournament for me at home in Paris where I live, with all my family there.”
Match official squad for the Olympic Games Paris 2024:
Men’s tournament:
Ben Breakspear (Wales, Great Britain)
Paulo Duarte (Portugal)
Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
Francisco González (Uruguay)
Nick Hogan (New Zealand)
AJ Jacobs (South Africa)
Reuben Keane (Australia)
Adam Leal (England, Great Britain)
Tevita Rokovereni (Fiji)
Jérémy Rozier (France)
Morné Ferreira (South Africa)
Jordan Way (Australia)
Women’s tournament:
Finlay Brown (Scotland, Great Britain)
Craig Chan (Hong Kong China)
Talal Chaudhry (Canada)
Maggie Cogger-Orr (New Zealand)
Ano Kuwai (Japan)
Maria Latos (Germany)
Cisco Lopez (USA)
Tyler Miller (Australia)
Lavenia Rawaca (Fiji)
Kat Roche (USA)
George Selwood (England, Great Britain)
World Rugby High Performance Sevens Referee Manager Paddy O’Brien said, “I am very excited to be managing a hugely experienced and talented group of match officials to Paris 2024. To have so many countries represented as well as knowing every region is involved gives our management team a huge amount of satisfaction and is testament to the pathways we have had in place over the past four years.
“All those selected have worked extremely hard to ensure that when we arrive in Paris, we will have officials able to referee and officiate to the level required for such a special event.”
